Southern Thailand is one of the best-value family beach holidays from the UAE, and Phuket and Krabi together give you two very different sides of the Andaman coast. Phuket is the easy start, with a big choice of family resorts, kids' clubs and restaurants; Krabi is quieter and more dramatic, with limestone cliffs rising straight out of the sea. Splitting the week four and three gives children time to settle before the move.
We base you at Kata or Karon on Phuket's west coast, which have wide sandy beaches, gentle slopes into the water in the dry season and a relaxed atmosphere compared with Patong next door. The Phang Nga Bay day is the highlight for most families: a speedboat among the karst islands, a canoe through sea caves and the famous rock pinnacle at Khao Phing Kan, often called James Bond Island. We also include a half day to the Big Buddha and Phuket Old Town, with its colourful Sino-Portuguese shophouses and excellent dim sum breakfasts.
The move to Krabi is part of the fun. Rather than a three-hour drive, you take the ferry via Phi Phi, around four hours with a stop to see Maya Bay and the Phi Phi viewpoint from the water. In Ao Nang, the four-islands longtail trip visits Phra Nang Cave beach, Chicken Island, Tup Island, where a sandbar joins two islets at low tide, and Poda. Railay beach is a short longtail ride away and is reachable only by boat, so it feels like an island even though it is on the mainland.
Practical advice from Arjun Menon: the dry season from November to April is the time to go, as from May the west coast gets bigger waves and many beaches fly red flags. Thai food can be mild for children on request, just ask for "mai phet", and there is plenty of fried rice, grilled chicken and fresh fruit. Halal restaurants are common in Krabi, which has a large Muslim community. Pack rash vests and reef shoes for the island days.
Highlights
- Phang Nga Bay by speedboat, with sea-cave canoeing and James Bond Island
- Ferry from Phuket to Krabi through the Phi Phi islands and Maya Bay
- Krabi four-islands longtail trip with the Tup Island sandbar
- Phuket Old Town and the Big Buddha viewpoint
- Railay beach, reachable only by boat
- Family resorts with kids' clubs and pools on both coasts
Day by day
Day 1Fly to Phuket, transfer to Kata
The flight from Dubai takes about six hours, and Thailand is three hours ahead. Your driver meets you at Phuket airport for the drive south to Kata or Karon, about an hour along the west coast. Check in, let the children try the pool, and walk down to the beach for sunset. Kata's main road has plenty of casual restaurants, so dinner can be as simple as pad thai and fresh mango shakes. Overnight Phuket.
Day 2Beach and pool day
Start slowly to get over the time difference. The morning sea is usually flat in the dry season, ideal for children to swim and snorkel near the rocks at the north end of Kata beach. Most family resorts have a kids' club and a splash pool, so parents can book a Thai massage, which costs much less than in Dubai. In the evening visit the Karon Temple market, held on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Overnight Phuket.
Day 3Phang Nga Bay by speedboat
Pickup is around 7:30am for the drive to the pier, about an hour. Spend the day among the limestone islands of Phang Nga Bay: paddle by canoe into hidden lagoons through sea caves, see the rock pinnacle of Khao Phing Kan, known as James Bond Island, and visit Koh Panyee, a Muslim fishing village built on stilts, where lunch is served. Return to your hotel by about 5pm. Overnight Phuket.
Day 4Big Buddha and Phuket Old Town
After breakfast your guide takes you up to the Big Buddha, a 45-metre white marble statue on the Nakkerd hills with views across Chalong Bay. Continue to Wat Chalong, Phuket's most important temple, then Phuket Old Town for its pastel shophouses on Thalang and Soi Romanee, and a lunch of local noodles. You are back at the hotel by about 2pm for an afternoon by the pool. Overnight Phuket.
Day 5Ferry to Krabi via the Phi Phi islands
A morning transfer takes you to Rassada pier for the ferry to Krabi, travelling via Phi Phi, about four hours in total. The boat stops at Phi Phi Don, and you see the cliffs of Phi Phi Leh and the entrance to Maya Bay from the water. Arrive at Ao Nang in the afternoon, where your driver takes you to the hotel. Evening stroll along the beachfront, with views of the limestone headlands. Overnight Krabi.
Day 6Krabi four-islands longtail trip
At about 8:30am board a longtail boat from Ao Nang for the four-islands tour. Visit Phra Nang Cave beach on the Railay peninsula, snorkel off Chicken Island, walk the sandbar that joins Tup Island to its neighbour at low tide, and finish at the white beach of Poda Island, where a picnic lunch is served. The boat returns to Ao Nang by about 3pm, giving time for an afternoon nap. Overnight Krabi.
Day 7Railay beach or Tiger Cave Temple
A free day with two good options. Take a 15-minute longtail to Railay, a beach backed by towering cliffs, where children love the monkeys and the shallow water at the west end. Or, for energetic older children, climb the 1,260 steps of Tiger Cave Temple for a view over the whole province, best at 7am before the heat. In the evening try the Ao Nang night market for halal seafood and roti. Overnight Krabi.
Day 8Drive to Phuket airport and fly home
After breakfast your driver collects you for the road journey back to Phuket airport, about two and a half to three hours over the Sarasin bridge, with a stop for snacks. Allow at least three hours at the airport before your flight. The flight back to Dubai takes around six and a half hours, and with the time difference you usually land the same evening.
Hotels by tier
Choose the tier in the price box; the difference is priced per adult for the whole stay.
Named hotels or similar of the same standard if one is full; we tell you before you pay the balance.
What is included
Included
- Return flights from Dubai to Phuket, Economy, 30 kg baggage
- 7 nights with daily breakfast: 4 in Phuket, 3 in Krabi
- Private airport and hotel transfers in air-conditioned minivans
- Ferry from Phuket to Ao Nang via Phi Phi, with hotel and pier transfers
- Full-day Phang Nga Bay speedboat tour with sea canoeing and lunch
- Half-day Big Buddha and Phuket Old Town tour
- Krabi four-islands longtail tour with lunch and snorkel equipment
- National park entry fees for all included tours
- Local SIM card with data
- 24/7 Dubai support line throughout the trip
Not included
- Thailand visa fees, where your nationality needs one
- Lunches and dinners other than on tour days
- Optional elephant sanctuary visit (from about AED 260 per adult)
- Tips for guides and boat crews
- Travel insurance
Departures and prices
Price per adult, twin share, standard hotels. Seats are held with our airline and hotel partners.
| Dates | Departure | Seats left | Per adult | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat 21 Nov to Sat 28 Nov 2026 | Flexible | 12 | AED 4,250 | |
| Sat 28 Nov to Sat 5 Dec 2026 | Flexible | 12 | AED 4,680 | |
| Sat 5 Dec to Sat 12 Dec 2026 | Flexible | 9 | AED 4,680 | |
| Sat 12 Dec to Sat 19 Dec 2026 | Flexible | 8 | AED 5,610 | |
| Sat 19 Dec to Sat 26 Dec 2026 | Flexible | 12 | AED 5,610 | |
| Sat 19 Dec to Sat 26 Dec 2026 | Group, with tour leader | Sold out | AED 5,390 | |
| Sat 26 Dec to Sat 2 Jan 2027 | Flexible | Sold out | AED 5,610 | |
| Sat 2 Jan to Sat 9 Jan 2027 | Flexible | 12 | AED 5,610 | |
| Sat 9 Jan to Sat 16 Jan 2027 | Flexible | 12 | AED 4,680 | |
| Sat 16 Jan to Sat 23 Jan 2027 | Flexible | 4 | AED 4,680 | |
| Sat 23 Jan to Sat 30 Jan 2027 | Flexible | 12 | AED 4,680 | |
| Sat 30 Jan to Sat 6 Feb 2027 | Flexible | 12 | AED 4,680 | |
| Sat 6 Feb to Sat 13 Feb 2027 | Flexible | 12 | AED 4,680 | |
| Sat 13 Feb to Sat 20 Feb 2027 | Flexible | 12 | AED 4,680 | |
| Sat 20 Feb to Sat 27 Feb 2027 | Flexible | 12 | AED 4,680 | |
| Sat 27 Feb to Sat 6 Mar 2027 | Flexible | 12 | AED 4,680 |
Tour leader, Japan and Asia groups
Where it is
Questions about this holiday
When is the best time to visit Phuket and Krabi?
Do UAE residents need a visa for Thailand?
Is halal food easy to find?
Is the trip suitable for young children?
Can we fly home from Krabi instead?
What is the luggage allowance?
Travellers on this holiday
Good package and the Krabi hotel was excellent. In Phuket our room overlooked the car park and the street noise started early every morning. The Hong island tour and the night market at Ao Nang more than made up for it.
Pakistani family with two teenagers. Arjun checked halal options at both hotels before we booked, and both had a proper choice every day. The boys did a snorkelling session off Phi Phi and still talk about Monkey Beach. Transfers were smooth every single time.
Filipino family of five and our first proper holiday together abroad. Arjun found interconnecting rooms in both hotels, which meant the teenagers had their own space. James Bond Island by long-tail boat and Railay beach were amazing. The payment plan over four months is what made it possible.
Seven nights split between Phuket and Krabi with two kids, and the ferry across turned out to be part of the fun. Phi Phi day trip, an elephant sanctuary where they wash the elephants rather than ride them, and pad thai every single day for my daughter. Ferry times arrived on WhatsApp the night before each move.
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