Three Day Krabi Itinerary: Beaches, Temples, and Paradise Islands
When travelers talk dreamily about the amazing Thai islands, they’re often referring to the string of white sand beaches near Krabi. With towering karst formations that shelter idyllic sandy shores, the islands of southern Thailand are some of the prettiest in the world. They are the feature of glossy travel brochures, the backdrop to Hollywood films, and the first place that many travelers think of visiting when they begin planning a trip to Southeast Asia.
Travelers heading to the islands of southern Thailand have no shortage of choices. From the reef-ringed shores of Koh Tao and Koh Samui in the Gulf of Thailand, to the iconic island of Phuket, to the chain of beaches and islands near Krabi.
THINGS TO SEE WITH THREE DAYS IN KRABI
After researching the pros and cons of visiting the different Thai islands with limited time, I settled on visiting the area around Krabi. Tourism in Krabi undoubtedly centers on the countless beautiful beaches accessible from town—the most famous of which is Maya Bay, in the Phi Phi Islands.
My three day South Thailand itinerary brought me to some of the most impressive attractions in the area. I visited the beautiful Phi Phi islands on my first full day in Krabi and I decided to team up with two girls from my hostel, Sudha and Savana, for smaller excursion to the equally beautiful Hong Islands on the second day.
On my third day in Krabi, I set out to explore the island’s cultural side with a visit to the Tiger Cave Temple.
KRABI ITINERARY DAY 1: THE PHI PHI ISLANDS TOUR
The Phi Phi islands are some of the most idyllic islands in Southeast Asia. Just a stone’s throw away from both Phuket and Krabi, the picture-postcard flecks of emerald offer the feeling of setting foot in the pages of a glossy travel brochure. Featuring classic tropical beaches, stunning rock formations and vivid turquoise waters that teem with colorful tropical fish, the islands are paradise perfected.
If only real life could photoshop out all the other hoards of tourists.
I joined a day tour to the Phi Phi Islands on my first day in Krabi. Though it was rushed, disorganized, and far too crowded, the tour highlighted many of the top attractions in the Adaman Sea.
The first destination on our tour was Bamboo Island––a beautiful circular patch of green encircled by a stretch of snowy-white sand. It is a stunning beach, made all the more beautiful by the translucent turquoise of its waters.
The beautiful Bamboo Island was extremely crowded when we visited. In the hour or so that we were on Bamboo Island, at least ten boatloads of tourists came to share the beach with us. Hundreds of people on package tours dotted the white sands. They lay strewn about the beach, snapped picture after picture with their selfie sticks and danced around to music blaring from the boats.
So I scrambled over a a few boulders and found my own strip of sand completely apart from the commotion and noise. I swam alone in the warm turquoise waters and experienced a few moments of pure bliss.
Until I heard the leader of my group call out that we needed to get on board to our next destination.
We stopped by Monkey Beach, where we had the opportunity to swim amongst exotic tropical fish. Then, we entered the stunning and dramatic Loh Samah Bay for a quick photo opportunity before continuing on to the crown jewel of our little excursion–-the infamous Maya Bay.
While, in retrospect, I wish I had taken a longtail boat to the islands instead of joining a large tour, I’m grateful to have seen the splendor of the Phi Phi Islands with my own eyes.
ITINERARY DAY 2: THE HONG ISLANDS
Like my tour the previous day, I had the opportunity to visit various pristine beaches, snorkel among schools of colorful fish and swim in aquamarine waters. Yet on the second day of my Krabi itinerary , my newfound friends and I traveled to the Hong Islands by longtail boat.
While the beaches were still crowded and the tour still shuttled us from place to place, I found the smaller tour much more conducive to relaxing and taking in the surrounding scenery.
Toward the end of the day, we visited the expansive stretch of sand at Hong Beach. I even had the opportunity to sit in a hammock for about an hour, absorbing views of the dramatic limestone cliffs, before our return to Krabi.
Southern Thailand may be known for its white sand and crystal waters, but there is more to the region than pretty beaches. After having spent two blissful days in the Phi Phi and Hong Islands, I was ready to explore the cultural side of the region.
DAY 3 IN KRABI: THE TIGER CAVE TEMPLE AND AO NANG BEACH
On my third and final full day in Krabi, my newfound friends and I heeded the advice of a fellow traveler and visited the nearby Tiger Cave Temple. Then, after sweating our way up more than 1,000 vertical steps, we explored the beautiful beaches of Ao Nang.
The Tiger Cave Temple sits atop a karst mountain. In addition to being one of the most sacred sights in the region, visitors flock to the shrine in order to admire its dramatic backdrop.
While the views of the surrounding countryside and nearby bay are stunning, reaching the temple is no joke. It is an arduous climb to the top of the mountain, made all the more grueling by the unrelenting sun of the tropics. Every hundred steps or so, my friends and I saw a marker indicating our progress.
One thousand, two hundred and thirty seven steps—many of which are at least a meter high—run vertically up the side of the mountain.
And each time we passed the marker, we would stop, catch our breaths, curse at the sweltering heat and then charge forward until we met our next goal.
As soon as I reached the temple and caught my breath, the drop-dead views took my breath away once more.
Below, we could see miles upon miles of emerald pastures dotted with towering karst monoliths. The vibrant green mountains had a striking resemblance to those I had seen in China’s Yangshuo Province back in 2005. They made me feel as though I had entered the backdrop to a fairy tale.
When we couldn’t take the heat from the beating sun any longer, we made our way back down the 1,237 vertical steps and headed for a quick swim at Ao Nang Beach before sunset.
Ao Nang Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches near Krabi. The beach’s location gives easy access to a wide range of gorgeous islands off the Krabi coastline. Just a skip and hop away, is the rock-climbers haven of Railay Beach.
My travel companions and I spent the evening relaxing on the powdery shores of Ao Nang Beach and watching the sun dip below the spectacular karst formations.
It was a beautiful finale to three wonderful days in southern Thailand. Three days full of pristine beaches, splendid temples, lively night markets and adventurous new friends.
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It felt premature to leave the Krabi Province after only three days, but I had already booked my plane ticket to Chiang Mai. A whole new set of experiences awaited my arrival.
My three day Krabi itinerary highlighted the best of the area. While I realize in retrospect that I shouldn’t have fallen pray to the whirlwind tour of Koh Phi Phi, I am grateful that I had the opportunity to visit some of the most incredible natural attractions in Southeast Asia.
Perhaps Maya Beach is not as secluded and secret as the 2000 Hollywood hit drama ‘The Beach’ might have you believe, but those movie fans who flocked to Koh Phi Phi after its release were right about one thing for sure.
That––crowds aside––the karst-dominated scenery around Krabi embodies all the elements of a paradise island.
