KRABI DISCOVERY

Life In A Sea Gypsy Village.

KDSH — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 09:09:19 +0000

Life In A Sea Gypsy Village, Koh Lanta Yai, Krabi.

Right on the southern tip of Ko Lanta island in Krabi Province, there is a Sea Gypsy settlement in a small traditional fishing village called ???Ban Sangkha-U??. The name “Sangkha-U” means “stingray” in Chao-Le dialect. The unique lifestyle of the Chao-Le (sea-gypsies) in Ko Lanta?? has been almost completely unaffected by the booming tourism on the island. They still retain their own unique language, traditions and ceremonies.

Life In A Sea Gypsy Village (Ban-Sangkha-U) at Ko Lanta Yai (Krabi)

Daily lifestyle at Baan Sangkha-U (Krabi)

Man mending fishing net at Baan Sangkha-U (Ko Lanta, Krabi)??

Sea gypsies are called in Thai as Chao Le or Chao Nam (People of the Sea), and are known as the minority group of “Thai Mai”, meaning new Thai People. Nowadays, they are entitled to Thai citizenship, social welfare etc; they have settled along the coast in stilt-built wooden houses erected in the sea more than 500 years ago. They make a living catching and selling seafood. They mix very little with the general Thai population, speak their language (does sound like Malay) and have their very own supernatural and traditional beliefs and rituals as seen in their traditional ceremony “Loy-Rua (Floating Boat)”.

A happy father and son at Baan Sangkha-U (Ko Lanta, Krabi)

Kids at play under the stilt-wooden houses (Baan Sangkha-U, Ko Lanta)

During the festival, the village men will build a symbolic boat and place wooden statues of themselves in it along with nail pairings, hair and popped rice. By performing this ritual, they ask for forgiveness from the sea gods and for any offences they have made to the sea. It is believed that all evil is carried away in the symbolic boat.

??Sea gypsy keep pigs in stilt-wooden cages ( he was gone during my last visit)

To learn more about the Sea gypsies? Visit the small museum situated in Lanta Old Town features the unique culture and heritage of the three distinct ethnic groups of islanders ??? the sea gypsy people of the Urak Lawoi clan, Thai Muslims (Siam Malayu) and Thai Chinese.

??A Sea gypsy Spirit house in the cemetery

A sea gypsy grave at Ko Lanta (Krabi)

Catch of the day at Baan Sangkha-U (Ko Lanta, Krabi)
Best time to visit the village: Late afternoon
When the village men return from the sea with their catch of the day.

Festival Hightlight:
The ???LaanTa???Lanta??? Festival is now being held at the old town of Lanta Yai Island of Krabi around March. It features several cultural heritage and local lifestyles of the islanders. Residents and tourists are seen enjoying demonstrations of dessert cooking and learning about the multi-culture of the residents who have been living together peacefully. The sea gypsy lifestyle at Sanga U community is also another charm of this island. The annual festival is also aimed at promoting the cultural heritage and tourism for the Lanta Island.

Cats are a common sights??in the village

A gorgerous sunset at Ko Lanta (Krabi)

Article from Tourism Thailand Blog (http://blog.tourismthailand.org/EugeneTang/

MEMORABLE MOMENTS IN KRABI
Sung Ka Uoo JOB2DO

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RELATED ARTICLE : KOH LANTA

Low Season Travel in Thailand

KDSH — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 09:26:16 +0000

Low Season Travel in Thailand
Posted By : Orient Expat Thailand.

From the album by TAT Krabi
For more details, click on the above photo.

There is a very distinct high season in Thailand from November to February, when prices in the tourism sector skyrocket. Hotel rates triple, airfares, even motorbike rental prices are hiked. It’s obviously also the period you’ll find crowds. So what about travel in the low season? Thailand is a year round destination. Even during the rainy season, it’s still possible to enjoy warm weather and blue skies. In fact, a spell of rain clears the air and cools things down. The countryside is greener. Many beaches are almost empty. There are even more local fruits coming into season during this time of year. Lets examine the pros and cons…

Low Season Pros

Greatly reduced prices, particularly in the traditional tourist areas
Many people claim their holiday was more relaxed, thanks to quieter hotels and less people. (This is why so many expatriates prefer low season)
Easier scheduling i.e. hotels are very likely to have rooms when you want them and it’ll be much easier to get tickets on buses and book seats on domestic airlines
A number of annual festivals and events occur during low season, such as Songkran, or Buddhist Lent
River trips can be more enjoyable because of the higher water levels
The daily rains make the countryside lush and green

Low Season Cons

In the rainy season, there is risk you will be rained on every day. However, it is usually a short, sharp downpour and is quickly over and the sunshine returns. Broadly speaking, the rainy season is from May to October, with regional variations
Many services close down. For example, there aren’t as many boat services to outlying islands. If you take a boat during a storm, it can be a very unpleasant experience indeed if you suffer from motion sickness
During Songkran festival (mid April), domestic travel can be a total nightmare as so many Thais are going home. Ferry services to/from islands like Koh Samui have long vehicle queues and long waits
There are certain types of tourism that should be timed seasonally, for example, snorkeling trips can be spoiled by rough waters but that’s a subject beyond the scope of this article
If you arrive in Thailand during the hot season (March – June) when the temperatures and humidity soar, you may find the heat unbearable and end up spending your vacation in an air conditioned hotel room
Heavy downpours flood streets in minutes and you may occasionally find yourself wading through dirty drain water. Entire neighborhoods can remain flooded for hours, even days because of poor infrastructure/drainage

Hungry Ghost Festival – Sart Chin (สารทจีน)

KDSH — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 06:35:29 +0000

Hungry Ghost Festival – Sart Chin (สารทจีน)

The Ghost Festival also known as the Hungry Ghost Festival is a traditional Chinese festival and holiday celebrated by Chinese in many countries. In the Chinese calendar, the Ghost Festival is on the 15th night of the seventh lunar month (14th in southern China). In Chinese tradition, the fifteenth day of the seventh month in the lunar calendar is called Ghost Day and the seventh month in general is regarded as the Ghost Month (鬼月), in which ghosts and spirits, including those of the deceased ancestors, come out from the lower realm. Distinct from both the Qingming Festival (in Spring) and Chung Yeung Festival (in Autumn) in which living descendants pay homage to their deceased ancestors, on Ghost Day, the deceased are believed to visit the living.

On the fifteenth day the realms of Heaven and Hell and the realm of the living are open and both Taoists and Buddhists would perform rituals to transmute and absolve the sufferings of the deceased. Intrinsic to the Ghost Month is ancestor worship, where traditionally the filial piety of descendants extends to their ancestors even after their deaths. Activities during the month would include preparing ritualistic food offerings, burning incense, and burning joss paper, a papier-mache form of material items such as clothes, gold and other fine goods for the visiting spirits of the ancestors. Elaborate meals (often vegetarian meals) would be served with empty seats for each of the deceased in the family treating the deceased as if they are still living. Ancestor worship is what distinguishes Qingming Festival from Ghost Festival because the latter includes paying respects to all deceased, including the same and younger generations, while the former only includes older generations. Other festivities may include, buying and releasing miniature paper boats and lanterns on water, which signifies giving directions to the lost ghosts and spirits of the ancestors and other deities.

The following Posted By : buad hai
The Chinese festival called “Sart Chin” (สารทจีน) in Thai, but also knows as the Ghost Festival. On this day ghosts, spirits and deceased ancestors come out of the underworld and join the living. Food offerings are made and “hell money” is burned.

Ms. B’s Mom prepared the food offerings last night and asked us to do the ceremony this morning as we were the only ones home.

The offerings included cooked chicken and duck, lam yai and even bags of California prunes.

This is some of the “Hell” Money. Some of it says “Hell Bank”.

Ms. B offers five incense sticks to the family shrine. The five represents the five brothers who guard the house.

A separate offering is made to the pictures of the ancestors who hang in the house. (Not sure if the hot check on the calendar gets any.) Here three incense sticks are offered. But, they are lit one at a time with a few minute interval between each; giving the ancestors time to enjoy the offering. At the front outdoor gate of the house two incense sticks were lit to show the ancestors the way and to ask permission from the house spirits for the ancestors to enter.

Close up of the offerings. The brightly colored paper is more hell money.

Offering at the house shrine.

Ms. B burns some hell money. It was my idea to burn it there for easy disposal of the ashes.

Up in smoke.

Money from Hell Bank.

Koh Lipe, Thailand.

KDSH — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 07:59:44 +0000

Koh Lipe, Thailand.

Posted By : Ms Ulat Buku

I’m currently in between jobs and have taken about a week or so off before I start my new job on the 1st of Feb. So with some time to spare hubs and I decided to take a short trip to Koh Lipe, Thailand for our belated honeymoon. It’s a beautiful island and I felt that it would not bring justice if I didn’t brag a little about my trip We started from Kuala Lumpur to Langkawi by flight and then moved on to Telaga Harbour in Langkawi to take a speed boat to Koh Lipe. The website stated that the boat ride is estimated to be about 70 minutes but it actually took about 45 mins to an hour only to reach our destination.

Koh Lipe is a very small island with three main beaches. It takes only about 15 to 20 mins to walk across from one end of the island to the other, that’s how small it is. We arrived at Pattaya beach which is the main beach on the island. There is no jetty for the speed boat so you’ll get a little wet trying to get to shore. The immigration is just a small hut by the beach side which also acts as the main office for the company providing the speed boat service.

Once we had our passports sorted, we decided to take the taxi boat or long tail boat to our resort. You can opt to walk or take a motorbike as well but we kinda liked the taxi boat and decided to travel on water to our resort.

Hubs and I stayed at a fairly new and a very, very beautiful resort called Idyllic Concept Resort located on Sunrise Beach. Our room though indirectly facing the ocean still had an awesome view.

On the first day we arrived, we decided to chill by the beach. At night we walked out for dinner on the village stretch and had the best Tom Yum Goong ever at this restaurant called Konlae. The village road leads to Pattaya Beach which is the commercialized section of the island. There is a lot of food and small shops on the village road but if you’re a shopping addict, Lipe Island is not for you. Though you should check out this shop on the Village stretch called Rainforest, it’s my favourite shop on the island.

We also enjoyed eating at a Thai Pancake Shop which had a delicious variety of deserts. It’s one of the more popular spots to eat and hang out on the island. There is a variety of restaurants in Lipe with seafood buffets ranging from 100 baht and above but unfortunately we were not able to try out every restaurant seeing that we were there for only a short time. I absolutely love, love, love beach holidays but can you believe that I can’t swim and I am terrified of the water? I normally waddle by the beach and never go deeper than below my shoulder line. Koh Lipe was different though, the water was so clear and beautiful that I managed to do a quick snorkelling exercise with hubs and we also went kayaking at the surrounding islands fronting our beach. It was just so beautiful.

You should also check out the sunset. We were asked to go to Sunset Beach to catch the sunset but decided to take the long boat around the island instead. It’s only about 300 baht to go around the island and trust me it’s worth it. Hubs and I absolutely love Koh Lipe and we love the people there. The locals are really friendly and some of them can speak Malaysian (well with a strong Kedahan type accent). It’s a popular spot for Europeans and hubs and I would play ‘Guess which country they’re from?’ based on the language they spoke…

We enjoyed every second of the day at Koh Lipe and though we were there for four days and three nights, it just was not enough. Hopefully, we’ll get to visit Koh Lipe again at the end of the year.

4 Indian Restaurants In Krabi At Last Count.

KDSH — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 15:13:13 +0000

Indian restaurants at Krabi number about 4 at last count and
have a similar look and feel to their Koh Samui counterparts.

Posted By : Travel with Ashley

Indian restaurants in Krabi have very much the look and feel of their Koh Samui counterparts. They are smallish, non aircon and their prices are well on the higher side. Food taste and quality are just about passable. However if you are really desperate for your fix of Indian food and just about any curry or bread will do, you have a choice of four Indian eateries which are all about the same in quality and standards. Take a photo tour…

The Phi Phi Islands – The Best Excursion In Krabi.

KDSH — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 07:09:03 +0000

The Phi Phi Islands are probably the
best day excursion you can do from Krabi.

Posted By : Travel with Ashley

Your day will begin about 8.30 in the morning when a shared seat in coach transfer will fetch you from your hotel and take you to a pier on the outskirts of town. There they consolidate clients from different hotels and separate us based on the tours we wish to undertake. The Phi Phi island tour is by far the most popular and as a result you get one of the big speedboats with 3 yamaha powered engines.

The first stop will be the hotels which can only be accessed by water…for e.g. the Centara Grand or the Rayawadee. From the mainland to the Phi Phi Leh is a 45 minute run by speedboat. Maya Bay offers you stunning scenery and it is a great photo opp. The next stop is an inland lagoon which would have been really nice and tranquil if you were not disturbed by other speedboats visiting the lagoon and raking up the water. Another great photo op.

Now it’s time to get your feet wet doing some snorkeling. The boat anchors just off Phi Phi Leh and you can begin to appreciate the joys of switching off a cellphone and tuning into just watching aquatic life below the surface of the emerald green and turquoise blue waters. Snorkels are given to you complimentary along with bread if you wish to attract the fish and get a free fish massage:)

After this, it is time for lunch and you are taken to a nice local restaurant on the island of Phi Phi Don. You can walk around and see how commercial Phi Phi Don has become. After lunch, leave the shops and tourists behind and head out for some more snorkeling.

If you are lucky, you can do some snorkeling in the open sea just off Phi Phi Don island. This is one of the nicest coral gardens I have seen in Thailand. Actually it is the crest of a hill that is submerged which houses the coral gardens. You need just the right combination of sun and waves for this stop to happen.

Finally you are taken to Bamboo Island which is just a rest stop. Your boat crew dice watermelons and serve this to you fresh along with local cakes which Krabi is famous for.

You will be returned to your hotel around 4.30 pm after a day well spent.

RELATED ARTICLE : Phi Phi Islands Exploration

Anantara Sikao Beach Resort Special Deal.

admin — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 10:29:15 +0000

4D3N Anantara Sikao Beach Resort Special Deal (Click for Hotel Details )
Valid From: 15 Aug, 2010 – 23 Dec, 2010
Package Includes : 3 Nights Stay With Daily Breakfast,
Round Trip Airport Transfer ( Krabi Airport - Hotel – Krabi Airport )

Free : Hot Spring and Emerald Pool Tour – Not inclusive of National Park Fee.
Pack by Krabi Discovery only - Beware of copycats in the market !!!

Price

Room Types	Period	Price per person (THB)	Third Person (THB) With Extra Bed + BF
Deluxe Garden Terrace	15 Aug 10 - 31 Oct 10	6,790 THB	3,900 THB
	01 Nov 10 - 23 Dec 10	9,290 THB	5,650 THB
Deluxe Sea View	15 Aug 10 - 31 Oct 10	7,350 THB	3,900 THB
	01 Nov 10 - 23 Dec 10	10,000 THB	5,650 THB
Deluxe Ocean Front	15 Aug 10 - 31 Oct 10	7,850 THB	3,900 THB
	01 Dec 10 - 23 Dec 10	11,000 THB	5,650 THB

Itinerary

Day 1 Free And Easy.
Pick up from Krabi Airport and transfer to Emerald Pool to enjoy your swimming in the Jungle Pool.
Follow by the transfer to Hot Spring for relaxation. Then proceed our way to Anantara Sikao Beach Resort.

Day 2 Free to spend your own sweet times and activities.

Day 3 Free to spend your own sweet times and activities.

Day 4 Back Home.
——– Transfer to Krabi Airport for flight home.

Terms and Conditions

The above rates are for Twin Sharing room ( stay 2 person in 1 room ).
Minimum 2 person per booking.

Booking
[contact-form]

South Thailand: Krabi

KDSH — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 10:55:31 +0000

South Thailand : Krabi

Posted By : Cumi & Ciki.

Krabi Thailand, one of the most relaxing places on the planet. Stunning scenery, fantastic white sand beaches, a coastline with over 200 islands and a jungle covered interior revealing towering limestone cliffs, caves, waterfalls and exotic wildlife.. this was totally where I wanted to park myself for the New Year count down, I merrily told Cumi. Ah.. Krabi a place we visited several years ago and had fond memories of. The last time we got off the plane, we were greeted by a big Krabi chill. Yes, it was an unexpected ‘autumn climate’ that hit the Krabi residents by surprise. Everyone was wearing 2 layers and we arrived in tourist style t-shirt, shorts and slippers. Yes, we were shivering! This time it was warm and sunny as we arrived mid-morning in our Honda stallion from Trang. Instead of staying in town like the last time, we ventured into Railay Beach to find an accommodation before 2008 year end celebrations, as it would soon be the 31st Dec 2008. Railay is where the action is.

Here is the newly opened Sala Talay Boutique Resort. Upmarket and really cool.
Highly recommended for the ultimate Spa experience. As Ciki needed to achieve
the right shade to blend in with the night..,

We headed out to Ao Nang Beach to join the rest of the beach bums. While Ciki sunbathed,
Cumi explored further down Ao Nang and returned with freshly fried battered fish
(some sort of mackerel) and calamari plus cold Leo Beer.

Ah, Ao Nang – the town itself is small and if you walk fast it takes only 30 minutes to get from one end to the other. Given the impractical geography and sheer cliffs that don’t readily lend themselves to development, this paradise won’t be paved over anytime soon. By road, Ao Nang is just minutes from Krabi Town and Klong Muang Beach and mere seconds to Noppharat Thara Beach. Via the sea, Railay’s beaches including Ton Sai, Poda Island, Chicken Island and many smaller islands are pretty accessible.

….Cumi wandered about further down the beach and saw many interesting things.
(no, he wasn’t spying on the chick in pink – that pink bikini is me! LOL)

Eventually Ciki joined Cumi,

..as it was time to get cleaned up for dinner and head on out for the new year celebrations afterwards.

We returned to our favourite place in Krabi town to dine – at the pier, where the locals eat. The food here is still as good as the last visit. This is where you have to eat when visiting Krabi. It has a halal and non-halal section. These pier hawker stalls are dope. Although the food doesn’t taste anything like dope, it does send you to a higher state of consciousness that lingers for awhile until all is digested. The craving is always there.

We saw fresh noodles with sweet-savoury fillings being made. Similar to how Hong Kong
Chee Cheong Fun / Flat Rice Noodles is made. The cloth is pulled over the steamer, batter is
placed on top, follow by the filling and the cook just flips it around then scrapes the cooked noodles off.

Just looked at the oyster-mussel omelet with noodles above, the combined aroma of the
ingredients searing from the heated skillet overwhelmed our olfactory senses and had
us drooling like dalmatian pups.

Cumi’s favourite pad thai /thai fried chewy rice noodle stall. If you look closely you will see
that the cook is down to her last drop of ingredients. That means she can go home with a thick
stack of thai notes and watch her favorite Thai drama series! On the side, all the sweet thai
desserts found at a single stall. The dessert stall lady practically has a monopoly here.

Then we walked the pier à la romantic stroll and breathe in the Andaman sea breeze mixed with
diesel fumes from nearby transport boats and rotting seafood carcasses. Somehow,
it wasn’t as bad as Klang (main port of Malaysia).

Returning to Railay, we saw lanterns being lit as wishes and resolutions were then made
and released into the star lit sky for the new year hopes and aspirations.

Basically a commercial ploy to sell more lanterns and have more rubbish
falling back to earth so we didn’t participate but just observed.

This time round, the revelry all around the bars seemed a little artificial. Somehow for us, Thailand has lost part of its charm in terms of wild parties, or may be we are getting jaded. The lady boys are still a-hunting, the overly made up ‘less clothing is best’ bar gals still entertaining and the easily smitten pleasure-seekers were still around to lap it up. Not all bars were filled. Different bar bands, DJs or MP3 player still pumped out the same tired old favorites, then dropped in the latest, cheesy euro beat trash, to attract spending tourists. You could walk into one bar then the next to hear same the collection of music in different rotations.

We bar hopped, and then stopped to join in the countdown on the beach. Finally, the resounding yell and shouts and extra din at the stroke of midnight, and it was all over. No fist fights and bomb hoax to mar the merry making or provide us with some juicy news to document. No Thai mat rempits (a title referring to Malaysia’s hell’s angels in souped up scooters that’s pervasive in several Malaysian states) doing stunts. Where have all the flowers gone?

Ciki is always hungry on a holiday so, on to Burger King. There was a very long wait for the burger,
so she just had to twitter, sms, stare at her reflection, practice her cat clawing techniques
until her burger arrived to calm all those hunger induced antics.

Say a Prayer.

Thank God for his blessings this past year.

And look forward to a fantastic year ahead!

Tomorrow , we packed up and head on south to Haatyai or Hadyai before balik kampung (going home).
This was an excellent trip to say the least. A brand new year awaits us and as this post is released, 2010 beckons.
The End.

Krabi/Phuket 2010 (Part 7) – The Finale

KDSH — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 16:49:12 +0000

Krabi/Phuket 2010 – James Bond Island

Posted By : J2Kfm.

James Bond Island – Originally named Ko Tapu, or “Nail Island”, the remarkable piece of rock reached
super-stardom when featured in the 1974 classic James Bond movie; ” The Man with the Golden Gun”

After the previous day’s excursion to the Phi Phi Islands, we booked for another sightseeing program on the very next day. Actually, we booked from the same tour agent (Let’s Go Krabi) on the evening after the islands tour. After much haggling (we Malaysians are good at this, I tell ya!), we agreed on a 800baht/RM80/USD25 per person – Kayaking Full Day Trip which includes a) Go to Phang Nga Bay by A/C minibus
b) Longtail boat to James Bond Island & Khao Ping Gan
c) Canoeing trip at Lot Cave
d) Visit Suwankhuha Temple (Monkey Cave)
e) Lunch @ Koh Panyee (Muslim Floating Village)
f) Rejuvenation session at a waterfall

Breakfast of Khanom Jeen in Krabi

The pickup van arrived at about 8.30am (Thailand time), picking us up from our inn. The day tour took about 10 hours in total, and we arrived back in Ao Nang at about 6.40pm.

The longtail boat ride will take you along the rivers, leading into the seas and
enclaves surrounded by mountains and passing by mangrove swamps.

James Bond Island – You will see many speedboats and longtail boats docking here
for a camwhoring session with the famous nail-shaped rock.

At Ping Gan Island, where we stopped for the Ko Tapu (James Bond Island) appreciation-cum-photography
session, you will see tourists (and us alike) attempting the impossible …. like in the above shot, for instance.

Darn sweltering heat rendered us almost incapacitated and motionless. Okay, maybe not as dramatic,
but still, we were seeking for shelters in any form, like this shady hut for example.

The Canoeing trip around Lot Cave – Where you can choose to paddle your own canoe,
OR let them do it for you. Wise choice to let them paddle for you, really. So you can enjoy
the view while basking in the sun, rather than sweating it out, battling the waves.

Passing through caves and canyons, the canoeing session was pleasant, yet without much thrills/spills.
Anyway, nothing beats getting your bottom wet from the puddles of water inside the canoes!

Where we boarded the canoes (two pax per canoe, please … don’t get yourself capsized!)

Delicious Thai feast at Koh Panyee (Floating Village) - About 6 dishes, including rice and water. Note that
the spiciness level has been toned down DRASTICALLY. The majority of tourists are the westerners anyway.

A picture of serenity @ the Floating Village of Koh Panyee. Populated by Thai Muslims, you can
buy souvenirs from the labyrinth of stalls operated by the locals, walk around the piers and
watch how they spend their daily routines, or even register yourself for school. Okay, maybe not …

And there you have our over-eager tour guide! (Sorry forgot his name). He was a real nice chap though,
at times a little annoying when he rattled off non-stop …..

Suwankuha Temple (Golden Cave Temple/Monkey Cave) – A 200 years-old reclining Buddha statue,
and rock formations leading to the skies …. wait, that lower left pic did remind of The Descent !!!

Refreshing oneself at the waterfalls …. but instead, we got FOC Fish Spa treatment !
Nature’s most ingenious creations, the fish came in the usual tiny, anchovy-size commonly seen in
fish spas everywhere, but there were some rather BIG fishes swimming around, pecking at our dead cells!

The McDonald’s facing our Ao Nang Grand Inn, and various amenities, shops, and food stalls
(not shown in this pic) around Ao Nang area come nighttime.

And so we were back in Ao Nang after a long 10 hours journey to the seas, caves, swamps and waterfalls. Usually, the package retails for 1,600 baht per person, but we managed to bargain our socks off; reducing the asking price printed on the brochures to half. If you’re in a much larger group, maybe you can get even better deals!

Dinner at Thai Thai Restaurant along Ao Nang Beach. A fusion of local and international cuisines,
we had pizzas, tom yum, green curry, and fried rice.

Initially we intended to walk over to Wangsai Seafood Restaurant for dinner, located about 20-30 minutes walk from our place. Or you can take the taxis (resembling more of a songthaew or mini truck) for 50-60 baht per person. But after the tiresome day, we decided to go against this idea. Instead we strolled leisurely towards the beach, about 5 minutes away and found ourselves attracted to the soft breezy lullabies; both from the crashing waves and the cabaret-like performance at Thai Thai Restaurant. Food was forgettable, yet we relished every moment of rejuvenation and blissful tranquility. To end the night, we went for body massage at one of the parlours facing the seas. Talk about loosening up knots in our nerves! From 200baht/RM20/USD6.30 per hour, you can opt for a myriad of massages, ranging from head+shoulder, full body, oil/milk/lotion massages, as well as foot massage.

And our final breakfast in Krabi; a random stall at a junction of two streets, in front of a convenience shop
named V-Shop. The stall has no name, hence good luck in locating this stall for the early birds of Ao Nang.
Noodles with chicken or beef (remember, pork is a rarity here) for 35-40 baht each.

And for the parting shot, take a look at these colourful, brightly-lit lanterns decorating the path parallel to Ao Nang beach.

And they lived happily ever after ……

Related Article : The Magic of Phanga-nga Bay

Krabi/Phuket 2010 (Part 6)

KDSH — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 14:38:41 +0000

Krabi/Phuket 2010 – Phi Phi Islands Day Tour

Posted By : J2Kfm.

1. Gorgeous sight of anchored boats on Ao Nang beach, but this beach is definitely NOT for swimming

If you’re in Krabi or Phuket, and you shy away from the sun, the sea or even refrain from staying outdoors during daytime, you’re better off holidaying in Timbuktu. Really. Mentally and physically prepared for the imminent tanning, the gals slapped on sunscreen with the highest SPF (sun protection factor) there is in the market. Kind of amazing how their routine of applying and re-applying the lotion took place almost automatically, at fixed intervals. But of course, you’d better be well-prepared, for getting sunburn is NOT the most ideal souvenir you’d want to bring home after a long day out on the seas.

2. On our speedboat to Phi Phi Islands, a 45 minutes ride in good sea conditions.

We booked a package from the Let’s Go Krabi travel agent, a few shops away from our stay at Ao Nang Grand Inn on Moo 2, Ao Nang. The package includes : Pick up services from Klong Muang, Krabi town, or Ao Nang, speed boat to Phi Phi Islands, visits to Bamboo Island, open sea snorkelling at Hin Klarng, brief stop on Monkey Beach, buffet lunch at Phi Phi Don, visits to Pi Leh Bay, Viking Cave, Lohsamah Bay and Maya Bay (where “The Beach” was filmed). The day tour took about 8 hours, from 8.30am until about 4.30pm. Usually priced at 1800 baht per person, the price was reduced to 900 baht/RM90/USD25 per person after serious haggling, pleas and dramas. After all, we ARE Malaysians.

3. Scenes around Maya Bay – Even bride & groom-to-be were there for the shoot !

4. Hin Klarng – Open sea snorkelling (gears provided for free) – Just be aware of your
surroundings. After all, you would not want to be drifting towards the engine of another speedboat !

5. Viking Cave – a famous cave, but we did not stop over. Just a glance would do.

6. Monkey Beach – Feeding the monkeys ? Or being fed by the monkeys ?

7. Beautiful emerald waters leading to Phi Phi Don, where we were supposed to have our lunch.

8. Buffet-style lunch, but none too memorable. Of course,
you can’t be expecting steaks, fresh oysters, and such right ?

9. MORE snorkelling AFTER your meal. Erm, with no rest in between, everyone was thankful
for the life jackets. Else 50 years down the line, scavengers would be wondering what’s
the fuss with the many skeletons underwater wearing life jackets !

10. Stunning Bamboo Island – Hands down THE most beautiful beach amongst the others.

11. If only our job requires us to lie on the beach all day, doing nothing ….. Blissful ?

12. Fresh fruits to quench the thirst, and somehow satisfied the hunger pangs.
Included in the package, so don’t go denying your pieces of sweet pineapples/watermelons.

The day tour was pleasant, from the helpful guides with comprehensible English, to the brilliant (albeit slightly scorching) weather. Never push your luck and pick a day with gloomy weather, for it may seriously ruin your outing. We reached Ao Nang Grand Inn at about 5-6pm.

13. Sunset watching on the beaches of Ao Nang ……
bring your own towel though, for the sands was not exactly fine or smooth.

14. Clockwise from top left : Tom Yam Seafood, Massaman Chicken, Pad Thai, and Green Curry Chicken

For dinner, we strolled around Ao Nang, and ended up at this shack right before you reach the beach. Nameless, I might add, for the only signboard showed “THAI FOOD”. And this stall sells HALAL Thai-Malay cuisine, with emphasis on their curry dishes. In Ao Nang, as mentioned in this post, resides an admirable number of Thai Malays, hence the heavy influence of Malay style cuisine in the cooking. The meal came to a mere 450 baht/RM45/USD13 for the 5 of us, as the dishes are priced at merely 40-70 baht each. Dirt-cheap, when compared to the other eateries along the beach. The Massaman curry is one of the signature dish of Krabi’s, resembling a yellow curry with extra coconut milk.

15. Erm, Clash of the Titans previewing early ?

16. And we ended the day on a high note, literally “screaming” our wishes (for we did not carry a
marker pen, and the guy did not provide one!) by setting a lantern (Kong Ming lantern)
@ 100baht/RM10/USD3 each, afloat to the dark, starry skies … World Peace? Nah …..

Ao Nang is a very peaceful town come nightfall. You don’t hear throbbing sounds from the clubs (unlike Phuket’s Bangla Road), you don’t go shopping or sipping Starbucks in shopping centres (unlike Jungceylon in Phuket) and you don’t even get to sample a myriad of street foods at the night market (unlike Krabi town), although there were stretches of hawker stalls here and there. What you can do is get yourself a good yet cheap rubdown (read : Thai body massage) while listening to the waves crashing on the shores of Ao Nang beach. Or you can sip on some beer at the random cafes/bistros/restaurants around the area.

Rejuvenating indeed.

Related Article : Phi Phi Island Exploration