Krabi

Sleeping on Railay West's sand for mid-range money, with the sunset arriving at your table.

A stay-put beach resort where the service is the thing people remember, not just the pools.

A sprawling family resort with a lagoon pool and swim-up bar, and a quiet public beach just across the road.

A big family-friendly base a short walk from Ao Nang beach, close to the bars without sitting on top of them.

Curries with real depth, budget prices, and a queue at dinner unless you book ahead.

Come for the view over Phang Nga Bay, order simply, and don't expect the food to match the scenery.

All-you-can-eat seafood you grill or boil yourself, about 3.5km inland from Ao Nang beach.

North Indian curries and naan that people rave about, with a Thai menu that isn't an afterthought.

Around 1,260 brutal steps to the summit Buddha, and the temple below is worth your time even if you skip them.

Get there by 8am or the tour boats will take the whole beach off you.

A golden pagoda an hour from Krabi town, still being built, and already worth the drive.

A gold reclining Buddha inside a cool limestone cave, plus a monkey troop that will mug you for corn.

Postcard sand and limestone cliffs, reachable only by longtail, and worth catching the first boat over.

Boat-only limestone drama and clean water, best before the longtails arrive and again at low tide.

Quiet, long and shaded, with a sunset that turns the whole sky pink on a full moon.

Go early, walk away from the drop-off point, and you'll have proper white sand almost to yourself.

Limestone karsts, coral reefs and the Phi Phi islands, all under one park ticket from Ao Nang.

Weekends only, and worth building your Krabi Town plans around if food is the point of your evening.

Big, loud and unapologetically touristy, but the grilled seafood and fire shows earn their keep.

Come after dark, when the lights go on and the food stalls open along the river.

A proper local hypermarket with a food court, cinema and cheap Thai plates, well outside town.

Spring-fed jungle swimming in green water, best hit at 8:30am before the heat and the tour buses land.

Skip the hotel tour desk, go to Dan Pier and negotiate with a longboat captain yourself.

Hot mineral pools in the jungle, best on a cool or windy day, and 20 minutes from the Emerald Pool.

Time it with the tide and get there before ten, or you'll be sharing a sandbar with a hundred boats.

Come for the drinks and the infinity pool by day, stay for the fire show and the DJ after dark.

A no-fuss Ao Nang drinking spot that runs from mid-afternoon to half past one, every day.

Book a cabana, order pizza, float on a bean bag and stay until the sun drops behind the water.

Live music bar in Ao Nang with a resident band, beachfront views, and a lively evening atmosphere.

Ao Nang's late-opening massage spot, where regulars book therapists by name and rarely get it wrong.

Beachfront calm at the quiet end of Ao Nang, with the bars and shops still an easy walk away.

Deep-pressure Thai massage in Ao Nang that actually shifts the knots, open till 11pm.

Fill in the pressure form honestly, then let a therapist work out what your flight did to your shoulders.

Small, clean and calm, but the check-in queues can eat an hour you didn't budget for.

The main departure pier in Ao Nang for day trips and excursions to the Phi Phi Islands.

A peaceful departure pier for kayaking and boat tours through Krabi's mangroves and limestone karst waterways.

The quieter Railay pier for boats to Ao Nam Mao, and a floating jetty that rewards packing light.