Today, The Nomad Travels to the sunny island of KRABI, THAILAND.
Thailand is known as the "Land of the Smiles" and it is easy to see why. Thai people are so friendly and they always give out that warm smile anywhere.
I have been to Thailand many times. Bangkok & Phuket. But this time, this is my first time going to Krabi with friends.
We went last April 2012. Celebrating my birthday & Gina's birthday. Actually, my birthday has passed probably a week or so, but, still, it's still April! This trip has been planned some months ago so we could plan our Annual Leaves/PH/OFF from work altogether.. It was a 4days/3night holiday. Away from the city and into the more serene Krabi.
Our main destination in Krabi was Ao-Nang. Walking distance to the beach.
Ao-Nang is not anything like Phuket. Frankly, there's no prostitution in Ao-Nang. We didn't see any sex trade trannies or even real babes for sex. Nothing!!! Ao-Nang is a clean place! It's not as happening as Phuket is though. Not a place for rowdy people looking for night life. Ao-Nang is a very serene place. Relaxing. Might be boring for you if you're the "Phuket" type of person.
LEARN TO FLY!!! Kidding! Book a flight to Krabi International Airport. Unlike Bangkok, Krabi's airport is much more smaller. And from there, either you can ask your hotel for an airport transfer, or if you are on a tour package I think airport transfer is included. Other than that, take a cab going to your hotel.
Our hotel was situated in AO NANG.. 30 minutes away from the airport. We paid BHT 600. And then the uncle offered to pick us up at the hotel on the day we will leave Ao Nang. So yeah, we took it. And I think it was a good idea coz there was not much cabs going around Ao Nang. Although I guess you can take their public transportation but with all our bags it's too much of a hassle.
KNOCK OFF WHERE?!?!
Gina booked us at Mercure Krabi. A quiet place, kinda secluded, and there's not much transportation going in and out there. From the main road, It's a 5min walk to our hotel.
The hotel is pretty nice actually! The beds were comfy! They have 3 pools and a poolside bar. They do weekends evening seafood buffets and breakfast buffets. Food wise, it was okay. But, if you really want to experience Krabi gastronomy itself, hit the food stalls at the road side! Fabulous and really cheap!
WHAT TO DO?!?!
When in Krabi or in any part of the Thai islands like Phi-Phi Island or Phuket or Chiang Mai and the likes, the first thing any tourist would do is BOOK AN ISLAND TOUR.
Along side the streets of Krabi are really small stalls that sells island tours. At first we were hesitant to take the tour because they are just beside the road! It's not like any travel tour office which is air conditioned and such. They do have flyers stating the rates and such plus they offer discounts too. So we walked around first, and comparing tour package prices, had lunch and finally, on the way back to our hotel we bought 2 island tour package from the Travel Tour Agency whose office is just at the roadside, no aircon and feels like you'll get conned somehow. They provide hotel pickups on a scheduled time. So yes! We somehow trusted them.
We booked the "4 Islands Tour" and "Phi-Phi Islands Tour" through Barracudas Tour.
DAY 1.
Upon arrival in Krabi, we checked-in and went out asap to grab some lunch. Our hotel may be 5min walk from the major road but once you get there, restaurants are everywhere.
We had our late lunch as we arrived at about 2pm something.
Booked our tours.
Head back to the hotel. Rest for a while and then we went out for the good 'ol traditional Thai Massage. It really felt awesome! We decided to do the massage on our first day coz we have this gut feeling that on the following days to come we will not be able to get any more massage and we were right! The next day we can't even sleep properly. We had major sunburns!!! FML...
After massage, we went back to the hotel to have our drinking session. To our surprise, the hotel staff popped at the door with a birthday cake for Gina! The sweetest thing ever!
Oh! And I forgot to mention, back at the immigration in Krabi Airport, the immigration officer SANG HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO GINA!!! Super amazing!! Thai people are really so amazing!
Anyways, we enjoyed the cake and got pretty high on vodka and went to sleep.
DAY 2.
Waking up early for breakfast before going on our 1st island tour.
Our hotel was so cool, they provided us with beach bags and inside were beach towels! But of course, you gotta return back the towels. The next day they will change your beach towels again. Awesome! Again, the hotel exceeded our expectations!
We were fetched at the exact timing the sales person told us for our pick up time. Before going off, we lathered ourselves with loads of sun block.
We stopped at the blvd. where I guess the main office was for the travel agency. There were a bunch of us. We were divided into 4 groups. We were handed different colored stickers to stick to our shirts so the tour guide I guess can easily spot his group.
Because we booked the tour with the speed boat, we belonged to the first class. Those who booked with the long tail boats, well, I guess is kinda boring.
The difference you is that for the speed boat tour, there's only 15-20 of us. Where by the Long Tail boat was 50-75 people. That's massive! Ofcourse, speed boat tours costs more but it's more comfy and definitely faster than the long tail boat.
We hopped on to the speed boat and took the very front seat. It was my first time to ride the speed boat so it took me a whole good 10 minutes to settle in and stop from screaming and laughing like some hysterical woman while the rest was so calm. FML.
We went to another island first to fetch the rest of the guests who stayed in that 5 star resort.
The first stop was at PHRANANG CAVE.
Beautiful views. Although some of the cave walls were vandalized by idiots. I really hate this kind of people! Like cmon! Have respect for nature!
While at Pranang Cave, we stayed there for 1 hour. Guests can do rock climbing.. There were guides though for those first timers. They have the easy climb and then they have the extreme climb. Freaking admire those guides. Of course, safety is a primary precaution, so climbers were required to wear the safety harness, shoes, and helmets. I just don't know how much it costs. I didn't asked.
While in Phranang Cave, we saw this deity worship sanctuary which was full of wood carved "penis" or rather "penises" coz there was a lot of those things. Lingams are a symbol of the Hindu God Shiva and are associated with fertility and virility.
The guide said that in old times, fishermen, before going off to the sea to ensure a safe journey at the seas.
I did not took any pictures of the sanctuary in respect to their tradition and beliefs. If you guys are interested, you can always find those pictures over Google or Yahoo. Just type in on search PHRANANG CAVE.
Nest stop, CHICKEN ISLAND. Laugh at the name all you want, but once you see the island you'll know why they call it the Chicken Island. Yes!! The mountain formation was that of a chicken! Especially the chicken head!! Reminds me of Cow & Chicken. LOL. Did a 45min snorkeling there. We were warned not to go far as the sea current was moving fast. For the life of me! I don't freaking know how to swim! So I depended on my life jacket so dearly.. I snorkeled anyways.. I was paddling constantly towards the speed boat coz the current was quite strong taking me with it far from the boat.
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| CHICKEN ISLAND |
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| LONG TAIL BOAT |
We went to another island just for a quick lunch included in the package tour. From afar we can see the Tup Island. After our lunch I went on a quick dive to the sea and some sun tanning before heading off to the next island.
3rd island, TUP ISLAND. Situated along Koh Dam Khwan. You will see two islands from a distance but as the tide recedes, the sea is gradually separated by white sands & limestones connecting the two islands. Snorkeling here and there. Exploring the islands. And keeping an eye on our tour guide Alex a.k.a "Bob Marley". There were lots of tourists around and so many speed boats and long tail boats. By this time I can sense that my skin is burning but I still went on having fun under the sun. After an hour of fun, we headed back to the boat for some refreshments provided of course by the tour. Sweet Pineapples & Watermelons and ultra cold mineral water! Ahhhh...
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| CREDITS TO: GOOGLE IMAGES | www.globalgrasshopper.com For a better view of what Tup Island looks like! |
After an hour it's time to go back home. On the way home, we were so beaten up by the sun that no aloe vera gel can ease the pain. I was in pain! After so many years, I've gotten myself burned so badly by the sun. I asked my friend to help me put on my back aloe vera gel that I brought with me.
Halfway back to Ao-Nang, we passed the rain. The calm seas went boing boing. And those with us at the front seat moved back to the shelter. While we stayed in front. Braving the storm. Lol. It wasn't like the storm actually. But hey! It was windy and raining and the speed boat was slapped by the sea. A wild rocky ride! The rain hitting my face was painful! But you know what?! It was fun! We arrived at Ao-Nang wet but safely.
We thanked Alex a.k.a Bob Marley and gave him a whopping tip for a service well done. And we like him so much. He was so much fun.
Once we reached the hotel we straightaway headed to the pool and let our skin cool off. It helped a wee bit but damn sunburn is too much!!! And yes! We lathered ourselves with sunblock an hour before the tour started and as many times as we remembered.
After the pool, we headed back to our room and rinsed up. Resting for a while before going out to grab dinner. We headed to a BBQ buffet at a restaurant near our hotel for BHT250/pax we were so damn full.. Walked around Ao-Nang, exploring and went back to the hotel. Fell asleep like nobody's business. Snoring. Too tired.
Day 3.
Woke up at 6am. Prepped and had breakfast at our hotel's restaurant. Buffet breakfasts are the bomb! Need to load up my tummy for today's adventure. 8am was our pick-up time however we were picked up at about 9am. Somehow we were nearly missed out had we not pestered the hotel's front desk to call the tour agency.
Anyways, for today's tour, we are heading to the Phi-Phi Islands! 8 islands the entire day!
So we were brought back to the same place yesterday and hopped on to our speed boat. Of course, we took the front seat! It's more fun there! This time however, out tour guide was not as nice as Alex.
1st island was the BAMBOO ISLAND. Another day under the sun. And although our skin was still aching from the sunburns yesterday, we still went on. I still managed to put on my life jacket so ever slowly and carefully and went snorkeling again! Hahaha... 45min snorkel time and off we go to the next stop.
2nd island was Viking Cave. We just passed by there the speed boat moving so slowly for us tourists to take photos.
3rd island was Lohsamah Bay. Another snorkeling site. This time I didn't go down. Need to save my skin.
4th island was Pileh Bay. The most beautiful lagoon I've ever seen! It was so breathtakingly beautiful. The waters were so crystal clear. The lush trees so ever green. We were all so amazed by this beautiful sight. We were not allowed to snorkel there. As the lagoon was for pictures only.
5th island was the ever famous Maya Bay. Surrounded by Mountains and white sand, Maya Bay was the shooting location of Leonardo Di Caprio's movie THE BEACH. Well, I still don't understand that movie until now and I couldn't even be bothered watching it again. Anyways, Too many people there. It has been too popularized by "The Beach" that a lot of tourists wants to go there. And Maya Bay will not fail you guys! The lush scenery is so tempting. Don't just stay at the shore! Walk around but don't walk too far and get lost. We walked around the island and found this really cool kind of a lagoon place where people jump off the cliff!!! It was amazing! Too bad I just don't know how to swim and certainly will not risk my life for a beautiful lagoon jump. Hehe... I fell in love with the place! Photo's cant express much, you'd have to be there to feel what I felt.
6th island was Monkey Beach. Well, by it's name I guess you guys can tell that this is a dominion for Monkeys! Too many monkeys! Scary! You can go down and swim around but I didn't want to. You can feed the monkeys too but be cautious. They can take anything from you and you can't do anything about it. Just take photo's to be safe.
7th island Phi-Phi Don. Where we had our super late lunch. Relaxed on the beach. Did swim a bit. Commercial stores are everywhere. You can buy your souvenirs from there too. After an hour we went off to the last island.
8th island Hin Klang. It's an open sea snorkeling. Amazing clear waters. I put on my life vest again ever so careful and went snorkeling again. Pretty awesome sight.
After an hour at Hin Klang, It's time to go back to Ao-Nang. Back to our hotel. Swim by the pool again to cool ourselves. After a while we headed back to our room and took showers. By 7pm, we went out to have some dinner. We ended up having dinner at the street. But hey! There were a lot of Caucasians eating by the road side and drinking at the road side. The best way to experience Thai food. Stuffed at a very cheap price! Too much!!!
So we headed back to our hotel after walking around and buying souvenirs. Had a leg massage instead of body massage. You see, it was indeed a great thing that we had our massage on the first day at Krabi. Prepped our things. Checked our passports. Contacted the driver to send us back to the airport. And went to bed with an aching body.
Day 4.
Had our last day breakfast at the hotel. Prepped and checked for any last minute things. Checked out and boarded our cab on the way back to the airport and fly back to reality. Vacation is over!!
It was a really fun holiday. We've burned our skins but it was all worth it!
So we have come to the end of my journey to Krabi, Thailand. I left my heart at Krabi!!!
In total, I spent about SGD600 for the entire trip. I can't bloody remember how much was the airfare and hotel anymore. We flew by Jetstar. Booked the hotel by Agoda. That SGD 600 was also inclusive of food, drinks, tips, souvenirs, & cab fare.
But here's the definite price for the tour which I still have the pamphlet with me till now. Lucky me!
BARRACUDAS TOUR
- 245/7 Moo 2, Ao-Nang, Muang, Krabi 81000 Thailand
- Tel. 075-637092, 075-695111-2
- Fax 075-637094
- email: barracudastourkrabi@hotmail.com
- www.barracudastourkrabi.com
PHI-PHI ISLANDS (by speed boat)
*adults: BHT 1,800.00
*child: BHT 1,200.00
4 ISLANDS (by speed boat / long tail)
*adult: BHT 1,200.00 / BHT 600.00
*child: BHT 800 / BHT 400.00
08:00 - Pick up from Krabi Town & Klong Muang
08:30 - Pick up from Ao-Nang
09:00 - Depart from pier by speed boat
09:30 - Depart from pier by Long Tail Boats.
All package includes:
- hotel transfers
- National PArk fees
- Accidental Insurance
- English Speaking Guides
- Masks, snoekerls, and life jacket
- Lunch *restaurant lunch for Phi-Phi Island tour / *buffet lunch for 4 Islands tour
- fruits and drinking water
- soft drinks at Phi-Phi Island
THINGS TO BRING AND NEVER TO FORGET!!!
Passport
light, comfy clothes.
load up on sunscreen with high SPF and with protection against UVA/UVB
Aloe Vera Gel (to cool your skin)
sunglasses
beach cap
beach towels
beach mat (optional)
swim wear
camera (preferably water proof for under water photo shoot)
camera protector
dry bag if you have to keep your valuables DRY!
flip flops
anti-motion sickness tablets for those who can't take the motion.
Water (optional. The tour guide will provide bottled water for all)
crazy friends
and yourself!!!
Enjoy yourselves. Protect your skin. Have fun under the SUN!!!
Look for ALEX if you're going on tour with the Barracudas!!
Have a great beach summer!
WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN TO LATELY?!?!
Much Love!
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