Sometimes known as " Ao Phra nang" a name the Tourist Authority of Thailand devised some years back,but which never really caught on is the most " westernized" beach in Krabi.Originally a backpacker hotspot,it is now moving rapidly towards the package tourist crowd as the airport brings in more charter flights with each season. While not quite as Rai lay, there is good range of accommodation, many good restaurants , easy transport and travel/tour agencies ready to cater to your every whim, make it good base for exploring Krabi.

Orienting yourself in Ao nang is easy : almost everything is located either along the beach, which runs west-east , or along the Airport road which goes up north from the east end up of the beach .Longtail boats arrive on the beach near the junction of the two roads ; these longtail,though.

Ao nang is located in Krabi provice , about 800 km south of bangkok. White sandy beaches ,  crystal clear waters and a stanning landscape made of a few hundred meter high limestane cliffs , palm  trees and colorful coral reefs,making Krabi and especially the area around Ao nang probably the most attractive tourist destination in southern Thailand. 
Ao nang itself has grown up from a small Fishing Village with just a few villagers and backpacker tourists in early nineties, to a major tourists destination with many amenities a 5 star hotels.A new International Airport was built in Krabi and opened in July 1999 and tourism has seen a dramatic grow ever since.

What's nice for more our recommented.

 Fossil Shell Beach ( The Su-San Hoi , literrally : Seashell Graveyard )  Some 7 km west of Ao nang ,This midly tourist trap-like atteaction has slates of compressed, 75 million years old shellfish,which bear a small resemblance to concrete. There's also a small grubby museum and a huge slew of gift shops. Entry is a steep 200 bath for foreigners. 

► Nopparat Thara Beach  Picturesque beach at western tip of Ao nang , zoned as a nation park.During low tide you can walk up to some of the nearby craggy limestone island. 

►Rai Lay Beach . A nice beach near Ao nang , which can only be reached via a long-tail boat.It is actually a part of mainland, but is cut-off by the limestone hills. The beach is clean like a beautiful cystal clear,and there are some caves worth exploring. There are also hotels and resorts on the beach.