With kids · Krabi · Thailand
Krabi with kids
Family-tested sights, a calm base and the practical details that make travelling with children easier.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: kallerna, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Krabi suits families who like beaches and gentle adventure: island-hopping, sandbars at low tide, mangrove kayaking and fossil hunting. Choose calm beaches such as Noppharat Thara or Klong Muang, and avoid the rough-sea months for boat trips. Top picks: Four Islands tour, Ao Thalane mangrove kayaking and Noppharat Thara Beach. Families usually base themselves in Ao Nang.
Key facts
- Family picks
- 6
- Best area for families
- Ao Nang
- Rainy-day options
- 0
- Busiest months
- December–February
Best things to do with kids
Island · Ao Nang
1.Four Islands tour
The classic Krabi boat trip visits Koh Poda's white-sand beach, the bird-shaped Chicken Island, Koh Tup, where a sandbar links two islets at low tide, and Phra Nang Cave Beach. Longtail and speedboat versions leave from Ao Nang and Noppharat Thara every morning.
Pick a longtail trip with a small group, and go on a day with low tide around midday to walk the Koh Tup sandbar.
- Time needed
- Half to full day
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Photo spot
- Iconic
Experience · Ao Thalane
2.Ao Thalane mangrove kayaking
North of Ao Nang, guided kayak trips paddle through mangrove forests and narrow channels between limestone cliffs, where you may see monkeys and kingfishers. The water is sheltered, so it suits beginners and families.
Book a trip timed with the tide, which decides which channels are passable.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Nature
- Active
- Outdoors
Beach · Noppharat Thara
3.Noppharat Thara Beach
This long, tree-shaded beach just north of Ao Nang is part of a national park and far calmer than its neighbour. At low tide, sandbars and rock pools appear, and families picnic under the casuarina trees.
Visit at low tide to walk out over the sandbars, and stay for the sunset.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Nature
Historic site · Ao Nang
4.Fossil Shell Beach (Susan Hoi)
About 17 km from Krabi Town at Laem Pho, slabs of fossilised freshwater snail shells, tens of millions of years old, emerge from the shoreline at low tide. A small visitor area explains the geology.
Check the tide table and go at low tide, when the slabs are fully exposed.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Nature
- History
- Off the beaten path
Beach · Railay
5.Phra Nang Cave Beach
A short walk from Railay along a cliff-side path, this small beach has fine sand, clear water and overhanging cliffs. Princess Cave at one end is filled with carved wooden offerings left by fishermen, and climbers scale the walls above the sand.
Come in the morning or late afternoon; at midday tour boats crowd the shoreline.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Photo spot
- Kids
- Couples
Nature · Ao Luek
6.Than Bok Khorani National Park
In Ao Luek district, this park protects mangroves, emerald pools fed by forest springs and caves such as Tham Phi Hua To, whose walls hold prehistoric paintings and are reached by kayak or boat through the mangroves.
Combine a swim in the park's freshwater pools with a guided kayak trip to the painted caves.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Low cost
- Nature
- History
- Outdoors
- Kids
Where families should stay
$$ · Best for first-timers, families, budget and nightlife
Ao Nang
Ao Nang is Krabi's tourist hub, a long west-facing beach backed by a strip of hotels, shops, restaurants and tour agents. Longtails leave from the beach for Railay in about 15 minutes, and island trips depart daily. The beach itself is fine for sunsets but the sea can be murky; most people use it as a base for trips.
- Good
- Widest choice of hotels and restaurants; Boats to Railay and the islands; Easy airport transfers
- Watch out
- Busy main road and touristy feel; Beach is average for swimming
- Nearby
- Railay, Noppharat Thara Beach, Four Islands boats, Khao Ngon Nak trail
Family travel tips
- Pick bigger, slower boats over speedboats for young children; seas can be choppy even in the dry season.
- Bring reef shoes for rocky beaches and longtail landings.
- Swim only where it is safe; west-coast beaches have strong currents from May to October.
- Railay's luggage transfers by longtail can be tricky with strollers and young children.
- Check tide tables; sandbars and fossil slabs are exposed only at low tide.
Day trips for families
- Emerald Pool and Hot Springs (About 1–1.5 hours by road) — In Khlong Thom district, a forest boardwalk leads to the Emerald Pool, a spring-fed natural pool of clear blue-green water, and the hidden Blue Pool.
- Phang Nga Bay (About 1.5 hours by road, then boat) — A bay of hundreds of limestone towers rising from the sea, including Khao Phing Kan, known as James Bond Island, sea caves explored by canoe and the stilt village of Koh Panyee.
- Koh Lanta (About 2 hours by road and car ferry) — Long sandy beaches, Lanta Old Town's stilt houses and the national park lighthouse at the island's southern tip; best as an overnight stay or a multi-night base.
- Khao Sok National Park (About 3 hours by road) — Ancient rainforest and Cheow Lan Lake, where limestone peaks rise from the water and floating bungalows sit on rafts.
When to go with children
The best months overall are December–March. December–February are the busiest, so book the big sights early. Weather by month.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Krabi good for kids?
Krabi suits families who like beaches and gentle adventure: island-hopping, sandbars at low tide, mangrove kayaking and fossil hunting. Choose calm beaches such as Noppharat Thara or Klong Muang, and avoid the rough-sea months for boat trips.
+What can kids do in Krabi?
Four Islands tour, Ao Thalane mangrove kayaking, Noppharat Thara Beach, Fossil Shell Beach (Susan Hoi) and Phra Nang Cave Beach.
+Where should families stay in Krabi?
Ao Nang: Main beach resort town with hotels, restaurants and the boat pier.