01 Food tours
Original food tours, curated with our local tastemakers to showcase the neighbourhood kitchens, markets and family-run eateries that define Krabi.
02 Meet the tastemakers
The local food experts who help us research, refine and lead every A Chef's Tour.
Gaeng som yellow curry with sea bass, southern Thai roti, khua kling dry curry, palm sugar in the iced tea. Southern Thai cooking runs hotter and drier than the north.
04 The pantry
- Bai yanang, jungle vine leaves that thicken southern curries
- Kapi, dark fermented shrimp paste at the heart of southern cooking
- Turmeric, fresh yellow root that colours most southern dishes
- Sator beans, pungent stink beans stir-fried with prawns
- Coconut milk, thick fresh cream from the local palms
05 In the kitchen
- Pounding southern curry pastes with turmeric, chilli and shrimp paste
- Dry-frying khua kling meat curries with no liquid at all
- Cracking fresh coconut and pressing the milk by hand
- Grilling whole reef fish over charcoal in banana leaf
- Serving roti hot from the griddle with sweet curries
06 Eat this first
- Gaeng som pak ruam, sour yellow curry with mixed vegetables and fish
- Khua kling, dry curry of minced beef or pork with wild aromatics
- Roti mataba, folded flatbread stuffed with curried chicken
- Nam prik goong siap, smoked-shrimp chilli dip with raw vegetables
- Kua kai baan, southern-style village chicken curry
What happens inside a hammam kitchen
A morning with the cooks who feed the neighbourhood before dawn. Charcoal, dough, the smell of a bakery working its second oven.
09 Recipes
A collection of authentic recipes we couldn't leave behind.
A thick potato-and-egg omelette sandwiched inside soft roti or crusty bread with chili sauce. Bangkok's Muslim-quarter breakfast snack.
Butterflied chicken marinated in garlic, coriander root, fish sauce and palm sugar, then grilled hard over charcoal. Isaan's roadside classic, served with sticky rice.
Clear beef broth over rice noodles with slow-braised beef shin, meatballs, bean sprouts and fresh coriander. Bangkok's iconic noodle lunch.
A pile of shaved ice drenched in sweetened coconut cream, topped with a customer-chosen selection of jelly, tapioca pearls, sweetened beans and jackfruit. Bangkok's summertime cooler.
Soft rice paper rolls filled with lettuce, coriander, cooked prawn, glass noodles and sweet Chinese sausage, dipped in a tangy plum-tamarind sauce. Bangkok's lightest starter.
Fresh corn kernels pounded with garlic, chili, palm sugar and lime instead of green papaya — a modern Bangkok variation of the classical som tum.
10 Field Notes
Quick field notes to help you get accustomed to Krabi.
Weather
Tropical. Warm year-round (27–33°C). The dry season (November–April) is peak; May to October is wetter with dramatic afternoon storms.
Currency
The Thai baht (THB). Cash for tuk-tuks, markets, and small restaurants. Cards in resorts and mid-range restaurants.
Language
Thai. English is widely spoken in tourist areas and by boat operators.
Etiquette
Cover shoulders and knees in temples. On the beach, topless bathing is technically illegal even at resorts. Muslim communities are common. Dress modestly in fishing villages.
Getting around
Songthaews and tuk-tuks cover the town. longtail boats are the go-to for the beaches and islands (Railay, the Phi Phi group). Scooters are common for the confident.
Prayer
Buddhist and Muslim populations are roughly balanced along the Andaman coast. Wat Tham Sua (Tiger Cave Temple) is the major Buddhist site. Mosques serve fishing communities.