About the ride from Koh Phi Phi to Ao Nang
Ao Nang is a resort town in Krabi Province in Southern Thailand. Popular with both local and foreign tourists, it has restaurants, shops, tour agencies and a wide choice of places to stay, including some luxury resorts with spas and some cheaper options. The highlight of Ao Nang is the surrounding Andaman Coast which has white sand beaches and the best coral reefs in Thailand. A great thing to do is take a day or half-day snorkelling trip to nearby beaches and islands.
Whether you’re coming back from a trip to the Phi Phi Islands or arriving on the mainland for the first time, there’s no convenient airport, so the only way to make the journey is by boat. There are several different options including speedboats and regular ferries. If you're staying the night in Ao Nang, you can also buy a combination ticket that includes the ride from the pier to your hotel.
Options for onward travel from Ao Nang include Krabi Town, from where you can take a bus to destinations across Thailand. Krabi Airport is a 30-minute drive from Ao Nang, and has flights to Bangkok, as well as to cities in Southeast Asia, China and Europe.
What you’ll see when traveling from Koh Phi Phi to Ao Nang
You’ll want to take a look out of the window during the ride or head up to the sun deck if there is one, as this corner of Thailand is extremely pretty, with gleaming white sand and small rocky islands dotted around in the turquoise water.
How to get from Koh Phi Phi to Ao Nang
Taking a ferry
Choose between the Tourist Ferry, which takes 2 hours, and the Standard Ferry which takes 90 minutes. Both have cabins with A/C and toilets on board, and on the Tourist Ferry, you can also buy snacks and drinks. If you’re staying overnight in Ao Nang, you can buy a combination ticket which includes the ride to your hotel or guesthouse.
Taking a speedboat
There’s also a speedboat service which is faster. You might want to avoid taking the speedboat if the sea is rough though as the ride will be very bumpy.
All boats leave from Tonsai Bay on Koh Phi Phi Don, which is a gorgeously pretty bay in the center of the island. There are several places to eat and drink, some shops and a dive center. Boats arrive at Nopparat Thara Pier which has a handful of shops and places to eat and is about 10 minutes drive from the center of Ao Nang.