Is Krabi a nice place to go to just relax a few days? Looking to go there after spending about 3 days in Bangkok for about 5 days to lay on the beach and by the pool. Would be staying at the Sheraton. Otherwise would maybe just go to Singapore and go to Sentosa Island. Any input would be welcomed.

Thanks,

RJ

Portions of the post that previously appeared in this space have been deleted. I would provide you with a reason why, but doing so would likely be against the TOS.

Of course there are beaches at Krabi, just not at Krabi Town. The beaches are Ao Nang, East and West Railey, Ton Sai, Noppara Thara, Klong Muang etc and they're extraordinarily beautiful, not "mud flats." The Sheraton is at Klong Muang.

Portions of the post that previously appeared in this space have been deleted. I would provide you with a reason why, but doing so would likely be against the TOS.

Krabi has stunning beaches, some of the best in Thailand.
I strongly suggest you choose Krabi over Sentosa.

We spent about 4 days at the Sheraton Krabi earlier this year. The resort was fine. If you really are looking for just sitting by the beach or pool, then it is very nice. Though interestingly, most people seemed to stay by the pool instead of the beach when we were there. Note that the resort is built on a mangrove swamp, so the rooms tend not to have any water views. You need to go down closer to the waterfront for that. It also depends on what building you have as to whether you are likely to overlook tended grounds or more wild growth.

If you are looking to get out of the resort, it may not be the place to go. You will need to take the shuttle van (there is a fee) to get to town as the resort is rather isolated. It is probably 30 minutes away from Krabi town. Other touristy areas are a little closer. Or you can hire a longtail boat.

krabi town is not worth a visit. if you stay at the sheraton, take a longtail boat to ao phranang or railey. the boat trip itself will be stunning.

Is Krabi a nice place to go to just relax a few days? Looking to go there after spending about 3 days in Bangkok for about 5 days to lay on the beach and by the pool. Would be staying at the Sheraton. Otherwise would maybe just go to Singapore and go to Sentosa Island. Any input would be welcomed.

Thanks,

RJ
The boat ride from Ao Nang, Krabi to Railay is several minutes. Here is 23 seconds of my boat ride from Ao Nang, Krabi to Railay (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Nh5nTxTwY8).
The view along Railay's beach and out into the sea features these beautiful limestone cliffs. I understand it's a world-renown destination for rock climbers.
Here are some of my beach-related pics:
Railay01 (http://www.bobstravelpics.com/Railay/RailayBeach01.jpg)
Railay02 (http://www.bobstravelpics.com/Railay/RailayBeach02.jpg)
Railay03 (http://www.bobstravelpics.com/Railay/RailayBeach03.jpg)
Railay04 (http://www.bobstravelpics.com/Railay/RailayBeach04.jpg)

Thanks Everyone - Krabi it will be!

krabi town is not worth a visit.
I certainly don't agree. Krabi Town is a provincial capital with a heart, with two very good night markets for eating, one of which is famous for its fabulous seafood at budget prices, lots of cozy little cafés and restaurants, and a few evening venues with live music. It's worth at least a visit if you're staying in the area.

Please note that I have corrected my previous post in this thread to indicate that my point of departure was Ao Nang, Krabi -- not Krabi Town.
I had taken a taxi from Krabi Airport to Ao Nang, spent a night in Ao Nang, then boated over to Railay.
Map of Krabi area (http://www.krabi-maps.com/).

I certainly don't agree. Krabi Town is a provincial capital with a heart, with two very good night markets for eating, one of which is famous for its fabulous seafood at budget prices, lots of cozy little cafés and restaurants, and a few evening venues with live music. It's worth at least a visit if you're staying in the area.

I second it... check out Krabi town at night when the locals are out about away from the heat. The night market picks up! ^^^

That's what I was trying to say.

:rolleyes:

Krabi is a wonderful provincial town. The beaches are in the Krabi area. Your first posting just felt crass and unhelpful.

It is an area where few have gone and to assume general knowledge to afford such a comment on the first reply is unhelpful and snobbish at best and disingenuous at worst.

As the OP states that he/she is staying at the Sheraton, it should tell you where he/she meant, if you've actually been to the area before and therefore, you should not have made such a mistake.

Mudflats :rolleyes: really now

Oh yeah and Rock, Chalk, JayHawk!

Oh yeah and Rock, Chalk, JayHawk!
^^^
GO KU!

Any of you Krabi-goers familiar with the Cliff Ao Nang Resort? SO and I will be spending 6 nights there at the end of November. We did a lot of research before settling on this place... Did we do right?

Any of you Krabi-goers familiar with the Cliff Ao Nang Resort? SO and I will be spending 6 nights there at the end of November. We did a lot of research before settling on this place... Did we do right?
I think you did. I stayed there about a year and half back with a friend, and we both liked it quite a bit. Here's a pic from the restaurant that shows where the resort got its name from:

http://jpatokal.iki.fi/photo/travel/Thailand/Krabi/AoNang_TheCliff.JPG

Good:
- Quiet, modern, in good shape
- Great little pool
- Good, reasonably priced restaurant on grounds

Bad:
- A bit of a hike (~15 min) from the beach or central Ao Nang, although it's easy enough to hail a tuk-tuk
- The villas are a bit crowded together (don't expect total privacy)
- Unclear policies on kids -- we were originally told none allowed, but there were a few anyway

The price was a wee bit high by Thai standards, but we were there over Christmas and the Cliff was one of the few places that didn't force some silly "gala dinner" down your throat or demand a one-week minimum booking. All in all, I'd go again.

Thanks so much for the thoughts, jpatokal! SO and are are okay with the walk to the beach and don't care about kids one way or the other... We were looking for a place that (a) had dramatic views, (b) gave us the "bungalo" experience, (c) was small (i.e., nothing chain), and (d) was reasonably priced.

The Cliff fit the bill!

you should try the Rayavadee -

you should try the Rayavadee -

Wow! It looks absolutely stunning! ^ But not at almost five times the price. :td:

Here's the link (http://www.rayavadee.com/main.html) for those who are interested.

Wow! It looks absolutely stunning! ^ But not at almost five times the price. :td:
And the bad thing about Rayavadee is that its beach, which has gorgeous views, is absolutely inundated with daytrippers. It's probably nice and quiet during the night though, but for the kind of money you're looking at to stay there, you'd really expect a private beach.

And the bad thing about Rayavadee is that its beach, which has gorgeous views, is absolutely inundated with daytrippers. It's probably nice and quiet during the night though, but for the kind of money you're looking at to stay there, you'd really expect a private beach.

I guess I know which beach I'll being laying on... :cool:

The beaches in Krabi are in a national park and all park beaches are public. Rayavadee is stunning and has beautiful decks and terraces overlooking all three of its adjacent beaches. Phranang beach being the most stunning.

We'll also be staying in Sheraton Krabi this Dec, and have several questions....

1. How much will cab cost from airport to hotel? I can't find info on hotel vans (not free) yet.
2. Is it easy to get a taxi back from Ao Nang at night? Would you suggest going to Ao Nang for dinner or Krabi town? I'm not much of a party girl, but I do want good local, night market food.
3. Where should I book a boat ride to Railey Beach or Phi Phi island, other than going through hotel?
4. How rough is the sea to Phi Phi island? I'm always worried about seasickness.

Thanks.

2. Is it easy to get a taxi back from Ao Nang at night? Would you suggest going to Ao Nang for dinner or Krabi town? I'm not much of a party girl, but I do want good local, night market food.
Krabi town for a Thai scene, Ao Nong for more Westernized food -- although there are a few street stalls serving up pretty tasty local stuff too. Taxis are pretty much nonexistent in Krabi, but there are plenty of tuktuks.

3. Where should I book a boat ride to Railey Beach or Phi Phi island, other than going through hotel?
Fixed price boats (60 baht/person at last check) depart from Ao Nang constantly. For Phi Phi, ask any travel agent in Ao Nang.

4. How rough is the sea to Phi Phi island? I'm always worried about seasickness.
The Krabi area has so many islands that the sea between them is usually quite calm. Your mileage may vary, but I'm also a bit prone to seasickness, and had no problems at all.

In Dec. the seas tend to be calm. In July I was bounced around pretty bad going from Phi Phi to Phuket when a thunderstorm hit.