No doubt, Krabi walking street is among the destinations that come to mind whenever we think of the best places to explore in the city. But, what happens in Krabi walking street? Why has it always been the center of attraction for decades? Stick around and you just may find out. Also, in this article, we will go through some of the best hotels to stay around Krabi walking street, as well as other activities you can engage in with friends and family outside of Krabi walking street.
What Happens in Krabi Walking Street?
Krabi walking street is where the most popular market in the city comes to life at night. Vendors of all kinds of goods and local artists come out to showcase what they have in store for both tourists and locals in Krabi. This part of town is great for finding gift items, food, and home decor, however, navigation is slow due to the huge crowd always present. Here, you will also find a stage for performance and a large amount of audience. This night market comes to life at 4 pm and closes at 10 pm during weekends.
There’s a slight misconception about the Krabi walking street. Rather than being just one street that comes to life at night during the weekends, it comprises several streets all packed with stalls offering all kinds of goods. And rather than shopping, the majority of visitors go there for the food. The majority of the food stalls in this market can be seen in the central part serving a variety of cuisines. Aside from BBQ and Thai food, you will also find vendors selling kebabs, sushi, pizza, drinks, salads, and even desserts.
Compared to other tourist night markets in this region, the walking street market in Krabi is good in the sense that the goods and items sold here are of high quality. The prices of these items are not fixed and depend on how good your bargaining skills are.
What are the best things to do on Krabi Walking Street?
Shopping, dining, and getting entertained by live music or art performances are the things one can do in Krabi walking street. You can either check stalls at the part of the market that offers a variety of bags for sale or discover the section that’s focused on handicrafts. You can also find a collection of stores selling household supplies at reasonable prices. Whatever it is you may be searching for, you are likely to find it in Krabi walking street, whether it is spices for preparing your favorite meals or for Thai cooking lessons, or vegetables. For these, it will require visiting the section of the Krabi walking street market that sell vegetables, fresh fruits, and spices.
After shopping at Krabi walking street for hours you may want to ease off the stress at the part of the market that’s dedicated to serving different types of meals. This section of the market is open from Sunday to Saturday, however, the opening and closing hours begin from 5 pm to 10 pm.
The Best Hotels to Stay Around Krabi Walking Street
If coming to explore the Krabi walking street is the major reason for journeying down to Krabi, then it is ideal that you get accommodation around the area. Below are some of the best hotels new the walking streets of Krabi. They are all perfect for long staycations and offer great views of the town.
The City Hotel Krabi
Just like The Greenery Hotel, this is also a 3-star hotel with similar features or highlights like free Wi-Fi in every room, 24hr check-in, airport transfers, and proximity to the walking street of Krabi (5mins walk). It is also close to other attractions such as the vogue shopping center, the Krabi Weekend Market, Krabi Town Signal, and Wat Kaew Ko Wararam. To make guests feel comfortable, this hotel is well-equipped with in-house facilities. The available rooms at this hotel are; a superior family room, superior new style flex, bunk bed superior room, deluxe triple room, and deluxe rooms. Their check-in time starts at 2 pm and check-out time is noon. You should book ahead of time to avoid unavailability issues. If you intend to stay longer than the stipulated periods you may have to pay extra. The front desk services are top-notch and always available 24/7.
This hotel is easily accessible from the nearest airport as they also do offer pickup services. However, such treatment does cost an additional fee of around 500 Thai Baht. The City Hotel does offer free on-site parking spaces to visitors. Boarding order transportation mediums to tour around the city is easy, all you need to do is ask and it will be arranged for you. Do note that you’ll also be responsible for the cost of transportation.
The room service in The City Hotel Krabi is one of a kind. They offer snacking, drinking, and dining services upon request. Their breakfast options include continental, Asian, and American cuisines. If you feel like dining outside of the hotel, there are other options like May and Mark, Anchalee, and Nong Joke restaurants you can choose from. In the case of medical emergencies, there’s a pharmacy 30 m away.
The Greenery Hotel
Located at Maharat Road, inside the city’s center, it provides easy access to the majority of the local attractions and sites in Krabi. Its highlights are airport transfers, 24hr check-in, free Wi-Fi, and proximity to the walking streets of Krabi and Ao Nang Beach. This 3-star hotel also offers free parking spaces for visitors who arrive in cars, spas for excellent massage treatments, and on-site restaurants.
Choosing to stay at The Greenery Hotel would be a great choice, however, do note that their check-in and check-out time begins from 11 am to 2 pm. On request, you can either check in earlier or check out late, but this usually attracts an additional fee. The front desk of this hotel is open to visitors 24/7.
Arriving at The Greenery Hotel is quite easy, especially when arriving from an airport. For easier transportation and peace of mind, guests are advised to book airport transfers ahead of time, however, it will cost an additional fee of 500 Thai Baht. The booking page on the Agoda website is where guests can access this feature. Aside from airport pickups, this hotel offers comfortable shuttle services to move around town. If you would rather get private transportation to move around the city, The Greenery hotel can arrange for both car and taxi rental.
The Krabi SeaBas Hotel
The Krabi Seabass Hotel is favored by many for its cleanliness and excellent breakfast. It is also located inside the city center and has 24hr front desk service, free parking lots for visitors, steam rooms, an outdoor swimming pool, airport transfer, and also bicycle rental services. Their hygiene measures include training their staff in safety protocols, making available preventive equipment such as hand sanitizers and other sterilizing equipment, and also health and medical tools.
Their check-in hours begin at 2 pm while check-out is set at noon. On request, you can check in or out earlier or later than the stipulated time. Do note that this request can result in additional charges. Luggage storage is offered to guests before and after check-ins or check-outs.
The distance between the Krabi Seabass Hotel and the nearest airport (Krabi International Airport) is 7.9 kilometers, making it very easy to access. Just as it is with every other hotel on this list, it will require requesting airport pickups in advance to save you from unnecessary stress. However, advance pickup requests will attract an additional fee of 600 Thai Baht. Thanks to the strategic position of the Krabi Seabass hotel, it is a lot easier to find public transportation to other areas of the city. On request, the establishment can make arrangements for private transportation systems.
What’s more? The Krabi Seabass Hotel accommodates special events like birthday parties or other intimate or small events. To ensure the event is a success, they offer add-ons like wireless internet, in-house catering, music entertainment, audio-visual equipment, and also event decoration.
The Riverside Hotel
Located at Uttarakit Road, the Riverside Hotel is situated inside the city center and is 660 meters away from the Krabi walking street. All the rooms in this hotel are equipped with air conditioners, free Wi-Fi, and other basic amenities visitors may need for a comfortable stay. Some of these rooms have terraces or balconies, cable TVs, and televisions. Refrigerators, tea or coffee maker, and a minibar can also be seen in rooms. For the selected room, they also provide toiletries and a hair dryer in the bathrooms.
The Riverside Hotel make shuttle services available to their visitors, as well as luggage storage, valet parking, airport pickups, and 24hr front desk. Their check-in hours begin at 1 pm and check-out is set at noon. Depending on the availability of rooms, you may request early check-ins or late check-outs. Do note that such a request may be subjected to additional costs.
Arriving at Riverside Hotel is quite easy as the nearest airport (Krabi International Airport) is only 7.9 m away. As earlier mentioned, this hotel provides airport pickups, however, it would be in your best interest to request a pickup in advance.
During your stay in this hotel, you can decide to visit other local attractions such as Poda Island or spend quality time with friends or family at the ocean.
The Banto Guesthouse
Compared to other hotels in this list, it cost lesser to stay at the Banto Guesthouse, which makes it the ideal accommodation establishment for travelers on a budget. It is convenient, comfortable, and also has free internet access in every room. There exist airport transportation services that can be booked even before arrival. They also do have shuttle services upon request to take you to wherever you want to go in Krabi. For guests, the parking lots are free of charge.
The Banto Guesthouse makes life so simple and easy with the services they offer. They also do have a front desk service on standby 24/7 to attend to your daily needs. Other amenities include safety deposit boxes and luggage storage.
This hotel also offers ticket and tour services which allow visitors to buy tickets and make reservations for explorations and entertainment activities. You can even wear your favorite clothes repeatedly as there do exist standby and in-house laundry and dry cleaning services. That’s not all. Irrespective of the cost of accommodation in this establishment, the room service is top-notch. They operate around the clock to make visitors feel comfortable. Smoking is allowed in certain areas. Not all, but the majority of the rooms are equipped with air conditioning systems and some do have a terrace or balcony. They are also equipped with cable TVs and televisions to ensure visitors remain entertained.
The Best Things to Do in Krabi at Sundown
If you don’t feel exhausted from dining and shopping at Krabi walking street and still want some extra fun then you are in luck because there are lots of things to do in Krabi even at sundown. Although the nightlife in Krabi is no match for the nightlife in Bangkok and Phuket, it is still desired by lots of visitors and locals, especially families.
Below are some of the best things you can do in Krabi at sundown after spending the evening on the Krabi walking street. Do note that some of these activities aren’t fit for children.
Visit the Sunset Bar at Klong Muang Beach
Located at Ao Nang, Krabi is an establishment with a reputation for a san souci atmosphere. The Sunset Bar has a restaurant on a beach called Klong Muang which is in the middle of the Pelican Residence and Nakamanda.
This spot is simple-looking and did not cost quite a fortune to build. It is simply made of thatch, bamboo, and driftwood, alongside other light materials. However, its looks do not stop it from delivering what’s expected of a very good local spot for relaxation and unwinding. You can come here to watch the sun fade away into the horizon.
Visit the Bamboo Bar
The locals and ex-pats often come here for live entertainment. The Bamboo bar is located on Railay walking street and offers an atmosphere that’s full of beach vibes. Their cocktail menu is superb which contributes to their reputation for being of best places for after-dinner fun.
At night, the atmosphere here tends to be that of a bustling party while at day time it is mostly a cool chilling spot.
Find your Way to Soi RCA
In Ao Nang, Krabi, the Soi RCA is among the two most bustling nightlife venues in Krabi (Ao Nang Central has the other). To date, the meaning of RCA is still not clear. However, it is assumed that RCA stands for Royal City Avenue, in Bangkok, it means the mecca for clubbing activities.
Soi RCA is a 100 m street full of twelve joints that can be found by the side of the nightlife scenes in Ao Nang. This is the ideal destination to get some cheap beers and good laughs. This area of Krabi comes to life from noon to midnight.
Unwind at the ’70s-themed Boogie Bar
You read that right. The Boogie Bar features a pool table, chairs, tables, and a counter all in the ‘70s setting and at the largest area of the bar which exists on one lane of the walking street. On the other side, across the road, is a smaller section of the bar which has a stage and very few tables.
On this stage, a live band performs good pop and rock music. This performance is arguably the main cause of attraction at this bar. The Boogie Bar also has a drink menu that’s filled with a variety of options such as spirits, soda, cocktails, and beer.
Conclusion
Krabi walking street is the mecca for shopping and dining activities with the flair of entertainment. It consists of not just one but several streets spread across the city, each of them filled with roadside stalls and vendors offering all kinds of services. It is regarded as the biggest market that comes to life at sundown. Like the Cicada Market at Hua Hin, the Krabi walking street is divided into sections, one of which is focused on handicrafts, the other is focused on beverages, and another is live entertainment.
You’d want to check out some of the best places to stay around Krabi walking street if visiting and exploring this attraction is the main reason for your travel. They include The Greenery Hotel, City Hotel Krabi, Krabi Seabass Hotel, and others.
There are other places in Krabi you might be interested in after spending the evening shopping and dining in Krabi walking street. Most of these spots are bars and as such aren’t fit for kids. These spots are the likes of the Sunset Bar at Klong Muang Beach, Soi RCA, the ’70s-themed Boogie Bar, the Bamboo Bar, etc.