Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas Krabi
Pai Plong Bay, Krabi, Thailand
Location
Pai Plong Bay, near Ao Nang
The resort occupies Pai Plong Bay, a secluded private bay within a national park near Ao Nang, Krabi, framed by limestone cliffs with around five hundred metres of beach. It is reached only by boat or the short Monkey Trail footpath, which keeps it quiet even though the shops and restaurants of Ao Nang are just over the headland.
Transfer
Boat or trail access
Fly into Krabi (KBV), about 40 minutes to Nopparat Thara pier, then a free speedboat across in roughly 15 minutes — or walk the 15-to-20-minute Monkey Trail over the headland from Ao Nang. The bay has no road in, which is the point.
Villas
Around 192 rooms, suites & villas
A hundred and ninety-two rooms, suites and villas in modern Thai style, from around 72 square metres to nearly 400. They run from Deluxe Ocean View rooms through connecting family rooms to one-bedroom pool villas and two-bedroom beachfront villas; some have an outdoor Jacuzzi or a plunge pool, and Club rooms add lounge access — a resort with room for families to spread out.
Best For
Who it suits
Families wanting a big, activity-rich beach resort in a national-park bay — diving, watersports, kids' clubs and a waterfall pool — with couples drawn to the seclusion and the easy island-hopping to Railay and Phi Phi.
Board Basis
B&B / half-board
Booked on bed and breakfast, with a half-board option. Lotus Court, Suan Bua, Hagi and the beachside Coast cover the breakfast buffet, open-air Thai and seafood, Japanese and casual dining, so half-board and dine-around work easily.
About the Resort
A secluded family beach bay
Centara Grand sits in a secluded national-park bay near Ao Nang, framed by limestone cliffs and reached only by boat or a short trail — a free speedboat across from Nopparat Thara pier, or the fifteen-minute Monkey Trail footpath over the headland from town. That access is what keeps Pai Plong Bay quiet even with Ao Nang so close. It is a big, family-first resort: 192 rooms, suites and villas in modern Thai style, a two-tier swimming pool with a cascading waterfall and a swim-up bar, two kids' and teens' clubs, and around five hundred metres of beach. The water is the draw — a PADI dive centre to learn in or head out to Krabi's reefs, plus kayaking, paddleboarding, sailing and snorkelling — and the resort is a natural base for island-hopping to Railay and the Phi Phi islands. Families come for the clubs, the pool and the activities; couples come for the secluded bay and the easy trips out.
Accommodation
Rooms, suites & villas
A hundred and ninety-two rooms, suites and villas in modern Thai style range from around 72 square metres to nearly 400, some with an outdoor Jacuzzi or a private plunge pool, and Club rooms and suites adding lounge access. They run from Deluxe Ocean View rooms through connecting family rooms to one-bedroom pool villas and two-bedroom beachfront villas.
Entry
Deluxe Ocean View
Sleeps two to three. Around 72 to 77 square metres with a balcony, some with an outdoor Jacuzzi, and an ocean or garden view — the easy entry room.
BalconyOcean view
Family
Family Room
Sleeps three to five. A family room with two double beds and connecting options, made for travelling with children.
ConnectingFamily
Villa
One-Bedroom Ocean-Facing Pool Villa
Sleeps three. A 111-square-metre one-bedroom villa with a private plunge pool, a living and dining area and a bay view.
Plunge poolBay view
Apex
Two-Bedroom Beachfront Villa
Sleeps four to six. A two-bedroom beachfront villa of up to nearly 400 square metres with its own pool — the resort's signature address right on the sand.
BeachfrontOcean view
Food & Drink
Dining
Four restaurants cover the day. Lotus Court does the breakfast buffet and all-day dining with live music; Suan Bua serves open-air Thai and seafood with sea views; Hagi turns out Japanese; and Coast Beach Club & Bistro keeps it casual by the sand.
Buffet
Lotus Court
The breakfast buffet and all-day dining, with live music in the evening.
Thai
Suan Bua
Open-air Thai and seafood with views over the bay.
Japanese
Hagi
Japanese cooking, from sushi to the grill.
Beach
Coast Beach Club & Bistro
Casual food and drinks beside the beach.
Wellbeing
Spa Cenvaree
Spa Cenvaree handles the wellness with Thai massage and aromatherapy, while the water does the rest: a two-tier swimming pool with a cascading waterfall, a Jacuzzi and a swim-up bar, a children's pool, around five hundred metres of beach, and a PADI dive centre for the reefs offshore.
Spa Cenvaree
Thai massage and aromatherapy at Spa Cenvaree.
Waterfall pool
A two-tier pool with a cascading waterfall, a Jacuzzi and a swim-up bar.
PADI diving
An on-site PADI dive centre, for learning to dive or heading out to Krabi's reefs.
Activities & Experiences
Signature Experiences
An activity-rich resort in a national-park bay: learn to dive at the PADI centre, swim the two-tier waterfall pool, get out on the water with kayaks and paddleboards, and use the bay as a base for island-hopping to Railay and Phi Phi — with monkeys and birdlife around the headland.
PADI dive centre
An on-site PADI dive centre — learn to dive, or head out to the reefs of the Andaman.
Two-tier waterfall pool
A two-tier swimming pool with a cascading waterfall and a swim-up bar.
Boat or Monkey-Trail arrival
Arrival by free speedboat from the pier, or along the short Monkey Trail footpath from Ao Nang.
Watersports
Kayaking, paddleboarding, sailing, windsurfing and snorkelling off the bay.
Railay & Phi Phi
Island-hopping and day trips to Railay and the Phi Phi islands from the bay.
Getting There
Location & transfers
By boat
About 15 minutes from the pier
About 15 minutes by free speedboat from Nopparat Thara pier, with the airport (KBV) roughly 40 minutes from the pier by road.
Or on foot
The Monkey Trail
Or reach the bay on foot via the 15-to-20-minute Monkey Trail over the headland from Ao Nang.
Guest Reviews
What Our Clients Say
★★★★★
“The most extraordinary place I have ever stayed. Nothing prepares you for the depth of the silence, the beauty of the reef, or the sheer generosity of the experience.”
✓ Verified via feefo
★★★★★
“We’ve stayed here three times now. The house reef has no equal. The stargazing was, genuinely, one of the most moving experiences of my adult life.”
✓ Verified via feefo
★★★★★
“I had stayed at Four Seasons, One&Only and Velaa before visiting Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas Krabi. They are all magnificent. But this is different in a way that is hard to articulate.”
✓ Verified via feefo
Good to Know
Good to know
Board basis
- Booked on bed and breakfast, with a half-board option.
Access
- A secluded national-park bay reached by a free speedboat — about 15 minutes from Nopparat Thara pier — or the 15-to-20-minute Monkey Trail footpath over the headland from Ao Nang.
Families
- Family-first: two kids' and teens' clubs, a children's pool and a kids' disco.
Getting there
- About 40 minutes from Krabi Airport (KBV) to the pier, then the short boat across the bay.
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