Day trips from Krabi: easy level

One of the most popular locations in South Thailand for an active traveler, **Krabi **has a well-developed **tourist **infrastructure. Different **levels **of adventure are available, from extreme rock climbing to gentle boat tours. There are still plenty of **attractions **relatively undiscovered by the **tourist **crowd, but reaching those would require experience or at least decisiveness. For those who would rather take it easy, there is a number of less unusual but still exciting day trips.

Railay beach

Just a short **boat **ride away from **Krabi **town, Railay is a cluster of **beaches **on an isolated cape, cut off from the mainland by towering **karst **cliffs. It is usually full of visitors, but **beautiful **nonetheless, with long strips of sand framed by limestone pinnacles. There are also some nice walks in the area, leading to caves, viewpoints, and even a hidden lagoon - although this last one involves scaling a sheer wall.

Hong Island boat tour

**Travel **agents around **Krabi **offer a number of boat tours, the most **exciting **of which is probably the one to Hong Island. "Hong" literally translates as "room", and in this case refers to a large doline inside a **karst **islet. Tireless waves carved **caves **in the soft limestone for millennia, until the **island **got hollowed out, and the roof collapsed under its own weight. This created a lagoon surrounded by vertical walls, only accessible at low tide through an underground channel. There is a tiny crescent of a **beach **inside this hong, and the setting for a swim is perfect. The **tour **will also visit a few other islands, all with **beaches **and good snorkeling opportunities. There are other options, most of them centered on uninhabited islets, wild **beaches, **and weirdly shaped rocks. Some **tours **advertise swimming with luminescent plankton, but this is a matter of rare luck – do not hold your hopes high.

Boat tour upriver

A nice way to spend an afternoon is boat tour upriver from **Krabi **town. Boats depart from Chaofah jetty, visiting a couple of minor natural attractions, such as the twin **karst **pinnacles promoted as the symbol of Krabi, before arriving at Khao Khanab Nam caves. Two caverns hide a bunch of human bones - prehistoric, if you believe the official explanation. However, rumors suggest those may have been local fishermen stranded and killed during a major flood.

Tiger Cave Temple

Combining a Buddhist monastery with one of the best **viewpoints **in the area, Tiger Cave Temple is located further inland and requires land transportation to reach. If you prefer the **easy **way, travel agents offer day trips from Krabi by minivan, or you could do it yourself by taking a sequence of songtaews (passenger pickup trucks). The latter option will take most of the day. The temple itself is rather typical, with a sacred **cave **and a small army of Buddha statues, the biggest one overlooking the province from the top **level **of a **karst **mountain.  The views from up there are beautiful, but you would need your own wheels if you wish to stay for the sunset.