Krabi Islands

Krabi province contains 154 Islands ranging in size from Koh Lanta right down to tiny islands that are just big enough at high tide for one person to stand. Many of the Islands have a steep karst limestone outcrop in the center.

The Phi Phi Islands are the most famous and is home to the most famous beach of all: Maya Bay. 

The Islands often have coral reefs in the shallows which make them great for snorkelling. The Krabi coast is largely covered in mangrove forest providing shelter for Krabi's abundent marine life to replenish. Due to the increase in water temperature caused by the El Nino weather events in the last year, much of the coral is bleached making large sections appear lifeless. They are actually still alive, but the bacteria that normally gives them their vibrant colours dies in the warmer temperatures. This effect is a worldwide phenomenom and a natural cycle, it should recover much of its color over the next few years.

 

 

 

Travelling around the Islands is mainly by longtail boats, these small boats with their deistinctive outboard engines make them very manoevreable and easy to land on the sand beaches. 

At night, off the coast of Krabi you will see the lights from dozens of small squid and prawn fishing boats. Fishing is still done in the more traditional way with small boats and crews. With the National Park status that Krabi's coastline enjoys, the more destructive methods employed by large scale fishing operators is not supposed to be used. Tourist fishing is possible, we do offer a bigboat fishing trip. It can be a really nice way to see the Islands and get in some fishing at the same time, but the relatively shallow waters of the Krabi area are not great for real big game fishing. For this, you really need to find an operator running out of Phuket and going North from there.

There are organised trips and tours both by longtail and speedboat to about a dozen or so of the Krabi Islands. These are the Islands that are generally most easily accessible. The most famous of all the Islands are the Phi Phi Islands. Since the early 80-'s these quite remote Islands about 1.5 hours off the mainland were a dream destination to only a few of the most hardy backpackers with only a few very primitive bungalows as accomodation. Then, the film "The Beach" was released and Phi Phi was elevated to International Tourist Destination status. Big hotels and resorts came to stay and the modern day Phi Phi Islands were put on the map.

Even today, with the higher level of commercialisation on the Island, it still retains most of what put it on the map. Many of the resorts (away from the main town) are true beach front, with bungalows you can step out of bed straight onto the most beautiful beaches that can be found anywhere in the world. Many of these resorts are only accessible by boat. The mountains along the center of the Islands prevent the easy construction of a road system to link all these places and it is this natural constraint that has allowed the Phi Phi Islands to fend off the over development. 

Maya Bay, the most famous of all the beaches, is also the most crowded. During the day there are literally thousands of visitors and at times, it really is standing room only. There is talk about limiting the numbers although how this can be achieved has still not been revealed. Its still for sure worth a visit just to see what its like, but, don't expect to see a deserted tropicall beach...

The Phi Phi Islands do not have an airport. Access is only by ferry and speedboat from Phuket and Krabi.

 

 

 

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Krabitrek have been booking tours for visitors to Krabi for over ten years and have helped thousands of guests to this amazing province find the tours and activities that make their holidays special.

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