Krabi

My personal favorite, very chilled out. Just 10minutes’ drive from the villa (parking's easier too). About 7km long. and is Krabi’s nicest mainland beach, there are a few 4 and 5 star resorts on this beach and it’s never crowded, has perfect soft sand, clean water and is good for swimming at high tide, at low tide it gets a little rocky. This beach is a great place to spend the whole day and evening, go for a refreshing swim in the sea, then breakfast right on the beach, then relax in the sun the whole day long. It’s great for kids too as some restaurants put out toys (buckets and spades etc) for the kids to use. Tip: for good Restaurants, go on the web and check out "10 Best Restaurants in Klong Muang".

Is the center of the tourist scene with lots of hustle and bustle, near the main beachfront road. You’ll find souvenir shops, clothing shops, spas, tour agents, and ATM machines along this stretch, as well as restaurants, bars and a huge range of shops selling their wares. Ao Nang is a busy place with limited parking, recommend taking booking a Tuk Tuk or a driver to take you to and from the villa or park as soon as you find a spot then walk. Getting around by rented motorbike is ideal as they are much easier to park. The beach is friendly and safe, has soft sand and water is lovely and warm (average 27°) it's not clogged up with hawkers selling things on the beach, jet skis or speed boats like some beaches in Phuket, take a beach mat and plenty of sunscreen. The quietest and prettiest part of the beach with trees for shade is the southern end of the beach (left side when facing the sea) beyond where the longtail boats dock, it is a lovely strip with a beautiful steep cliff as a backdrop and is great for swimming all year round. Walk down the beach past the longtails boats and you will find lovely beachside restaurants near the end, sit down, order a cocktail and take in the view across the whole 3km wide beach, it's stunning especially at sunset, it is one of the best sunset locations apart from Klong Muang beach or even closer and higher up check out the The Hilltop Restaurant in Ao Nang.

Is the close beach to 8 Palm Villa, it’s a lovely quiet alternative to the busy Ao Nang beach next door, this beach is not flocked to by tourists and its generally easier to park if you have a car, it also has some new outdoor markets and food stalls that operate 7 days a week. Every night of the week there is a walking steet called Landmark, with a great selection of food and drink, some arts and crafts and on some evenings, music and enterntainment.

Noppharat Thara beach is wonderful for walking at low tide and has lovely sunsets too. There are also some lovely seafood restaurants and is a favorite of Thais who come here to sit under the trees with a picnic or to watch the sunset. There are tourist ferry connections from Noppharat Thara Pier to the islands of Phi Phi, Lanta and Phuket and you can also arrange all the longtail day trips from here too.

Head south of the energetic Ao Nang Beach, and the tranquil coast of Railay Beach welcomes you. Now a region that includes four beaches, it offers tourists the splendid views of white sandy shorelines and melodic lapping waves, and limestone cliffs attract rock climbers all year round. What makes this beach special, is that the only way in and out is a boat. It takes 15 minutes by longtail boat and costs around 100 baht each way per person, you can get there from Ao Nang beach, Nopparat Thara beach or Klong Muang beach… just look out for the long tail boats.

Long Beach is a very quiet beach with just a couple of small bungalow resorts. Its a great place for a walk. For swimming its ok but the water is not quite so clear as at Klong Muang Beach.
Lots of shady spots though to put down a beach mat and relax for the day. Great for young kids if you bring your own bucket and spades as the sand is really good for building sand castles.

Tup Kaek Beach is a bit further along the coast from Klong Muang Beach and is where many of the five star beach resorts are located. Amari Vogue, Tup Kaek Boutique Resort and the Ritz Carlton Resort are in this area. Its a really nice beach, with soft sand in the shallows so is a good place for a swim at low tide. There is a restaurant at one end of the beach offering a good variety of food, cocktails and soft drinks at reasonable prices.

A Buddhist Temple in Krabi Town, Tiger Cave Temple is known for its Huge Buddha statue at the top of the mountain overlooking Krabi Town. At ground level is a large Temple and several natural caves. Then there are the 1257 steps up to the statue. The steps are quite steep in sections but the view at the top is really worth it. Whether you make it all the way or not, Tiger Cave Temple is a great place to visit with lots of monkeys playing in the Temple grounds.
Tiger Cave Temple is about 30 minutes from the villa."

The Emerald Pool is a natural mineral pool with an amazing turquiose colour. Set in a lush jungle National Park area full of huge trees and wildlife, its a fantastic place to go for day trip. Take a walk through the jungle and then have a cooling dip in the crystal clear waters. A little bit further into the park is the source of the water, with a really deep blue colour. Its not possible to swim in this pool, but still really great to see.

Phanom Bencha National Park is one of the real secret gems of Krabi. A beautifully kept Park area with a walk through the jungle to a 5 tier waterfall. The lower levels have pools where you can have a dip. Kids love it. During the dry season when there is less water, it's not quite so spectacular, but still well worth a vist. During the rainy season though, after a big rain storm, the waterfall is huge!
Phanom Bencha National Park is about 40 minutes away from the villa along mostly country roads and a most enjoyable drive if you have a rented car or bike.

The Dragon Crest or Khao Hon Nak in Thai, is perhaps the greatest view in Krabi. The mountain is in National Park along the coast past TupKaek and Klong Muang beaches. The walk itself is about 4.5km and is moderately hard, steep for the first half and then levelling out after that. Allow about 4 hours to go up and down. The view at the top is just phenomenal though, there are big rocks at the top and you can sit and look around across the Krabi Landscape. Definitely our favorite walk in Krabi. Afterwards you can stop off at one of the beaches for a well deserved swim and drink.
The Dragon Crest is about 20 minutes from the villa. Remember to take plenty of drinking water.