Ao Nang
Introduction
Due to its central location in the Andaman Sea and to its fabulous topography and sporting opportunities, Ao Nang is, at the moment, arguably Thailand’s best all-round beach destination. Not yet covered in concrete and smothered in sin like Phuket, Ao Nang is the region's best destination choice for those who want a lively place offering lots to do.
It is predominately a family and sports destination, with a huge range of things to do (see below). Whilst young party travellers will bore quickly, it does have a few relaxed bars and some more lively nightclubs.
Many beach destinations get ruined when over-development and over-population result in an unsupportable excess of pollutants. But somewhere along the way there is an optimal state, where there are enough facilities, but a still ecologicaly-sustainable tourist population.
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Ao Nang is now at this stage and represents, for many people, an ideal compromise between a pristine but boring destination and a fun but polluted one.
The southern half of the beach is not yet bordered by a road, yet the town has a wide enough range of facilities, for example six Italian restaurants, to keep most visitors happily occupied for at least a couple of weeks. |
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Ao Nang is busy but hasn’t
lost that laid back, friendly small-town feel; it is developed but still
retains its original beauty and charm.
Ao Nang is, along with Chiang Mai, one of Thailand’s two most exciting soft and extreme adventure sports destinations. The home of two of the best beaches on the planet, Railay, is fifteen minutes away by boat.
The town’s location on the eastern coast of Phang Nga bay puts it within easy reach of all the fishing, diving and kayaking sites in the bay. A day-trip to Koh Phi Phi is a better way to visit the place than staying there.
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Ao Nang has numerous spas, beauty shops and massage parlours to offer
you a little bit of pampering. Thai full- body massages lasting an hour
cost around 250 Baht and, though you may feel that you have been pushed
and pulled in improbable directions, you will feel rejuvenated afterwards.
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Ao Nang has all standards of accommodation, from traditional wooden bungalows to luxury 5 star
spa resorts. |
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Ao Nang itself has two idyllic, unspoilt beaches, which are lapped by
clear, warm water. Other, pristine beaches are located on
a number of outlying islands which can be accessed cheaply and quickly from Ao Nang
by local longtail boats.
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Thai food is abundant in Ao Nang and is available 24 hours a day. Visit
a traditional Thai restaurant, eat at a local market or try one of the many
street vendors, who are based on every street
corner.
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The smell and taste of the Thai dishes is enhanced by a variety
of fresh, local ingredients, just don't forget to ask for non-spicy
(mai pet) if you have a delicate, Western palette.
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For those people
who need a break from Thai food, a whole host of Western options are
available in Ao Nang; these include traditional English food, Indian Food, Scandinavian
food, steaks, pizza and pasta (there are 6 Italian restaurants).
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Ao Nang offers a wide range of activities and attractions, including snorkelling, kayaking, island-hopping, climbing, diving, spa/massage/beauty, shopping,
white water rafting, hiking, kayaking, snorkelling, temple visits, fishing parks, elephant trekking,
cooking classes, massage classes, market exploration and pavilion fishing.
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Nopparat Thara beach is good for children and is only a few minutes away from Ao Nang |
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In addition there are numerous offshore islands, some of which are not too busy, even in high season. |
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Beaches
Ao Nang has the following beaches :
The following beaches are 15 minutes away from Ao Nang by public longtail boat,
and can be reached without the help of a tour operator.
Sports & Things To Do & See
When it comes to activities, most peope think first of water-borne activities. While the Ao Nang area offers great island hopping and snorkelling and kayaking, it also offer offers more extreme sports such as climbing, diving, ATV riding & white water rafting. The region around Krabi Town offers more cultural attractions which, when combined with a waterfall or hot springs visit, make a great daytrip out, click here for a list of inland daytrips near Krabi Town.
Hotels
To find a hotel in the list below, click on the map. |
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Getting There / Getting Away
Ao Nang to/from Krabi
Krabi is 16km from Ao Nang and can be reached by local bus (Song-thaew) from 6.30am until 6pm for 50B per person and from 6pm until 9pm for 60B per person. This service can be collected on the roadside nearest the beach in Ao Nang. It terminates at Krabi public bus station, but you can push the buzzer to stop wherever you like. Pay the driver on leaving the bus. There is also a public bus service to Krabi Airport at 150B per person.
Alternatively you can take a private taxi for 600B, and this will take you to anywhere in Krabi. Contact us to book. A motorcycle taxi will perform the same function for around 150B as will a motor-tri-cycle taxi (sam-lor) for a similar price. But for people with a lot of luggage these two methods are not advisable.
From Krabi to Ao Nang is much simpler. The motorcycle taxis and private taxis are the same price and can be flagged down anywhere. The Song-thaew is found outside the 7/11 convenience store on Maharat Road, the road with Vogue shopping centre on it. There will be a few people calling out 'Ao Nang' from the road side who will usher you into the right bus.
Ao Nang to/from Phuket
The ferry service leaves at 3:30pm from Had Nopparat Thara pier and costs 650B, Children 3- 10years old at 500 Baht. Private taxis will take you to Phuket town for 3,000B.
To catch a public bus to Phuket you must first go to Krabi bus station – for details see above. The public bus service leaves Krabi bus station hourly and takes 3 hours to reach Phuket. This trip costs 170B but the roads are very windy and it is a most unpleasant experience.
There is a much more enjoyable option available in the form of direct speedboat transfer to Bang Rong pier, which is 2/3 of the way up Phuket’s coast. From this pier taxis will take you into the town for 100B. The speedboat leaves at 11am and travels across Phang Nga bay, winding its way through the multitudinous karst islands that rear sheer from the sea. It is a beautiful trip which arrives at 12:15pm and costs 950B. Contact us to book.
From Phuket to Ao Nang, the ferry leaves Phuket town at 8:30am and arrives in Ao Nang at 10:30am. The public bus leaves every hour to Krabi for 170B. See the above section entitled Ao Nang to/from Krabi for how to get from Krabi to Ao Nang. The speedboat leaves Bang Rong pier at 3pm returning to Ao Nang at 4:15pm. Contact us to book.
If going by taxi then, to turn the journey from a boring taxi ride into a fun day out, it is possible to book stopoffs at some worthwhile attractions. This These attractions are as follows:
The following table gives the prices for private minivan/taxi rides with stopoffs from Phuket to or from Ao Nang. We are the only travel company that offers this stopoff service, which we offer in order to maximise your enjoyment of your holiday. We only accept bookings for transfers from customers who also book their hotels with us. Note that if you book one of the stopoff-transfers in the table below, then we will invoice you for the ammount shown in the Flat Fee Cost column. On arrival at the stopoff attraction(s), please pay, directly, the prices shown in the last 2 columns.
| 1 |
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30 mins |
2 hrs |
2.5 hrs |
4,500 |
500* |
200* |
| 2 |
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30 mins |
1.5 hrs |
2 hrs |
4,500 |
0 |
0 |
| 3 |
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1 hr |
1 hr |
2 hrs |
4,500 |
0 |
0 |
| 4 |
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1 hr |
2.5 hrs |
3.5 hrs |
5,000 |
500* |
200* |
| 5 |
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1 hr |
2.5 hrs |
3.5 hrs |
5,000 |
0 |
0 |
| 6 |
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1 hr |
3 hr |
4 hrs |
5,000 |
500* |
200* |
* - Customer pays these prices direct at the attractions.
Note: In the low season (May-November) only the over land option is available.
Ao Nang To/from Bangkok
Option 1) This is the easiest option. First get to Krabi - see the above section entitled Ao Nang to/from Krabi. Then take a Song-thaew for 50B to Krabi airport to connect to your flight. Taxi service directly to the airport from Ao Nang costs 600B. Contact us to book. There is also a public bus service to Krabi Airport at 150B per person, leaving at 7:45am, 9:45am, 1:15pm, 2:15pm, 3:15pm, 4:15pm and 6:15pm. For the reverse journey, fly from Bangkok to Krabi. Consult the above section entitled Ao Nang to/from Krabi. Airline websites: www.airasia.com, www.nokair.com, www.thaiair.com, www.fly12go.com
Option 2) This is the cheapest option. First get to Krabi - see the above section entitled Ao Nang to/from Krabi. Then catch the public bus service to Bangkok at 4pm for 600B. Lignite tours offer a more luxurious service from Krabi bus station for 1000-1400B leaving daily at 8am and 5pm. For the reverse journey, buses from the Southern Bus Terminal in Bangkok leave at 7:30am, 4:40pm, 7pm, 7:30pm, arrive 12 hours later and cost 461-920B. For travel from Krabi to Ao Nang, consult the above section entitled Ao Nang to/from Krabi.
Option 3) This option is useful only if flights to/from Krabi are full. First get to Phuket - see the above section entitled Ao Nang to/from Phuket. If arriving in Phuket at Bang Rong pier or in Phuket town, take a taxi to the airport, which will cost THB 400. If arriving by public bus, ask the driver to drop you at the end of the airport road end. You will be able to get a taxi from there to the airport for roughly THB 100. Then fly to Bangkok. Airline websites: www.airasia.com, www.nokair.com, www.thaiair.com & www.fly12go.com
Option 4) There is also the train service from Surat Thani, which is a more comfortable option than the bus. First get to Krabi - see the above section entitled Ao Nang to/from Krabi. Then take the public bus to Surat Thani at 11:30am and 4pm, followed by taxi to the train station to make your connection, (see the train timetable). For the reverse journey, take the train from Bangkok to Surat Thani. Then take the public bus to Krabi. Then, to get to Ao Nang, see the above section entitled Ao Nang to/from Krabi.
Ao Nang to/from Koh Yao Noi
A daily speedboat service runs from Ao Nang at 11am for 500B. Contact us to book. This service will take you to the northern tip of Koh Yao Yai, which is the southern of the two Yao islands Koh Yao Noi and Koh Yao Yai. From there you must arrange a longtail boat to take you to Koh Yao Noi, a trip of only 10 minutes, but you are at the mercy of the boat drivers’ greed.
There is a ferry service that runs daily from a pier close to Ao Nang called Ao Thalane. A taxi from Ao Nang to Ao Thalane will cost 600B. There is a Song-thaew service from Krabi town for 60B but you will have to go into Krabi town first, a journey of up to an hour, then back to Ao Thalane, a journey of 40 minutes, thus completing two sides of a triangle. Ferries depart from Ao Thalane to Koh Yao Noi’s Thakao Pier at 10, 11am and 1pm and cost 120-150B.
From Koh Yao Noi to Ao Nang is the same process in reverse, with ferries leaving Koh Yao Noi at 7:30, 8:30, and 9:30am, and costing 150B.
The very best way to get from Ao Nang to/from Koh Yao Noi is to book this one-way private boat ride, which is only available on this website, is only available to customers who book their hotels through us and which stops en route for snorkelling, kayaking and swimming around fabulous Koh Hong. In this link, check out itinerary 4
Note: In the low season (May-November) only the service from Ao Thalane runs. The speedboat service does not run.
Ao Nang to/from Khao Sok
It is possible to take public transport to Khao Sok from either Phuket bus station or from Krabi bus station. Make sure you get there by mid-day and bring ear-plugs. You can alternatively book a shared and inexpensive minivan ride in any travel agency in Ao Nang or Krabi Town (expect to pay no more than THB 400).
A taxi ride from Phuket airport costs THB 3,500, a minivan is surprisingly the same, the journey takes about 2 hours. A taxi from either Ao Nang or Krabi to Khao Sok costs THB 2,800, a minivan costs THB 3,500, the journey takes 2 hours.
To turn the journey from Ao Nang to/from Khao Sok from a boring taxi ride into a fun day out, it is possible to book stopoffs at some worthwhile attractions. These attractions are as follows:
The following table gives the prices for private minivan/taxi rides with stopoffs from Ao Nang to or from Khao Sok. We are the only travel company that offers this stopoff service, which we offer in order to maximise your enjoyment of your holiday. We only accept bookings for transfers from customers who also book their hotels with us. Note that if you book one of the stopoff-transfers in the table below, then we will invoice you for the ammount shown in the Flat Fee Cost column. On arrival at the stopoff attraction(s), please pay, directly, the prices shown in the last 2 columns.
The "Total Detour Time" in the table below is in addition to the time taken to drive direct from Ao Nang or Krabi to/from Lanta, as is detailed 3 paragraphs above.
| 1 |
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1 hr |
2 hrs |
2.5 hrs |
4,500 |
500* |
200* |
| 2 |
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1 hr |
1.5 hrs |
2 hrs |
4,500 |
0 |
0 |
| 3 |
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1 hr |
1 hr |
2 hrs |
4,500 |
0 |
0 |
| 4 |
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1.5 hrs |
2.5 hrs |
3.5 hrs |
5,000 |
500* |
200* |
| 5 |
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1.5 hrs |
2.5 hrs |
3.5 hrs |
5,000 |
0 |
0 |
| 6 |
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1.5 hrs |
3 hr |
4 hrs |
5,000 |
500* |
200* |
* - Customer pays these prices direct at the attractions.
Ao Nang to/from Koh Lao Liang
This is a private island resort and as such its operators provide transport upon booking a stay with them. Contact us to book. From Ao Nang this service leaves at 8.45am from the police box situated, when standing facing the beach, on the far left near to the Phranang Inn. A minivan will take you to Had Yao pier in Trang where a high speed ferry will take you to Koh Lao Liang. This service costs 1100B per person. The journey takes about 3 ½ hours. Contact us to book.
From Koh Lao Liang to Ao Nang is as simple, leaving Koh Lao Liang at 12pm and returning to Ao Nang at 4pm, Also 1100B per person. Contact us to book.
Note: In the low season (May-November) this destination is unavailable.
Ao Nang to/from Railay and Tonsai
From Ao Nang this is a very simple process. You talk to a boatman, identified by their numbered and coloured shirts, who will tell you to buy a ticket from one of two booths on Ao Nang beach at 80B per person. When there are 8 people wishing to go you will be escorted to a longtail boat and captained around the dramatic limestone karst headland. You will arrive 15 minutes later, at Railay or Tonsai. If you are lucky, at high tide the boat arrives right on the beach, but if the tide is out then you will have to wade to the beach from 50 metres out. You will get at least your feet and calves, and possibly your bottom, wet.
To Ao Nang from Railay or Tonsai bay it is the same except you pay the boatman directly. Boats leave regularly from either location from 7am until 7pm. After then the price is at the boatman’s discretion and it can increase greatly, to as much as 1000B.
Ao Nang to/from Koh Phi Phi
The Phi Phi Family ferry service runs from Ao Nang to Koh Phi Phi once daily at 9am and costs 490B, children 3-10 years 390B. The boat leaves from Had Nopparat Thara pier; there is a free transfer to the pier if you are staying in Ao Nang. Contact us to book.
The return boat is at 3.30pm and prices are identical.
Note: In the low season (May-November) the timetable is subject to change, contact www.tktkrabitour.com for more information.
Ao Nang to/from Koh Lanta
By private taxi or minivan.
This is the most comfortable way of accessing or leaving Lanta. To turn the journey from a boring taxi ride into a fun day out, it is possible to book stopoffs at some worthwhile attractions. This These attractions are as follows:
The following table gives the prices for private minivan/taxi rides with stopoffs, from Lanta to or from either Ao Nang or Krabi airport. We are the only travel company that offers this stopoff service, which we offer in order to maximise your enjoyment of your holiday. We only accept bookings for transfers from customers who also book their hotels with us.
| 1 |
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1 hr |
3 hrs |
4 hrs |
5,500 |
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| 2 |
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1 hr |
2 hrs |
3 hrs |
5,000 |
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| 3 |
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30 mins |
1.5 hrs |
2 hrs |
4,500 |
600 |
300 |
| 4 |
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30 mins |
2 hrs |
2.5 hrs |
4,500 |
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| 5 |
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10 mins |
50 mins |
1 hr |
4,500 |
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| 6 |
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1 hr |
3.5 hrs |
4.5 hrs |
5,000 |
600 |
300 |
| 7 |
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1.5 hrs |
4 hrs |
5.5 hrs |
5,500 |
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| 8 |
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1 hr |
3 hrs |
4 hrs |
5,500 |
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| 9 |
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1 hr |
3 hrs |
4 hrs |
5,000 |
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| 10 |
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1 hr |
2.5 hrs |
3.5 hrs |
5,000 |
600 |
300 |
| 11 |
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30 mins |
3 hrs |
3.5 hrs |
5,000 |
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| 12 |
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1 hr |
4 hrs |
5 hrs |
5,500 |
600 |
300 |
| 13 |
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1.5 hrs |
4.5 hrs |
6 hrs |
5,500 |
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National Park fees are not included in the above prices, please pay these directly at the entrances to the attractions. These NP fees are currently as follows, but are subject to change without notice:
Hot Springs - adult THB 100, child 3 to 11 inclusive THB 50
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Emerald Pool - adult THB 500, child 300
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Huay To waterfall - adult THB 100, child 50
By Shared Minivan
A mostly overland alternative is available, by means of an air-conditioned minivan leaving at 9, 11am and 4pm, It costs 300B and takes 2 ½ hours.
By Ferry
Phi Phi Family ferry service runs from Ao Nang to Koh Lanta once daily at 10:30am and costs 520B, children under 10 years old are charged 400B. The journey takes 2 ½ hours. Note: In the low season the ferry does not run.
The ferry to Ao Nang from Koh Lanta leaves Ban Saladan at 1:30pm, prices are the same and journey time is the same at 2 ½ hours. The mostly overland alternative is bookable from your Koh Lanta resort and takes roughly 2 ½ hours.
Ao Nang to/from Koh Jum
The daily ferry to Koh Lanta, (which departs from Ao Nang at 10:30am and costs 520B) stops offshore of Koh Jum during the high season. A longtail boat from your resort will then meet the ferry, in order to collect you. You must first contact the resort with your travel times and request the pick up. Contact us to book.
Alternatively you can drive to the mainland's Ban Laem Kruat pier and get the local ferry to the island, which runs about every 20 minutes and costs 50B.
The return trip to Ao Nang is similar, ask the travel desk at your resort to contact the ferry company for a pick up at roughly 2pm. Or have the resort book a minivan for you.
Note: In the low season (May-November) only the overland to Ban Laem Kruat pier is available.
Ao Nang to/from the Gulf Islands - Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao
The ferries to Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, and Koh Tao leave from Don Sak. To get there you must first get to Krabi. See the above section entitled Ao Nang to/from Krabi. Then take the public to Surat Thani, which leaves Krabi bus station at 11:30am or 4pm, costs about 150B and takes 2 ½ hours. Then take a local song-thaew bus from Surat Thani to Don Sak which takes 40 minutes and costs about 100B. Then catch one of the boats on the following ferry timetable. Contact us to book.
Ferry Timetable for the Gulf Islands.
Donsak - Samui |
05.00 - 19.00 every hour |
55baht |
Donsak to Koh Phangan |
7am,10am, 2pm, 5:30pm |
150baht |
Koh Phangan to Donsak |
7am, 10am, 1pm, 5pm |
150baht |
Samui to Koh Tao |
8am |
100baht |
Koh Tao to Samui |
3pm |
100baht |
The above journey is laborious. A private taxi to Don Sak costs 3500B. Contact us to book.
Koh Samui airport is accessible from Krabi airport. First you must get to Krabi – see the above section entitled Ao Nang to/from Krabi. Flights leave daily at 12:15pm, returning daily at 12:25pm.
The return journey is marginally easier. From Don Sak, a bus to Krabi leaves the pier after each ferry arrival from Koh Samui, Koh Phangan or Koh Tao. See the above section entitled Ao Nang to/from Krabi for the journey from Krabi to Ao Nang.
Note: In the low season (May-November) the timetable is subject to change. Contact www.tktkrabitour.com for updates and bookings.
Ao Nang to/from Had Yai and Malaysia
Public buses are the easiest way to get to Had Yai. First, go to Krabi - see the above section entitled Ao Nang to/from Krabi. The buses leave the bus terminal in Krabi town every hour. This journey lasts 4 hours and shows you a great spectrum of countryside in the comfort of a seat with nearly adequate leg-room. The fare is THB 210.
Alternatively, a minivan will pick you up from any location in the Ao Nang area at roughly 7am, arriving in Had Yai at 11am. This service costs THB 350. Contact us to book.
For the return journey, from Had Yai the buses leave for Krabi every ½ hour. You will arrive 4 hours later, at a reduction in your wealth of only THB 210. The first minivan leaves for Krabi at 7am and the last at 6:30pm. Then see the above section entitled Ao Nang to/from Krabi.
Ao Nang to/from Koh Lipe
Koh Lipe is the southernmost island in the Tarutao National Marine Park, and also in Thailand. To get to this island you have two options. The first, and simplest, is to use the Tigerline minivan/high speed ferry service that leaves Ao Nang at 8:45am, and takes 6hours. All connections and swapping of transports are arranged by Tigerline and as such you need do nothing. This service costs 1100B per person. The second option is to collect a minivan from Ao Nang at 7am or 11am to Pakbara pier in Satun province. This journey takes at elast 5 ½ hours for the 7am van and 2 ½ hours for the 11am van!! From this pier speedboats leave, for both Koh Tarutao and Koh Lipe, at 10:30am and 12 noon. Contact us to book.
From Koh Lipe to Ao Nang, the same above two travel options are available. The Tigerline service leaves at 10am and arrives in Ao Nang at 4pm for 1000B. The speedboats to Pakbara Pier begin leaving at 10am, but some stop on Koh Tarutao first before going on in the afternoon. This makes the journey north very long and slow, making it impossible for you to reach Ao Nang before dark. On reaching Pakbara, you must find a minivan or Song-thaew to La-Ngu, and then catch a public bus north to Krabi. Then see the above section entitled Ao Nang to/from Krabi.
Note: In the low season (May-November) Tigerline do not operate, and boat transport is by longtail boat only, a 5 ½ hour journey from Koh Lipe to the mainland.
Ao Nang to/from Trang
The quickest and most luxurious way to Trang is in a private taxi for 2800B. You will cover the 138km in 1 ½ hours. Contact us to book.
Alternatively, take the public bus. First, go to Krabi - see the above section entitled Ao Nang to/from Krabi. Then catch the public bus service to Trang, which leaves every hour, costs 115B and takes 2 hours. Sometimes this route is very busy and so you are not always guaranteed a seat!
Alternatively, a minivan service leaves Ao Nang at 7, 11am and 5pm, also taking 2 hours. It costs THB 350. Contact us to book.
To return to Ao Nang the public buses leave every hour at the same price. The taxi may be a little cheaper as Trang is not such a busy tourist destination, though the minivan will be the same price, (ask your hotel to book one for you).
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Packages
The following packages include a visit to Ao Nang. Click on a package for more information:
Restaurants & Nightlife
Echo
This is currently Ao Nang's most upmarket reataurant and is highly recommended. The menu features excellent Western fare in addition to Thai haute cuisine. Particularly recommended are the Thai / Western fusion dishes with which the menu is liberally endowed. The restaurant is located on a roof-top, so benefitting diners with pleasant views. The restaurant is located 100 metres north of the northern end of Ao Nang's main beach, just follow the road north and inland a little and you will see Echo on your left had side.
Krua Thara
Arguably Ao Nang’s top Thai seafood restaurant, this eatery is located at Nopparat Thara, 3 km from Ao Nang town centre. A tuk tuk taxi ride here costs THB 30 to 40 per person. Particularly good here is the “Pak Mee-ang”, a kind of soft steamed cale, accompanied by scrambled eggs
Noodle Soup Man
For THB 30, you can buy a bowl of chicken noodle soup which makes as delicious a meal as a dinner costing THB 1,000. The chicken noodle soup man’s stall is usually located in front of the V24 minimart, in front of the Ao Nang Villa Resort.
Azzuria
Of Ao Nang’s 6 Italian restaurants, this is the best for pizza – particularly good is the marscapone and parma ham.
Spaghetti House
This is the best value Italian restaurant in town. The seafood in tomatoe sauce is particularly excellent. The restaurant is located 600 metres inland from the beach, just walk up the main drag away from the beach, and you will see the Spaghetti House on your left.
Malibu Corner
This is a great place for a beer and a chat. Most of its denizons are local expats so you can pick up lots of inside info here too. The English style fish and chips here is great, plus the Turkish-style macaroni cheese is tremendous, the only problem with the food here is that the portions are so huge it is a struggle to finish them. This restaurant / bar is located 2 kn inland from the beach, just hop in a tuk tuk and point inland, then jump out when you see the Malibu on your left (the tuk tuk fare should not be nore than THB 100 for 2 people).
Luna Bar
Ao Nang’s late night dance club has a reputation for extortionate drinks prices and fights, this run-down area is to be avoided.
Mr Long's
Mr Long's is one of the best little 'beach' bars (though it isn't on the beach) in town. To find it, go to the SCB bank, cross the road and walk into the little lane in front of you.
Ting Tong
The tiny little bar just before and opposite Mr Long's, called the Ting Tong (means "crazy' in Thai), is also a good place to hang out - because it's so small it always feels full.
Disappointment Street
This is Ao Nang’s girly bar street. Music from 10 small bars deafens the visitor, while innumerable women hassle him.
Chang Bar
Centerpoint is an area of 10 bars just behind the beach-front road. One of them, the Chang bar, has just been enlarged and renovated and is Ao Nang's most reliabe place to go for a dance - almost every night of the year this place hops. Most of the revellers here are gap year youngsters.
Bamboo Tattoo
Another good place in Centrepoint to hang out is at the Banboo Tattoo bar, which you will see just as you come into Centrepoint's main plaza - run by a friendly guy called Alex, this is also a good place to come solo, as it is easy to get chatting to other people at this place, due to Alex being such a friendly fellow.
Treetops Bar / Retox Bar
This pair of bars has been built as one, so actually looks like a single place. The owners Nat and Ache are great guys and both speak good English (a lot of it, they are a real pair of chatterboxes). You can get a really good massage in the single-mattress massage 'room' upstairs, where Miss Pussycat (yes, that really is her name, but she is completely respectable) gives excellent massage, way better than the average bored rubbing you get in the massage shops. Her massage room is open-sided and fronts onto the beach, so you can watch the waves roll in while enjoying a massage, maybe with a beer too. The rasta-style music sets the tone for this laid-back and very friendly place. It is located on Nopparat Thara beach, just hop in a tuk tuk and say "Nopparat beach", then keep your eyes pealed untill you see the sign saying "Treetops" on your right. You can get a good value feed here too. One of these bars doubles up as a rock-climbing shop in the day-time. All climbers visiting Ao Nang should come for a beer here, as they will get lots of free climbing information.
The Last Fisherman’s
Ao Nang’s best beach bar also serves tasty but expensive barbeques, and is a great place from which to watch the sunset.
Map
Click here for the map
Andaman Sky, Co., Ltd, 454/2 Moo 1, Ao Nang, Thailand
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