Krabi: Southern Thailand's alluring natural beauty

Boat tours headed to nearby island archipelagos are popular attractions in Krabi. Travelers board modern speedboats or the traditional longtail boats for day trips into the scattering of fantasy islands.

Made of towering shafts of limestone, the islands were sea bottom and coral deposits over 225 million years ago. Today, they rise above the turquoise waters like castles.

The sedimentary rock is mostly light gray or white and other minerals and erosion add streaks of red, yellow, or even green. A typical boat tour stops in several places for swimming and snorkelling and offers a packed lunch on the beach.

This small string of islands is partly a national marine park. Phi Phi Don is the largest and the only one with permanent inhabitants and hotels. The island was hit hard by the 2004 tsunami but tourism has revived since the tragedy. A tsunami warning system and safety signage – not just here but all along the Thai coast – has since been put in place.

A trip to Phi Phi is not complete without a boat tour of the smaller sister islands. Maya Bay on Koh Phi Phi Leh (above) is the most popular beach with white sands surrounded by high cliff walls.

Though the inspiration for the Alex Garland novel The Beach came from islands off the east coast of Thailand, filmmakers decided to shoot the movie version with Leonardo DiCaprio here as it captured the sense of a hidden island paradise. The shallow bay puts postcards to shame in the midday sun.

The emerald waters around these islands are ideal for snorkeling and the sandy beaches that spill into the sea beneath the limestone monoliths have an Eden-like appeal.

Tourists often book the “Five Island Tour” which includes Koh Hong with its wide beach on one side and a lagoon only reachable at high tide on the other. Koh Ladin (above) is better known as Paradise Island with a beach that feels like a secret no matter how many longtail boats moor in the little cove.

You can snorkel in and out of the shade beneath rocky overhangs that look like cake frosting melting in the sun. And then lunch with your boat captain on the beach. Tours depart the mainland from Ao Nang or Ao Thalane.

The Thai word for “bay” is “ao.” Ao Thalane is sheltered by more megalithic hills jutting up from the sea just across shallow waters and sandbars. The shoreline shows abundant mangroves -- vital habitat for wildlife and a nursery for fish and crabs and the limestone hills are green with plant life.

Kayaking excursions explore the watery passageways that weave among the limestone towers. Macaque monkeys frolic along the craggy rocks and twisted branches often begging for handouts. (Don’t encourage them!)

These areas are often free from even longtail boats and shelter quiet places to take a swim, eat a packed lunch or just listen to the sounds of the birds and the wind through the channels. Guided tours are offered but the independent traveler can also rent a kayak by the hour.

A couple of dusky leaf monkeys (also known as spectacled langurs) sit on a low branch ogling the man with the camera.

Krabi’s environment is home to a variety of plants and animals. Dolphins play offshore, rich communities of colorful fish and coral await beneath the waves, and the mainland attracts birdwatchers with well over 200 species of birds.

Several national parks such as Khao Phanom Bencha and Than Bokkharani have set aside abundant forest teeming with life and picturesque waters – some suitable for an afternoon swim – flow beneath their canopies.

Railay is a headland jutting into the Andaman Sea and sheltering two beaches between limestone cliffs as well as a third near a hidden cave along the rocky point.

Once mostly a backpacker hangout, Railay now has a few finer accommodations, but still retains that laidback, time-has-stopped atmosphere. There are no cars, no buses, and, in fact, no roads. The only way to arrive is by longtail boat from Ao Nang beach. Visitors hop off at the edge of the sand when the tide is high enough for the boats to get in.

Railay is most famous for its cliffs which attract climbers from around the world. Not a climber? This is also a good place to learn from professional instructors. Otherwise the best thing to do here is to just chill.

Krabi shows another side farther inland where tropical forests shelter some other natural attractions such as this thermal waterfall. The cascade reaches temperatures of about 40C (104F) and is fed by a hot stream meandering through the forest. Visitors walk an easy path among wildflowers and frequent butterflies to take a dip in the spa-like waters or cool off in the river right below the falls.

Not far away in Khao Phra Bang Khram Nature Reserve is Sra Morakot (Crystal Pool), a swimming hole in the heart of the jungle fed by a small cascade of mineral-rich water. The colours of the pool change with the water temperature from greenish blue to pale green.

Named for its former occupant, this cave is one of many in Krabi. The people of Thailand are primarily Buddhist and their temples are rich with vibrant colors, intricate designs and of course golden icons of the Buddha himself. Visiting temples is a part of any tour of the country and this is Krabi’s most important site.

High on a limestone hill, the complex features various natural chambers in the earth as well as a modern temple structure. Climb the first set of steps up the mountain and a trail enters a hidden forest with mammoth ancient trees considered sacred by the monks. Explore the cave temple there before completing the trail loop back to the steps.

If you have the energy, take the next hike to the very top of the hill. The reward is a perfect overlook of Krabi Town.

Many of the islands also show caves, viewable on boat tours but not for exploration. These dark caverns are often home to a species of bird whose nest is a delicacy. The appropriately named Edible-Nest Swiftlet builds its home with its own saliva.

For hundreds of years, the Chinese have been making Bird’s Nest Soup claiming a variety of health benefits ranging from healthier skin to increased libido. The nests’ powerful reputation is touted in Thailand as well. The nests are worth a fortune, selling for up to $10,000 per kilo, so most of the caves show armed guards who may wave to the cameras of passing tourists.

Back on shore, head to a grocery store and pick up a bottle of sweetened bird’s nest drink. Post a comment here if those claims of raising the libido show any merit!

The social center of the province is Ao Nang with its long beaches, various resorts and collections of bungalows, bars and restaurants. Most of the boat tours depart from the beach here or at the pier in Krabi Town.

With the sea at hand, seafood is abundant on menus and prices are competitive. Tourists walk the main street for souvenirs and inexpensive clothing or eat pad thai or roti, the sweet Thai pancake, from food carts. In the evening, crowds gather at the beach to watch the sun set over the bay.

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