We are flying from Bangkok to Krabi in May and want to transfer to Ao Nang.

Krabi International Airport is located about 15 kilometres from the town centre on Highway 4. The airport opened in 2000 and the international terminal followed in 2006 yet it’s still surprisingly hard to find information about the services available. Most travellers arrange their own transport in advance with their hotels, which is the easiest option though not the cheapest.

To answer your question, yes, there is a shuttle service from the airport to Krabi town at Bt90 and to Ao Nang at Bt150. As far as I know, the buses are timed to meet the flights. Passengers can also arrange a taxi from the airport when they arrive at the terminal. The price is about Bt600 and can take up to four passengers. It means you pay Bt150 each, the same as on the shuttle bus. It usually takes about 40 minutes to drive from the airport to Ao Nang.

If you are on a budget and don’t have a lot of luggage, you can walk to the highway in front of the airport, cross to the opposite side of the road and wait for a song thaew or a bus heading to Krabi town. From the town centre, you can connect to Ao Nang by song thaew or motorcycle taxi. If you are easygoing, only have a light backpack, and don’t mind spending more time on the road, travelling by song thaew to Ao Nang is quite a pleasant trip.

 

 

I am toying with the idea of travelling from Chau Doc in the Mekong Delta in Vietnam to Phnom Penh by boat. Would you recommend it? Do you know if it’s possible to get a visa to enter Cambodia at the border between Vietnam and Cambodia if I travel by boat. Greg

 

Travelling from Chau Doc to Phnom Penh by boat involves some beautiful scenery through the Mekong Delta, but it's more expensive option than the bus. The distance between the two is 130 kilometres and takes up to five hours by boat. However, the journey along the Mekong River, the longest river in the southeastern Asia region is something most travellers shouldn’t miss. 

You have plenty of options on this route too – from a luxury three-day itinerary on an upmarket boat to simple fast boats that are widely available.

There are a number of boat operators, among them Blue Cruise, Hang Chau and Victoria Boats. Boats are all similar, as are services. It’s possible to book the day before from Chau Doc. In fact, you will need to stay the night in Chau Doc, which is a pleasant town with plenty of budget accommodation.

Boats leave around 8am every morning but only go only as far as Neak Luang. From there you will be transferred to a minibus for the last leg to Phnom Penh. The trip takes about four-and-half hours in total. I would suggest you preparing food and drink for the upriver trip especially if you have no time for breakfast that morning.

The border crossing near Chau Doc has opened up for foreigners, so you can get a Cambodian visa at the border for US$20 (plus a few dollars extra fee) with two passport photos. The boat staff will give you the visa application form to fill in. Bon voyage!