A Solo Traveller's Guide to Krabi, Thailand

Krabi’s best spa hotel? It’s hard to beat the Amari Vogue, just north of fashionable Ao Nang on the mainland. Steeply gabled Thai cottages cluster under palms around a jewel-blue pool. Interiors are swish in modish creams and dark woods, coloured with crafty textiles and Buddhist murals. Floor-to-ceiling windows open onto luxurious decks or private plunge pools. The restaurant and spa are among the best in south Thailand, and the white pepper-fine sands of Tubkaek Beach are on your doorstep.

Solo travel locations don’t get much better than this: the Rayavadee sits under jungle-swathed cliffs on the choicest stretch of fashionable Railay beach. Sleek, glass-fronted duplex villas have jungle-framed jacuzzis and snug-as-a nest bedrooms, which look out over a huge infinity pool. There are bars on your doorstep, a spa, a huge menu of solo-friendly activities and excursions, and stunning ocean and jungle views at every turn.

A beachfront hotel that won’t bust the Thai solo travel budget? Try the plush suites (in polished woods and marbles) and bungalows at Sand Sea: they’re in a frangipani-scented garden right off Railay beach. Silky-soft sand and turquoise sea are in cork-popping distance of your balcony and there’s a big pool. Best of all, it’s a short walk to a cluster of laid-back but lively bars set in the sandy streets behind the beach.

For great spicy curries and fresh seafood, visit Khun Thara at her family-run restaurant on Noppharat Thara beach, just north of Ao Nang. Don’t be deceived by the simple wooden facade and scattered outdoor tables – if it’s great authentic cooking you’re after, you won’t find better. This is where the locals eat, and as a solo Krabi traveller you’ll fit right in.

That table with a view? It’s at the Grotto in the Rayavadee resort on Railay beach. Come late afternoon with your newest travel buddy, order a cocktail and soak up the gorgeous setting: tables are directly on the sand, inside a cave that frames sunset-over-the-ocean views. As the light fades, stars shimmer across the sea, candles are lit and the atmosphere gets beautifully intimate.

Most solo travellers skip through Krabi town en route from the boat dock or bus station. But linger longer and you’ll find a slice of old south Thailand – with a great-value outdoor food market and a string of low-key restaurants and bars. Looking like a psychedelic vision of a colonial club, Gecko is the best of the bunch, with sumptuous cocktails and tangy Asian-European fusion cooking.

It’s not just about the beautiful buildings, the incense-swirling atmosphere and the stunning statues. It’s the views. Krabi solo travel is about clambering up the steep trails of Wat Tham Suea to see the rainforest and aquamarine ocean at the feet of a giant golden Buddha; or wandering the gardens at the Ao Nang Chinese temple, cut into a steep hillside over a bay of pinnacle islands.

Krabi has some of Thailand’s best and easiest ocean kayaking. Paddle the canals of Khao Phanom Bencha National Park and Thalane Bay, which cut through mangrove forests and past dramatic cliffs carved with sea caves.

The bays around Krabi are sprinkled with reef-fringed islands. Take a long-tail fishing boat from Ao Nang or Railay to the twin islets at Koh Rok, and snorkel with the turtles and fish over bright corals. Then flop onto a desert island beach, before catching a sunset ride home.

Krabi province is safe and friendly, but be respectful of the Royal Family and Buddhism, and try to resolve complaints calmly and firmly. Thai people – especially those in positions of authority – can react strongly to rudeness and confrontation.

Tuk-tuks, taxis, buses and boats – getting around Krabi couldn’t be easier or cheaper if you’re doing Krabi solo. The main hubs are the beaches at Ao Nang, Noppharat Thara and Railay, and Krabi town itself. Regular charter boats ply between them and excursions are easy to organise – through your hotel, or boatmen on the beaches. Motor scooter hire shops sit everywhere, but be sure to check your bike carefully for scratches and marks beforehand, photograph them and show the pictures to the rental shops.