Phuket or Krabi ?? - recommendations

[CharlieH]

If you had to choose between Phuket and Krabi, which would you choose and why ?

 

Any recommendations on where to stay? Not interested in big corporate style hotels with 100+ rooms or more spread over 3 floors etc.

 

Thanks

[aonangkrabi]

It depends on what you want to do. If you like a vibrant night life, Phuket (Patong) is the place to be. If you like nature, no congested roads, Krabi (Ao Nang, Khlong Muang, Thap Khaek) is better.

For clean beaches and clear water visit an island in Krabi (Ko Lanta, Ko Ngai).

[CharlieH]

4 minutes ago, aonangkrabi said:

It depends on what you want to do. If you like a vibrant night life, Phuket (Patong) is the place to be. If you like nature, no congested roads, Krabi (Ao Nang, Khlong Muang, Thap Khaek) is better.

For clean beaches and clear water visit an island in Krabi (Ko Lanta, Ko Ngai).

Thanks.

 

Not interested in bars/nightlife etc. Just somewhere peaceful, relaxing, good food.

[makecoldplayhistory]

In that case, Sofitel Krabi. 

 

I live and work in Phuket.

[CharlieH]

9 minutes ago, makecoldplayhistory said:

In that case, Sofitel Krabi. 

 

I live and work in Phuket.

As stated in OP, dont want corporate with 100+ rooms, Sofitel has 276 !!

too big and impersonal.

 

Thanks anyway.

[Lucky mike]

Bliss Resort at Klong muang, right on the beach, quiet, about 20 restaurants on the beach, fresh seafood reasonably priced..was old fishing village has not yet been completely ruined by corporate greed !   Been 3 times...

[jenifer d]

2 hours ago, aonangkrabi said:

It depends on what you want to do. If you like a vibrant night life, Phuket (Patong) is the place to be. If you like nature, no congested roads, Krabi (Ao Nang, Khlong Muang, Thap Khaek) is better.

For clean beaches and clear water visit an island in Krabi (Ko Lanta, Ko Ngai).

yes, i would definitely suggest Ko Lanta,

but then again, i'm a wee bit biased... 

i would not recommend Ao Nang to anybody, though...

unless one likes crummy, overpriced food and endless scams (basically, Phuket Jr.)

[ThaiWai]

7 minutes ago, Lucky mike said:

Bliss Resort at Klong muang, right on the beach, quiet, about 20 restaurants on the beach, fresh seafood reasonably priced..was old fishing village has not yet been completely ruined by corporate greed !   Been 3 times...

That sentiment is lost on me.  I'm fairly sure every place on the beach was once an old fishing village.

OP you might like Kamala or up to Bangtao on Phuket.  Youtube them first but I drove through the other day on the way to a couple beaches and it was a nice break from further south.  I was thinking about a few nights away from home at the Bangtao Beach Chalet myself.  Less touristy then Ao Nang and again, more southern Phuket.  

 

http://www.bangtaochalet-phuket.com/index.php#1

Edited May 6, 2017 by ThaiWai

[tonywillo]

I've been to Krabi (ao nung) twice in the last 6 months including phuket, ko lanta, pee pee. 

Imo Krabi wins hands down. Easy airport access (roads)  not congested cheaper flights. Island tours seem better organised and lower cost than what you will find in phuket (Patong). Riley beach is 200 b return from ao nung plenty to see around Krabi town and surrounding areas.

Basic restaurants and shopping in ao Nang compared to Patong.

Plenty of low rise accommodation in ao nung just check agoda. 

 

 

[fordguy61mi]

I've been to Phuket and Krabi and I liked Krabi much better but I also am not a big party guy anymore. We did the whole Patong Beach and Bangla Walking Street thing just to say we did it. My girl's friend she's known since childhood owns Sunrise Tropical Resort on Railay Beach and it's beautiful there. The resorts are mostly all smaller sleepy ones there and only a 10 minute long boat ride from Krabi. We stayed a week there and loved it. Then we stayed a couple nights at her friend's house in Krabi. Very nice little town.

Edited May 6, 2017 by fordguy61mi

[Rhys]

Krabi a little more on the quiet side.. Phuket, you get anything....

[ballzafire]

Krabi makes me happy. Phuket makes me crabby...

[craigt3365]

Why limit it to these two places? 

 

One of my favorite places is Ban Kruit. Very quiet and a beautiful beach.  NO resorts!

[samuijimmy]

I keep hearing coastal Trang, south of Krabi,  is very beautiful and quiet ...and worth visiting.. hope I might wize over sometime to actually see! 

[Chongalulu]

19 hours ago, jenifer d said:

yes, i would definitely suggest Ko Lanta,

but then again, i'm a wee bit biased... 

i would not recommend Ao Nang to anybody, though...

unless one likes crummy, overpriced food and endless scams (basically, Phuket Jr.)

I have to endorse this suggestion. A few months ago I did a driving tour including Ao Nang ,Phuket (Karon) and Ko Lanta. Based on OP's requirements ignore the first two and head to Lanta- more laid back some relaxed beach bars and WAY better beaches.

[tw25rw]

I found Ao Nang quiet and pleasant when I went (October 2013). Didn't encounter any scams or bad food etc. Neither were there any bothersome ladyboys, taxi/tuk tuk drivers or tailors. It was just nice. Maybe high season is different.

Stayed at the J Hotel. Good, but no lift.

[stevenl]

On 5/6/2017 at 3:45 PM, CharlieH said:

Thanks.

 

Not interested in bars/nightlife etc. Just somewhere peaceful, relaxing, good food.

Koh Yao

[ChomDo]

Been to both a few times too. Liked neither of them at all but Phuket would still be my last option. If you have to choose from those two options only then I guess Krabi and the small islands around there. If you have an option of staying away from those main tourist spots then Ko Lanta and Ko Lipe are quite nice and so are some of the small islands like Ko Ngai. One thing I dislike about the south is that it can rain any time of the year. All the crazy rains and floods this "dry season" (Dec-Jan) messed up a lot of holidaymakers vacations. Meanwhile up in Ko Samed and Ko Chang it's pretty much sunny and dry between November-May. Of course if you would go between now and November it wouldn't matter because it will be rainy season in the whole country anyway.  

[Ahab]

Phuket is good if you like scams and prostitution, other than that anyplace in Krabi (near the beach) is better if you want to relax.

[Razzler1973]

On 07/05/2017 at 2:39 PM, tw25rw said:

I found Ao Nang quiet and pleasant when I went (October 2013). Didn't encounter any scams or bad food etc. Neither were there any bothersome ladyboys, taxi/tuk tuk drivers or tailors. It was just nice. Maybe high season is different.

Stayed at the J Hotel. Good, but no lift.

I wouldn't say bothersome but I found in Ao Nang, plenty of 'come inside, sir' pavement touts for restaurants and a few tailors.

 

Not a huge deal but they were definitely there

[Razzler1973]

On 06/05/2017 at 6:29 PM, fordguy61mi said:

I've been to Phuket and Krabi and I liked Krabi much better but I also am not a big party guy anymore. We did the whole Patong Beach and Bangla Walking Street thing just to say we did it. My girl's friend she's known since childhood owns Sunrise Tropical Resort on Railay Beach and it's beautiful there. The resorts are mostly all smaller sleepy ones there and only a 10 minute long boat ride from Krabi. We stayed a week there and loved it. Then we stayed a couple nights at her friend's house in Krabi. Very nice little town.

How is Railey at night? Not looking for a huge party scene either but is there a half decent place to grab a few drinks with some people around?

I went over before but just for the day and thought yep, I could stay here a bit

[MuntyC0re]

Hi, ithese are different places  And each place will give you different impression of Thailand.

Even different beaches of Phuket have different atmosphere.

Choosing a place depends on what you want.

In general, sandy beaches are way better in Phuket.

Krabi is less touristic and it has gougers limestone rocks, which are truly amazing. (But to see them you don’t have to be in Krabi, you can take an one day trip to Phang Nga province, it will be enough: ThaiTrip.co).

In both, Phuket and Krabi you will be able to find cheap accommodation.

You should consider activities you want to do it will also help you to determine the right place.

I hope it helps