Krabi Town

Krabi Town is a calm, inexpensive base with good markets and food. Hassle is low, but it is quiet at night and a ride away from the beaches.

Krabi Town is the provincial capital, on a river near the mangroves, and it works as an ordinary Thai town rather than a resort. Daily life centres on Maharaj Market, the riverfront and the shop-lined streets, and there is a weekend walking street market with street food and live music. Prices are lower than at the beaches and it is easy to eat cheaply on your own. Fewer foreign tourists come through, so expect less English and some curious looks, which are rarely unfriendly. Evenings are quiet outside the night markets and many streets empty out early, so sort out transport back to your accommodation. It is a handy base for Tiger Cave Temple, the Emerald Pool and other inland sights, and the pier for island boats is a short ride away. The beaches are a 30-40 minute ride, so the town suits budget stays or a night either side of a flight.