Should I book activities and excursions for my Krabi holiday in advance?

Here, at Your Krabi, we are often asked about how to organise and book all the various activities and excursions available in Krabi. Below, we offer some tips and advice on tour booking, featuring some of the most frequently asked questions in our inbox.

Where can I book a day trip in Krabi?
Tour agents can be found every few metres along the street / beach in Ao Nang, Phi Phi and Koh Lanta; even in Klong Muang and Railay there are several agencies that are easily found. Your hotel, no matter how small or basic, is also almost certain to offer an excursion counter where you can book the various day trips on offer. Finally, some people prefer to book all their trips ahead of arrival; in this case you should search Google for online tour agents.

I would like to book a "package" / Do I need to book excursions in advance?
Many hotel booking websites are now offering package holidays to Krabi; or even a "tailor-made" experience where you can choose your own itinerary. While packages often look attractive and seem to offer peace of mind to the traveller keen to have all aspects of their trip organised, we would urge caution before signing up. (You will notice we do not offer this service at all.) This is for a number of reasons:

1) The weather: can be unpredictable, even in high season, and mess up your itinerary (with no money back in most cases)
2) The ease of doing it by yourself here: see above
3) The reality of being here vs. your prior expectations. Though it sounds obvious, it really is hot here. Day tours can be exhausting and you can get bad sunburn; or many people find they simply do not want to be as active as they had planned (again no money back).
4) The price: usually, though not always, more than what you would pay here. With increasing competition for sales, many roadside agents will enter into bargaining, especially during low season.

In short, as the infrastructure is so good and well-organised here, there is really little to no advantage in booking ahead (though a little planning and research is always a good idea, which is why sites like ours exist!).

How far in advance do I have to book an activity?
When in Krabi, you only have to book the evening of the day before you wish to go for a full day trip - usually up to 9pm is quite safe - or a couple of hours ahead for half days or other activities such as elephant trekking. Of course you can also book as far ahead as you wish, bearing in mind the advice given above. The exception to this is a diving course (see below), which is better booked prior to arrival.

Should I book in my hotel or in a tour agent on the street?
There is no definitive answer to this, so we will give some pros and cons of each option.
In your hotel: may offer added security as they have an interest in protecting their guests if something goes wrong. However, prices can be more expensive (3 - 4 star places and above tend to charge more than on the street). On the street: usually cheaper; may also respond to bargaining; but little recourse (expect a smile and shrugged shoulders) if anything goes wrong. It should not be difficult to do a quick price comparison while you are here.

How do I choose a reliable tour operator?
With more than ten companies operating tours to Phi Phi, and many more offering kayaking and other island trips, it can be difficult to know which is the best one to go with. However, the majority of companies are reliable (market forces eventually ease out the bad ones) and typically offer similar, or even identical itineraries. One of the advantages of booking in your hotel is they will usually have vetted the companies they work with to avoid problems with their guests, while street agents (understandably) tend to work with whichever company offers them the most commission. Of course it may be that the most generous operator is also the best - but you never know!

What is usually included in the price of a tour?
Every single organised activity you can think of will offer free transfers to and from your hotel, within the mainland tourist areas, so there is never any messing around with finding and getting to meeting points. Full day tours will nearly always include lunch, as well as fruit and drinking water during the whole day. Some may also offer soft drinks (and beer for an extra charge). Island tours will in addition have snorkelling equipment and life jackets on board. Kayaking tours offer a waterproof bag to keep personal possessions dry. Always check that insurance is included on any excursion (it usually is).

How can I book specialised activities such as diving or rock climbing?
Both diving and rock climbing can be booked through the street tour agents, directly at the school, or in your hotel, but in the case of a diving course, we do recommend advance booking prior to your arrival. All the diving schools in Krabi have websites; many also offer PADI's e-learning option, which allows you to do any study required before you arrive, thus meaning you don't have to waste precious holiday time stuck in a classroom. For fun diving, it is probably better to book when you are here: the published schedules change all the time so you can wait and see who is going where the next day, and on what type of boat. 9pm of the evening before is usually the cut-off point for booking.

Rock climbing does not have to be booked in advance at all, as all the learning is done at the foot of the cliff.

I am staying in Railay. Can I still explore the mainland?
Certainly, though do bear in mind that the free pick-up and drop-offs included in most tours do not cover Railay; you will need to make it to the designated pick-up point in Ao Nang by the allotted time (usually 8.30 - 8.45am) and will need to take the boat back again in the evening on your return. Tour agents and hotel travel desks in Railay can book these type of excursions for you. Many island tours, and other water-based activities, do offer free pick-up and return to Railay's West Beach; check with your agent about these.

Does it make a difference what kind of boat I take for an island tour?
It makes a HUGE difference, yes. Firstly, the number of people in your group will be very different if you are going on a longtail boat, a speedboat, or a cruise boat (from less to more). Secondly, the type of things each boat can do is very different: longtails and speedboats can usually park right up on the beach; whereas larger vessels cannot, meaning for example you will not set foot on "The Beach" of Maya Bay in Koh Phi Phi, if you travel with the cruise boat - you will simply see it from a distance on board. Speedboats (as their name implies) are the fastest of the three, meaning they can cover more ground in the allotted time, giving you more time at your destination(s). However, speedboats are more expensive and strongly discouraged for those with very young children, or anyone with back problems: they give a very bumpy and uncomfortable ride. Cruise boats are the most comfortable, allowing you to stretch out and sunbathe on deck, walk around the cabin(s) and they also have toilets on board.

How many people will be on the same trip as us?
See above for boats: a longtail will sit anywhere from 10 - 25 people; speedboats up to 30; and cruise boats can take 35 - 100, depending on their size. In high and peak seasons you can expect the boats to be close to full; in low season they are unlikely to be filled to capacity. For kayaking and other inland trips, these are usually done by minivan, so there would be 10 - 12 people on each trip. Obviously, as many companies operate tours to the same destinations, there are likely to be a lot more people there when you arrive.

Do I have to take an organised tour, or can I visit the same places independently?
Independent excursions out to the islands, or inland are very easy to organise, and in our opinion, worth the extra expense. For more information on getting around Krabi, please click on the link provided. The Your Krabi guidebook also has further details on independent travel to all sightseeing destinations in the province, as well as guided self-drive routes.