Ao Nang & Krabi, Thailand
This was the reason that I first wanted to visit Thailand, to see the iconic James Bond island limestone cliffs that Thailand are known for. We only had 3 nights in Ao Nang {only 2 actual days with the travel either side} but it actually turned out to be SUCH a highlight of the whole trip. We packed it full, seeing elephants, going on that longtail boat trip we’d planned the trip around and visiting the famous Railay Beach. The food choices, markets & shopping here were incredible too. Here’s everything we did and where we stayed…
I had such overwhelm whilst trying to decide where to go after our first stop in Thailand - Koh Lipe because there are so many amazing places. Our main criteria was being able to do a boat trip from there to see the classic James Bond style limestone cliffs. We realised we didn’t want another beachy island, we were tempted by Phuket or Koh Lanta but in the end went with Ao Nang because it made sense for being a good base for the trips we wanted to take and near enough to Krabi airport to fly up to Chiang Mai which would be our final stop.
{I asked @littlevoyaguers - a family travel planning expert, particularly for travel with kids and she’s lived in Thailand too. She showed us lots of options and also convinced us to go to Chiang Mai - something I hadn’t considered before but suddenly became the part of the trip we were looking forward to most! She’s such an amazing black book of recommendations for all budgets if you’re short on time to plan or don’t know where to start}
- So we chose Ao Nang as a base for the trips we wanted to do ~ Railay beach, a long tail around the limestone cliffs and following giants, one of the only ethical 🐘 trips in Thailand.
- We considered a few more kid focused, modern resorts here but we were hardly there so it made sense to book a budget option and this was fab. We stayed at the Ao Nang Phu Petra resort for around £70 a night. I could not stop staring at the pool and that view! It was a 10 minute walk up and away from the main strip so really quiet and had such spacious rooms. It doesn’t include breakfast & it’s a little old in parts but a perfect base and the kids LOVED the pool.
- We also considered staying at the stunning Railay beach but that’s only accessible by boat, maybe next time if we’re here again as it was paradise there.
- Ao Nang was worlds apart from sleepy Koh Lipe. Somebody described it as the Benidorm of Thailand with a main strip, you can buy pretty much anything. We were prepared to not like it but we actually didn’t mind it for a few days. I think you just need to know what to expect. It was great for shopping & for any kind of food. After lots of Thai food we were excited for an American burger which was better than most I’ve had in the UK or USA! Our kids were also excited for a big supermarket to stock up on strawberries and apples lol that we couldn’t get on Koh Lipe. The brunch spots were fab too.
- We only had 3 nights, 2 full days and we really had to squeeze everything into our time here. We got picked up early for a long tail boat trip with Boat & Beyond on our first day then spent a bit of time by the pool and went for some shopping. The kids were ecstatic to buy football kits and we all loved buying personalised passport covers for under £2 each and dinner. I’d recommend S&D seafood if you’re looking for a fab Thai spot - you HAVE to order the heart shaped mango sticky rice, chicken satay & the best fresh fruit smoothies or Burger Daddy for an amazing American diner.
Railay Beach Day // Monkeys, monitor lizards, huge limestone cliffs and caves! Our last beach day of the trip was nothing short of spectacular.
- We got a long tail from the beach at Ao Nang, tickets are about £2.50 each way and you just wait until they have 8 people ready to go. They start at 8am but we found the boat went a bit earlier as there were a group of us waiting around 7.30am and it’s definitely best to get there early to beat the crowds. You get dropped off at West Railay which is stunning and then we walked along the walking street full of cafes to get some breakfast. We really hoped to see monkeys and they were literally climbing right across the street! They’d stolen some lollipops which our kids found hilarious, we loved watching them from a distance.
- We carried on to East Railay beach {which isn’t as nice} & then turned right, past the Rayavadee resort & walked through a jungley track under impressive cliffs a short way to probably the most stunning beach. It’s so cool to see the caves, people rock climbing and we were beyond thrilled to see a monitor lizard which then swam away!
- We spotted more monkeys on the way back, bought another boat ticket on the beach & reluctantly said goodbye. I’d definitely look at staying in this area next time. It’s only accessible by boat though so it depends what else you want to do in the region.
Following Giants Elephant Half Day //
I really wanted the kids to see Asian elephants whilst we were in Thailand. Thailand is famous for elephant sanctuaries but so many claim to be ethical but in reality aren’t. I asked my friend who knows lots about that kind of thing & she sent me the website for the World Animal protection who only list 9 as doing the right thing for 🐘 so we booked @followinggiants and it was such an incredible afternoon. A no touch experience, we got to trek to look for happy elephants who have acres of freedom. It’s advertised from age 3 but the trekking bit was tough with our two kids. It was so hot, there were some jungley bits where poor Raffy got a web over his face 🤯. But we loved seeing the elephants so close & then cooling off with watermelon smoothies on the bamboo verandah, watching them from a far, making seed balls & catapulting them out {Raffy’s favourite bit!}. There’s one in Koh Lanta & this newer one in Krabi. Make sure you take socks with you for the boots & bug spray! You get a delicious buffet dinner, fruit, a smoothie & transfers are included too.
Boat & Beyond Hong Island Private Long Tail //
Not going to lie, seeing long tail boat trips like this around the limestone cliffs was one of the main reasons that I wanted to come to Thailand! {The rest of it has been such a bonus and we completely fell in love with this country}. This boat trip was our Christmas present from my parents & it was the most amazing morning & bucket list tick off. There are so many companies to choose from and different island groups, some are busier than others. We went for @boatandbeyond to the Hong Islands for the morning where you stop at 3 different spots to see the beach/swim then they set up such a luxe picnic in a dreamy spot. Freya went snorkelling for the first time & was captivated by it! I don’t think it was quite as spectacular beach & water wise as the Phi Phi islands or the classic James Bond islands are meant to be but it wasn’t quite as busy as they’re meant to be & was easy to reach from Ao Nang.
The boat company were great, they had towels, loads of drinks, really delicious food {you choose your choices in advance}, even branded bouji fresh coconuts, kids beach toys, snorkels etc. You get both a driver and a host who prepares your picnic and is also an excellent photographer. It’s definitely built for instagram and they even have power bank chargers on board if you need them ha.
I think just be aware it’s an hour’s boat trip to start with which I didn’t realise & our kids felt a bit bored on, the way back was fine as they fell asleep on us after all the fun. You can also buy some food on the islands but take cash as they don’t take card, our kids loved the fresh bbq-ed sweetcorn🌽.
