Krabi hotels

Hotels in Krabi

The fascinating town of Krabi is on the west coast of southern Thailand at the mouth of the Krabi River. Its location among the dramatic limestone karsts and mangroves is unique and the surrounding province filled with beautiful destinations, from glorious beaches to cave temples and pristine national parks.

Landmarks

Just 15 minutes north of the ancient town are two towering limestone features that form a natural gateway to Krabi. These are the hills of Khao Khanap Nam. Inside are a number of impressive caves. Human remains were found in one of these caves and they are believed to have been people trapped by the rising waters of an ancient flood. You can hire a long tail boat to explore these incredible landmarks and it is possible to climb one of them if you fancy the challenge.

Krabi Hotels are situated near some mysterious and inspiring religious landmarks too. Wat Tham Seua, or the Tiger Cave Temple is an extensive hill cave complex just a few miles from town. Exploring this fantastic site will reveal caves occupied by Buddha images and statues. The highlight is perhaps a very steep stepped climb up a narrow karst peak to a Buddha statue, gilded stupa and panoramic views all round. If you're feeling energetic and you don't mind heights, it's a must.

History

The towering cliffs and endless caverns around Krabi conceal a richness of cave paintings, stone tools, beads and pottery. It is believed that people have made this area their home since 35,000BC.

In somewhat more recent times, Krabi was elevated to town status in 1872 by King Chulalongkorn, through the amalgamation of three smaller communities. The name ‘Krabi' partly preserves in its definition the monkey symbolism of the region's 13th-century culture, when a monkey was their standard.

Restaurants and cafés

There are many characterful restaurants serving excellent food of all kinds, but not all dining out adventures happen in restaurants…

The Night Market is an essential gastronomic experience and a riot of authentic, delicious local food. The stalls sell an incredible variety of classics and delicacies such as prawn and lemon grass soup, grilled snapper, egg-battered and fried oysters, plus fabulous Thai desserts. With satisfying logic, the Day Market is also a culinary hot spot. Here, when the sun is up you can wander among the scents wafting from bubbling curry pots and cast your eye over freshly steamed noodles, all kinds of fried fish and much more. One of the nice things about the Day Market is that it's often open at night as well!