Banyan Tree Krabi

The rooms at Banyan Tree Krabi are pool suites and villas, with ocean views, garden views and sea views depending on the room. Bathrooms can include a bathtub, a walk-in shower, bathrobes and a hair dryer, and some rooms offer a choice of bed set-ups.

The two-bedroom ocean suite has two bedrooms and two bathrooms, and rooms can also include air conditioning, a mini bar, an electric kettle and an in-room safe box. Bed set-ups include a king bed and two queen beds, and the two-bedroom villa sleeps up to five guests, with a sea view. Bathrobes, toiletries and hair dryers are part of the bathroom setup in several rooms.

Recreation is a big part of a stay here: there are outdoor and indoor swimming pools, a children's swimming pool, a fitness center, a yoga room and a spa with massage and sauna. The private beach offers snorkelling and motorised and non-motorised water sports, and the hotel also offers tours.

For children there is a kids club, a playground, a babysitting service and kids meals. Restaurants, a poolside bar, a snack bar and 24-hour room service are on site, and breakfast is served in Asian, buffet, continental and halal styles.

Practical services include a 24-hour front desk, a concierge, currency exchange, luggage storage, a gift shop and an airport transfer, and the property is wheelchair accessible.

Banyan Tree Krabi stands on Tub Kaek Beach in Nongtalay, on the mainland coast of Krabi province, where limestone cliffs rise above the sea. The coast here is quieter than the busier beach towns nearby, so a stay is built around the beach, the pools and the spa rather than around nightlife. The hotel's own grounds, with gardens and two swimming pools, carry much of the holiday.

The Khao Ngon Nak viewpoint on Dragon Crest Mountain is close by and gives a high view over the coast, and Silanto Beach is also nearby. Ao Nang Beach, the main beach town of this part of the coast, is 10.1 km away, with restaurants, bars and boat piers. Railay Beach, known for its limestone cliffs, is 13.2 km away, and Krabi International Airport is 25.7 km away by road.

A good day out combines time on the beach with a boat trip to the Hong Islands, or to Poda and Tup islands, which are reached by boat from the coast. Boat trips depend on sea conditions, which can be rougher in the rainy season. Tiger Cave Temple (Wat Tham Suea), 19.8 km away, is a popular visit for its long staircase up to a shrine inside a cave.