Where to stay in Krabi with children?
Sep 2nd, 2005, 06:16 AM
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Where to stay in Krabi with children?
Hello everybody. We find this forum very useful for planning our trip to Thailand in October so we ask tour help on the following:
We are a family of 4 with children ages 10,7 y.o. We plan staying a week in Krabi area after doing Bangkok, Kanchanaburi and Northern Thailand. We look for a good and charming hotel that will allow us both enjoying its facilities for relaxation as well as being a good base point for day excursions. A place that will have a 1 bedroom suite or two connecting rooms will suit us best.
Any recommendations that will help us choosing between the dozens of facilities we saw on the Internet will be appreciated.
We are a family of 4 with children ages 10,7 y.o. We plan staying a week in Krabi area after doing Bangkok, Kanchanaburi and Northern Thailand. We look for a good and charming hotel that will allow us both enjoying its facilities for relaxation as well as being a good base point for day excursions. A place that will have a 1 bedroom suite or two connecting rooms will suit us best.
Any recommendations that will help us choosing between the dozens of facilities we saw on the Internet will be appreciated.
Sep 4th, 2005, 07:42 AM
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My favorite good "value" hotel in Krabi is Ao Nong Villa Resort which is not cheap but not that expensive either (about $60 dep. on season). Good on-site restaurant, good pool, clean and remodeled two years ago. If you are on the 3rd floor front, you get a nice view of the water over the palm trees that line the beach. We met several families when we stayed there a few years ago and it was quiet. It was so nice, we extended out stay for 2-3 days.
Sheraton Krabi is also quite nice. Most of the Hotels I have seen in the Ao Nang Beach area are quite acceptable. Some of them are tourist hotels that get a lot of use and are somewhat "beaten down" by the end of the season but they are okay.
If you are looking for something cheaper, try Railay or (Railae) Beach which ironically also has the most expensive hotel in the area at about US $600 per night. Beach bungalows there are also available nearby for $20-30 a night.
It is easy to catch long tail boats and cheap from Ao Nang Beach to Railay Beach. Cost is about $1/person each way for a 20 minute boat ride. You can also rent boats for a day or 1/2 day and explore various islands and water yourself (very highly recommended). Buy several loaves of bread to feed the fish when you snorkle.
Sheraton Krabi is also quite nice. Most of the Hotels I have seen in the Ao Nang Beach area are quite acceptable. Some of them are tourist hotels that get a lot of use and are somewhat "beaten down" by the end of the season but they are okay.
If you are looking for something cheaper, try Railay or (Railae) Beach which ironically also has the most expensive hotel in the area at about US $600 per night. Beach bungalows there are also available nearby for $20-30 a night.
It is easy to catch long tail boats and cheap from Ao Nang Beach to Railay Beach. Cost is about $1/person each way for a 20 minute boat ride. You can also rent boats for a day or 1/2 day and explore various islands and water yourself (very highly recommended). Buy several loaves of bread to feed the fish when you snorkle.
Sep 4th, 2005, 08:22 AM
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I would agree Ao Nang Villa is quite good value and pleasant. You have to long-tail it to decent beaches. A lot of the new places are quite a way back from the sea.
The very first hotel I ever stayed at there, the original 'Ao Nang Resort' is still our favorite as it was built when Ao nang was 'nothing' and hence got prime location and huge grounds, it has arguably the best location in Ao Nang. This often so much that with cost of land being high you tend not to get as much 'open areas'. The Ao nang resort may seem a bit 'old' but has lots of plus points especially with kids !! They have some 2 bedroom suite but the bungalow/cottages are actually nicer, at that age if you had 2 cottages nect to eachother that might be nicer than the 2 bedroom family suite.
When you travel so much makes a price difference, remember you need to think of 'double' after November 1st than you would pay in October, so if you can advise when you plan to travel it helps.
There are other beaches in the area and lots of resorts to choose, but with 4 of you I well know how importance and often what a better deal getting a suite can be.
The very first hotel I ever stayed at there, the original 'Ao Nang Resort' is still our favorite as it was built when Ao nang was 'nothing' and hence got prime location and huge grounds, it has arguably the best location in Ao Nang. This often so much that with cost of land being high you tend not to get as much 'open areas'. The Ao nang resort may seem a bit 'old' but has lots of plus points especially with kids !! They have some 2 bedroom suite but the bungalow/cottages are actually nicer, at that age if you had 2 cottages nect to eachother that might be nicer than the 2 bedroom family suite.
When you travel so much makes a price difference, remember you need to think of 'double' after November 1st than you would pay in October, so if you can advise when you plan to travel it helps.
There are other beaches in the area and lots of resorts to choose, but with 4 of you I well know how importance and often what a better deal getting a suite can be.
Sep 4th, 2005, 08:44 AM
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Sorry just saw you mentioned October, ok, you are in luck, that period prices are well low, just as an example Ao nang resort is doing a stay 34 pay 3 and a stay 7 pay 5 nights deal, catch is that on free nights 'compulsort' breakfast is B 290 each, but then again think you are getting those free night 'including' tax/service/breakfast for about USD 14.50 per room and wow, can't be bad, the suites are about USD 110 for all 4 of you, so that is like paying about USD 55 if you had 2 rooms, would cost you altogether about USD 4 extra to get 2 cottages.
A good bargain place about 150 metres from the seafront is the 'Best Western Baan Ao nang', now this for a family is a bargain !! Showing just USD 45 for 2 aduklts and 2 kids sharing room, that even includes breakfast, so if you are looking for that range would be hard to beat for 4 of you!
Take care here as there appear to be 2 Best Westerns, this one is the 'Baan Ao Nang'. ( The other is the Ao nang bay resort )
As Farangene said, the Ao nang Villa is good and reasonable probably in the USD 60 region
Lots of places are offering free night deals until end of October, just watch/note the compulsory breakfast for the free nights but still good deals.
You can find lots of photos for those on:
http://www.beachsiam.com/krabi_hotels.html
Flight tip: TG 219 leaves CM 1115 arrives Phuket 1310, now, that is the 'only' non stop from the North to the South, now of course you can go via Bangkok and then connect with a direct Krabi flight but most of the hotels in Krabi will probably cost you USD 12-15 to get to, it might be worth thinking about to take that flight to Phuket and then a taxi ( about 2.5 hrs ) to Krabi. Avoids change of flight and you get to see more of the countryside on the way, just an idea.
A good bargain place about 150 metres from the seafront is the 'Best Western Baan Ao nang', now this for a family is a bargain !! Showing just USD 45 for 2 aduklts and 2 kids sharing room, that even includes breakfast, so if you are looking for that range would be hard to beat for 4 of you!
Take care here as there appear to be 2 Best Westerns, this one is the 'Baan Ao Nang'. ( The other is the Ao nang bay resort )
As Farangene said, the Ao nang Villa is good and reasonable probably in the USD 60 region
Lots of places are offering free night deals until end of October, just watch/note the compulsory breakfast for the free nights but still good deals.
You can find lots of photos for those on:
http://www.beachsiam.com/krabi_hotels.html
Flight tip: TG 219 leaves CM 1115 arrives Phuket 1310, now, that is the 'only' non stop from the North to the South, now of course you can go via Bangkok and then connect with a direct Krabi flight but most of the hotels in Krabi will probably cost you USD 12-15 to get to, it might be worth thinking about to take that flight to Phuket and then a taxi ( about 2.5 hrs ) to Krabi. Avoids change of flight and you get to see more of the countryside on the way, just an idea.
Sep 4th, 2005, 08:59 AM
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Just saw reference to the Best Western hotels in Krabi-- I stayed at the Baan Ao Nang in March this year. It is a bit tired in my opinion but has an excellent location, restaurants were good, hotel people v. friendly. It is right opposite the beach where you rent boats for island tours and shuttles to Railay Beach. I would rate the hotel at 2.5 maybe approaching 3 stars. I wouldn't have any problem staying here again but thought that Ao Nang Villa Resort was significantly better.
I also have a voucher for the other Best Western (Bay Resort) which is a kilo or so up the beach road but a bit further from the beach (still within a few hundred meters). It is in better shape when I took a tour of it but dont know about service etc cuz I never stayed there. Will probably not have a chance to use the voucher this year unfortunately. I would rate this as a definite 3 star hotel.
I also have a voucher for the other Best Western (Bay Resort) which is a kilo or so up the beach road but a bit further from the beach (still within a few hundred meters). It is in better shape when I took a tour of it but dont know about service etc cuz I never stayed there. Will probably not have a chance to use the voucher this year unfortunately. I would rate this as a definite 3 star hotel.
Sep 4th, 2005, 12:43 PM
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Thank you both - farangene & JamesA.
Well - we've searched beachsiam.com as well as other sites. Definitely Ao Nang villa resort is a good option - Do you know whether an extra bed is needed to accomodate us four?
Another hotel we considered is the Peace Laguna hotel at Ao Nang that its pictures look great on the Internet sites and also has some extras such as a Kids' club and maybe a bit of luxerous feeling (?) - Did you hear about this hotel ? It is noted as 2.5 or 4 star hotel - depending on which web site you look.
If we put aside pricing for a moment - I believe these are our two finalists - Villa resort and Peace Laguna - Can you help us with our decisions ? It's just that we come from so far - we'd like to lower chance of disapointment.
James - thank you for the flight tip - we'll consider that. Currently the problem is on the way back to Bangkok where we might have to come back from Phuket as it seems that afternoon flight from Krabi on Oct 24 is fully booked. Any way - would you consider it a good idea to make a stop on Phang-Nga area for one night between Krabi and Phuket airport or just tour that area on a day tour from Ao Nang - just a thought...
Well - we've searched beachsiam.com as well as other sites. Definitely Ao Nang villa resort is a good option - Do you know whether an extra bed is needed to accomodate us four?
Another hotel we considered is the Peace Laguna hotel at Ao Nang that its pictures look great on the Internet sites and also has some extras such as a Kids' club and maybe a bit of luxerous feeling (?) - Did you hear about this hotel ? It is noted as 2.5 or 4 star hotel - depending on which web site you look.
If we put aside pricing for a moment - I believe these are our two finalists - Villa resort and Peace Laguna - Can you help us with our decisions ? It's just that we come from so far - we'd like to lower chance of disapointment.
James - thank you for the flight tip - we'll consider that. Currently the problem is on the way back to Bangkok where we might have to come back from Phuket as it seems that afternoon flight from Krabi on Oct 24 is fully booked. Any way - would you consider it a good idea to make a stop on Phang-Nga area for one night between Krabi and Phuket airport or just tour that area on a day tour from Ao Nang - just a thought...
