No matter your destination in the western Thai islands, you’ll probably pass through Ao Nang in Krabi province. You only need a few days at most, but I spent two weeks and came away with a solid list of where to stay in Ao Nang, how to get there, what to do, and what to skip. Here’s everything you need to know about the best Ao Nang hotels and things to do around town.
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What to know before going to Ao Nang
Ao Nang is the perfect alternative to Railay Beach. Railay is no doubt way nicer, but Ao Nang has more variety, more going on, and it’s still just a 15-minute longtail boat ride away. I’ll be honest, Ao Nang Krabi probably won’t be your favourite place in Thailand, so a few days is plenty. But it’s a great jumping-off point and you definitely won’t run out of things to do.
As for getting around, Ao Nang is super walkable and Grab is available for longer trips. But if you book a central Ao Nang city hotel you’ll barely need transport at all.
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The best Ao Nang hotels for your budget
There’s something in Ao Nang for every type of traveller. Here are the best spots based on price range. (Click the little green links/prices to see a live currency conversion.)
Best Ao Nang hotels and hostels for budget travellers
Nomads Ao Nang Beach: Not the most central, but a great price and incredibly well-rated at 9.6 stars. It’s about 5 minutes from a beach, and 15 minutes from the beach. The beds are super comfy, which I’ve found is rare at many hostels throughout my backpacking career lol. Dorms go for 500 THB per night, and there aren’t any private rooms.
Tan Hostel & Cafe: We worked in the cafe here and it was very nice. It’s a small hostel with chill vibes rather than party energy. Dorms are around 300 THB per night, and no private rooms here either. This hostel is about 10 minutes to Ao Nang beach on the main strip.
K-Bunk Ao Nang Hostel: Great social hostel with pub crawl, family dinners, and island tours to help you make friends. And you can walk to Ao Nang Beach in 5 minutes. Dorms for around 700 THB and private rooms 2,500 THB per night.
Goodwill Ao Nang: This is where I stayed! We booked last-minute and stayed two weeks, so options for Ao Nang hotels were limited. It’s perfectly fine, no complaints. Maybe not the absolute best place we stayed in Thailand, but it’s 15 minutes to the beach and two minutes to shops, restaurants, laundry, Muslim Street, and a 7-11. (You’re never more than two minutes from a 7-11.) Rooms are around 1,000 THB per night.
Goodwill Ao Nang
Mid-range Ao Nang hotels
Aonang Villa Resort: This couldn’t be in a better location just steps from the beach. Limestone cliff views, huge pool, lots of on-site outdoor seating areas and super chic rooms. Starting around 2,500 THB per night for a basic room up to 20,000 THB for a Premiere Sea View Suite.
Keereen Resort: New, modern, and clean, this is so close to the center of Ao Nang everything is just a few steps from your door. They have a great rooftop pool overlooking the mountain, it’s adults-only, and just a 15-minute walk to the beach. I wish I had stayed here. Rooms start around 3,000 THB per night.
Keereen Resort
Read more: How to Avoid Expensive ATM Fees in Thailand
Luxury Ao Nang hotels if you're bougie
The Grand Mercure Ao Nang: If you’re all about collecting those All Accor points, The Grand Mercure is well-situated just off the main strip in Ao Nang. Prob not the Grandest Grand Mercure you’ve ever stayed at, but still luxe. And rooms actually start low at 3,000 THB and go up to 22,000 THB for the most luxe suite.
Villa Palavee: Book an entire two-story villa with a private pool away from the hustle and bustle of town. It’s not crazy far, and definitely walkable to the Ao Nang Landmark Night Market. All the reviews rave about the host. The villa will set you back 11,000 THB per night.
Ban Sainai Resort: Epic views, perfect location, chic interiors. This is the ultimate luxury spot in Ao Nang, and it’s quietly tucked away from the main road. Rooms starting at around 11,000 THB per night. There are lots of other luxury resorts but they’re further from the centre — this one is ideal and walkable.
Ban Sainai Resort
How to get to Ao Nang
Most people fly into Krabi International Airport (KBV). From there, you can:
- Grab, taxi, or private transfer. This is the fastest and most convenient, door-to-door drop-off Grab cost us 400 THB including tip.
- Shared shuttle bus. This is more budget-friendly if you’re travelling alone at 150 THB. takes about an hour because you’ll have other hotel stops along the way.
Ferries also run from Phuket, Koh Phi Phi, and other nearby islands directly to Nopparat Thara Pier in Ao Nang.
Don’t forget an eSIM for Thailand so you can stay connected throughout your trip. Saily is a budget-friendly option with awesome security features.
Things to do in Ao Nang, Thailand
Here are some of the best things to do in Ao Nang. I’ve skipped activities in Krabi Town, but it’s about 20 minutes away by Grab, so you could easily go explore there for a day as well.
Ao Nang beachs and trails
Here are some of the best beaches and trails to explore when visiting Ao Nang, Thailand.
- Ao Nang Beach: The main beach is soooo scenic at sunset. Grab an ice cream, cocktail in a bamboo cup, or just a little something from the 7/11 and stroll down the sand.
- The Monkey Trail Ao Nang: Ok so monkeys freak me out (You can’t trust them) but the monkey trail is still chill. It’s at the end of Ao Nang Beach and just about 15 minutes over some rickety wooden steps to another much quieter beach. You’ll definitely see macaques but don’t bring food or provoke them and you’ll be fine. Dusky langurs are cuter but more shy.
- The Dragon Crest Trail: Beyond its sick name, this is a big trip and takes about five hours total. Five hours in the heat and humidity hits different, so be prepared. Hop in a Grab from town to get to the trail head, and start your day as early as possible.
- Tiger Temple: A super stunning temple at the end of a gruelling 1,200+ steps. It’s a fun and rewarding challenge, but start as early as you can, pack lots of water, and take breaks. Not to be dark, but two people died attempting this hike while we were in Ao Nang.
Dusky langur on the Monkey Trail
Ao Nang Beach at sunset
Boat trips
There are three main boat trips to choose from in Ao Nang: Hong Islands, 4 Islands, and Phi Phi Islands.
You can book through your Ao Nang hotel, online with something like Get Your Guide, or just stroll down the main street and book through an agency. There are dozens to choose from, and they’re ultimately much the same. Make sure when you negotiate that your national park fees are included. Boat trips range from around 700 THB to 1,800 THB, and you can always haggle if you book in person.
- Hong Islands: We did the Hong Islands trip via longtail boat and it was nice. Not the best boat tour I’ve ever done in my life, but still enjoyable. We were underwhelmed by the snorkelling opportunities — it was actually jellyfish “season” (March to October) and I got stung lol. But even without the jellies, there’s no good coral. The hike up on to the viewpoint on Hong Island was a highlight, but it’s about 300 steps, so prepare yourself.
- 4 Islands: This is the cheapest and most popular tour, which means it’s also the most trafficked and touristy. It stops at Phra Nang Beach on Railay, which you’ll likely go do independently, so I wouldn’t prioritize this boat trip.
- Phi Phi Islands: They’re further away so it’s a longer and more expensive day trip. If you’re going to stay in the Phi Phi Islands anyway, you definitely don’t need to do this boat trip from Ao Nang. However, if this is your only opportunity to visit the Phi Phis, this is still worth it.
Tl;dr: I think the Hong Islands trip is best of the three.
People weren’t really swimming because there were so many jellyfish lol.
Markets
The Ao Nang Landmark Night Market is the main one, but it’s about a 15-minute walk from the center. They have tons of food and drink stalls, some live performances, and typical tourist trinkets. It’s nice to peruse. There’s also a big Muay Thai boxing arena. You’ll hear the driving advertisement shouting about it all over Ao Nang lol.
There’s also Night Market Place Krabi, and Blue Mountain Market. Both are nothing to write home about — Landmark is the biggest and most established.
Hardly a “market” — but we’ll count it — there’s also Muslim Street. This was super close to my hotel and we loved going there for dinner and snacks. It’s a row of maybe 10 food stalls on one side of the street and 10 shops on the other, and only opens after 5pm. But everything is really well-priced and it’s very low key.
Muslim Street
Day trip to Railay Beach
This is a must! If you can stay one or two nights in Railay, even better. But if you can’t, a day trip from Ao Nang totally works. The longtail boat from Ao Nang Beach is just 100 THB and they run all the time from 8 AM to 6 PM.
It’s such a vibe over there, and if you just stop briefly on a boat tour, you don’t have the same freedom to explore. So organize to go for the day. Accommodation in Railay is way more expensive than Ao Nang. But if you can afford it there are some pretty swish hotels!
Otherwise there are a few hostels. We went for two nights and stayed at Blanco Hideout. Dorms are about 600 THB per night, and our very basic private room was a whopping 1,500 THB.
Cliffs in Railay Beach
Activities you can skip in Ao Nang
- Krabi snake park and king cobra show: It somehow has good reviews, but filter your search for the 1-star reviews and you’ll see people calling out animal abuse. It’s pretty hard to imagine a snake park for tourists is going to be ethical in any way.
- The Blue Dragon Cabaret Show: I love a drag/cabaret show, but reviews say the quality is inconsistent and performers aggressively push paid photos at the end. Bangkok and Phuket do it better.
- Unethical elephant experiences. Basically every elephant park in Thailand will claim to be ethical or call themselves a sanctuary — but that doesn’t mean it’s true. If you get to touch or bathe them, chances are it’s not ethical. Always do research before booking anything involving animals. Responsible Travel has a list of genuine sanctuaries to help you choose.
Naomi Lai
Naomi is a Canadian travel editor and writer with 13 years of international travel across Southeast Asia, Europe, South America, New Zealand, and beyond. She covers everything from budget backpacking to luxury travel — always from personal experience.
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