Southern Thailand has some of the most beautiful islands made of limestone cliffs floating along crystal blue waters. Most tourists who come down here often aim to set off to the other islands and use Krabi or Aonang as a one or two night stop over. At first glance, there might not seem to be much to do around the towns itself and most tourists go on tours that take them far out of the town.
The tours are definitely worth doing, on my first day in the area, I did the 4 islands boat tour which set me back 1000 baht (equivalent of 50AUD or 30USD). While not expensive compared to Australian prices, I realised for my backpacker budget, finding very cheap travel activities would be important for a year of travel.
I stayed a total of 7 nights around Krabi town and nearby Aonang beach and I can say there is a lot to offer without the need to splurge on expensive tours.
Pai Plong Beach
South of the popular Aonang beach is Pai Plong beach which is a nice hideaway spot hidden from the rest of the city by tall limestone cliffs. The only building on this beach is a resort, meaning other than the tourists staying at the resort, not many other tourists know about it. This would be my favourite swimming spot in the entire Krabi/ Ao Nang area, as it does not get anywhere near as packed as other beaches.
You can get to Pai Plong Beach through a long tail boat from Aonang pier, or through the Monkey trail which is located at the Southern end of Ao Nang beach. The trail is only about a 5-10 minute walk over a small hill.
Tiger Cave Temple
Close to Krabi is Tiger Cave Temple which stands atop a Mountain almost 300m above ground. From the temple you can admire the beautiful panoramic views below along with the enormous golden Buddha statue. The only way up is through it’s 1260 step staircase meaning you can get a nice work out as well and prep yourself up for a delicious feast of Thai food after.
There are many travel agencies that sell tours to get to Tiger Cave Temple, but you can easily make the trip yourself. I went to the temple from Krabi town, and a pick up truck got us there in 30 minutes. After dropping us off, our driver told us he’d come back in 3 hours to pick us up which gave us a good amount of time to explore the area. It was 100 baht (5AUD or 3USD) each way, which was about a third of the price of the tour quote we had gotten.
Islands of Noppharat Thara Beach
North of Aonang beach is Noppharat Thara beach. At the Northern side of Noppharat Thara, there are some little islands very very close to the shore. So close you can actually walk across to some of them via a sandbar during low tide, or swim out to it. The island boat tours are definitely worth doing, but if you are on a budget, this is not a bad alternative to it.
When I went out to the islands, I didn’t find many other tourists trying to walk or swim out to these islands meaning, you can get the whole island to yourself when you get to the other side. Do keep in mind, if you walk out on the sand bar during low tide, you should keep an eye on the tides because you might need to swim back!
Night Markets around Krabi & Aonang
Krabi town night markets
Avoiding doing too much drinking and partying is a good way to save your money while travelling. Alternatively, visit the night markets for dinner or a late night snack. There’s plenty in both Krabi town and around the Aonang area. You will find that the prices in the night markets can be half of what you find in restaurants, if not more!
Tha Pom Klong Song Nam
The Emerald pools is a popular destination for tourists to go and enjoy the turquoise waters among mangrove forests. There are many travel agencies that sell tours out to it for about 1400 baht (70 AUD or 50 USD). It is possible to go there via scooter but it will take you about an hour or so to get there.
Alternatively, you can also go to Tha Pom Klong Song Nam, an attraction for Thai locals. When you enter, you will walk along a wooden track that weaves around the Mangrove forest. Towards the end of the track, you will see a beautiful turquoise stream that flows out to an area where you’re allowed to swim.
Down here, you’ll get a glimpse into local life as Thai kids swim around and playfully shout at each other while they catapult from a mangrove tree or the wooden tracks into the water. Over here, other than the group of tourists I was with, we perhaps saw only another 3 small groups of tourists.
I got to Tha Pom Klong Song Nam via scooter, and it was a 30 minute ride away. Alternatively, it should be possible to get there by taxi as well, but it would be more expensive than a scooter hire.
Hiring a scooter
Lastly to get to all the aforementioned places on a budget, hiring a scooter is the best thing you can do. This is undoubtedly the best way to get around Thailand. I’ve met five too many backpackers who have injured themselves on a scooter in my first week around Thailand, but it certainly is the easiest to get around and see different sights by yourself if you learn how to drive one properly.
Knowing how to drive a scooter, will be able to get you to anywhere your heart desires, and to some of the less touristic attractions where tour groups don’t go to. I am unable to drive a scooter, and am hesitant about trying one out, but have been fortunate enough to meet other solo travellers who do drive one and who happen to want to go to the same destinations I do.
It’s only about 150 – 300 baht (8-15 AUD or 5-10 USD) to rent a scooter, and approximately 80 baht (4 AUD or 3 USD) for a full tank refuelling after a full day of biking to different attractions. It’s backpacker budget friendly to rent a scooter for yourself, but even cheaper when you share a bike with a (new) friend!
These are only the beginning to some of the things to do around the area. There are many more hikes, caves and quiet places to swim around here. So, when coming down to South West Thailand next time, other than often pricey island hopping, here are some cheaper options of things to do near Krabi and Aonang.