Krabi is a small town on the mouth of the Krabi River estuary. It has plenty of beautiful beaches in the vicinity which attract millions of tourists annually. The area is also home to several national parks, the best known being Hat Noppharat Thara and Ao Nang.
These have been designated to stop mass tourism ruining the natural beauty of the area which is home to abundant wildlife and are of ecological importance. The parks are best visited with a hire car as they are some distance from the town.
Krabi Airport Mini Guide
Gateway to the Beach Resorts
Krabi Airport, situated on the coast of Thailand is the gateway to many beach resorts and islands in the Andaman Sea. The airport is situated on the main highway along the coast making it extremely easy to get to any neighbouring resort on the mainland. Ferries to the nearby islands, the most famous being Koh Phi Phi depart from Krabi town itself.
Making Way for More Visitors
Krabi Airport was originally built in it's present state in 1999, however in 2005 it was doubled in size and now has a 4 storey terminal which can accommodate 1200 passengers, with both incoming and outgoing flights at any one time. It is now an up to the minute international airport handling mainly domestic flights to and from Bangkok, but also many flights from Scandinavian countries.
The arrivals area is on the first floor, along with two VIP rooms, a small police station and all the usual airport facilities, such as first aid, ATMs and 20 shops and cafes. On the fourth floor is the main departure area with a restaurant, 10 more shops and the now obligatory security area prior to your flight.
Out and About Near to Krabi
Krabi is a multi ethnic society with several different religions, although the Thai people are mainly Buddhist. There is quite a large “sea gypsy” population who, although call themselves gypsies, settled in Krabi some time ago and now depend on fishing, diving and shell collecting for their livelihoods. Krabi is not a particularly historical or cultural place and most people arriving there do so in order to reach Koh Phi Phi or one of the resorts or beaches along the coast.
Nearby Islands and the Beaches
Most of these can be reached from Krabi in a “long tailed” boat for either a day trip or a little longer. The best way of hiring one of these is to go to where they are parked on the beach and haggle for the best price, you will find the young Thai men who own the boats very eager to take you wherever you want to go. One of the best beaches is Ao Nang which is beautiful in itself, but it's bay shelters 83 islands of various sizes, definitely well worth a visit for snorkeling and swimming in the coral and crystal clear waters.
Where to Stay
If you need to stay close to the airport then Krabi town is the nearest place with hotels, however, these are more backpackers hostels than luxury resorts, it is much better to stay on one of the beaches – maybe Ao Nang or An Nam Mao where there is a far wider choice of hotels and it is only about 20km from airport.
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