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Hotel Class: 
2.5 Stars - 42 Opinions
Moo 1, Kaw Kwang Beach, Saladan, Ko Lanta Yai, 333, Ko Lanta, Krabi, 81150, Thailand
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of people enjoy staying here
42 Opinions
Tabkaak Beach
Ao Nang McDonald
The Jacuzzi on the balcony
A clear day
Hi,
My husband & I will be in Krabi at Christmas and we were hoping to stay in Railay. The hotels are pretty expensive, especially since they are charging an obligatory Christmas Eve dinner ($2000 - $2500 Baht each). On top of that, I've been reading reviews on Trip Advisor and many people have mentioned "bed bugs" at the Sand Sea Resort - does anyone know if this is true??
I really want to be in Railay, but would Ao Nang be a better option? Is it easy to get from Ao Nang to Railay, especially for those wonderful sunsets I heard about? It would be great to hear your thoughts and if anyone knows of any great bungalows in Ao Nang (under 1500 THB), that would be much appreciated
Thanks! K.
I visited Ao Nang in June 2007 (low season). Longtail boats regularly depart straight off the beach taking tourists around to Railay Beach (only takes 10-15 minutes if I remember correctly). Did not get there myself due to lack of tourist numbers (it was raining). One of my biggest regrets. December should be no problem. Accom. around Railay to expensive for my budget. Suggest you google accom. ao nang. Decide what interests you then google that hotel/bungalow and see if there are any reviews about it. www.sawadee.com has a list of accoms. Sorry couldn't be of more help.
You will love Railay! I have lots posted on my Krabi page. And, we stayed at the Sand and Sea Resort. No bed bugs in our bed. Railay is so much more beautiful than Ao Nang but go to Ao Nang for elephant trek and some shopping.
Have a wonderful time!
I've also stayed at Sand and Sea on two other previous trips to the area and had no problems with bed bugs. West Railey offers a better beach and scenery than Ao Nang but AN definitley has more lodging options, but also more noise/tourists and for sure TRAFFIC.
The problem is that you're traveling during the very peak period so resorts jack-up their rates at this time and thus you're paying a premium for accomodations plus food prices at any resort.
But if you find a place that's not directly on Ao Nang beach but further inland (even by 5 minutes), your rates should be lower and you're still just a longtail hop-skip from Weat Raileh.
Other option is cheaper East Rai Leh that's not that far a walk and that caters to back-packers but even there, rates are up during peak season.
Although it is noisy from the constant coming and going of longtail boats, it still has a certain charm... and is a far cry better than what I saw on around Tonsai Bay at Phi Phi island! I came to love this little beach especially the area just near the "Last cafe".
Not far from the hot mineral springs - Klong Thom, you will find the stunningly beautiful Emerald Pool and its visit-worthy surrounds. The main point of attraction is the Emerald Pool, but its surrounding waterfalls, forest and pools are just as beautiful. You take the track straight to the pool, (700m) then make sure you do the nature walk on the way back which is 1.4km. Please check my travelogue for pictures.
Sra Marakot is another natural feature of warm water, around body temperature or maybe a little warmer. It is about 1.2m deep in the centre and shallower to the sides. The warmer the temperature, the more dense the blue/green colouring. This pool is fed by a small stream of water from the Magic Pool (which we didn't see) and also through the porous rock in the bottom. The water is crystal clear, you can see everything - the fish, every leaf and rock in it. You cannot drink this water, as it is high in Calcium Carbonate. Please check the website below for better pictures than I took. : )
On the slope above the pool there is a build up of Calcium Carbonate which is algae-like and extremely slippery, so if walking that way around the pool, beware!
Once again, nothing but water is permitted to be carried into the park. Entry is 200 baht for foreigners. There is Thai massage available at the park entrance, along with food and drink. Please check my warning/danger tip for further information.
The restaurant at Banyan Tree resort is open from 7am to 10pm. The food is mainly local Thai dishes, with western breakfasts and burgers also included. The prices are really good and the food delicious. There were three of us travelling together, so we mostly ordered three Thai dishes and a pot of rice and shared. This was fantastic because it allowed us to sample a lot of the menu in the time we were there, and meant we were never short of variety (or quantity!). Highlights included:
- fried fish with vegetables and sweet and sour or oyster sauce
- mussaman curry (curry with a slight peantuy flavour - soooo good!!!),
vegetables with coconut milk and garlic (awesome)
-various curry's (beware, the red is HOT!!!)
- and loads more. I don't think we were hungry the whole time we stayed in Krabi! Highly recommended.
Ao Nang is the most popular beach resort in the region. The topography around here is spectacular and the beach is very nice. There are a bunch of bungalows, restaurants, and bars in the area making this a very low key resort without the high prices.
Even if you are not staying in Railay, do pay the Railay West Beach a visit, if only to see the magnificent sunsets.
The geographical position of Railay West Beach is such that, it offers its visitors an excellent vantage point to view the sun setting in the most harmonious blend of colors.
The sun sets early at around 6.15pm and by 6.45pm it is already all dark. So do get back before 7pm, if you are staying in Ao Nang because it will be difficult (and more expensive) to get a boat back after this.
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