Climbing and more around stunning Ao Nang, Thailand

Ao Nang sits in the south of Thailand, west of Krabi and east of Phuket. How did we end up here? Simply we were looking for some outdoor rock climbing suitable for the kids. Railay, the next bay south from Ao Nang, is a bit of a climbing hotspot. Not only that, but Ao Nang and the surrounding islands boast some of Thailand’s most stunning beaches.

Rock climbing on Phra Nang Beach, Railay

Climbing? On the beach? Absolutely! Not just any beach either. It’s the sort of beach people make an effort to go to for the general awe of the place. As we were there, a steady stream of tour groups arrived to gaze briefly at the fertility shrine at one end of the sand, dedicated to the princess goddess Phra Nang, before beetling off again. Far fewer people stay to just hang out and do beach things. And a few like us come to climb the limestone cliffs which surround the beach.

Getting to Railay is an adventure itself as there is no road, due to the vast limestone outcrops and jungle isolating the peninsular. Access is by longtail boat from Ao Nang beach, or alternatively a boat ride down the east coast from Krabi. The longtail for us as we stayed in Ao Nang. The whole watery affair added to the drama of the day for the kids, as we chugged briskly through the surf for around quarter of an hour. We managed to avoid any major dramas boarding knee deep in the waves mainly as we didn’t have much gear, but much fun was to be had watching from afar as other groups attempted to mount their boats with all their luggage. Several unfortunate dunkings ensued.

Having arrived and got our climbing kit at Railay it was a short walk through the village and round to Phra Nang Beach. Evidently this is where many of the best beginner routes are, as there were four or five lines roped up for several small groups like ours. We tried most of them with varying degrees of success across the morning, gradually getting closer to the top with each attempt. Both kids caught the eye of onlookers, and Rafe even drew a ripple of applause on one occasion.

We were glad we had only booked a half day as everyone got weary “especially daddy as he has more to carry up there” (thanks Rafe). Fortunately it was then straight into the sea for a good few hours of general frolicking about. The water here is very clean save for a few sticks and leaves drawn in by the recent rains. Talking of rains, by mid afternoon a storm was creeping up on us from behind over the island so we packed up and bugged out back to Railay village for an early tea that we were ready for, following all our activities. The last boats back to Ao Nang were at 1800.

What a great day of climbing, beach, boats and dinner.

Nopharat Thara beach

There are two main stretches of beach at Ao Nang. To the west / north west is this Nopharat Thara beach which is part of the Hat Nappharat Thara-Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park. As such this beach is far less commercial with none of the shops and cafes of the central Ao Nang beach to the east / south east. It is one of the places you can catch longtail boats for the four island day tours, but we didn’t do that.

Pitching up early one morning we made for the western end furthest from Ao Nang town. We weren’t seeking seclusion (there was no-one else on the beach); instead we had heard that it was possible to reach the little island of Ko Khao Sam Nuai – by foot across the sandbar at low tide, or by swimming. What an adventure – perhaps there is pirate treasure buried there!? And Rafe was straight into it, disappearing from sight round the headland neck-deep in the waves. Jim went after him as it certainly wasn’t low tide and there was a building swell. Having got across to investigate, Rafe reported the beach to be stoney and wholly unsuitable for either football or the burying of treasure. Despite this, much fun was had by all splashing about in the waves and watching crabs and molluscs on the beach. It is a great beach for this with a long gradual descent into the surf on pleasant soft sand.

The aforementioned swell kept growing and quickly brought with it a rain storm of biblical proportions. We were rapidly packed and knowing this was a possibility had packed everything into our waterproof dry bags. Off we trudged south west towards civilisation, coffee shops and shelter. We really landed on our feet by going into Thongyib-Thongyod – a cafe where we had the best coffee we’ve had in a long time, and good food too. And they didn’t seem to mind us dripping on their nice floor as we played their jenga and tucked into their homemade ice cream.

Ao Nang beach days

Another day, another beach. But what a wonderful beach this is. This is also evidenced by the string of small hotels, cafes, restaurants and bars arrayed along it. When we were there it was at the tail end of the quieter and wetter season, with business just starting to pick up. We suspect this area gets pretty crowded at other times of year. We spent many happy hours here kicking a ball about, jumping waves, attempting to body surf waves etc all the while marvelling at the views. There are kayaks to be hired from here (which would be fabulous for exploring nearby rocky coast and islands) as well as a jungle boardwalk / monkey trail. Dessa insisted on ending these days by retiring to the Upbeat Bar for drinks and to shoot some pool.

How we did it

Logistics were pretty straightforward once we realised that the draw of the full moon was why all the sleeper trains down from Bangkok to Surat Thani were sold out. So we took a short flight into Krabi and got a taxi from Krabi airport out to Ao Nang. We paid 500baht for the cab ride having failed to negotiate any discount amidst the hot mess at Arrivals. Later experience of tuk tuk fees suggested this was reasonable value for the distance anyway.

Longtail boats to Railay and other islands are secured as walkups at the stands either end of Ao Nang beach. You pay and wait for enough other people to sufficiently fill a boat. Not a problem in high season, but can result in a bit of a wait at quieter times. You can pay more to commandeer a private boat and leave right away. We shared, which was 200baht per adult and 100 for kids to Railay, return. The same long boat stations in Ao Nang also sell tickets for tours of various groups of islands.

We booked in advance a half day beginners rock climbing with Hot Rock based in Railay for 3000baht covering three climbers and all kit. We would have struggled to find availability just on arrival in the morning, though would have got an afternoon session. The downside would have been potential for rain in the afternoon, and warmer as the cliffs move out of the shade later in the day.