Pai Plong beach in Ao Nang – big review!

Pai Plong beach in Ao Nang - reviewPai Plong beach in Ao Nang, also known as the beach of the Hotel Centara, is a very beautiful and peaceful place of rest. Like all beaches in Thailand, Pai Plong is a public beach. This means that access to it is free for all tourists and local residents who have chosen as a recreational resort of Ao Nang in Krabi province. Despite the fact that the Pai Plong beach you can find within walking distance of the tourist village of Ao Nang, until now the number of people visiting it is very small (for this has its own reasons). This details overview explains how you can easy get to the Pai Plong beach from Ao Nang. Also in this article posted photos of beautiful Pai Plong beach, photos from individual sections of the road for him. At the end of the article on the page, you will find a small video review of the beach.

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I understand that a small number of people on the beach at Centara is due primarily to the fact that a lot of people just not know about this beach. Scenic high rock on the beach and in the sea (at the end of the main beach of Ao Nang) securely hides located after her Pai Plong beach from the eyes of tourists. Some tourists know about the existence of the beach (for example, watched Pai Plong from afar from the sea during a trip by longtail boat to peninsula Railey or during one of the sea excursions from Ao Nang (for example, a tour of 4 islands. But they have no information how to this beach can be easily reached on foot from the more popular and crowded main beach of Ao Nang resort.

Pai Plong Beach (Centara hotel beach). View from the sea

Pai Plong Beach (Centara hotel beach). View from the sea

How to get to this beautiful beach? In reality, everything is very simple. There is a special trail, built on the ledge of rock and connects the beaches of Ao Nang and Pai Plong. But in order to find the way between the beaches, it is desirable to know the specific location where this way begins. At the same time there are some nuances that force people (which even know of the existence of such a way), refuse to visit Pai Plong beach after an unsuccessful search of this path. I sure that after reading this article, you will not get lost and can easily overcome the required distance between the beaches in just 5-10 minutes.

A small creek at the end of Ao Nang Beach

A small creek at the end of Ao Nang Beach

In the picture above you can see located a small rivulet, which flows into the sea near the end of Ao Nang Beach. This stream is your first landmark, and wishing to get to the beach of the Centara Hotel, you first need to get to it.Being in the town center of Ao Nang, for example, near a ticket office for boats, you need to move south along you can walk on the fine sand at the water’s edge (for me personally it always pleasant). In addition, you can walk after sun beds line. It is more civilized and a shaded way, which have a hard coating until the middle of the beach. In any case, sooner or later you will be rested into the rivulet, behind which you can see wood stair  and walkway, which going the opposite side from the sea.

Start the trail leading to the beach Pai Plong

Start the trail leading to the beach Pai Plong

Immediately, I note that this path does not interest us, but will have to go across the stream. It is not deep, so even at high tide, you can always find a place that is easily overcome by without shoes and without wetting pants or a skirt. Personally, I just jumped a few times specified stream at its narrowest point, because I do not like wet feet. But it is necessary to accurately calculate the forces, since even in the narrowest point of the width of the stream at least 3 meters. In addition to jump and land it is desirable not at the water’s edge, but little further: the coast consists of fine sand and easily break off, because which is easy to land in the water. After overcoming the stream, you need to move further along the coast. It can be a good time to relax on the big stones under big trees with dense branching crown. You can also dry your feet, if you walked by the creek water. This will make the climb up the steps and rocks more secure.

Climbing to Pai Plong beach from Ao Nang Beach

Climbing to Pai Plong beach from Ao Nang Beach

The required path to Pai Plong beach at Centara Hotel begins near the water’s edge near the end of the beach, where the rock is connected with the sea. In December 2014 wooden steps at the beginning of the trail were absent, ie, the first few meters you need to climb on the rocks. By the way, it is not particularly difficult: the stones are large and fairly flat and low height. Next, you will climb the wooden stairs. Climbing it takes no more than a couple of minutes, and does not take much effort. And if you have previously climbed the 1260 stair steps to the top of the mountain near the Temple Tiger Cave in Krabi (as I did), the local ladder and does seem like a cakewalk. I advise caution: staircase slightly battered by time and some boards a little unsteady. In addition, as can be seen in the photo above, there are gaps between the boards, so if you choose to visit the beach of Centara Hotel, better not use shoes with high heels.

The path to the Pai Plong beach near Hotel Centara

The path to the Pai Plong beach near Hotel Centara

When you climb the stairs, you will take a short walk along a narrow path almost horizontally laid on a slope of rock. Due to the dense tropical vegetation, you will not be able to admire the sea from above, but for me personally, this path will still like it, especially in dry weather, when the clay underfoot turns into a hard and tough coating. Several spoils the view sometimes come across trash, because on the way no trash cans, and therefore some irresponsible campers just throw a pack of chips or empty bottles in the next few bushes.

On the way to the beach Centara. View from the stairs at Pai Plong Beach

On the way to the beach Centara. View from the stairs at Pai Plong Beach

Be careful when meeting on a footpath with wild monkeys, who are not afraid of people, but there are very aggressive, especially in the hands you have a package of food (bright and shiny bags and bottles). Keep it all stronger, or will pull out of the hands without a twinge of conscience. Wonderful views begin to open already on the way to the stairs on the back side of the rock, that on the way down to the Pai Plong beach. With good weather, solar water lapped at the beach gets amazing emerald color, which in combination with the green vegetation and the coastal cliffs makes the landscape is truly beautiful.

Descend the stairs to the beach Centara. Dangerous overhang - be careful!

Descend the stairs to the beach Centara. Dangerous overhang – be careful!

Stairs to the beach near Centara Hotel is in a good condition, but you need get down still careful. Somewhere in the middle of the descent ladder makes a turn just below the ledge, and if you’re a little taller than average, and look only at the ground, but you can accidentally hit your head on a rock, it would be very unpleasant. The photo above shows just the projection, but in reality it is even more hanging over the staircase. Hotel Centar occupies a large area, which is now enclosed by a metal fence, which started up on electricity. I suspect that this is done in order to scare away wild monkeys, and there is not 220 Volt, but be careful when leaving the beach in any case.

Centara Beach Hotel - Pai Plong beach in Ao Nang

Centara Beach Hotel – Pai Plong beach in Ao Nang

Earlier, guards Centar hotel in a special journal making the registration of all visitors to the beach. Now, however, this practice has been abolished or completely, or they was simply too lazy to break away from the chair for register me. Perhaps my attempt to get from the beach to the territory of the hotel would be forced to raise them, but I did not do it :). The beach Pai Plong is not very long, but a small number of tourists allows, if desired, to enjoy the local beauty in relative solitude. All beach pictures were taken in the morning, when the sun was slightly overcast with light clouds, so they do not convey the true beauty of the place with bright sunny weather.

Pontoon pier at Centara Hotel beach in Ao Nang

Pontoon pier at Centara Hotel beach in Ao Nang

At the far end of the beach is now built a pontoon pier stretching far out to sea. Next to it you can rent a kayak or sign up for surfing school and start learning by trying to hold out as long as possible on the surfboards. Prices based on proximity is not a budget hotel relevant, ie higher than elsewhere in the resort of Ao Nang. Also directly from the pier you can enjoy fish or swim in the nearest rock snorkeling. From the pier offer a good view to the original form of rock sticking out of the water, as well as the entire beach and bungalows scattered on the shore of Centara Hotel.

Pai Plong beach. View from the pier on Hotel Centara

Pai Plong beach. View from the pier on Hotel Centara

Sunbeds and umbrellas are not provided for beach goers. Therefore, going to sunbathe here, it is better to take with individual mats which are sold in Ao Nang everywhere and are quite inexpensive. By the way, they will be useful to you and when you visit other resort beaches, because the situation there is similar with sun beds with the exception of some places in hotels. Swim nice: beach quite shallow, clear water, fine sand, without debris. As shown in the last photograph taken at 12-30 local time, people on the beach quite a bit. I am visiting the beach alone, sometimes had to wait for 10-15 minutes, when near me will take place at least someone who can take a picture of me in a certain place (I do not like the selfie, as well as to disturb those resting peacefully, lying on sand under the warm Thai sun).

Hotel Centara Beach (Pai Plong beach). A view of the coastal cliffs and trees

Hotel Centara Beach (Pai Plong beach). A view of the coastal cliffs and trees

As I wrote in the general article “Ao Nang Resort: location, beaches, entertainment,” you can buy eat and drink on the Pai Plong beach only in Centara hotel, where the prices of all food and drinks much too high. Therefore it is better to seize the fruit, drinks and snacks with you, acquiring all in street stalls and shops of Ao Nang: 7Eleven and Family Mart. Return to Ao Nang is made on the same path in reverse. This review of Pai Plong beach is complete. Also you can see small video review of Pai Plong beach in Ao Nang (beach of Centara Hotel). Enjoy your vacation!

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