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The province consists of mountains,
hills, plains, and mangrove forests, including more
than 130 large and small islands. Krabi town has
a 5-metre-long river, which flows through town and
ends at the Andaman Sea in Tambon Pak Nam. There
are several canals in Krabi including Khlong Pakasai
(¤Åͧ»¡ÒÊÑÂ),
Khlong Krabi Yai (¤Åͧ¡ÃкÕèãËè)
and Khlong Krabi Noi (¤Åͧ¡ÃкÕè¹éÍÂ),
all of them originate from Phanom Bencha mountain
range, the highest mountain range in Krabi.
Krabi is administratively divided into 8 Amphoes
(districts): Amphoe Mueang, Khao Phanom, Khlong
Thom, Plai Phraya, Ko Lanta, Ao Luek, Lam Thap,
and Nuea Khlong.
MAJOR TOURIST ATTRACTIONS
ARE :
Ao
Nang
Ao Nang This bay is situated some 20 kilometres
from town. Its white sandy beach stretches to the
foot of a conspicuously prominent limestone range.
Accommodation is available along the beachfront.
Other facilities include diving shops, boats for
rent and sightseeing by canoe. From Ao Nang, tourists
may hire boats to visit nearby attractions such
as Hat Rai Le, Tham Phra Nang located on the land
to the east of Ao Nang, as well as other offshore
isles such as Ko Poda, Ko Kai, Ko Mo and Ko Thap.
Hat Noppharat
Thara
Hat Noppharat Thara This is a 3-kilometre long sandy
beach located 6 kilometres from Ao Nang. The beach,
paved with tiny seashells, was formerly called "Hat
Khlong Haeng" by locals, which means dried
canal beach. The canal will dry up during low tide
and the area turns into a long beach. The headquarters
of Hat Noppharat Thara-Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park
are situated here. The park covers a large area
both onshore and offshore.
Hat Rai
Le
Hat Rai Le This beach is generally divided into
two sections, east and west. West Rai Le offers
a broad sandy beach. Although it has less facilities
to offer than Ao Nang, West Rai Le is quieter and
more peaceful.
Across the peninsula from West Rai Le is East Rai
Le, which varies from the other beaches in the area.
It could actually be classified as a mud flat, especially
during low tide. Even so, it does offer some rather
remarkable views. One end of the beach is covered
with mangroves.
Hat Tham
Phra Nang
Hat Tham Phra Nang Accessible only by boat, this
sweeping beach offers fine-grained white sand and
crystalline waters, as well as magnificent jagged
karsts. Although visitors flock to this beach year-round,
it is still extremely pristine, and considered to
be the most attractive in the area.
The Inner and Outer Phra Nang Caves, and Phra Nang
Lagoon are close by, and offer some truly spectacular
views. Accommodation is available over a wide price
range. Despite the fact that it is reachable only
by boat, this area offers plenty of recreational
activities.
Khao Khanap
Nam
Khao Khanap Nam Khao Khanap Nam is regarded as the
symbol of Krabi. It sits before the city and can
be visited by long tail boat from Chao Fa Pier.
Travel time is about 15 minutes. From the boat,
one climbs a staircase to see caves with stalactites
and stalagmites. A boat can be rented at 300 baht
per trip to visit Khao Khanap Nam, mangrove forests
and Ko Klang fishery village.
Krabi Horticultural
Centre
Krabi Horticultural Centre This agrotourism attraction,
supported by the Department of Agricultural Exension,
is some 20 kilometres from Krabi on the way to Amphoe
Ao Luek. The centre covers a large area with a collection
of local fruits, flowers and economic plants.
Mu Ko Phi
Phi
Mu Ko Phi Phi Phi Phi Islands are located at an
equal distance from both Krabi and Phuket, about
40 kilometres. Made up of six small and large isles,
the main features are sheer limestone cliff and
rock. Some offer beautiful beaches and coral reefs.
The best time for a visit is between November and
April.
Ko Phi Phi Don covers an area of 28 square kilometres.
Laem Tong in the north offers beautiful marine nature.
Diving can be done as well at Laem Hua Raket, Hat
Yao and Hin Phae. A number of accommodations are
available at Ao Ton Sai , and Ao Lo Da Lam .
Ko Phi Phi Le is a lovely island that covers an
area of only 6.6 square kilometres. It is surrounded
by limestone mountains and high hills with jutting
cliffs. The sea is 20 metres deep and the deepest
point in the south of the island is around 34 metres.
Ko Phi Phi Le offers superb scenic bays such as
Ao Pi Le, Ao Maya, and Ao Lo Sa Ma. In the northeast
of the island is a large cave called Tham Viking.
The cave was renamed "Tham Phaya Nak"
or Serpent Cave by His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej
because of a stone resembling the mythical creature,
which His Majesty saw when he paid a visit here
in 1972.
The cave is considered sacred to locals who come
here to collect swallow nests. Inside the eastern
and southern parts of the cave are ancient colour
paintings of elephants and various types of boats,
including an Arabian sailboat, a European sailboat,
a sampan, a Chinese junk, and a steamboat. It is
believed the paintings were the works of sea merchants
or pirates because the study of west-to-east ship
routes indicates that this area may have been a
stopover for boats seeking shelter from storms,
transferring cargo or making repairs.
Ko Yung is north of Ko Phi Phi Don. The island has
a stone beach in the east and small sandy beaches
amid valleys. It is teeming with various kinds of
colourful coral reefs.
Ko Phai is north of Ko Phi Phi Don and not far from
Ko Yung. Marvellous beaches are in the north and
east of the island. The bank of coral reefs with
antler corals, in particular, stretches from north
to south of the island. The best time to visit Phi
Phi Island is during the monsoon-free season, which
is from November to April.
Susan Hoi
or Fossils Shell Beach
Susan Hoi or Fossils Shell Beach Situated at Ban
Laem Pho, 17 kilometres from town. The area was
once a large freshwater swamp, home to a kind of
snail. Over eons dating from the Tertiary Age, about
40 million years ago, these snails lived and died
by the million. Eventually, weather changes caused
the swamp's disappearance, but by then the layer
of fossilised snail shells was forty centimeters
thick, resting on ten centimeters of lignite below
which is the subsoil. Because of geographic upheaval,
the fossilised shells are now distributed in great
broken sheets of impressive magnitude on the seashore
at Laem Pho.
Tham Sadet
Tham Sadet This cave is at Ban Nong Ngok, 7 kilometres
from Krabi town. The villagers named it to mark
the visit of King Rama IV (before he ascended to
the throne). The cave features marvellous stalactite
and stalagmite formations.
Wat Tham
Suea
Wat Tham Suea This temple, also known as "tiger
cave," is 9 kilometres north of Krabi Town.
The inside of this cave features tiger prints captured
in stone, and is in the middle of a lush forest,
with enormous, ancient trees. As well as serving
as a temple, this site is also very significant
archaeologically, as many artifacts have been found
on the premises, including tools, pottery, and the
mold for the Buddha's footprint. In addition, there
are several other caves in the surrounding hills.
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