We flew home from our little getaway on Gran Canaria, a Spanish island off the coast of Morocco on a Wednesday evening, and by Thursday morning I had showered, repacked, slept and was back at Munich Airport for 24 hours of traveling on two flights via Abu Dhabi, a taxi and two ferries and another taxi to end up in Ao Nang, a town in the Krabi region of Thailand.
It was my first time in Thailand, a country that ends up on many backpackers' lists as an easy and beautiful country to travel around. I wholeheartedly agree, and already can't wait to come back to explore more of Thailand. I only had ten days to cram in as much as possible with Ina, a close friend from Salzburg, who I met up with at the Bang Rong Pier in Phuket.
How to Get to Ao Nang from Phuket
The closest airports to Ao Nang are Krabi International and Phuket International. I found more affordable options from Europe landing in Phuket; I flew with Etihad via Abu Dhabi, with each leg about six hours long.
From Phuket, I booked a transfer to the Bang Rong Pier for a fixed price of 600 Thai baht (about €15). The transfer desk is just in front of arrivals and offers fixed price transfers all across Phuket. It's super well-organized, and I was given a little ticket with a license plate number on it which I gave to the attendant just outside the entrance who pointed me to my taxi. The ride was about 20 minutes from Phuket Airport to Bang Rong Pier, a quiet and pretty ride across Phuket.
From Bang Rong Pier we took two ferries to Ao Nang; we booked it as a single ticket, and had to transfer on Koh Yao Yai. If you're more flexible, you can choose to book the ferry at the pier; because we were on a tight schedule we booked all our transport in advance. We booked all our ferries on 12Go which meant it was a bit more expensive but we had peace of mind that we'd get where we were going on time.
Upon arrival on Ao Nang Beach, we ordered a Grab car (similar to Uber) to drive us to our hotel in the jungle, a bit set back from the main streets of Ao Nang.
Stopover on Koh Yao Yai
Where to Stay in Ao Nang
Within twenty minutes walking distance of town, and thirty minutes to the beach, we chose a quiet jungle location set back from the hustle and bustle of central Ao Nang. We stayed at the quiet and peaceful Ao Nang Cliff View, hidden away from the throngs of tourists and expats working in Thailand enjoying the sun and the shops. A beautiful pool and little jungle huts were our home for my first two nights in Thailand. We ordered pad thai and mango banana smoothies on Grab and ate them poolside in the sun, which was just what I needed after three days in a row on planes!
Where to Eat in Ao Nang
At our hotel, we ordered pad thai and mango banana smoothies on Grab and ate them poolside in the sun, which was just what I needed after three days in a row on planes!
There are loads of little smoothie stands around Ao Nang, which are the perfect snack in the hot weather. We had at least one mango banana smoothie every single day.
And for dinner, I can highly recommend the little street food market that doesn't seem to have a name but is a cluster of stalls here on Google Maps.
Best Sunset Spot in Ao Nang
We only had two nights in Ao Nang, and spent our only full day on a Hong Island Tour. Read my full guide to booking your own trip to this bucket list destination here!
Both evenings, we made an effort to watch the sunset at the beach, and it was so worth it. It's busy, but it's truly beautiful to watch the sun going down across the massive expanse of beach while dogs and children play all around.
PIN THIS POST TO REFER BACK TO LATER!
Hi! I’m Jana, a Dutch-German-British-Canadian with a dream of seeing every country in the world. I am a storyteller, photographer and adventurer passionate about documenting and sharing my travels.
