Arriving on Krabi island, we were ready for lots of fun, sand, and swimming in Thailand! While Ao Nang beach wasn’t a great first impression, just around the corner lies a secluded beach that many tourists don’t even know about – Pai Plong Beach! You can also get there and back with the lesser known Ao Nang Monkey Trail.
Pai Plong Beach & Monkey Trail Ao Nang – Krabi, Thailand
How To Get To Pai Plong Beach
Pai Plong beach is a bit hidden, located around the corner to the left of Ao Nang beach on Krabi. The beach actually fronts the popular Centara resort! You can either walk through the monkey trail, or you can catch a long tail boat to get to Pai Plong. You might get a tad wet if you’re short like me and use the boat lol!
Long Tail Boat from Ao Nang to Centara/Pai Plong Beach
Using a scheduled service, it costs 150 baht each person for a one-way ticket to Centara Resort. We rented out an entire boat for 800 baht one way, as we were short on time and wanted to do a mini photoshoot on the boat lol!
The ride is only about 10 minutes long, which is very short for 800 baht. The boats on Krabi only leave though when the boat is full – so you’ll have to cover the extra seats if you don’t want to wait.
There are other options of private, 4-hour day trips to many lagoons/islands for 2500-3000 baht (entire boat), which is great is you have friends to split the boat with, or have some extra time on the island 🙂
We loved Pai Plong Beach! It’s uncrowded, and it gives a stunning view of the surrounding limestone cliffs. The water was so warm, it was almost hot! It felt like bath water, but it looked a lot cleaner than neighboring Ao Nang beach. The sand was also free from the many shells and debris on Ao Nang.
Monkey Trail Ao Nang – From Pai Plong Beach
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After enjoying Pai Plong Beach, we opted for the monkey trail back over the mountain to Ao Nang beach – it’s free! There is a security guard from Centara Resort stationed at the base of the monkey trail stairs, but you only have to sign in if you’re coming over from Ao Nang Beach.
It’s about a 15 minute climb over, and although the stairs are quite steep, it’s quick and a nice little jaunt through the trees. We unfortunately didn’t see any monkeys – we heard they only come out during certain times of the day.
Would you opt for the long-tail boat, or the Ao Nang Monkey Trail? We definitely recommend a visit to Pai Plong Beach either way!
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