Thailand Travel Krabi

5/26/2008

Krabi here we are!

by DeuxSS

Hi y'all! It's been a while, but here we are still alive and well. We spent 2 weeks in Koh Lanta yet again and it's beginning to feel more like home everytime. Who knows it may actually be home some day soon... when opportunity knocks! We just arrived in Krabi today and plan on going to Bangkok tomorrow. After a few days there shopping, we are heading to Cambodia or laos by bus. We will decide in a few days which one first. I'm leaning towards Laos 1st, then Cambodia. It will be a few long bus rides but hopefully worth it. We have now many pets all around the world, just too bad we can't bring them all back home.

We are eating more and more western food as we go along, it's pretty easy to get anywhere we go and not too expensive. Diving seems to be finish for now as the season is slowing down and the weather isn't as nice. More rain and big surf, so visibility not so great. We have some pictures from Bali to put up finally. Enjoy living through our eyes. Talk to you guys soon. OK! It's been months since we
DSCF1985 were able to post pictures properly. Here are pictures from Ko Raya or Ko Racha Thailand, Bali and perhaps a few from Ko Lepi.... If anyone want's to know what's what feel to ask...

5/07/2008

Krabi - Island hopping in Southern Thailand

by The Wanderers2008

Hi,

How is everyone? I hope that you're all well.

We've been quite busy since our last blog so here goes....

On 22nd April we took part in an environment Save the Earth day which was great fun. I decided to try to save the Earth one coral at a time by diving to clean the corals and examining them. We had to check the colours of the corals and record them on our underwater writing boards and later pass this information onto Marine Researchers who could input the data to see how much damage the coral is receiving. I did this with my diving friends Nik (from America) and Renana (from Israel) whilst Stu did some snorkelling. It was a great day and really made everyone aware of how easy the corals do get damaged by accident. Later on we got the opportunity to go and see some baby turtles who were soon due to be released into the sea. In order to see them we had to scramble across some very sharp rocks and many people ended up getting cuts (including myself) but it was worth it. There were approximately 40 of them and it
was lovely to just watch them swimming in the man made enclosure in the sea.

After I had enjoyed the Open Water PADI diving course, I was very excited to be starting the Advanced Open Water course the next day (23rd). In order to complete and become a certified advanced diver I had to do 5 more dives each with its own specialty. Two of them were compulsory which were the Deep Dive (30metres) and the Navigation (using underwater compasses). The last three I got to chose from a long list. The first one I chose was the underwater photography course which was fascinating. I never realised there was so much to photography! I was really lucky on the day of the dives and I ended up with a DVD full of underwater pictures. Unfortunately I can't open the DVD to put any of the pictures on this blog.

Anyway, the second dive I chose was the Peak Performance Buoyancy (Andy and Abbie will understand what I'm talking about!) which helped improve my buoyancy under the water meaning I'm not sinking when I don't want to and likewise I don't keep floating to the surface. The last dive

On the beach in Koh TaoI chose was a Night Dive! I was slightly apprehensive about this dive as anyone who knows me will know that I'm not a great fan of the dark! However, I decided to do it because I thought it would be a lot more challenging. It was strange enough getting on the boat in the pitch black, let alone jumping into the water! We each had little torches and compasses to find our way around the corals at the dive site. As we descended into the dark waters it was a very bizarre feeling. As soon as we were around 12 metres down we spotted lots of sting rays with the torches and it was amazing. There was a lot more nocturnal sea life than I'd realised and I really enjoyed this particular dive. Ascending to the surface and looking up to see the sky full of stars really made this dive special.

The next day we decided to check out some of the beaches on the island now that I'd completed both diving courses as we hadn't had the chance to do so. We ended up on a lovely beach called Shark Bay and relaxed for the day...it's

a hard life!! We reluctantly left Koh Tao the next day and set off for our current destination of Krabi, Southern Thailand. It took us 3 boats, 2 buses and a broken toe (Michelle's) to get us here...it was certainly an experience. Krabi town itself doesn't have much to offer but it's surrounded by hundreds of tropical islands.

Yesterday we took a trip in a speed boat to visit a few of the these islands. It was a very fun day. Each island was like a little piece of paradise (or "little pieces of heaven" as Gareth would call them!) We went from beach to beach just relaxing and snorkelling. Many of these islands were hit by the tsunami in 2004 and as we looked around at the picturesque views it was very hard to try to imagine what it must have been like for the people caught up in that terrible disaster. There is very little evidence of the tsunami today apart from the odd "Tsunami evacuation route" signs dotted around.

During this trip we visited Maya Bay which is where the film "The Beach" was filmed...although it was a lot busier than in the movie thanks

to Leonardo! We also visited Phi Phi Don and Phi Phi Ley Islands where the water is really clear and turquoise. Our favourite islands though had to be Bamboo Island and Tup Island.

Tomorrow (3rd May) we will be on the move again, on our way to Koh Lipe which is a tiny island very close to Malaysia. We're hoping to relax on the beaches here for a few days before crossing the border into Malaysia.

We hope that everything is okay in the U.K. Keep the comments and messages coming :-)

Also, I'd like to wish my Grandma Bury a big Happy Birthday for the 5th. I hope that you have a great day and I will be thinking of you.

Lots of love, Michelle & Stu xxxxx

Pileh Bay, Phi Phi

Maya Bay

This is where the film "The Beach" was filmed! Gorgeous!

Stu having lunch on Phi Phi Don

It was hard to imagine what it must have been like when the tsunami hit this paradise island

Phi Phi Don Island

We got around the islands on one of those speed boats, great fun!

Tup Island

Michelle relaxing on the beach...the water here was so warm it was like getting into a bath.

Stu making friends with the locals!

4/27/2008

The Krabi Airport Story

by TJG

OK - no photos with this one - just the story. This is one of those stories that happen every oncee and a while when one travels and gets themselves into a little pinch. A story about how good people really are out there.

So here it is:
On August 10, I caught the 18:30 flight from Florence to Frankfurt, then flew 11.5 hours from Frankfort to Singapore, then caught a flight from Singapore to Krabi, arriving at the Krabi airport at 18:45 on Saturday, August 11. Needless to say, I was tired. I was through immigration with no problems - the officer made some quip about me liking Thailand this time of year. (I was in Thailand from mid-August through mid-September last year too.) Luggage came out in a reasonable time and I picked up my bags and made my way to the bank machine to get some cash so I could take a taxi the hotel I was planning to stay at and crash.

Problem - the machine didn't like my bank card. Apparently the information was incomplete. OK - strange - it was working fine in Europe and I knew I had cash in there - so maybe it was just the machine. So, I walked over to a machine provided by another bank. Same problem.

Well - luckily I still had travellers cheques that I never used from the first time I went travelling on my own two years ago. I had been thinking of just cashing them in since I never use them - luckily I hadn't. I headed to the foreign exchange desk to cash some of them in. Unfortunately, they closed at 7pm. It was now 7:15pm - and the girl behind that glass was not going to help me out. There were closed - too bad.

Krabi airport is a small airport - there were no other options for getting cash. However, there was a hotel accomodation and tour desk open. Maybe I could book my hotel on my credit card and somehow arrange transport through them. So I walked over to the desk and asked about the hotel I was thinking about - Krabi City Seaview - and yes they did bookings for that. "Oh, and I can pay by credit card?", I asked. "No, only cash." was the response
Sh!t. It was now 7:30pm. I had 60 baht (from my last trip to Thailand) and that wasn't going to get me anywhere - the only way out of the airport at this time of night is by taxi and costs 350 baht. I explained my situation to the girl at the accomdation desk. I had 60 baht, $250 US in travellers cheques, 210 swiss francs, $85 CAN and $100 BDA, a credit card and a bank card, which wasn't working - and the exchange desk was closed. The girl came with me back the the exchange desk to see if she could convince them to open up - no luck. She then asked me to sit down and she wandered off for a bit.

By this point I'm kind of freaking out because I am really tired and have no baht. I tried to calm myself down by explaining to myself that the worst that could happen is that I would sleep in the airport and the exchange desk would be open in the morning and I could catch a taxi out of here then. But I was really tired and really wanted a decent bed tonight.

The girl came back and started talking on her mobile and then went over to the taxi desk and came back to me. "OK" she said, "my sister can change your money. She can give you 1500 baht for $50 US and will charge a 33 baht commission for travellers cheques. I will pay for your taxi to get to my sister's place, which will be $350 baht. So my sister will give you 1500 baht, less 33 baht for commission, less 350 baht for the taxi and less 400 baht for the deposit on the hotel."

I have never heard better news in my life. This complete stranger was going to pay for my taxi and get me to a place where I could have my money changed. She didn't know me from anybody, but she went out of her way to help me out and I will never forget it.

4/22/2008

KRABI TOWN

by leon oz

One night in Krabi Town

I arrived at Krabi Airport at 7pm - the window seat gave a great view of the labrynth of rivers around Krabi Town to the Andaman Sea. To avoid the usually expensive taxis there is an excellent bus from the airport to Krabi Town at 90 baht for the twenty minute trip. The bus passes the centre of town which alarmed a few people before we changed over to a truck to take us back into Krabi Town and dropped us at Chaofa road which is close to the old pier and the many guesthouses and hotels.

Near Krabi Town

Great view from the sky at sunset

I had not booked any accomodation and if you read my previous blog my mind was on other matters at this time. Most tourist go straight to other destinations instead of staying in Krabi Town but i thought it would be worth a look for one night before catching the 10.00 am morning ferry to the Phi Phi islands. Not wanting to waste any time I stayed at the Grand Tower Hotel for 500 baht. Nothing too fancy here but I did have a good nights sleep. If you want a high quality hotel or guesthouse book
Carnival in Krabi Town
ahead as there are many tourists going through Krabi Town.

Krabi Town is on the Krabi River and the first thing you notice here is the heat and high humidity of the south - Bangkok is just hot and very hot and sweaty, in the south you swelter in Northern Australia type conditions at this time of year. It was the last night of Sonkran with the water wars over there was a live concert near the impressive night market and food stalls. It was a carnival like atmosphere but the market was closed by 9.30 pm although the food stalls near the river stayed open. I walked the streets for a couple of hours, purchased a ticket for the ferry for the following morning. Krabi Town is very quiet compared to Bangkok but I was tired and ready to sleep by midnite.

Krabi Town can be a base for most tours of the islands or jungle but most tourist prefer to stay at Aonang Beach or Railay Bay. Tomorrow I will be going to Koh Phi Phi Don for two nights before returning to Bangkok.

Carnival in Krabi Town

4/18/2008

Krabi (Songkran Sunday 13th April 2008)

by The Special One

Guess what, up early for a change! However for once in a long time i had a half decent sleep.

Had a just about edible breakfast from my guest house. I had to put heaps of tomato ketchup on the ham and sausages so i could eat them.. The only reason i ate them was i was soooo hungry. What i'd give for some proper bacon and sausages. Mum & Dad hope you are taking note - make sure you have some in for when i return!

Did another monster session on the internet and travel blog.

Today it is thai new year (Songkran). I had heard and read that a big part of the festival is the big continuous water and power (like talc) fights that take place on the streets. It wasn't long before i was dragged out of the internet cafe by a young thai woman for a water fight. She had a small tub of water a threw it over me. I noticed a full big bucket of water on the pavement so i grabbed that and poured it over her head and drenched her lol. Pointless
Krabi and Songkran Festival
Outside the jam bar. Veevee next to me with blue sunhat on and Vee Vee's friend Oi directly next to memessing about and only doing half a job. it was a good laugh!

After i finished my internet session we had a bit of another water fight on the street outside the cafe with a few kids and then i hit the road - my goal to get back to the guest house without getting drenched and breaking yet another camera that was in my day pack! Only after walking 10 or so meter I could see a big group of locals on the other side of the street with masses of water i manage to avade them. However after a few more diversions to avoid a soaking i kind of realised it was going to be impossible to get back dry. I simply had to walk down a street as there was no alternative and they were several groups of locals waiting for me or whoever else walked down the street. I accepted the inevitable and walked forward. I was soon drenched head to toe. I just had to make sure my daypack and camera didnt get wet. As i walked further down the road i got attacked a few more times by people in cars / vans.
Krabi and Songkran Festival
Jane from France and Me with nmy new funky hair styleEventually i came to bar called "the jam club' Once again i got totally drenched by some thai girls, kids and even there were some western people in the group. I got talking to this group and decided to have a drink with them and stay here for a bit. The bar was run by 2 sisters, they had invited all their friends and their children for the Songkran festival. We had a big bucket of water outside the bar, lots of smaller bckets and a hose pipe with constant water flowing. Every person that walked, drove, cycled past (thai or whatever) got attacked & drenched. A lot of people who we attacked like myself stopped off or hung about for a drink or 2 or 3 or 4 or 5..........On the opposite side of the street there was a bar / cafe that were doing exactly the same and also soon had a big gathering. During the day the 2 sisters of the jam club ordered a load of thai food and put on a bit of a buffet which was really nice and really good of them. Throughout the day and evening there were water battle after water
Krabi and Songkran Festival
Evening time - Jude and Veeveebattle going off on the street and people driving around in motorbikes, cars with water pistols or big open back vans with about 8 or so people stood on the back with big buckets of water. We managed to get a constant supply of ice cubes which obviously was a hell off a shock to the system when you got a bucket of that water over you...i think the F word came out a few times that day....you just cant help it! The day was such good fun, the beer was pretty much flowing i think & I got to know lots of people, thai and western. Much later in the day a group of the people who were mostly english went clubbing but i decided to stay at the jam club and have a few quiet...ish beers. From the group that stayed there was a nice friendly french girl called Jane (i don't think she's french, too friendly for a french person), the thai sisters (Veevee, cant remember the name of the other) who own the bar, their friends (gwan & her boyfriend, Oi), the ladyboy (sara), a cool thai guy (Jude). We had a really cool night, nothing
Krabi and Songkran Festival
Gwan, amazingly with same hair do as me!tooo crazy, just chilling out talking and laughing over a vast amounts of alcohol. There was one big concern i had during the night......the lady boy had obviously taken a shine to me, everyone found it really amusing obviously apart from me. I just tried to laugh along and see the funny side of it. I wouldnt have mined half as much if she could actually pass as a she but she still has the meat and 2 veg and actually looks like a man lol.

It was a late night, apart from Jude i was the last person to stay, i got home at 3.15am and shit i am up early tomorrow to go on a tour!

Krabi and Songkran Festival

4/12/2008

Krabi - El viaje interminable

by arincon

Lo que parecia un viaje sencillo de unas pocas horas de ferry mas bus, se acabo convirtiendo en una viaje inacabable.

Un taxi vino a recogernos a la guesthouse, nos llevo hasta un embarcadero, donde cambiamos a un bus, el bus nos llevo a otro embarcadero donde subimos al ferry, al salir llegar a la peninsula, nos volvimos a subir en un bus que nos llevo a la agencia de viaje, nos recogio una minivan que nos llevo hasta un segundo bus, y este por fin fue hasta krabi.

Al dia siguiente fui hasta Relay, una playa a la que solo se puede llegar en bote, la provincia de krabi, tiene un landscape espectacular, hay acantilados casi verticales cubiertos de vegetacion, las islas cercadas a la costa tambien se levantan en vertical desde el agua, espectacular, es un sitio al que vienen escaladores de todo el mundo para practicar escalada. No pude resistirme a si que contrate una sesion de principio, que panico! Despues de aprecer a hacer un nudo de seguridad y unos pocos ejemplos ya me estaba subiendo por las paredes, lo mejor es no pensar demasiado y continuar hacia arriba, bajar es muy sencillo solo hay que dejarse caer y tener confianza en los companeros que aguantan el otro extremo.

La dos primeras me salieron bien, en la tercera quede completamente bloqueado, despues de varios intentos decidi abandonar, tendre que continuan probando en barcelona.

Manana de nuevo en ruta hcia Ko Pi Pi, tengo ganas de practicar alguna inmersion de nuevo.

4/10/2008

Sunny Krabi

by Chris and Alex

We headed to Krabi with two goals in mind. Diving and relaxation.

Alex learned how to dive from a Hong Kong national named Klins at the Blue Juice dive shop in Krabi town. Krabi itself isn't a beach-covered paradise, it's more of a base of operations out of which you organize trips to beach-covered paradises, jungles and the likes. Klins was a patient teacher and in no time we were out in the water diving. Visibility wasn't great, but we did get to see quite a few neat things including a moray eel, a bunch of sea horses, lion fish, clown fish, and my personal favorite, nudibranches. We also got a bonus on our second day when we saw a group of dolphins on the way out to the dive site.
Our time was split between the beaches and the jungle. Honestly, there's not too much to be said about the beaches. We sat. We walked. We played in the beautiful blue ocean. Awesome.

We spent a couple of days in the jungle. First, we decided to climb all 1237 stairs to the Tiger Mountain Cave Temple. 1237's not that many, right? I think we would have been
Flower
Here is a nice white flower with the blue water in the background.fine if we could have skipped steps 200-300. They were about 6 inches wide and a foot and a half tall. We never recovered after that. We almost resorted to shouting slogans at each other after we were passed by a Thai lady who must have been in her 70s. The view from the top was well worth the effort (so I keep telling myself). Sadly, it was overcast, so landscape pictures didn't turn out, but that didn't make the scenery any less breathtaking. Jungle greenery cascaded off of peak after peak of towering cliffs. It was reminiscent of Guilin, but without all the development. Golden Buddhas towered above us as we admired the scene below us. That older woman who sprang past us on the way up prayed at every single statue, large or small and tried to persuade Chris to do the same with gentle pushing and prodding.

The next day we woke up with sore legs, and so decided on an arm workout. We opted for the kayak/elephant trekking combo tour and were not disappointed. We kayaked through mangrove forests, lagoons, and canyons with a pair of Danes, an Englishman and his young French daughter, and
Limestone Cliffs
Cliffs and rocks like these are all over southern Thailand. Made from limestone, they shoot up out of the seas.our talkative Thai guide. In addition to some stunning scenery we also got to see a monitor lizard, a meter and a half long water snake, and many well behaved monkeys. I especially enjoyed all our variations on Bob Marley's No Woman No Cry. Among the best had to be--"No rain, plants die,"--Chris, "Monkey pee, monkey die."--our guide.

Zoe, the eight year old French girl that kayaked with us, was nearly beside herself with anticipation for our elephant trekking. This was certainly one of those times when catching the excitement of a child makes an experience worlds better. So after drying off we headed to Nosey Parker's, the elephant trekking company.

Elephants are not small.

Chris got to ride the hundred year old bull solo (well, save the guide), and Alex got the chance to ride on the elephant's head instead of on the harness and wouldn't be denied. The trek was short, but fun, especially since Zoe was around. The elephants marched around at a leisurely pace, stopping to uproot a tasty snack or to decorously scratch their backsides up against trees.

So after all this excitement we decided it was the time for some
Islands for Diving
Here is one of the first small islands that Alex learned to dive near.good, old fashioned beach bumming. So it was off to Koh Jum for us, an island that lauds the fact that upon it there is nothing to do.