Ao Nang Villa (photo credit: aonanghotels.com)
Ao Nang is a tourist town in the Krabi Province, packed with beaches and resorts. It is also known as Princess Bay or Ao Phra Nang.
7 km west of Ao Nang lays a peculiar beach known as “Susan Hoi” or Fossil Shell Beach. Its Thai name translates literally to “seashell graveyard”, as the beach is famous with seashell fossils age around 40 million years. You will see 3 types of seashell fossils here. The first type is 1-2 meters thick limestone bed, which from far looks like broken concrete floor with uneven surface. The second type looks like concrete tiles by the beach and is best viewed during low tide. The third type can be seen along the beach during low tide, a mollusc bed of 3 meters thick. Ao Nang has a 5km-long beach, known as “Noppharat Thara”. The locals call the beach “dry river” or “Klong Haeng”, as during low tide you will see a walkway leading to small islands opposite.
Travel a short distance from Ao Nang and you will get beautiful beaches and islands for scuba diving, snorkeling, kayaking, island hopping, and rock climbing. 10-15 minutes ride on long tail boat will bring you to Railay Peninsula, an island with no roads, no cars, and is reachable only by boat. This island paradise has four beaches, namely East Railay Beach, West Railay Beach, Tonsai Beach, as well as Phra Nang Beach which is said to be the best beach in Thailand. 8 km off the shore of Ao Nang is the Mu Koh Poda archipelago. It has lovely beaches on 4 islands – Chicken Island, Mor Island, Poda Island, and Tup Island.
| How to get there: | ||
Krabi Town is located approximately 16 km from Ao Nang. There are frequent songthaews / local buses connecting these 2 cities. Ticket costs THB50 for 6.30 am to 6 pm, and THB60 for 6-9 pm. Bus ticket for Ao Nang – Krabi International Airport costs THB150.
Ao Nang is also connected to Phuket, mostly by ferries. The ferry ride takes around 2 hours, leaving Ao Nang (Had Noppharat Thara pier) at 3.30 pm and leaving Phuket Town at 8.30 am. Ticket costs THB650 for adult and THB500 for child.
| Recommended Hotels in Krabi, Thailand |
||
| Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas (5 stars) | ||
| A fantastic beach front resort and villa in Aonang. | ||
| Railay Bay Resort and Spa (4 stars) | ||
| Beach front resort with direct access to the popular Railay Beach. | ||
| Buri Tara Resort (4 stars) | ||
| One of the few resorts in Aonang that features pool access room. | ||
| Phupha Aonang Resort (3 stars) | ||
| Rated by travelers as one of the most value for money resort in Krabi. | ||
| Browse all Krabi Hotels >> |
Comments on this entry are closed.