If you want to see Monkeys in Ao Nang, it’s quite easy to go visit the Monkey Trail that starts right on Ao Nang Beach at the very northern end.
Where: GPS coordinates – 8.024883083999747, 98.82786399972356
The monkeys are usually on the beach and in the trees behind the beach. In the early morning they come out around 7 am. At night, they return to the trees up on the hillside around 6-7 pm.
What Is It? The Monkey Trail is a 330 meter long (1,083 feet) path including steps, wooden boardwalk, and dirt trail that goes up over a steep incline. It rises about 30 meters in vertical elevation.
The beach below the trail, and the trail itself have dozens of monkeys. These are long-tailed macaque monkeys. Tourists have a fascination with them, thinking they are cute until something is stolen or the monkeys bare their teeth and threaten to bite. Take it seriously!
Why Take the Monkey Trail?
People take the Monkey Trail for 4 reasons:
- The view over the water and islands is nice (when there aren’t too many trees blocking!)
- To see monkeys. The long-tailed macaque monkeys are on the beach at the base of the trail as well as up on the steps and in the trees around the trail.
- To reach the Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas which is nestled between two mountain peaks and isolated from a land crossing except by this high pass trail. Note – you can also just take a longtail boat from Ao Nang Beach to reach this resort.
- Exercise. Some people want to get a little vertical into their day and climb the steps and path over and over for some exercise.
Can Anyone Climb the Monkey Trail?
The steps can be steep and the wooden construction not all that safe looking. If you are fit and don’t have knee or back problems, you can probably climb up and down the trail without too much difficulty.
This is not for people in wheelchairs, unfit, or elderly with restricted motion or heart problems. It’s very hot in the day and night in Krabi, and this requires a serious effort for some people.
Cautions?
The monkeys at this trail are very aggressive. They will take anything you have that is not hidden under your shirt. That means phone, sunglasses, bag, purse, shopping bag, food, drink, literally anything they can get their hands on. They are used to tourists coming here and either feeding them voluntarily or just stealing their food and drink.
Do be careful, the monkeys can bite and will bite if they feel threatened or if you are fighting with them to save your food, bag, or other personal belonging.
Monkeys can have disease like rabies, and they may bite for no reason. They have ticks and chiggers that also transfer disease.
Look at the monkeys from a distance and don’t feed them, please!
More Monkey Information >
