Vol. 05 - Oct 2025

Family trips don’t have to be complicated. With Agoda, finding the right stay in Krabi - from beachside resorts to jungle hideaways, takes just a few clicks.

Whether you want a villa with a pool for the kids or a quiet room with a view, Agoda helps you discover places that fit your style and budget.

Start planning your next family escape at

agoda.com.

This Krabi edition is our family-friendly special, written from our trip with our then 3-year-old, Moana (she’s 6 years old now 😊).

Krabi turned out to be one of the easiest places we’ve traveled with a child. People are so friendly, everything’s close by, and there’s a mix of beaches, nature, and great food.

To make your trip even easier:

📍 We’ve added all our favorite family spots to our Insider Map.
🍹 Each dish includes the Thai name so you can order easily when you visit.
✨ And don’t miss the new Hidden Gems section at the Thai List Insider.

Hope you enjoy this week’s edition,
Ploy & Jochem

A travel story

Our mornings usually started with a short ride to Nopharat Thara Beach (หาดนพรัตน์ธารา), just a few minutes from Ao Nang. The beach is large and wide, and the water is calm and shallow, great for little kids. Locals walked past with breakfast baskets, beach snacks, and big smiles. Everyone here is so friendly, especially with children.

Later in the afternoon, we headed to Thung Teao Forest Natural Park to visit the Emerald Pool (สระมรกต). It’s about an hour’s drive, and totally worth it. The walk through the forest is flat and shaded, and the path was smooth enough that we could take Moana in her stroller, which was a big plus.

The water at the pool is incredible - clear, cool, and perfectly clean. You can rent life jackets for yourself and your child, so you can float and relax together. We took turns holding Moana while she splashed and laughed; it’s a great family spot because the water is shallow near the edges, and there’s space to sit and rest.

If you go, go early or later in the day. Mornings are quiet and cool, and in the afternoon the sunlight makes the bright blue water glow even more.

We ended the day at Baan Tha Ley Café (บ้านทะเล คาเฟ่) at Klong Muang Beach (หาดคลองม่วง). It’s right on the sand, so you can sit with your feet in the sand while the kids play nearby. We ordered fresh prawns and Tom Kha Kai (ต้มข่าไก่) coconut soup while watching the sun set over the water, the perfect finish to a relaxed day in Krabi

Where travel meets lifestyle

For our stay, we chose Ao Nang Fiore Resort (อ่าวนาง ฟิออเร รีสอร์ต), a peaceful spot tucked into the hills above town. It feels like a small jungle hideaway but with all the comforts you need. The villas are made from wood, bamboo, and stone, and each one has a warm, natural feel - big plus, the beds a comfortable as a cloud (hard beds are a common annoyance for us, hihi).

Our favorite part was the sky window right above the bed. At night, we could lie back and look up at the stars; in the morning, the sunlight filtered through the palms. It made the room feel bright and open, yet private at the same time.

The resort pool is large with a shallow area for kids, surrounded by palm trees and tropical flowers. We spent hours there - Moana floating around with her inflatable ring while we had coffee by the edge. It’s calm, green, and quiet, but still close to everything.

You can reach the beach or Ao Nang’s main street in just a few minutes, which made it easy to go out for dinner or grab snacks without planning too much. For us, it was the perfect mix of nature, comfort, and convenience - the kind of place where you can slow down, swim, nap, and let the day unfold naturally.

💡 Fun tip: Skip the taxi and take a tuk tuk (ตุ๊กตุ๊ก) instead! The ride from the resort to the nearby restaurants takes only a few minutes, and Moana loved the open-air breeze and colorful lights.

You’ll hear this a lot if you travel with kids. Thai people always smile and say this when they see little ones.

If parts of Krabi look like a movie set, that’s because they are! 🎬
Scenes from Jurassic World: Rebirth (2025) were filmed right here - in the mangrove forests, limestone cliffs, and jungle trails that make Krabi so dramatic.

You can actually experience this “real-life Jurassic world” yourself by joining the Jurassic Jungle Kayak Tour at Klong Root (คลองรูด). The tour takes you through calm canals surrounded by mangroves and towering cliffs - the same kind of scenery that inspired the film. The water here is crystal clear, and you can paddle at your own pace under the shade of ancient trees.

Halfway through, there’s a stop at a natural spring called Klong Nam Sai, where you can take a refreshing swim in the clear green water. The tour usually ends with a longtail boat ride to Railay Beach, visiting Diamond Cave and Phra Nang Cave Beach along the way.

It’s an easy half-day adventure for families: peaceful, exciting, and full of that “wow” feeling.

And if your kids love dinosaurs, tell them this is where the movie came to life. 🦕

Songs for discovering Thailand: from scenic drives to hidden escapes. New vibes added every week .

Click on any of the tracks below to get in the travel mood.

If you liked this week’s edition, here’s how we’d spend a day in Krabi, relaxing and playing with our kids:

• 7:00 am : Breakfast at Ao Nang Fiore - Khao Tom (ข้าวต้ม) and fresh fruit under the trees.

• 9:00 am : Relax at Nopparat Thara Beach (หาดนพรัตน์ธารา) – calm water and a beach with space to play for kids.

• 1:00 pm : Drive to Thung Teao Forest Natural Park - swim in the clear and cool waters of the Emerald Pool (สระมรกต).

• 4:30 pm : Mango smoothies (Nam Mamuang น้ำมะม่วง) at Cake Krabi Bake & Brew.

• 6:30 pm : Dinner at Baan Tha Ley Café (บ้านทะเล คาเฟ่) - Tom Kha Kai (ต้มข่าไก่) and grilled prawns (กุ้งเผา) while watching the sunset.

• Tom Kha Kai (ต้มข่าไก่) : Tasty coconut soup with chicken & lemongrass.

• Khao Pad Kai (ข้าวผัดไก่) : Fried rice with chicken - always a good choice for kids (you can also ask for ‘American Fried Rice’ (Khao Pad American - ข้าวผัดอเมริกัน), this is slightly sweeter and comes with fried rice, sausage, ham, and a fried egg on top. A favorite kids meal in Thailand!).

• Nam Mamuang (น้ำมะม่วง) : Mango smoothie - cool, sweet and simply delicious.

• Kai Ping (ไก่ปิ้ง) : Grilled chicken skewers - easy street snack.

💡 Tip: Say “Mai Ped หน่อย ได้ไหม?” (“Please make it not spicy”) when ordering for kids.

Krabi’s best spots that should not be missed during a visit here:

• Thung Teao Forest Natural Park (อุทยานธรรมชาติทองเทา) : home to the Emerald Pool (สระมรกต), swim in cool and crystal clear water.

• Jurassic Jungle Kayak Tour (ทัวร์พายเรือคายัค จูราสสิคจังเกิ้ล) : paddle through mangrove canals and limestone cliffs at Klong Root (คลองรูด), one of Krabi’s most beautiful and movie-like spots.

• Cake Krabi Bake & Brew : Great mango smoothies and a view of Krabi’s characterizing limestone cliffs.

• Baan Tha Ley Café (บ้านทะเล คาเฟ่) : dinner right on the sand. We recommend the fresh grilled prawns and Tom Kha Kai coconut soup!

• Railay Beach (อ่าวไร่เลย์) : visit the famous beach, where monkeys live. An easy day trip by boat with calm, family-friendly water.

• Tab Kak Hang Nak Hill / Dragon Crest Viewpoint (จุดชมวิวยอดเขา ตับกก / ดรากอนเครสต์) : for adventurous families (older kids or good carriers), the hike rewards you with panoramic views over cliffs, sea, and jungle.

• Tew Lay Bar (เทวเลย์บาร์) : a chill bar at the far end of Railay East beach, past the usual café strip. Hammocks, photo spots, sea views, and a more relaxed crowd.

• Thapom Klong Song Nam (Two-Colored Water Canal / คลองสองน้ำท่าพลม) : mangrove swamp park where water changes between clear freshwater and sea water depending on tides. There's a wooden walkway through mangroves and interesting flora & fauna.

• Pai Plong Beach (หาดไป่ปลอง) : tucked past a short trail from Ao Nang, this small beach is quieter than the main stretch and beautifully framed by cliffs.

Every week we drop new pins onto our Local Secrets Map - special spots you won’t always find in the guidebooks. Street stalls tucked down alleys, rooftop bars only locals know, temples that feel like they belong to you alone.

This map is just for Insiders, and it grows with every edition - a living guide that keeps unlocking Thailand, piece by piece.

👉 Tap the link on your smart phone or computer, and choose “Open in Google Maps” for the full interactive experience.

That’s this week’s adventure. Next week we’ll be back to Bangkok to discover a new area of this vibrant city! ✨

We hope you enjoyed this edition of The Thai List. If you did, please share the love by inviting your friends and family to join us. Each week we uncover local secrets, hidden escapes, and the best food and drinks Thailand has to offer. Don’t miss out on the journey.

Wishing you save travels,

The Thai List - Your weekly postcard from Thailand.