Limestone is the first thing anyone remembers about Krabi. Pale grey towers rise straight out of the Andaman Sea and out of the rice fields inland, streaked with rust and hung with vines, and the beaches sit in the gaps between them. Railay and Phra Nang can only be reached by water; further north, Tubkaek Beach faces the scattered karsts of Phang Nga Bay. A day here moves between sand, cliff path and temple, and each asks for something slightly different.

The season runs from November to April. November is the turn from wet to dry, usually bright but occasionally broken by a late shower; December to March brings the steadiest weather, and by April the heat builds ahead of the May rains. The air is humid all year, and the sun on the water is strong from mid-morning.

Two of the province's most celebrated addresses frame the beach days. Rayavadee sits between Railay and Phra Nang beneath hundred-metre cliffs, its pavilions scattered through a garden of palms; Phulay Bay, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, lies on the quieter Tubkaek shore. In both, the day is lived barefoot. Men will find the Laos Short Sleeve Linen Shirt in Sky Blue or Pink over PP linen shorts in Beige enough for everything from breakfast to a walk to the viewpoint, and the PP natural swim shorts in Oyster for the water.

For women, the ladies linen set in Coral Orange holds its colour against the grey stone and the green sea, and is cool enough for the climb to Phra Nang's lagoon path. The Amelia linen dress shirt in Lemon or Blue belongs to lunch on the terrace and to the slow hours after it.

The temples change the register. Wat Tham Suea, the Tiger Cave Temple north-east of Krabi Town, is reached by more than a thousand steps to a hilltop shrine, and Thai temples ask visitors to cover shoulders and knees. For that morning, a man wears long trousers — PP Casual Linen Trousers in Black are light enough for the climb — and a shirt with sleeves. A woman pairs the PP linen blouse in Sky Blue with long, loose trousers or a long skirt; the Amelia linen dress shirt, cut to the thigh, stays for the afternoon by the sea. Shoes come off at the temple door, so sandals that slip on and off easily are worth more than anything smart.

Evenings in Krabi are warm and unhurried, often under a pavilion roof or on the sand by lantern light. A Male Linen Shirt in Blue over PP Trousers 100% Linen in Sapphire Blue suits a pavilion dinner; the long sleeve that keeps insects off the arms is the Laos Long Sleeve Linen Shirt in Dark Blue, for those who prefer it. For women, the Amelia linen dress shirt in Violet carries a dinner on the beach with ease.

Humidity is the reason linen belongs here. In close, damp air, a cloth that takes on moisture and lets it go again keeps the skin drier than one that seals it in, and the slightly open weave of a linen shirt lets the sea breeze through. That is the whole case for linen in humid weather.

Krabi is often combined with the islands across the water. Those travelling on to Phuket or Koh Lanta will find the wardrobe barely changes; the guides to Phuket and Koh Lanta cover the differences of each.

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