Krabi
India Outbound
Jan - Feb 2016
If you are a beach lover and look forward to a relaxing holiday with a pinch of adventure on the go, Krabi in Thailand with its limestone karsts and mangrove forests will put an end to your search.
Krabi gives a shoutout to the adventurer inside you
Thailand may mean different things to different people. But the country is also a very rich family holiday destination with some very exotic, almost well-hidden destinations such as Krabi. The town near the Andaman Sea coast is still unadulterated and offers a perfect atmosphere for a placid beach holiday.
Ao Nang: The resort town
The moment you land at the Krabi airport you will get a fair idea of what kind of place you are set to explore – the airport is tiny with only one conveyer luggage belt; outside, the sky is straight out of a beautiful painting, deep blue with fairly white clouds – for a moment it feels unreal. Passing through the Krabi province you will reach the lively resort town of Ao Nang, which in many ways is like the famous Indian beach city of Goa with a lot more to offer on its palette. Numerous shops selling everything to anything such as colourful summer clothes, selfie sticks, shoes, umbrellas, bags, souvenirs and even paintings give you a galore of options to pick from. Since temperatures are always soaring in Thailand, there’s no dearth of sunny days to look out for a perfect day at the beach. The beachfront at Ao Nang gives a great start to a perfect beach holiday. Take your own beach mats or keep aside a spare towel to sunbathe by the seashore. Amidst various hawkers selling beer, juices, corns etc. you can find a spot to soak the sun after taking a dip from head to toe in the sea. By the evening it’s time to enjoy the happy hour and sip in your favourite drink at the exotic beach bars. With the sun disappearing in the water, you will be all ears to the melodious music playing at the background.
When roaming around the Ao Nang streets you cannot but miss the various street food stalls offering a wide variety to choose from – vegetarian spring rolls, fish rolls, sea food and many other delicacies that will definitely make your mouth water. If you have apprehensions about picking up something from the street, don’t worry, Ao Nang offers many great options to dine at. From authentic Italian to Indian restaurants, the choice is tremendous.
Railay beach with its huge limestone cliffs make for a breathtaking view
Nomad life at the islands
When in Krabi, it is not only the Ao Nang beach that is at your disposal. Frequent ferry trips from Ao Nang will take you to many other islands where you can experience the nomadic life of living with limited resources and still making the most of it. One such place is the Railay beach that is a peninsula situated between Krabi and Ao Nang. It is surrounded by huge limestone cliffs and hence the only accessibility is through boats. Huge cliffs covered in greenery and above a beautiful blue sky, offer a scenic view that is to die for. By the end of it you will realise that you have spent most of your time capturing the exotic beauty through your lenses. Despite the low connectivity, Railay has everything to offer to its tourists. In fact, of late there are many abodes that have been developed at Railay to accommodate the tourists who only want to stay amidst the calmness of this peninsula. The only drawback of staying here is that every day you have to make a note of the last boat coming to Railay or else you will have to spend your night without a shelter. The sound made by the engines of the motor boat cutting through the tranquillity of the sea grabs your attention the moment you step inside the boat.
A set of islands known as the Phi Phi islands is another tourist attraction where you can soak as much sun as you want. One can also opt for numerous day trips from Ao Nang beach to the tiny islands such as Poda island, Tup island and Chicken island. These trips are really well planned giving you a hotel pickup and drop facility, buffet at one of the islands and interestingly many options to dive into the world of snorkelling. The person steering the boat makes a halt at various sites suitable for snorkelling and gives you around 30-35 minutes at each stopover. Enthusiastic divers can make the most of this time. Interestingly, one cannot step on any of these islands unless one pays the fee of around INR 800, which is a onetime fee and is now already included in the island package you opt for. These islands, although tiny, isolate you from the world, disconnecting you from the human race and would make you desire to stay there forever. Unfortunately, we have to come back to our daily grinding to make another sandy trip. You get to spend around 15-20 minutes at each of the islands – where you can take a dip in the sea or nibble a snack or two from the limited options available.
These island trips come in two different segments—day or evening trip. A day trip starts at around nine in the morning while the evening trip starts at around one in the afternoon, giving you an opportunity to gauge the beautiful sunset at one of the islands. By the evening it gets cold while you are in the boat amidst the calm sea and cool breeze hits your body that is wet from the numerous immersions in the ocean; so it’s recommended to carry a light jacket to snuggle in when the dusk is approaching. On your return to Ao Nang, look for cafes that are not ample but sufficient to warm you up with a nicely brewed coffee or tea.
Take a stroll
Along the sidewalks of Ao Nang, there’s no scarcity of 24×7 supermarkets and pharmacies to give you that much needed comfort. During late hours you can follow the sound of the live music bands performing at some of the bars that are opened beyond midnight. It also offers an easily available taxi or shuttle service that will pick you up from your hotel and transport you to the airport well before your flight – make sure you book the taxi a day in advance. A stay in this beach destination will leave you with a much desired tan that you will cherish for quite some time.
Krabi Dive into the Emerald Waters
Where to stay
When in Krabi it is always advisable to stay in Ao Nang because of its road and sea connectivity that give access to the city as well as all the other islands. You can choose from innumerable options according to your budget and preferences – resorts with inbuilt pools and dining restaurants, 2-5 star hotels and many guest houses as well. Before making a final booking, please check the distance from the beach as you might not want to walk miles everyday befor heading towards the seashore.
How to reach
Krabi International airport has well connected flights from the Don Muang Airport (DMK), which is for the flights within Thailand. Even if you book a flight for Krabi from your city, it will make a halt at Bangkok and then fly you to Krabi. Also while in Bangkok one can choose the train network or book a taxi or bus (14 hours) to come to Krabi, keeping in mind the long travelling hours whereas a flight from Bangkok will take you to Krabi in an hour or so.
