Review: Panan Krabi Resort, Ao Nang

Introduction

Ao Nang was my final stop on an almost month-long trip through Uzbekistan and Thailand. With a new job waiting for me back in London, I wanted my last few days to be calm and low-key. I’m not very good at relaxing – two weeks on a beach sounds like a challenge rather than a holiday – but I figured some sun and stillness would be a good way to reflect on the trip and ease back into real life. While planning my trip, I started looking for a place that could give me the right balance of comfort, convenience and calm – which is how I ended up at Panan Krabi Resort.

Getting There & First Impressions

I arrived at the resort after a night on Cheow Lan Lake in Khao Sok, which I’ve written about in a previous post. As part of that booking, I’d arranged a private transfer to Ao Nang for 3,000 THB (around £60 at the time).

In hindsight, I definitely overpaid. Smiley Tours offer a group transfer for just 500 THB (about £11), and both options leave at exactly the same time. The only real difference was that I had a car to myself instead of sharing a minibus.

I’d assumed the group transfer would mean delays or being crammed in with loads of people, but having now seen it for myself, I’d absolutely go with the cheaper option next time and would recommend it to others too.

Pulling up to Panan Krabi Resort, I arrived around 5pm so my room was already ready. The staff were friendly and handed me a voucher for a free drink during my stay, and pointed out the bright, spacious restaurant where breakfast was served each day. The immediate vibe of the hotel was a lively one, with plenty of families enjoying the pool and the play areas. The centrepiece of the hotel is its pool, which has plenty of little nooks and crannies, as well as a swim up bar in the middle. Crossing over a bridge, I made my way to my room.

The Rooms

I had booked Panan Krabi Resort for one main reason: The rooms. Opening the door to mine, I discovered a huge bed, well stocked bathroom, desk and the balcony area. Obviously, I dropped my bag and made my way immediately to the balcony.

I’d booked one of the Deluxe Whirlpool rooms, and instead of a traditional balcony railing, there was an infinity-edge plunge pool. The pool has jets along a built in bench, and it’s big enough to comfortably seat about 4-5 people, or plenty of room for one person to swim around – just don’t expect to be able to do laps! The balcony pool overlooks the main pool below, and although it doesn’t get a lot of sun, it was absolute bliss having my own space to float around or sit and read a book in. The balcony also has a large circular day bed to relax in, and it’s the perfect setting to finish out the day.

Some of the other rooms that Panan Krabi Resort offers have views of the sea or the cliffs, or direct main pool access from the balcony. I even saw one family suite that had a rooftop hot tub!

Inside the room, the space was large and bright. An enormous bed took up most of the room, plus a desk, minibar, wardrobe and lovely bathroom.

Two minor gripes with my room were around the noise. Mine was the first room along the corridor, right over the kids’ pool area. While it’s obviously completely normal for kids to play and make noise, it does echo and reverberate around the property, so if you’re looking for a midday nap, it does make it hard.

More disruptive, though, was the corridor noise. The walls weren’t very soundproofed, and my room was right by the elevator. I could hear people walking past late into the night and lingering by the lifts for chats, and unfortunately, it kept me up each night of my stay. If I booked again, I’d request a room at the end of the corridor or further from the lift to avoid that issue: something worth noting if you’re a light sleeper or a solo traveller like me.

Facilities & Amenities

I’ve already mentioned the main pool, but it’s worth mentioning again. It’s huge and stretches the length of the resort, weaving its way under bridges and trees. There’s a swim up bar in the centre of the pool, and some quieter, shaded areas with sun loungers to chill out with a book. There’s also a second, slightly smaller pool on the rooftop of one of the hotel’s three buildings – it’s still pretty big, with wonderful views of the surrounding cliffs and a poolside bar.

Outside of the pools, the resort has a gym and activities for guests, such as yoga and pilates classes, as well as some cooking classes. They’ve also got a kids club, and I noticed plenty of signs with activities for kids.

Finally, the hotel has a spa that offers massages, facials and other treatments. Naturally, hotel spas will always be more expensive than the local options as you’re paying for the convenience. I decided to keep it cheaper, and the hotel is walking distance from plenty of other salons. If you’re looking for a massage or a facial, I’d recommend taking a short wander and seeing what catches your eye.

Food & Vegan Options

The hotel does have an all-day restaurant offering Thai, Japanese and Western food. I decided to try local places on this stay, so I can only speak about the restaurant’s breakfast offering. Breakfast was included in the price of the room, and it’s held in the main restaurant.

Throughout my travels, I’ve generally found hotel breakfasts to be disappointing for vegan fare. The best I’ve had was a place in Vietnam that had tofu on the menu, while the worst was a banana in Cambodia (it was a tiny banana too).

Panan Krabi Resort is middle of the road. They’ve got a LOT on offer, but not a lot in the way of nutritious, high-protein vegan options. They had a section of Indian food that was the best for plant based options (my eternal gratitude to India for giving the world daal), however the staff were so lovely and happy to help with vegan options. I asked if they had anything with tofu, and they told me to take a seat and they’d whip me up some. It was simple and plain, but so tasty and exactly what I needed.

Each morning of my stay, they approached me to ask if I’d like something special, and I always ate well. That level of service is so appreciated, and makes such a difference in travelling as a vegan.

Location & Nearby Attractions

Panan Krabi Resort is right off of one of Ao Nang’s main roads, so there are tons of bars, restaurants, souvenir shops and salons a stone’s throw from the hotel. The beach is less than ten minutes walk down the road.

I chose Ao Nang rather than the nearby Krabi Town because I wanted somewhere calm and peaceful, and I got exactly that. From Ao Nang itself, you can take boats to the famous Railay Beach, or travel into Krabi to explore the town and the market for the day.

Ao Nang also has plenty to explore, with a hiking trail that takes you up into the cliffs, along the sea, or a host of beach clubs if you want a more chilled vibe.

Value for Money

There are definitely cheaper hotels in Ao Nang, and Panan Krabi Resort is one of the more mid-range to expensive ones, especially considering I booked a whirlpool room. I used points to pay for part of my stay, but had I not, the total would have been about £345 for three nights, making it the most expensive hotel of my Thailand trip. Compared to European prices, it’s excellent value for the level of service and the experience I had there, but compared to other Thai hotels, it is expensive.

Final Thoughts