We ain't wrong in saying that 95% of people who touch down at Krabi Airport have beach on their minds. They hurry out of the airport, flag down vans and head off to the pier to set off to Phi-Phi, Lanta, Railey, Koh Nhai, Kradon, Lipe etc etc. It's fortunate for us, because then the town is kept relatively quiet and calm. Once a week the bar-crawl morons come through with their identical t-shirts and propensity of quantity over quality when it comes to anything alcoholic. Thus unfolds a night of loud screams, bro-ing, women vomiting in bushes, some **** pulling out an acoustic guitar by the Family Mart to try get chicks, and all around ruckus until the morning hours come sweeping in afflicting every and all with the worlds most crushing hangover at the hands of bottom shelf spirits. This is the ultimate time to walk to the local store and watch them all clutching their heads in pure agony, unable to comprehend the intensity alcohol can leave in its wake. They'll learn. Krabi Town itself is definitely worth a couple of days of your time, if you are not on a super limited holiday time-wise. I have stayed in many different hotels there, each with their pro's and con's. The last one I tried was Grandmom Place and was utterly transfixed. The rooms are large and accommodating, I got a balcony looking out to the pier, and the family who work there guarantee you have a smile on your face after chatting with them a few minutes. The location is also killer, just 20 meters up from the Family Mart. Another highlight of Krabi is that its cheap, the food is amazing and there are even a couple of decent bars to wile away your evenings in. Where to eatNight Market Khao Soi ($)She moves around a bit between the street market some days, and the night market a bit further down others. It's definitely worth tracking her down cause she makes a killer Khao Soi and its like 50 bhat a bowl. I visit everytime i'm in Krabi, and if she's in the street-market location you can bring your bowl to Aod Bar where you can enjoy your food with an ice cold Leo. Below is a photo of her stall, to help a little. The Hobby Hops Craft Beer Bar & Restaurant ($$)It's universal knowledge that Thai's love to eat. All day long they are snacking on something or other. So, put together a modern Thai craft beer bar in Krabi Town and you bet your ass he hired a great cook! The bar itself is trendy and located on the main crossing in town, but surprisingly enough most foreigners have not discovered it yet. It's literally packed with locals every night, they show football, and the food is fantastic! If you ask for it spicy they don't hold back which is something you learn to appreciate after being served hundreds of mild dishes because the cooks are scared you'll send it back (like tons of tourists do). Chalita Restaurant ($$)The place in town with an incessant line to get a table. Sometimes a good thing, other times suspicions arise. 99% of the clientele are tourists which normally turns me off, but the place had high recommendations. I went a little before closing time to avoid the main rush, ordered a red curry with shrimp (spicy) and managed to eat my way through a decent curry, devoid of any heat (I told her next time make it hot please!!!), but this place is good and perfect for families travelling or people who have not yet upped to PHET MAK MAK level. Pirates House ($$)Indian is something I crave, no matter where I am. Thankfully they have a decent spot here in town to get your regular feed. The chef is from Nepal, super friendly, and comes out to check if you enjoyed it afterwards. Solid food for a decent price. Gecko Cabane ($$$)Krabi's "hi-class" establishment run by a French man (if I recollect) is not to be sniffed at. The house itself is gorgeous, decorated with lots of curio's, and the food is solid, albeit a tad pricey. They have lots of options for wine by the bottle too, so this is a spot to blow a couple days budget on a nice meal and wine. Coconuts Cafe ($$)You can travel to the ends of the earth, and sure enough you'll find an Irish Pub and probably a Brit making full english breakfasts. Krabi Town is no different. Coconuts Cafe, run by a friendly brit and his local wife, churns out top breakfasts, sandwiches, coffee's and tea's in a clean-cut cafe just off the main drag. He even uses the sausage as a break-water between the bean's and eggs which is something Alan Partridge would be proud of. Viva Pizza ($$)If you really need to have a pizza (I stayed almost 2 weeks in Krabi so had an excuse) then this spot was the best I tried. To be fair I only ate at one other place, but this was much better. Thin crust, good toppings and friendly service. Chao Sua ($$)After sinking a few beers at Blue Juice with a lovely English couple, the bar owner suggested we all pile into a car and drive 10 minutes outside of town to her favourite late-night restaurant. We pulled up, noticing the year-round Christmas decorations hanging from the rafters, but we were not here for the decor. She literally just ordered about 10 dishes from the menu (all in thai) and what came next was a feast of epic proportions. Dish after dish came out perfectly cooked and Thai-spicy. Beers and conversation flowed into the witching hour and we drove back into town stuffed and happy. Poo Dam ($$)This is the spot to come to for Crab. I went at an irregular time of day (hence the empty seats), but this place is literally packed to the brim. Seafood, seafood and seafood. Nuff said! Where to drinkThe Hobby Hops - Obviously a good place to get your drink on with their insane selection of beers, tho understandably it's not cheap to import all of them to Krabi. Buffalo Bar - Rather hit and miss, sometimes you walk in there and are greeted to a great night with travellers sharing stories over ice cold Leo's. Other nights one lonely Thai dude is belting out sappy love songs with an out of tune acoustic guitar chasing everyone away. Chu-A-Pa - One of my favourite places to sit outside and enjoy some cold refreshment, unless it's really packed. My advice is head here first or last on your little quarter mile drinking trek around Krabi Town. Fubar Cocktails - A tiny, dark, sometimes deserted spot behind Yohoo Burger. If there is a crowd it can be fun, if not keep walking. Rasta Bar - Look, people are different and if your idea of a good time is sitting cross-legged with Thai rasta's singing endless renditions of NO WOMAN NO CRY, then by all means.... Blue Juice - A strange mix of a shabby looking guesthouse, and a small bar in the back. I've been here numerous times and always ended up meeting some good people to have a chinwag with until the beers caused sleep to come crashing in. Cozy Bar - Depending on your love for live-music this is another spot to avoid or go to. Same with Yenta which is almost opposite. Aod Bar - This small spot plays a mixture of metal and reggae, and the owner is the giggliest person on earth. It's a great place to people watch sitting on the outside table's. All these recommendations are just personal opinions based on my palate, things change, chefs get fired or replaced, places open-close, relocate, so take it all with a pinch of MSG and discover your own gems too. But please do try a few of these, they have been researched exhaustively
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