Krabi’s hidden gems – secret beaches and lagoons

Phang Nga Bay is the realm of hidden lagoons. Koh Roi hides a green, silent inner space behind a narrow passage that you reach by swimming or wading. Koh Kudu also has a lagoon inside, surrounded by overgrown rock walls. Both depend on the tide and appear on hardly any group itinerary.

Arrive here and you get what a true hidden gem should feel like: silence, birdsong and the sense of having discovered something.

The Koh Hong lagoon is no secret any more, but at the right time it feels like one. Early in the morning at the right water level, you often glide between the cliffs almost alone. Next door lie Koh Lao Lading with its tiny beach between two rocks and Koh Pakbia with sandbars and snorkel spots.

Behind the Railay cliffs lies the Sa Phra Nang lagoon, reachable only via a steep, partly rope-assisted scramble. On the way you pass a viewpoint overlooking Railay East and West. The descent into the lagoon is demanding and only suitable for sure-footed visitors with a head for heights – not for small children and not after rain.

These beaches aren’t unknown, but they are often much quieter than the classics:

Almost every one of these places has a particular window. Lagoons with narrow entrances need the right water level, beaches are quietest outside group times, and the light in the lagoons is most beautiful when the sun spills over the rim of the cliffs.

With a small private boat, these windows can be combined in one day. Your captain knows the tides and the usual routes of the excursion boats, and knows which bay is quietest that day.

The hidden lagoons of Phang Nga Bay are made for swimming and marvelling rather than snorkelling. For fish and coral, combine them with Koh Pakbia, Chicken Island or – for the clearest water – Koh Rok.

For the entrances at Koh Roi and Koh Kudu, water shoes with firm soles are a must, plus a waterproof phone case and a life jacket for less confident swimmers. Leave valuables on the boat.

Hidden lagoons are fragile. Please leave no rubbish, don’t step on coral, leave plants and animals alone and take nothing with you. Reef-safe sunscreen is a must, loud music out of place.

And perhaps the most important tip: not every place needs to end up on social media with exact coordinates. The quiet of these places is their real value.