3 Days in Ao Nang, Thailand: Our Itinerary & Travel Guide
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3 Days in Ao Nang, Thailand: Our Itinerary, Railay Beach & Travel Tips
Ao Nang was the first stop on our Thailand trip, where we spent three nights before continuing to Koh Tao. We wanted to start our trip around Phang Nga Bay but didn't really like the idea of staying in Phuket, so instead we booked our flights into Krabi Airport to stay in Ao Nang.
From Krabi Airport, we easily booked a Grab to Ao Nang. We'd definitely recommend having the app ready when you arrive, as there were plenty of taxi drivers waiting outside the airport. Around 40 minutes later, we arrived in Ao Nang - a lively beach town filled with restaurants, bars, massage parlours, market stalls and everything else we'd hoped to find on our first stop in Thailand.
The main street runs downhill before curving around along Ao Nang Beach. On our first night, we simply walked the length of it to get a feel for the town, and it ended up being a great way to start our trip.
We visited Ao Nang in mid-May, during rainy season. This helped with the crowds, but it also meant we had to keep our Ao Nang itinerary flexible in case boat trips or other activities were cancelled.
Luckily, we still had some beautiful weather, with only one day when we got completely soaked. We didn't get to do the Phi Phi Islands trip we'd hoped for, but we did spend plenty of time exploring Railay Beach on foot, which ended up being our favourite day in Ao Nang.
As our first stop in Thailand, we expected to enjoy Ao Nang, but we didn't realise quite how much we'd like the ease of it. It ended up having some of our favourite food of the entire Thailand trip, a really walkable town centre that made our three nights incredibly easy, and one of our favourite hotels to date!
Check Aonang Silver Orchid Resort Prices
We stayed here for all three nights in Ao Nang and would happily stay again.
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Our Ao Nang Trip at a Glance
How long we stayed: 3 nights
Where we stayed: Aonang Silver Orchid Resort
How we arrived: Grab from Krabi Airport
Favourite day trip: Railay Beach
Favourite part: The food
Biggest disappointment: Missing Phi Phi because of the weather
Next destination: Koh Tao
Would we return? In summer, yes
Our verdict: We really enjoyed our time in Ao Nang. It gave us great food, an easy-to-explore town, a brilliant base for visiting Railay Beach and enough going on without feeling overwhelmingly busy.
Watch Our 3 Days in Ao Nang & Railay Beach
Is 3 Days in Ao Nang Enough?
For us, three nights in Ao Nang was a good amount of time, although after losing part of a day to the weather, we could easily have stayed for one more night.
Our ideal three-day Ao Nang itinerary would include an arrival day to explore the town, one full day at Railay Beach and one day for a boat trip to the Phi Phi Islands. We didn't manage to do Phi Phi because of the weather, but that would have given us a great balance between exploring and relaxing.
Three nights would work particularly well if you're moving around Thailand fairly quickly or are short on time. If you prefer slower travel, there is easily enough in and around Ao Nang to stay longer, especially if you want time for the beach, boat trips and a few lazy hours by the pool.
Personally, we wouldn't have wanted to stay for less than three nights.
Our 3-Day Ao Nang Itinerary
Day 1: Arriving in Ao Nang, Thai Food & a Fire Show
Our First Impressions of Ao Nang
After arriving in Ao Nang, we checked into our accommodation, dropped our bags and walked into town. The main street is lively and has pretty much everything you'd expect from a Thai beach town: restaurants, bars, shops, massage parlours and tattoo studios all the way down towards the beach.
It definitely felt touristy, but it didn't feel overcrowded when we visited. Walking around on our first evening gave us a chance to get a feel for the place, scout out restaurants and bars we wanted to try, and eventually make our way around the bend towards the dinner we'd been waiting for.
Our First Thai Dinner
If your first Thai dinner isn't pad thai, pad krapow and morning glory, you're missing out. We'd heard great things about Kodam Kitchen, and it did not disappoint. We had three fantastic dishes and drinks while sitting outside in lovely weather, with the whole meal costing around ฿500.
Ao Nang Fire Show
After dinner, we headed down towards Ao Nang Beach, where there was a fire show in front of Bamboo Beach Club Krabi. The best seats were inside the bar in front of the stage, but instead we walked onto the beach to the east of the bar and found a side-on view of the show.
It was a fun way to finish our first evening before heading back to the hotel, with a quick stop for some cheap football shirts on the way. We also found the ticket booth for Railay Beach ready for the next morning and headed to bed hoping for some sunshine.
Day 2: Railay Beach from Ao Nang
How We Got from Ao Nang to Railay Beach
Our second day started with breakfast at the hotel before walking down to the Ao Nang Longtail Boat Service Club to buy tickets to Railay Beach.
We paid ฿200 per person for a return ticket. The boats left once there were enough passengers to fill one - around 10 people when we visited. With the grey weather, we waited roughly 20 minutes before there were enough of us to leave.
We were then driven for around five minutes to the boat area before climbing aboard the longtail boat. The journey itself took approximately 20 minutes from Ao Nang to Railay Beach.
Arriving at Railay at High Tide
Arriving at Railay Beach was quite literally being thrown in the deep end. We'd been on the boat for around 20 minutes, with a bit of swell during the final five, but thankfully nothing too bad.
Because of the tide and weather, the boat could only pull up in roughly knee-deep water. We had to climb out, wade towards the beach and then climb up onto the wall. It was all part of the fun for us, but we did have to help an elderly passenger get out, so it's worth being prepared for the possibility that you won't step straight from the boat onto dry land.
Sam and Rach Tips: What We Wish We'd Known Before the Longtail Boat
- Take seasickness tablets beforehand if you normally need them on boats.
- Wear shoes or sandals you don't mind getting wet.
- Keep your phone, passport and other electronics protected in a waterproof bag.
- Getting on and off the boat can depend heavily on the tide and conditions.
- Don't assume you'll step directly onto a jetty or dry beach.
Exploring Railay Beach
Railay is much more than one stretch of sand, so we spent the first part of the day exploring on foot. We walked from the west side across to the east, where there were plenty of boats and some great views, before continuing south towards Princess Cave.
The Princess Cave area was one of the most memorable parts of Railay for us. The beach sits beneath huge limestone cliffs, and inside the cave is a shrine filled with penis-shaped carvings. It is certainly surprising if you don't know about it beforehand!
It was fairly busy when we visited, but still worth spending some time there before walking back towards West Railay Beach.
Lunch at Local Thai Food Restaurant
On the walk back towards West Railay Beach, we stopped at a place literally called Local Thai Food Restaurant. We'd spotted an ฿80 pad thai on the menu and some huge fans to cool us down, so we couldn't resist.
The food was delicious, and its central location made it an incredibly convenient stop while exploring Railay. We'd happily eat there again.
Swimming at West Railay Beach
Our last part of the day at Railay was spent swimming at West Railay Beach. Despite a storm starting to roll in, the water and surrounding scenery were beautiful.
Unfortunately, the conditions ruined any chance of snorkelling that day, but we still spent around 45 minutes in the water before deciding it was probably time to get a boat back to Ao Nang. That's about where the chaos began.
Racing the Storm Back to Ao Nang
To get our boat back to Ao Nang, we headed onto the beach and found one of the drivers taking passengers back. Because of the tide, we had to walk out into chest-deep water with our bags held above our heads before climbing a ladder into the boat.
The journey back was a rocky and rainy 20 minutes, and getting off wasn't much calmer. It was chaotic, but everyone on the boat ended up laughing about it, and it became one of those travel stories that was probably more fun afterwards than it felt at the time.
We were dropped back near where we'd left that morning, so from there we could walk back to the hotel, dry off and get ready for the evening.
Our First Thai Massage in Ao Nang
Our second evening in Ao Nang involved our first Thai massage. I don't usually love massages and had never actually had one in a massage parlour before, but I'd managed to walk into a tree earlier that day and hurt my neck, so I thought it might help. Rach, on the other hand, never needs a second invitation for a massage.
You don't have to walk far in Ao Nang to find a massage parlour. We paid around ฿200 each for a 30-minute head, neck and shoulder massage, and we both absolutely loved it.
Dinner in Ao Nang
For our second dinner in Ao Nang, we went to Ali Baba. We shared a Penang curry and chicken with Thai basil, which were both delicious. The meal cost us around ฿400 for the two of us.
Day 3: Rain, Pool Time & Exploring Ao Nang
Our third day in Ao Nang did not go to plan. We'd hoped to visit the Phi Phi Islands, but we were told the weather wasn't good enough to head out on another boat, so we stayed in Ao Nang instead.
We started with a short walk to Tan Hostel for açaí bowls and coffee, then headed down to see the windy beachfront before returning to our accommodation.
At Aonang Silver Orchid Resort, despite paying only around ฿900 per night when we stayed, we had an amazing pool and swim-up bar with the mountains behind us. It ended up being the perfect place to sit for a few hours and slow down - something we definitely needed after already travelling for around two weeks.
Dinner in Ao Nang
On our last night in Ao Nang, we ate at Family Thaifood & Seafood, up a small alley off the main hill in Ao Nang. The food was amazing and only cost about ฿350. The place was super busy and had a great atmosphere, and topped off a few days of fantastic food.
Where We Stayed in Ao Nang: Aonang Silver Orchid Resort
We stayed at Aonang Silver Orchid Resort for all three nights of our time in Ao Nang. After coming straight from a river stay in Borneo, we wanted somewhere comfortable where we could properly relax, and the combination of price, location and facilities looked perfect for us.
We paid around A$40 per night when we stayed. Our room was huge, with a large bed and a really good bathroom, and it ended up being one of the nicest places we stayed during our time in Southeast Asia.
The highlight, though, was easily the pool. With the mountains behind it and a swim-up bar in the water, it was the kind of hotel pool that actually made us want to spend time at the accommodation rather than feeling like we had to be out sightseeing all day.
The resort isn't directly on Ao Nang Beach, but we found the location really convenient. Most of the places we wanted to reach were roughly a 5-15 minute walk away, and we were still able to walk into town, to restaurants and towards the beach without needing transport.
Breakfast was available for a small additional cost. We found it worthwhile on mornings when we had a full day ahead, as the buffet gave us plenty to eat before heading out.
What we liked: The pool, service, room size and value for money.
What we didn't like: Honestly, nothing stood out as a negative during our stay.
Would we stay again? Absolutely.
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Our Best Meals in Ao Nang
Kodam Kitchen
Probably our second best meal in Ao Nang: pad thai, pad krapow and morning glory. The price was great, it was super busy and the food was so fresh, for only ฿500.
Ali Baba
A different meal, but delicious nonetheless. We had Penang curry and Thai basil chicken and paid approximately ฿400, including drinks.
Family Thai Food and Seafood
Again, with a similar order of pad thai, pad krapow and morning glory. This spot felt more like a family-owned restaurant, but was comfortably our best meal. We had seen people online recommending it, and it definitely lived up to what people had been saying. A must try!
Our Verdict on the Food in Ao Nang
Ao Nang, although it was our first stop in Thailand, had the best food that we had eaten in our two weeks in Southeast Asia so far, and probably ended that way until we arrived in Vietnam.
Visiting Ao Nang in May: Our Rainy-Season Experience
Ao Nang can still be a great place to visit in rainy season, although, like us, you may have days when you can't use the boats, even when the skies aren't too bad. In mid-May when we were there, the weather could change quickly, so having a plan and a backup plan can help you enjoy your time much more.
We found that the weather often worsened in the afternoon, so getting up and getting your activities in early gave us the best chance. If you are caught in bad weather, there are still plenty of shops, bars and restaurants to hang out in and enjoy yourself with everyone else who is in the same situation.
But our number one tip in rainy season is to either stay somewhere social or somewhere nice, so that if you are stuck indoors, you are not hating it. You'll get a better price in these seasons, so it can be worth taking the risk.
We had planned to visit the Phi Phi Islands during our stay, but unfortunately our trip was cancelled because of the weather. If you're looking for tours and activities from Ao Nang, you can browse the current options below.
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How to Get to Ao Nang from Krabi Airport
We flew into Krabi Airport and booked a Grab directly to Aonang Silver Orchid Resort. The journey took us around 40 minutes. We preferred this to negotiating with a taxi driver, as we could see the price before booking and knew exactly what we were paying.
How We Travelled from Ao Nang to Koh Tao
After three nights in Ao Nang, our next stop was Koh Tao. We booked a combined journey that took us by road from Ao Nang to the ferry and then across to Koh Tao. This trip was booked through Lomprayah and was seamless from getting on the bus to getting off the ferry. My only advice would be to make sure your valuables are on your person, as your bags will likely be on the front of the boat outside.
What Our 3 Days in Ao Nang Cost
| Expense | What we paid |
|---|---|
| Aonang Silver Orchid Resort | ~A$40/night (around ฿900 when we stayed) |
| Railay return boat | ฿200 per person |
| Kodam Kitchen | ~฿500 total |
| Thai massage | ~฿200 per person |
| Ali Baba | ~฿400 total |
| Grab from Krabi Airport | ~฿600 total |
Our Ao Nang Travel Tips
- Keep your itinerary flexible if you're travelling during rainy season. Our Phi Phi plans had to change because of the weather.
- Expect to get wet when boarding longtail boats. Depending on the tide, you may need to wade through the water.
- Protect your electronics. A waterproof bag would have been very useful on our Railay day.
- Don't assume bad weather ruins the whole day. Conditions changed quickly while we were there.
- Leave some time to simply enjoy Ao Nang. We loved having an unplanned afternoon around the pool and town.
- Don't overlook the food. Ao Nang ended up having some of our favourite meals of our Thailand trip.
Is Ao Nang Worth Visiting?
Ao Nang is definitely worth visiting if you are planning to visit the south of Thailand. We loved how the atmosphere, food and easy day trips give it a nice balance where you can fully relax or be super busy and enjoy it either way.
It also felt far less touristy to us than places like Phuket, meaning for us, Ao Nang was simply the better destination. It was also cheaper than other beach destinations we visited in Thailand, such as Koh Samui, making it more budget-friendly for families or backpackers.
Final Thoughts on Our 3 Days in Ao Nang
We arrived in Ao Nang during rainy season to spend our first three nights in Thailand. We were instantly impressed by the food in the town, and the atmosphere was light and welcoming, as we felt very safe the whole time.
During the three days, we spent time at Railay Beach and explored the town, having a great massage, time at the pool and the best Thai food we had on our whole trip. Unfortunately, we had our Phi Phi Islands trip cancelled due to the weather. Even with this, it was a great spot to experience Thailand and what it has to offer.
Would we go back? Absolutely.
Next stop: Koh Tao.
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Ao Nang FAQs
Is 3 days in Ao Nang enough?
Three days in Ao Nang is enough, but if you can fit in a fourth day, it would definitely be worth it.
How do you get from Ao Nang to Railay Beach?
We bought return tickets from the Ao Nang Longtail Boat Service Club and travelled to Railay by longtail boat. We paid ฿200 per person for a return ticket when we visited. The boats left once enough passengers had arrived to fill one.
How long does the boat from Ao Nang to Railay take?
Our longtail boat journey from Ao Nang to Railay Beach took approximately 20 minutes. Conditions can obviously affect the journey, and our return trip was much rougher because a storm was rolling in.
Where did we stay in Ao Nang?
We stayed at Aonang Silver Orchid Resort for three nights. We paid around A$40 per night when we visited and particularly loved the large room, mountain-backed pool and swim-up bar.
Is Ao Nang worth visiting in rainy season?
Ao Nang is worth visiting in rainy season if you are prepared to be flexible with your plans. Chances are, you will still get nice days with rainy afternoons, but you get better pricing on accommodation and fewer crowds, which can definitely be worth it.
Can you visit the Phi Phi Islands from Ao Nang?
You can visit the Phi Phi Islands from Ao Nang with a tour. Check websites like GetYourGuide to find one that you like.
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