Phuket or Krabi or Ko Phi Phi?
 

I will be visiting Thailand for the first time in November and after visiting Bangkok and Chiang Mai, I would like to spend 7 or 8 nights on the beach. I want to stay somewhere quiet with amazing views. I can't seem to make up my mind on whether I should stay in Krabi, Phuket or Ko Phi Phi. Should I just split my time between all three locations? Please note that my flight from Chiang Mai to Phuket is already booked and that I will fly to Hong Kong from Phuket after my time on the beach. Please help me!

Thanks!

All of those places can be wonderful if you choose the right place to stay. Given your flight itinerary, I would probably choose Phuket and do a one day speedboat excursion to the Phi Phi islands. It is also possible to get to Krabi by car from HKT, but it is a bit of a long drive.

I would make the decision based upon which specific resort I wanted to stay in. If you stay in a desirable location, either Phuket or Krabi will be perfect.

Do you have any status with hotel chains? As I am SPG Platinum I tend towards SPG properties. In your case I would spend my time about an hour north of the Phuket airport at Le Meridien Khao Lak. By the time you arrive the Westin Siray Bay in Phuket will be open and it looks very nice. It may be nice to split time between these two properties. One faces east and the other west.

Koh Phi Phi stands as my favorite place in the world (out of almost 40 countries visited). Phuket is pretty, but it's busy and not unlike many other 'paradise' places. Phi Phi is different. The islands are impossibly beautiful and it is as relaxing and laid back as Thailand beaches get. There are no cars and very limited touting. It's truly different and special. This is one place where I will put my hotel status aside, stay in a local standard decent room for ~$25, and just relax and unwind and really do whatever I want.

I'm headed back in a month - can you tell I'm exicted?? :D

I just booked a trip to Thailand in late December/early January. Have about the same number of beach days - here is how I decided to break out my days:

Day 1 (after 5 days in BKK including New Year's Eve) -- BKK-HKT around noon, drive to Krabi
Day 2 -- Krabi
Day 3 -- Krabi
Day 4 -- Drive from Krabi back to Phuket
Day 5 -- Phuket
Day 6 -- Phuket
Day 7 -- Phuket
Day 9 -- Phuket
Day 10 -- start trip home around 5 PM (HKT-LAX with a few stops)

We will do a day trip to Phi Phi one of the Phuket days. Would stay a night over there, but will have an infant with us, so we are more point to point than normal (trying to minimize the number of times we pack/unpack). Have booked the Sheraton Krabi Beach and Le Meridien Khao Lak using SPG points.

What biruviannation said - even if you're skeptical, it's definitely worth a single overnight at a minimum. I've only day-tripped there, and wish I'd stayed longer.

Stayed at all three. My vote goes to Phi Phi. If you really want quiet go to the NW side. There are several small resorts there that are accessible only by water. We stayed at the Holiday Inn Resort. There is decent snorkelling off the beach. The resorts offer day tours to different islands. There is little nightlife and no pan handling.

Three Jewels of Southern Thailand
 

All three are nice and each has it own charm. Khao Lak beach is very nice and quiet. We have our local website www.lemeridienkhaolak.com providing the information of local attractions available within this area and hope this could be useful for you. Would recommend you to check on other destination as well.

I was thinking of taking a cruise that stops over in phuket cos i saw that Royal Caribbean's having really wicked deals now, with savings of up to $400, and a room upgrade for only $10! What are some of the things I can do in Phuket during the short stopover time?

Where are you staying in KBV ?
Im staying at Lanta Castaway for 10 days..Never been there soo looking forward to it. Some reveiews from friends say its nice..

I've decided on staying in Krabi for 4 nights and then go to Koh Phi Phi for 3 nights. Does anyone have a hotel to recommend in Ao Nang Beach?

I prefer Phuket not only because It's beautiful but also it gives you city life. If you go to Island , of course you see beautiful beaches, smooth sand and nice people, you lost some mobility . Some urgent matters can come up .You might need medical care .I am not sure How old are you but to be safe you should stay some places that has easy access to transportation and medical facilities



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