The two main beach areas are Ao Nang, the liveliest hub with hotels, restaurants, and longtail-boat access to nearby coves, and Railay Beach, a peninsula cut off from the mainland by sheer cliffs and accessible only by boat. Railay has some of the best rock climbing in Southeast Asia, as well as genuinely secluded coves like Phra Nang Cave Beach. The Four Islands day trip from Ao Nang is a good introduction to the area's snorkelling and the peculiar landscape of the sea stacks.
Krabi Town itself, on the Krabi River, has a low-key backpacker vibe and is a practical base for day trips. The Tiger Cave Temple (Wat Tham Seua) — a steep 1,237-step climb — ends at a summit panorama over the karst plains that is worth every step. Inland, the Khao Phanom Bencha National Park has waterfalls, gibbons, and a genuine rainforest feel far from the tourist trail.
Getting to Krabi
Krabi has its own airport with domestic connections from Bangkok. Alternatively, travellers leaving Koh Samui can take our ferry to Surat Thani, then connect by coach or shared taxi across the peninsula to Krabi — total journey time is roughly five to six hours. This land-and-sea combo is a popular and affordable way to move between the two coasts. A direct speedboat service between Koh Samui and Krabi also operates seasonally, though sea conditions can make this crossing rough outside the main high season.