Stunning views in Thailand's low-key Krabi province

It's hard to fathom just how gorgeous a simple bunch of rocks can be, but the craggy limestone towers and scenic grottos of Krabi, Thailand, create a stunning backdrop for the province's beaches and hotels.

A two- to three-hour drive from the island of Phuket, Krabi province lies mostly on the mainland of Thailand, encompassing beach areas along the coast as well as 132 islands offshore, the picturesque Phi Phi islands among them.

Krabi Town is the nondescript commercial heart of the province, while Ao Nang is the main tourist hub. The latter is where visitors head for a bustling seaside strip of souvenir shops, restaurants, beer-soaked bars and a decent arc of wide beach.

Twenty years ago, Krabi was a string of sleepy villages. The local international airport opened only a decade ago. Today, hotels and other developments are cropping up, though for the time being, Krabi is still refreshingly low-key compared to Phuket.

My family and I spent five days in Krabi, staying in two hotels and experiencing two very different parts of the province. Without a doubt, I found Krabi's most scenic spot to be the Railay peninsula. Its spectacular cliffs keep it cut off by road from the rest of the mainland, giving it a very secluded island vibe.

Visitors get to Railay by longboat from Krabi Town, about a 15- to 30-minute ride, depending on the tides (Krabi Town is about a 15-minute drive from the airport).

Railay is compact and filled with low-rise hotels and cafes that stretch back from Railay Beach West's semicircle of golden sand. This strip, along with the peninsula's other good beach at Phra Nang, are super-scenic and framed by the stunning rock formations. The peninsula's third main beach, Railay Beach East, is full of mangroves.

Long boats bring in day visitors to both Railay Beach West and Phra Nang, but still, since the peninsula is free of roads and traffic, it maintains a remote, lost-in-time feeling.

There are a number of inexpensive guesthouses and small hotels on the peninsula, but we opted for the high-end Rayavadee resort, where rooms start at $580 a night. Spread across 26 acres, Rayavadee's 102 circular, two-story villas are nestled in a grove of coconut palms perfectly framed by an ancient arc of towering limestone cliffs. Elegantly rustic interiors are outfitted with dark wood furniture, ceramic tiles, earthy Thai fabrics and lovely ginger bath products.

In the standard category, called Deluxe Pavilion, there was plenty of room for the four of us on the two large beds upstairs. The first level's pillow-strewn couch swing was a great perch for watching TV or relaxing with a book.

Paddling around the large, seaside pool, one could appreciate both the cliffs along the edge of the property and the distant rock formations offshore. Brick pathways weave through masses of magenta and searing red tropical blooms, leading to grottos, caves and the two beaches beautifully framed by the craggy rock.

A beautifully designed spa with eye-catching decor, including brass monkeys holding up massage tables, is tucked into rock and foliage near the fitness center and tennis and squash courts.

Since there is no playroom or children's program, my husband and I spent the days swimming with our boys in the pool and kayaking to a small, rocky island a little way off the shore. We had lunch and fresh juices at the Grotto, a casual restaurant set into the eaves of a cliff.

Twice we hired an off-duty hotel employee to baby-sit for a few hours in the evening so we could dine alone at one of Rayavadee's four restaurants. One night, it was Krua Phranang, a romantic Thai venue with cliff and ocean views. For cocktails at sunset, the favorite spot is the Raitalay Terrace restaurant.

Though we made it work very nicely with our 5-year-old twins, Rayavadee is definitely geared toward couples and honeymooners who value doting service, privacy and stunning beauty.

The new, 276-room Sofitel Krabi Phokeethra Golf & Spa Resort is better suited to those traveling with children as well as the corporate groups to which it caters. The hotel is set along Krabi's Klong Muang Beach and lacks Rayavadee's seclusion and amazing setting.

A two-way road bordered by electrical wires separates the hotel from an unappealing strip of sand where a mile or so down the shoreline, cargo ships pick up gypsum at a rusty old industrial pier. Farther on along the coast toward Tubkaek to the north, though, the beach gets better, and several small-scale properties are set seaside. 

Sofitel offers a gigantic, free-form pool that stretches across the front of the entire property. A swim-up bar is on one end, another part is geared to children and yet another laps right up to the verandas of a number of rooms at one end of the hotel.

As much as Rayavadee is about offering a magical setting and luxurious amenities, Sofitel is functional and mainstream as well as much more affordable.

Combining pretty colors (the facade is pale yellow and white), nice landscaping with lots of thick, green grass and views of rocky islands in the distance, Sofitel gets points for its drop-off kids program; indoor/outdoor play area; spa (I had an excellent Thai massage there); and activities like cooking classes and guided bike rides and kayaking jaunts.

There are three restaurants: Thai, Italian and a sprawling continental indoor/outdoor venue where we enjoyed the Caesar salad with grilled prawns every day at lunch.

Unlike the buzzing Railay Beach strip, with its restaurants, shops and beach bum vibe, in Klong Muang, there's nothing much happening outside of each hotel's borders. For a night out, many do the 45-minute drive via taxi or shuttle bus to Ao Nang.

Sofitel's recent enhancements include a 30-foot yacht that can be rented for trips to the nearby Ko Hong islands, where the beaches and grottos rival Railay's, and a nine-hole golf course expected to open by the end of the year. Rates start at about $135 a night, and children stay free if occupying the same room.