Ao Nang

We've never been great wraps on Ao Nang. There is nothing particularly Thai about it, and the beach is pretty ordinary. The town is itself is full of tailor shops, travel agents, a scattering of girlie bars and really bad Italian restaurants. Sounds tempting?

Still, Ao Nang isn't quite as 'in your face' as Ko Phi Phi, which courts a younger crowd. The tourism industry here is focused on package tours and family vacations, and good deals on decent rooms for long-stays are their speciality. About 80% of the tourists taking advantage of such deals are Scandinavian and continental Europeans, so Anglophones might end up feeling a tad out of place.

The beach is situated along a westerly-facing stretch of Phra Nang Bay, named after an ancient, mythical Thai queen. There's a headland to the east, featuring a large, majestic lime stone mountain -- Phu Khao -- that gives the area much of it's scenic character. The mountain is protected by the National Park service, and completely off-limits to climbing and hiking. At the base of the mount lies the Central Krabi Bay Resort, a five-star outfit with a private beach which is accessible only by boat.

Further up the coast to the west lies Haad Nopphara Thara, which offers a terrific alternative to Ao Nang, especially if you've got a backpack on your back. Across the bay in the distance you can see the Poda Islands, and Chicken Island further in the distance. The beach is pretty decent at high-tide, but low-tide goes way-out to about 300 meters. If your travel agent tells you the sand here is white, get a new agent! Once a month you'll find locals combing the sand flats for clams -- it's a good time to order hoi at a local restaurant, as it's liable to be quite fresh and tasty.

 

The road that loops through town is called Moo 2 -- the eastern side of the loop travels up along the mountain, and the western side heads toward Haad Nopphara Thara. Moo 3 branches off from the western side of the loop and heads inland, eventually winding up in Haad Nopphara Thara as well.

Things are pretty quiet in the off season, but in high season Ao Nang is packed to the rafters. Although for families in particular, Ko Lanta is a far better destination, Ao Nang does provide a convenient base to visit some of the off-shore islands. Ao Nang is also one of the places where you can get a boat to the spectacular Railay Bay.

Accommodation-wise, along the beach is generally over-priced and lacklustre, but that's where a lot of people want to stay. Heading north on Moo 2 alongside the mountain, there's a wide variety of places to stay, from cheap guesthouses and boutique resorts. About a kilometre from the beach you'll find some quite decent bungalow outfits situated beneath the looming limestone cliffs that provide a great alternative to the 'Ao Nang scene' right on the beach. Heading west along the beach road, you'll find gaggles of accommodation -- but nothing particularly stellar and no real budget options. Moo 3 offers another good alternative to the beach, with some very decent luxury resort and mid-range bungalow outfits.

Orientation
The nearest post office is on 190 Uttarakit Road in Krabi Town -- kinda far away, which is why many of the 'finer' hotels offer postal services on site. Internet is widely available at one baht per minute, and overseas phone calls start at about 10 baht per minute. There are plenty of banks and ATMs along the beach road -- there are a couple of exchange booths near the Phra Nang Inn.

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