Do edit

1 Rai Leh.  and 2 Ko Phi Phi.  are just around the corner and there are many tour operators offering activities such as sea kayaking and elephant treks. Rock climbing can be arranged through Ao Nang agencies who will arrange transfers, lunch, and as much climbing as your limbs can handle. Alternatively, simply sail over to Rai Leh or Ton Sai and organize an introductory course yourself.

Seven-day tide tables and sea conditions for Ao Nang can be found at Tideschart.com

Beaches edit

 
Ao Nang beach

From Ao Nang, three beaches are accessible by foot, without resort to a 100 baht boat ride to Ton Sai or Rai Leh.

  • 1 Ao Nang Beach. Ao Nang Beach, lined with shops and restaurants, is more like a base for exploring Krabi than an important destination in itself. The west side of the beach is no great beauty, being heavily littered and ruined by the massive number of boats ready to take tourists to other beaches and to the islands. Most tourists spend the day on the east side of the beach, which is more scenic, swimmer-friendly, and contains some friendly monkeys interacting with visitors, although litter is a problem and the area is crossed by a putrid stream. At the eastern edge, a 10-15 minute trail leads to Pai Plong Beach. This is the most scenic and peaceful beach one can walk to, but has no infrastructure other than the Centara Resort. The trail itself is not particularly difficult, but still best avoided by the elderly, disabled, and small children. 
  •  
    Nopparat Thara beach
    2 Nopparat Thara Beach.

    Long beach at the western edge of Ao Nang, zoned as a national park. Nopparat Thara beach is effectively divided in two parts, separated by a river that hosts the Hat Nopparat Thara Pier, where longtail boats and speedboats depart to Phuket and other islands.

    The western half is located in the neighbouring Nong Thale sub-district. It is mostly surrounded by forest and a few resorts, and hence extremely quiet.

    The eastern half, located in Ao Nang, is lined with hotels, restaurants and shops, although not as much as Ao Nang beach. In the section of the beach closer to the pier, there are more businesses catering to Thai, rather to Western visitors, making it a good place to look for budget food. Nopparat Thara is a quieter alternative to Ao Nang and excellent for a morning stroll or watching the sunset, but the beach gets rather narrow at high tide, and it is a good idea to ask the locals if it is jellyfish season before plunging in if no one else is in the water. Near the river, during low tide you can walk up to some of the nearby craggy limestone islands like Kao Pak Klong.

     (updated Apr 2023)
 
Pla Plong Beach, Ao Nang, looking towards Rai Leh
  • 3 Pai Plong Beach (Centara Resort) (From Ao Nang Beach looking out to sea, turn left and follow the beach to the end. Behind The Last Cafe, you will see an elevated wooden walkway. Follow it for 10-15 min (steep in places) to Pai Plong Beach. If driving, turn onto Soi 15 off Ao Nang Rd. Nearing the sea, bear left and you will see a shaded parking area. Park there and find the walkway to your left.). Centara Resort occupies a scenic little cove just around the headland from Ao Nang Beach. The resort is doing its best to give the impression that it owns the beach frontage. But beaches in Thailand are all public and the public cannot be denied their use. Security guards abound and you will be asked to sign in and out. The beach itself is small, with only about five metres of sand at high tide. But it's a cute, relatively secluded beach that is hands down better than Ao Nang or Nopparat Thara. Use this beach so it stays in the public domain. The resort is quite happy to have you sit at the beachfront bar and eat and drink. Great place to watch the sunset. The wooden walkway is lighted at night, so should be no problem negotiating it after dark. (updated May 2016)

Boat tours / transfers edit

 
Ao Nang Boat Service Co-Operative
  • The main beach at Ao Nang is the departure point for boats to a number of places, including the nearby resort of Rai Leh, which cannot be accessed by road, Poda Island and Chicken Island. Ticket booths with price lists are found at both ends of the beach.

Camping edit

  • 4 Andaman Camp and Cruise, ☏ +66 87 8851125. Private, customised day trips and camping trips to many islands. They can also help plan individual itineraries, accommodation and transfers. Fast, helpful, English speaking service with emails answered within 24 hours. Highly recommended. 

Cooking edit

  • 5 Ao Nang Thai Cookery School, Ao Nammao, ☏ +66 81 4159358. Daily, 09:00-20:30. Khun Sow is the head honcha. Cooking classes are 3 hr. Fruit carving is an all day class and the most expensive course.1,000-2,500 baht. (updated May 2016)
  • 6 Krabi Fruit Carving, 326 Moo 1, Soi Nopparat Thara 3 (Soi 3 is off Hwy 4202 near the village of Ban Chong Phli). Thai fruit and vegetable carving is an art form. Basic courses are 3 hr long and the full-day course is 7 hours.1,400-2,800 baht. (updated May 2016)

Diving edit

There are a number of scuba diving centers in Ao Nang, offering dive course from basic up to instructor level. The "local" islands in Ao Nang Bay are relatively easy to access and uncrowded compared to many of the diving sites around Phi Phi Island. Other options include Shark Point Marine Sanctuary and the King Cruiser wreck which is suitable for intermediate divers, and mini-safaris to Hin Daeng, Hin Muang, and the Ko Ha Yai Islands for experienced or deep qualified divers. Most of the dive shops offer a very similar price for the dive courses and dive trips. It's now also possible to do a one day safari by speedboat to Hin Daeng and Hin Muang for a chance to see whale sharks and manta rays, or to do some spectacular cavern diving at the five islands of Ko Ha Yai. Some of the more popular dive sites can become crowded in the peak of high season late-December to early-January

  • 7 Aqua Vision Dive Centre, 76/12 Moo 2 (On Ao Nang Rd 2 min up from McDonalds), ☏ +66 75 637415, . Daily, 08:00-18:30. Experienced PADI 5-Star IDC dive centre. English, German, Swedish, French, Spanish, Russian, and Thai language dive guides. Dive trips by speedboat to Phi Phi and local islands. Weekly trips to Shark Point, Anemone Reef, King Cruiser wreck, trips also available to Hin Daeng, Ko Ha Yai, Racha Islands. 
  • Kon-Tiki Diving and Snorkeling Center, 137 Moo 2 (In front of Krabi Resort), ☏ +66 75 637826. PADI 5-Star IDC dive centre . Their boats runs daily diving and snorkelling tours to Phi Phi Islands with weekly trips to Shark Point, King Cruiser wreck, Hin Daeng/Hin Muang. (updated Mar 2017)
  • Phran Nang Divers, 32/10 Moo 2. English-run PADI dive centre with over 15 years experience diving in Ao Nang. Courses run in English and German, most European languages also available. 
  • Poseidon Dive Center, 69/9 Soi Tu Rian (On the main road, 70 m from Ao Nang Beach, opposite Ao Nang Villa and Ao Nang Orchid Resort), ☏ +66 98 071 9035. Daily, 09:00-21:00. Friendly and individual dive centre that offers trips to Ko Phi Phi as well as to famous local dive sites, such as Ko Sii, Ko Haa, Ko Talu and others. They offer a big range of courses from beginners up to professional, fun dives, free-diving and specialties in different languages. 
  • Raya Divers (Near Noppharat Thara National Park, 500 m from beach on the Nopparat Thara Rd), ☏ +66 76 280074. Daily, 09:00-19:00. Finnish-run 5-star PADI shop; instruction also available in English. Good gear and an emphasis on safety. 
  • Scuba Addicts, 245/5 Moo 2 (On Ao Nang Rd opposite the marlin statue and tsunami warning tower), ☏ +66 75 6637394, . 07:00-21:00. PADI and SSI training facility. Scuba Addicts offers diving and snorkeling adventures for all ages and abilities, tailored to suit your individual or group needs. (updated May 2017)
  • 8 Sea Gypsy Divers, 191 M.2, T. Ao Nang, ☏ +66 92 9139031, . Full-service PADI Dive Center in the heart of Ao Nang. Offering all PADI courses, fun diving, and snorkeling packages. Daily dive trips to Koh Phi Phi and local islands. (updated Nov 2017)
  • Fast Manta 468/8 Moo2, Soi Ao Nang 3. +66 6 5035 0978 info (at) fastmanta.com is Finnish-owned small Padi Dive Center who focus small groups and tailored trips. Teaching is available on many languages.

Gym edit

  • PUSH Fitness Center, 71/2 Moo 2, Tambon (Inland side of road, next to Jenna's Restaurant), ☏ +66 975 637 118. Daily, 07:00-22:00. Good, centrally located, albeit expensive, gym.From 300 baht per visit to 22,000 baht yearly. (updated Apr 2016)

Hiking edit

  • 9 Tab Kak Hang Nak Nature Trail. The Tab Kak Hang Nak Nature Trail is northwest of Ao Nang close to beaches/resorts, a couple of kilometres north of Klong Muang Beach. It will take you through the jungle and up to a peak with a fantastic view over Ao Nang and more. A sign claims the hike to be 3.7 km but it feels like more. That's because the trail is almost all up. Thai trailblazers don't do switchbacks. No mosquitoes. There is a small ladder that needs to be climbed, but the trail is an easy one if you have decent shoes. Don't try this in flip-flops as the trail is rocky. with exposed roots and where it is not, it is certainly a mudslide when the ground is wet. At the trailhead they ask you to sign in with departure and return times. (updated Feb 2016)

Rock climbing edit

  • Ao Nang was originally put on the travel map by backpackers, many of whom came for the excellent climbing that Krabi's karst rock formations offer, and rock climbing is still widely available through centers in Ao Nang, although most of the climbs are in the areas around Rai Leh, Tonsai, and Phra Nang beaches.