Krabi (province)
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Krabi Province is on the west coast of Southern Thailand, and shares borders with Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, Phang Nga Province, Satun Province and Surat Thani Province, as well as the Andaman Sea.
Krabi (กระบี่) is the provincial capital of Krabi Province.
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Understand
The distinguishing feature of both Krabi and neighboring Phang Nga is the massive limestone karsts, rising vertiginously out of the flat rice paddies on land and as islands from the sea. Add in some gorgeous beaches and excellent scuba diving and rock climbing, and it's little wonder that tourism in the area has been booming.
While less commercialized than neighboring Phuket, Krabi Province cannot be described as undiscovered: it receives two million visitors a year, and the major tourist areas cater extensively for foreigners.
2004 tsunami
Krabi Province was badly hit by the Indian Ocean tsunami of December 2004. A year later, signs of the damage are now hard to find in many places, but in the worst hit areas (especially Ko Phi Phi and Khao Lak) reconstruction is still ongoing.
Climate
Krabi is hot and humid all year round, with peak temperatures around April. The rainy season arrives in the fall and drizzles until about November, during which time many hotels and bars close, and the sea can get rough and some ferries (including those to Ko Lanta) stop running. High season is November-April inclusive, when it's a little cooler; the peak tourism period spans Christmas and New Year.
Talk
You can get around on English alone in the more touristic areas, although a few words of Thai will come in handy off the beaten track and will be much appreciated anywhere.
Cities
- Krabi - the provincial capital
Beaches
- Ao Nang - popular beach for backpackers
- Rai Leh (Railay) - Thailand's rock climbing Mecca, a craggy peninsula with several small beaches
Islands
- Ko Lanta - the new escape for those who find Ao Nang/Rai Leh too touristy
- Ko Phi Phi - where parts of The Beach were filmed
- Ko Siboya - rural Thailand with a difference
Get in
The most popular way to enter this province is via its capital, Krabi.
By plane
see Krabi International Airport
By bus
There are regular direct bus services between Bangkok's Southern Bus Terminal and Krabi (~ 500 baht), but probably the best option is to take a VIP bus, which for 250 baht more makes the 10 hour ride much more comfortable.
By train
The nearest train stations are:
- Surat Thani - 3-4 hours away from Krabi by bus
- Trang - 2-2.5 hours away from Krabi by bus
Get around
By boat
Krabi is mostly coast and islands, so you'll be spending quite some time on boats when getting around.
The most common boat type for shorter hops is the long-tail boat (reua hang yao), which true to the name has the propeller at the end of a long 'tail' stretching from the boat. This makes them supremely manoeuvrable even in shallow waters, but they're a little underpowered for longer trips and you'll get wet if it's even a little choppy.
By bus
See
Do
Scuba diving
Krabi Province and the Andaman Sea have a number of excellent dive sites. You can find dive resorts at almost every coastal destination in the region and on the islands that tourists visit. Dive resorts on Phuket will visit some of these sites too. Most will offer a selection of dives at the following sites:
- Hin Bida (near Ko Bida) - a submerged rock best known for its leopard sharks
- Hin Daeng and Hin Muang (55km south of Phi Phi) - the region's most famous dive sites, offering steep deep wall diving and, thanks to their position in the open sea, spectacular marine life; usually approached from Ko Lanta, occasionally by overnight trip from Phuket
- King Cruiser - a car ferry that sank in 1997, providing the area with its only wreck, located at 30 meters; unfortunately its condition is deteriorating fairly fast in the warm waters
- Ko Haa (Five Islands, south of Ko Phi Phi) - has excellent coral dives between 15m and 25m and some cavern dives including one that allows you to surface in the center of one of the islands
- Ko Bida - an island close to Phi Phi Lay
Get out
- Phang Nga - yet more beaches and strange limestone formations
- Phuket - the original southern Thai beach resort island, just two hours away
- Ko Samui - on the gulf coast, about 6 hours away by bus+ferry