Thailand- Ao Nang, Sun and Fun

Author: Robert Bush
Date of Trip: February 2012

I have dreamed of visiting the Spectacular beaches of Thailand made famous in the James Bond movie “Man with the Golden Gun.” So, I did a little research and discovered the lovely beach town of Ao Nang. Ao Nang is located about a hundred miles south of Phuket and has the same lovely beaches with the marvelous rocks/island which appear as if they came out of the ocean floor, but a lot less tourists as the town has yet to be discovered. Getting to Ao Nang was quite simple: I flew a discount airline (there are very cheap) from Bangkok to Krabi town. At the Airport I took a local bus (there is only one) which takes about 30 minutes to get to Ao Nang. If you are a group of at least three, you can take a taxi and the fare will be very close to the bus ticket. Ao Nang has numerous offerings of hotels. After investigating a few places I discovered “Goodwill Guesthouse” this was a fantastic deal for the money.

Ao Nang is ideally located for a number of exciting and adventurous treks. I walked the entire town in about 30 minutes, and the the town offers the standard vendors and eating establishments along the beach roads. Looking for a little adventure and wanting a nicer and more peaceful beach I hopped a long tail boat(they depart from Ao Nang beach) to Railey island a fun 10 minutes trip. Railay island is very laid back and rustic, offering three main beach areas for swimming and on one side of the side of the island you can snorkel. Following my fill of snorkeling, sun. and food, I decided on doing some cliff climbing, repelling and caving which is offered on the island. Numerous vendors are to be found depending on your degree of skill level, difficulty and fear factor. Overall, plan on visiting Raily beach but stay in Ao Nang as in the evening Raily island has little to do while Ao Nang comes alive.

Some other places that I visited while in Ao Nang are listed below:
•Phi Phi, Hong, Chicken and many many islands around (fun day trips)
•Tiger Cave Temple (No tigers and a lot of climbing)
•Emerald Pool (not worth the long ride)
•Hot Spring Waterfall (fun)

You can bargain hard with the many vendors as they all compete for your business. Ao Nang is a hidden gem in the many wonders of Thailand I liked it so much that I returned for a second visit but each time no more than four days so pack your back and book your flight.