This
secluded beach is one of the most popular destinations for
travelers in Thailand. Accessible only by boat, this sweeping
beach offers fine-grained white sand and crystalline waters,
as well as magnificent jagged karsts. Although visitors flock
to this beach year-round, it is still extremely pristine,
and considered to be the most attractive in the area. The
Inner and Outer Pranang Caves, and Pranang Lagoon are closely
situated, and offer some truly spectacular views. Accommodation
is available over a wide price range, and the food is excellent.
Despite the fact that it is reachable only by boat, this area
offers a plethora of recreational activities. The area possesses
some of the best scuba-diving sites in the world, with certified
instruction courses offered on site. In addition, some of
the most sought after rock-climbing sites are found in the
vicinity, making it a perfect area for a truly complete vacation.
Hat
Tham Pranang can be reached from town via longtail boat from
the Chao Fah jetty for a fee of 40 baht, and also from Hat
Pranang, and the Phi Phi Islands. These trips cost 20 baht
and 150 baht respectively.
Koh Phi Phi is the collective name for a small archipelago in Krabi
Province just an hour boat ride from Phuket. Known as the 'jewels of the
Andaman Sea', there are six islands in Mu Koh Phi Phi-Nopparathara
National Park: Phi Phi Don, Phi Phi Ley, Bamboo Island , Yung Island ,
Bida Nok, and Bida Nai. Only Phi Phi Don is inhabited; all others are
undeveloped and protected by their National Park status and are
frequently visited as day trips from Phuket, Krabi, and Phi Phi Don.
Phi
Phi Ley was featured in the Hollywood blockbuster movie The Beach, a
story about the ultimate secluded island beach. Maya Bay was a suitable
choice as it epitomizes the stunning beauty of these islands: a bay of
pellucid aquamarine water surrounded by towering limestone cliffs that
harbors an arcing, white sand beach.
The waters surrounding the
Phi Phi Islands are filled with exotic marine life, including docile
leopard sharks, and snorkeling and diving day trips rival lounging on
the beach as top activities on Koh Phi Phi.
Koh Phi Phi also
features a vibrant nightlife, with Tonsai Beach containing dozens of
beach bars and restaurants and lively Tonsai Village consisting of a
maze of shops, bars, and restaurants. Smaller beaches around the island
are alternatively ideal for honeymooners, families, those on a budget,
and those looking for the ultimate luxury resort retreat.
Koh Phi Phi is the collective name for a cluster of six islands included
in the Mu Koh Phi Phi-Nopparathara National Park. Only 45 minutes from
Phuket, Koh Phi Phi features towering limestone cliffs that shelter
white, sandy beaches and spectacular, aquamarine bays filled with exotic
marine life.
As one of the premier island destinations in
Thailand, Koh Phi Phi features both five-star resorts and budget beach
bungalows; and both raucous nightlife and secluded isolation, depending
on which beach you choose to stay at. No where in Thailand, perhaps the
world, are there so many opportunities for visitors to find exactly the
right beach holiday they are looking for within a setting of such
spectacular natural beauty. Whether you enjoy scuba diving, snorkeling,
or simply relaxing in a hammock, Koh Phi Phi has a beach that will
exceed your wildest dreams.
Koh
Lanta is a 25 km-long island off the Andaman coast of Thailand, south
of Phuket and Krabi. Renowned for its long beaches, quiet seclusion, and
natural beauty both above and below the water, Koh Lanta is a beach
lover’s and scuba diver’s paradise.
Located 70 km
south of Krabi, Koh Lanta features a pair of large islands so close to
the Thai mainland that it not inconceivable that bridges will someday be
built to connect them to each other and to the mainland. It may be
many years before this happens however, as Koh Lanta is already a
popular Thai beach holiday destination, but its still a long way from
the development and popularity of nearby Phuket or Koh Phi Phi.
Technically
a group of islands including the two largest, Koh Lanta Noi and Koh
Lanta Yai, Koh Lanta is technically the name of an administrative
district in Krabi Province, though when referring to Koh Lanta most
people mean Koh Lanta Yai, where most of the nicest beaches and tourist
attractions are located.
The prime attractions on Koh Lanta are
its long beaches, clear water, and laid back atmosphere. Even after a
decade of development that has resulted in the construction of a few of
the finest beach resorts in Thailand, the sheer size of Koh Lanta’s west
coast ensures that there is plenty of space for visitors to enjoy a
relaxing holiday even in the height of peak season in late December and
early January.
The west coast of Koh Lanta features nine beaches
along its 25 km shore, most which are great for swimming and ideal for
long, romantic walks and sunset views. It’s a great place for a family
vacation or a romantic escape.
The most developed areas of the
island are on the northwest shore, particularly the beaches of Klong Dao
and Long Beach (Phra Ae). These beaches feature the highest density of
resorts and tourist services, though this is still a relative term as
they are well distributed along the beach and up on the main road.
Farther
south the beaches become more secluded and the road terminates at a
national marine park. In fact, beach hopping from north to south,
either by rental car, motorbike, or long-tail boat is one of the great
attractions of Koh Lanta. The island is also a scuba diver’s paradise as
there are many coral reefs, limestone outcrops, seamounts, pinnacles,
and undersea caves around Koh Lanta and nearby islands.
The main
tourist office on Koh Lanta is located at Baan Saladan, where visitors
arriving via car-ferry or boat first arrive. Baan Saladan has the
highest concentration of banks, dive shops, markets, medical clinics,
and motorbike rental services. Koh Lanta’s post office is located in the
east coast of Koh Lanta, in Baan Koh Lanta (Lanta Old Town), which
serves as the islands capital.
Koh Lanta is an
island province consisting of 52 islands. Koh Lanta Yai, the largest of
the islands, is located approximately 70 kilometers from Krabi town and
can be visited either by car-ferry from the mainland or boat from Krabi,
Koh Phi Phi, or Phuket.
As Koh Lanta lies just south of the
Andaman coast’s prime attractions, namely Krabi, Koh Phi Phi, and
Phuket, it has maintained its laid-back atmosphere, even as Koh Lanta
has slowly developed to include some of Thailand’s finest beach resorts.
Still, Koh Lanta remains an amazing beach destination for families,
couples, backpackers, and scuba divers: anyone who is looking for a Thai
island that has not succumbed to overdevelopment but still has many
options in regards to accommodation and activities.
Koh Lanta
Yai is 6km wide and over 30km long, featuring nine golden sand beaches
and a diverse terrain, including mangroves, waterfalls, and forested
hills.
A paved road runs from the north to the south of the
island, parallel to the coast, and provides access to the headquarters
of the Mu Koh Lanta National Park and the lighthouse on the southern
tip.
Just south of Koh Lanta Yai lay the islands of Koh Ngai,
Koh Kradan and Koh Muk, all of which offer equally stunning beaches and
snorkeling and even greater seclusion.
Krabi, a province on southern Thailand’s Andaman coast, is an almost
otherworldly region of labyrinthine archipelagos, where islands seem to
erupt vertically out of the sea and secluded beaches are only accessible
by colorfully adorned long tail boats. Krabi’s myriad of bays and
coves have sheltered pirates, merchants, and sea gypsies for thousands
of years and archaeological evidence indicates that Krabi was originally
inhabited as early as 25,000 - 35,000 years ago!
With
attractions including hot springs, a wildlife sanctuary, sea caves,
flourishing coral reefs and exotic marine life, limestone cliffs that
draw rock climbing enthusiasts from around the world, and national parks
that include the island paradises of Koh Phi Phi and Koh Lanta, one
could easily spend weeks in Krabi and leave yearning for more.
If
that wasn’t enough, Krabi features some of the most photogenic sunsets
in Thailand, often accompanied by spectacular displays of cloud to cloud
lightning, that are best enjoyed from a beachside bar or restaurant.
Meanwhile,
with all the tourists spread out among various beaches and islands,
life goes on in Krabi Town, the somewhat sleepy provincial capital.
Surprisingly few tourists spend time in the charming riverside town,
whose hilly streets feature a number of cozy cafes and inexpensive and
authentic Thai cuisine is served at an outdoor, riverside evening
market.
“Town” to most visitors is Ao Nang, a seaside strip of
guesthouses, hotels, bars, restaurants, and souvenir shops that
continues to grow as tourist arrivals increase, now spreading north into
Noppharat Thara, whose quiet, shady beach is part of the national park
that includes the Phi Phi Islands. Ao Nang is the major launching point
for boat trips to nearby islands and the isolated beaches of Phra Nang
Cape, where the famous former hippie enclave of Railey Beach is located.
Krabi Province, which lies along the coast of the Andaman
sea in Southern Thailand, is a top tourist destination as a result of
its plentiful natural attractions including, white sandy beaches,
crystal clear water, extensive coral reefs, numerous caves and
waterfalls, and over 130 islands, including Koh Lanta and the jewels of
the Andaman coast, the six islands of Mu Koh Phi Phi National Park.
While
not the top destination in and of itself, Krabi Town is a charming
provincial capital located along the banks of a river that leads to the
nearby Andaman Sea. Consequently, Krabi is an important port city for
both local fisherman as well as boats ferrying visitors to the nearby
attractions, including Koh Phi Phi, Koh Lanta, and Railey Beach, one of
the premier rock climbing destinations in the world.
