You Can't Be Crabby in Krabi

Our first night in Thailand, Ben and I discussed at length how surprised we were that after only 11 weeks on the road, the glitter of new and shine of the nomad life began to wear off. It's not that we weren't loving it, or appreciating the experience, but the little stuff that makes a place exotic just wasn't as... exotic.

Enter Krabi. It was exactly what we needed at this point in the trip: beautiful beaches, perfect weather, and top-notch curries. We didn't actually do much in Krabi other than beach (can you blame us, really?), and it is easily one of the most beautiful places we've ever been.

After a couple of days on the Railay and Ao Nong beaches, we jumped on a tour of the Hong Islands. It was breathtaking, and I was super jazzed to swim with the fishies.

Also, Krabi town has a great night market, complete with $3 mojitos, live music, and countless food stands. When the crowds got too overwhelming, we just had more cocktails. Yes.

Quick plug for Arty Momma Rasta Bar, one of our new favorite bars in the whole world. The vibe was chill, the people were friendly, and the live music was on point. If you head to Krabi, this is a do-not-miss.

  

Another worthy note: timing. We lined up our time on the beach to coincide with the holidays. Turns out everyone else does this too. This is the same beach (Railay). Picture 1 is Dec 22 at 3 PM. Picture 2 is Christmas Eve at noon. 

Oh yeah, there are monkeys. Get excited.

Krabi was the perfect way to spend our holidays: video chats with our families, followed by white sandy beaches and topped off with a Christmas tree, sandman, and each other. We hope your holidays were full of your favorite things too.

If you're planning on heading to Krabi, here are some tips!

• Keep timing in mind. Christmas-New Years is insanely busy, expensive, and generally booked waayyy in advance. 
• Ao Nang, Krabi, and Railay are all in the same general vicinity. 
• Ao Nang is right on the beach, and full of tourist conveniences. And tourists. We stayed for 4 days, and really enjoyed our time there. The beach was nice but busy, but it only a quick trip to Railay (15 min, $6/each round trip).
• Krabi town is not on the beach (it's on a river). It's got a bit more of an authentic feel to it, while still having the conveniences. You can take a shuttle to Ao Nong for $2, but it takes over an hour, or you can take a 40 min boat ride to Railay for $9/each round trip (which can add up if you go every day... like we did).
• Railay is where it's at. Our friend Ken told us this, but we thought we could book something on Railay when we got there. Wrong-o. Book waayyy in advance if you can. The east side of Railay is way cheaper, with a cooler vibe. The west side has the beach, but also the ritzy resorts. 
• When you choose a place, it's important to remember that the boats stop running at 5 or 6, so if you're not staying on Railay, you won't get to experience the night life or sunset there. Womp womp.
• The island tours are great and beautiful, but don't expect 5 star treatment. They are essentially just a shuttle from island to island, which is what we were looking for. We did Hong Islands and spent 800 baht each, but I read afterwards that some people negotiated down to 600. 
• One thing we were surprised by was just how much time we spent on the boat (way more than our time on the beaches). It makes sense because the islands are pretty far out, but good to keep in mind.
• Again, keep timing in mind. In high season, everything is busy. If you're looking for deserted beaches, Christmas time is not the time to go.