This wide, shallow bay lends a secure haven in the northeast season, with anchorage in about 4-5 metres well offshore. Definitely not suitable in the southwest season when a 2-metre wave can develop.
Ao Nang is important due to its access to the main road to town, though it’s the beauty of the beaches on the peninsula immediately south that have made Krabi world-famous. Steep limestone rock walls prevent road access to these beaches.
Resorts, bungalows, shops and restaurants are all along the beachfront esplanade at Ao Nang. Transport, spas, nightlife and all the usual amenities of a bustling resort town are on offer. Around the headland on the east side of the bay is the landlocked Centara Grand Beach Resort with its long floating jetty.
Road transfer to Phuket Island takes about two hours. There’s a local bus service into Krabi town, about 20 km away by ‘song taew’, a small truck with benches in the back. The rustic bungalows on the nearby islands of Koh Dam Khwan and Koh Dam Hok can be booked through travel agents here.
Krabi International Airport is to the northwest of the town, about 40 minutes from Ao Nang. There are regular direct flights to and from Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Koh Samui, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Chengdu and Macau as well as seasonal direct charter flights from various countries.
