Scooter Rental: Different Methods of Travel

With a plethora of options at your fingertips it’s sometimes difficult to figure out what to do how to get around? well there are a number of options available to you when thinking of how to get around but since we have been living in Krabi for over 10 years now, we find the easiest option when traveling both near and far has been by scooter rental.

The province of Krabi is vast there is just so much to see and experience here, how much time do you have to travel around the many corners of this vast province? Thats the only barometer for the level of exploration you can expect in Krabi.

Traveling in Krabi can come in many forms, bus, car rental, taxi, bicycle rental, scooter rental or by the old fashioned version ‘by foot’. All have their pros and cons so we’re going to review a few of these options.

By Bus

There are a number of locals buses that cruise the streets of Ao Nang, most of them are open back trucks with “Krabi town, Airport, Fossil Shell beach, LOTUS” Written on the side. They are actually called Song-teaw and they are a great option for getting around as they are cheap, frequent and can take you to Krabi town, all the while you have the option to meet other traveller, who knows maybe you’ll make a friend to adventure with! The only downside to the bus situation is as it always is freedom.. You are restricted to only the few stops these buses make, so if you are looking to go to one of the handful of locations they travel to then you’re in luck, but for the vast majority of us we are looking for some means to get around easier on our own.

Car Rental

For families or parents traveling with kids this is the recommended method for travel in Krabi as it will offer you the safest option for your little ones. Car seats while not available at most car rental agencies can be bought at a number of local shops for around 100USD. GPS navigation is also much easier in a car, within the safety of your own vehicle you can easily glance to the dashboard to your GPS device and get a quick and easy bearing on your location immediately. The car will also offer you comfort for your belongings in great quantity as once you park somewhere you can easily leave everything you have inside your car lock the car and bingo you’re safe to travel Krabi by foot.

Taxi / Tuk-Tuk

A great option for both long and short trips alike as taxi fares are typically rather cheap in Krabi, most taxi’s and Tuk tuk’s in Krabi will cost you between 300-400THB to get around all of Krabi, for longer distances the cost will run somewhere in the 2,500-3,500THB for Phuket and 600-700THB for a one way trip to the airport. Taxi’s and Tuk tug’s are great alternatives to getting around town as they are safe and easily although a bit more expensive if you use taxi’s and tuk tuk’s daily and also will restrict you as you might not know where to ask the taxi to take you in order to find a remote destination.

Scooter rental

The go-to method for most traveller in Krabi. Scooter rentals come in all shapes and sizes from smaller engines of around 110cc, which are suitable for up to 120Kg of riders to the medium sized bikes with engines usually around 125cc, these bikes are great for single riders as well as couples whose weight does not exceed 160KG. Then up to the 150cc engines such as those in the Honda PCX or the Yamaha Aerox, both of these bikes are great comfortable and safe bikes to ride. The larger scooter rentals will be able to get you all around Krabi province and will not be very difficult to maneuver around tight areas or parking in small spaces. The 150cc bikes are when we generally recommend to most moderately experienced riders as you will feel comfortable yet confident to handle any road. There are also larger bikes available for your to rent such as chopper bikes such as Honda shadow or Kawasaki vulcan, these bikes typically start with engine sizes of 200cc and range up to 1000cc but 200cc engines are plenty of power for most of your scooter rental needs. These chopper bikes are great for cruising longer distances as they often have forward controls allowing you to ride in a more relaxed position. Many of these chopper bikes also come equipped with saddlebags for extra storage and often a backrest for the passenger. As choppers have larger fuel tanks and have long ranges we recommend you take a chopper for nice grand long rides out into the rural regions of Krabi. See what you can find and have fun, just don’t forget to bring your camera. The downside to riding scooter rentals is that you are more vulnerable to other drivers on the road so always please drive wearing your helmet and drive carefully.

Bicycle

Bicycles although not very common in Krabi are great methods for getting around, we typically recommend you are somewhat fit as Krabi gets hot and exercising in this heat requires a certain degree of fitness. For touring the region comfortably and silently on an electric bicycle we highly recommend you rent an electric bicycle from Krabi Green Bikes (06-14-94-76-44) They rent high quality electric bicycles with quite impressive ranges (most of the bikes ranges are over 20Km). The only downside to riding a bicycle is the energy output needed to get it moving, so come prepared with extra water!

By Foot

For those looking to venture only in the direct vicinity of their hotel or residence and by the direct vicinity we’re talking about within 5 kilometers as Krabi is HOT and you will certainly feel the heat after a few kilometers. Traveling by foot can have it’s benefits though as when you are traveling by foot you get the option to see so many details of Krabi, the little things that you might miss if your whizzing by at 40 Km/Hr. So if you’re looking for a nice leisurely close to home vacation then better stay to your trusty feet

There you have it, the options for traveling around Krabi province and our pros and cons for each method.

Happy travels in Krabi!