My Krabi Getaway Days 1 & 2

Sun. Sand. And more sand! Just… paradise!

This is what I would often visualize when asked about my new favorite haven – Krabi.

From all pictures I’ve seen, the coastlines of Thailand have always left me drooling. No wonder that Krabi which was only a small fishing village less than 10 years ago have drawn so many visitors in recent times.

Situated on the coast of the Andaman Sea within Southern Thailand, Krabi’s bays and beaches are among the best anywhere in South East Asia. The province also known for the lime rocks jutting out from the water also shared Hollywood history when it was used as the film location for Leonardo Di Caprio’s movie “The Beach”.

Boarding an evening flight via Tiger Airways last March, my best gals Milove, Anna and I headed to our most anticipated summer adventure. The flight was a quick 2 hours from Singapore and the land travel from airport to our hotel in Ao Nang town were about 45 minutes.

Before leaving we stopped to book a day tour from a travel agency located just inside the airport. For our first day we agreed to go on an island hopping trip which cost each of us 1,200 Baht.

The following day we were picked up in our hotel at 8:00 AM to head to the pier. Along with other tourists we boarded the fast boat which we used for the entire 8-hour journey. To me the boat appeared to be patterned after a one-storey yacht and can easily house 30 people aboard.

Along the way, I became deeply fascinated at the limestone cliffs that dotted the ocean floor. Among the islands we passed by were the Chicken Island (with rock formation shaped like the head of a guess what?) and James Bond Island (beach location for The Man with a Golden Gun movie). And as if God has just started boasting His creations, while it was raining in Singapore, the weather in Krabi was just clear sky perfect!

After an hour of treading the sea, we stopped by in one of the local islands to snorkel. Amazingly the seawater in Krabi is not that salty which allowed us to swim longer. (Believe me, Anna could give Dyesebel a run for her money as she swam gracefully among the fishes.) Another hour later and our boat docked in the shores of Ao Maya Bay in Phi Phi Leh. In line with SFC fashion, we spent half of our allotted time taking pictures while the other half we spent swimming and again taking more pictures. (Milove has enjoyed the calm waters so much that our boat almost left without her.)

At lunch time we docked again in the equally famous but bigger island called Phi Phi Don. (I think he’s the fraternal twin sibling of Phi Phi Leh.) There awaits many restaurants that serve simple but deliciously prepared Thai dishes. Mind you, our lunch and fruit desserts were already part of the package we paid for! (At least the only thing we had to worry about was our shopping money.)

I found Phi Phi Don in a way similar to Boracay since the place is already too crowded with hotels and other establishments. One point of difference, although the sand appears to be very fine, ours in Boracay is still much better since it doesn’t get too hot when kissed by the midday sun. To be fair, Phi Phi islands offer a feast to the eyes with its superb sceneries including the fine silvery sands stretched along the shore and the emerald green sea that is clearly visible from afar.

After lunch, the three of us just loitered around the island to shop and sight-see. While Anna and Milove busied themselves looking for Edwin Tamayo’s Red Bull sando, I took time to buy a pair of mimic Ray Ban sunglasses. At 2:00 PM we came back to our boat to set off to Hong Island to snorkel. Then finally our last destination was in Bamboo Island where we stopped for another hour to relax and enjoy the sun. We left the place and came back to Ao Nang at around 5:30 in the afternoon with our skins badly burnt but with smiles never leaving our faces.

In the evening we asked a recommendation from our hotel receptionist for an authentic Thai restaurant within the area. We were directed to a small local restaurant which was 15 minutes walk from the hotel. The walk was well worth it as the food was simply mouth-watering and in all ways satisfying.

What is a dinner with no dessert? Our next stop was in another small restaurant to sample the trademark dish ‘Thai sticky rice with mango’. As I recall, one order enough for two people only costs around 50 Baht.

A few minutes more and we were back in our hotel to get ready for the Thai massage that we booked earlier. Afterwhich, Milove and I headed for a nightcap in a bar across the street of our hotel.

Lights out.