We had heard how beautiful and relaxing visiting Krabi Thailand could be. There was a lot to do around Krabi and finding things to do in Krabi with kids seemed easy. After nearly three months of long term travel, we thought a Krabi trip would be the perfect spot for a few day’s rest and we were absolutely right!
Know before you travel. Our top Krabi travel tips
As we are travelling on a budget we had to be picky about what we did and how much it would cost us during our stay in Krabi. Travelling as a family of four (we are now classed as 3 adults and 1 child as Willow is 14) excursions can add up very quickly. We also decided to split our days with a beach holiday first with a stay in Ao Nang Beach before heading into Krabi Town to see out the rest of our time there.
Where is Krabi Town in Thailand?
Krabi Town is the provincial capital of Krabi. Located at the mouth of the river, it is a small, typically Thai, bustling market town. Krabi Town is the gateway for tourists visiting the beaches and islands of southern Thailand.
Where to stay in Krabi with family
- Luxury Accommodation – With features such as an outdoor swimming pool, a bar, a shared lounge, a garden and a terrace, The Apex private pool villa Krabi is a great place for families. The Villas sleep up to 5 people and feature a kitchen and satellite Tv. Prices start from $200 USD per night.
- Mid-range Accommodation – This accommodation features a 24-hour front desk, airport transfers, room service and free WiFi throughout the property. River Front Karbi Hotel has rooms for up to 4 people, with an onsite pool and airport transfers available. Rooms from $100 per night.
- Budget Accommodation – Located opposite Krabi night market and two blocks from the waterfront is City Hotel Krabi. Featuring family rooms for 4 with a fridge, couch and air conditioning. Onsite Laundry service and airport transfers are available. Rooms from $50 per night.
Krabi apartment alternative for your stay
If you prefer a home away from home-style accommodation on your Asia trip with kids in Krabi then an apartment is the best choice for you on your family vacation in Thailand. There are so many options for singles, families, and budget-friendly options in Krabi as well. Check out the map below to find the perfect apartment for families on your Krabi trip with family.
How to get to Krabi Town?
Krabi Town is serviced by a number of direct flights by budget airlines. You can fly to Krabi Town with budget airlines AirAsia, Nok and Bangkok Airways from within the region. European budget Airline Norwegian flies to Krabi. Full-Service carriers such as British Airways, Qatar, Thai Airway and more service Krabi.
You can get a bus to Krabi Town from Malaysia and destinations in Thailand. You can search for buses to 12go Asia.
So here you have it our best 7 things to do in Krabi with kids. Krabi holidays are the perfect spot to find something for everyone. Even if you are visiting Krabi Thailand without kids these are things you can do as well. Our daughters are older now and are starting to enjoy some older activities that cities have to offer. Let the fun in Krabi with children begin!
Spend a couple of nights out at Ao Nang Beach
Staying in Ao Nang can be quite expensive if you are not careful where you book. We decided for our stay in Ao Nang with the kids we would stay in a villa just out of town and use the free shuttle that our villa supplied for us. It was an easy way to get to Ao Nang Beach, shops and local restaurants.
One of the best things to do in Ao Nang Beach is to enjoy the beach! We had some friends worried about the long boats coming in and out of the beach but we found there was a section that was fenced off to protect swimmers. If you are looking for something cheap to do in Ao Nang with kids this would have to be it… it will all depend on how much ice cream you eat!
You can also take one of the longboats out to another beach for the day as Ao Nang can get pretty crowded. Some other beaches easily reached from Ao Nang are:
- Railay Beach
- Railay West Beach
- Railay East Beach
- Phra Nang Beach
- Tonsai Beach
We only spent the day at Ao Nang Beach. We had planned to go to Railay Beach as well as it is known as one of the best beaches in Krabi. Railay Beach is only accessible by longboat from Ao Nang Beach, and it was going to cost us 200 Baht for each return. We were seriously considering it until we saw the flood of people waiting for the longboats to take them.
Are you hungry? Get yourself to one of the best Krabi Night Markets to fill up some amazing food!
Where should you stay at Ao Nang Beach?
We can highly recommend Oscar Villa for a family of four to stay in while visiting Ao Nang. While it is well off the beach it is in a nice, area with a couple of restaurants within walking distance.
Rating an 8.5 from over 637 reviews and starting at $57US per night for a family room with a pool view. Oscar Villa Aa Nang Krabi has a location score of 7.3. For guests, Oscar Villa Ao Nang Krabi has free Wi-Fi, toiletries, breakfast, a free shuttle bus to the beach and an outdoor pool.
Booking.comAo Nang Night Markets
The Ao Nang night markets are on every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night and are a hive of activity. You can get some amazing food and souvenirs from here. If you are looking for one of the top things to do in Ao Nang with kids, this would be it. But with most places, this can get busy. Watch the kids don’t wander off.
Learn More: Are you off on a trip with your kids soon? Use our top tips for keeping your kids safe while travelling to take the stress away
Krabi family activities – Sunset Cruises
Wow…and wow. We were lucky enough to go on this fabulous cruise during our stay in Ao Nang. We met the guys from Krabi Sunset Tours at Ao Nang Beach. They took us on a long boat out to the larger ship, an old Junket! Once on board, we were told all about our day and what we would be doing like;
- Paddleboarding
- Snorkelling
- Swimming with bioluminescent plankton
- A brilliant dinner and snacks all-day
- An epic sunset to end the amazing day
Why a Krabi Sunset cruise is one of the best things to do in Krabi?
We loved this cruise with the kids. I was worried at first as the crowd seemed quite young but we had an amazing group with who we chatted for a long time during our time on the boat. The crew could not have done enough for us and the girls. At one stage while swimming it is deep enough to jump from the top of the boat and Marley did it!
Micheal encouraged her and talked her through it and she was so proud of herself. Micheal was the same as me and I ended up snorkelling.
I am not a big water person and this was one of the best things I have ever done in my life.
It is definitely one of the top
For us, this is the best thing to do in Krabi with kids on your Krabi holiday. Not only will you love your time onboard the boat with Krabi Sunset
Where do I go with Krabi Sunset Tours?
The Krabi sunset tour will take you out on a 6-hour cruise around the Islands.
What will I see when I snorkel?
Mother Nature always has her own plans but on our trip, we saw
- Clown Fish
- Sea Snake
- Coral Reefs
- Damsel Fish
Tips for the best Krabi Sunset Cruise with kids:
- Take sunscreen
- Make sure you have some towels. You may be able to hire them from your Ao Nang accommodation
- Water and soft drinks are provided but if you would like a beer or a cocktail take some extra cash with you
- Tell the guys as soon as you book if you have any dietary needs and they will make sure you are looked after
- Get ready for some SERIOUS FUN
- If you wear prescription glasses there may be a set of goggles for you to snorkel with. Just check with the guys.
- If you cannot swim or you are a weak swimmer please tell the crew once you board. They deal with this all the time and they are able to
help you get the most from your trip even if you are not a confident swimmer.
*Charlie was a guide on our cruise. She took both the girls out to a reef and helped them snorkel while I stayed on the boat and Mark went off to get some footage. Once they were back on the boat Charlie went through all the fish and sea life they had seen on some cards that they had on the boat with the girls. It was fantastic for them and made for a brilliant classroom that day!
Learn More: Are you travelling in Thailand during Songkran? Join the world’s biggest water fight and have the best time with our guide to what you need to survive this epic 3 day festival
Krabi Town Night Markets
Yum, yum and yum! Many people know all about the Krabi town weekend night markets but there are a few that go all week too and they are very popular Krabi tourist attractions.
Some of the best Krabi night markets are little ones that are still pretty local and won’t cost you an arm and a leg to eat there. If you are looking for the best places to visit in Krabi the night markets are a must-see.
You will be overwhelmed with the delicious smells, the exotic fresh fruit everywhere and we were feeding our family of four most nights for around 600 Baht with drinks!
So if you are not into partying the night away anymore this is the best thing to do in Krabi at night!
How much are some items at the Krabi night markets?
You can eat extremely well at the Krabi night markets and not spend a lot. We stayed across the road at City Hotel from the Krabi City night market. The stallholders there are amazing and after a few days, you will feel like a local with the greetings they give you.
They also love kids and are always willing to help you out. These are some of the prices we paid at the Krabi City night market but you will pay more at the other more tourist visited markets in Krabi.
Items | Prices in Baht |
Corn on the cob | 20 Baht |
Tub of pork ribs | 100 Baht |
Salad in a bowl | 60 Baht |
Ice cream rolls | 40 Baht |
Grilled jelly fish | 25 Baht per stick |
Yellow noodle bowl | 40 (small) 60 (large) |
Satay | 10 Baht each |
Where should I stay in Krabi town?
As I said above we stayed at the City Hotel Krabi. It was right over the road from the night market and next door to a seven-11. The beds were hard but the location was absolutely magnificent.
Rating an 8.0 from over 833 reviews and starting at $48US per night for a standard double room. City Hotel Krabi has a location score of 8.8 and offers guests free Wi-Fi, toiletries, family rooms, airport shuttle, laundry service and breakfast.
Booking.comJames Bond Island Day trip
We did this day trip from Krabi to mainly see the famous James Bond Island film set and we can tell you it has to be one of the biggest Krabi tourist attractions.
It ended up being a very long day but we also got to see some fantastic temples and awesome scenery from the boat with kids in Thailand.
James Bond Island was itself so crowded and to be honest the first words out of Mark’s mouth were ‘I thought it would be bigger’.
It is an Instagrammers heaven with people pulling their best 007 poses, showing just enough bum cheek in the water to still be G-rated and bustling for their best spots all over the island.
We did leave with a laugh at all of this and we still enjoyed our extremely hairy long boat ride out here. This Krabi island tour is a great day out for any movie
Tips for your James Bond Island day trip from Krabi:
- Make sure you have good shoes on. Getting in and out of the longboat can be hard
- Take a lot of sunscreens and a good hat
- If you can take a sarong. You may need it for the temples but it can also help with keeping the sun off while you are in the boat
- Freeze some water the night before and take it with you
- There are toilets on the island but you need your own toilet paper
- If you have kids take some snacks or get some at the first stop
- If you have hearing problems a set of earplugs may be a good idea as the longboats can be very loud
Do I need travel insurance in Thailand?
We always say if you can’t afford travel insurance, you can’t afford to travel. Get your travel insurance now to protect your epic Thailand holiday from any small hiccup.
For Australian travellers, we recommend Fast Cover Travel Insurance
For worldwide travellers, we recommend AXA Travel Insurance
Visit Wat Kaew Temple
On our little Krabi sightseeing walk around we saw a white temple sitting on top of a hill. It looked beautiful so we planned for the next day to go and see it. I can never believe how white these buildings are and
We did not visit for long, only about half an hour as we waited to go inside as some people were praying, and I don’t like to take pictures while they are. It probably took us the longest time to walk up the steps, around 120 of them, but they are nicely spaced out and not too high for little legs.
Discover More: Are you visiting Bangkok when you are on holiday in Thailand? Check out our amazing things to Do in Bangkok article to check off the best places
Walk along the river walk at dusk
Oh, this was one of my favourite things to do in Krabi. I loved watching the sun go down and as it had cooled off it was easy to enjoy a nice wander with a mango smoothie!
There are a couple of playgrounds, some street art and some sculptures along the walk if you have time to do the whole thing. It was one of my favourite things we did in Thailand with kids
We had an amazing time at the Krabi night markets and made some great friends on the days we were there. I believe that the Thai people are lovely and want to do the best for all people not just tourists when they visit Thailand. We felt so welcome in Krabi and it is still one of the best places in Asia that we visited.
Essentials for travelling with kids in Krabi Thailand
When you are travelling with kids especially travelling with teenagers you need to have some essentials to make the trip much easier. These are all items that we never leave home without on a long trip to make sure our family travel adventures go smoothly.
Do I need a visa to enter Thailand?
Yes, you do. If you’re only staying in Thailand for 30 days you will get a visa on arrival at the airport. If you want to stay 30-60 days you will need to apply for a visa in your home country at the Thai embassy or you will need to do a visa run. A Visa run is where you leave Thailand by land or plane and then re-enter thus renewing your passport for an extra 30 days.
Currency Exchange and ATMs in Thailand
We had no problem withdrawing money from ATMs. One thing about Asia is there is an ATM on every corner just about. Try and withdraw multiple days’ worth of money at a time. It was costing us $5 (Australian) in withdrawal fees.
Money in Thailand
The official National Currency in Thailand is the Thai Baht. The abbreviation used for the Thai Baht is the TBH and the symbol for the Baht is ฿. The Thai Baht comes in ฿20, ฿50, ฿100, ฿500, ฿1000 banknotes as well as ฿1, ฿2, ฿5, ฿10 coins There is also a ฿60, ฿70, ฿80, ฿500,000 and 25, 50 satang coins but they are rarely used. You will find it easy to withdraw Thai Baht from ATM and there are plenty of options within stores to pay with your card.
We hope this article from us here at Wyld Family Travel has you inspired to visit Krabi with your kids. For more amazing ideas on where to holiday in Thailand click through to our Thailand Destination Page for more brilliant inspiration.
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