RTW Trip: Thailand - Krabi

The first two weeks of our trip were spent almost entirely in the water. Then we spent just over a week land locked in Thailand. What a great time to move south and get back to where we want to be… on the beach!

We arrived in Krabi, on the west coast of southern Thailand across the bay from Phuket, at dusk where the weather and lighting were perfect. After speeding past some beautiful scenery we approached the Sheraton Resort. The Sheraton had a massive property right on the water with its own private beach. Best of all they had a ping pong table which Adam and I took full advantage of during the quiet evenings at our hotel.

Sheraton Resort- Krabi

After so much sight seeing in the previous two cities, we decided to take full advantage of the hotel and spend the day relaxing at the pool and on the beach. At one point we took a nice stroll down the beach to find what turned out to be a crab colony of, brace yourself, millions of tiny crabs. I haven’t seen this many of one animal since our boat ride in New Zealand with 400 dolphins.

 The second day we decided not to be so sedentary. After having such a great motorbike riding experience in Chiang Mai we decided to do it again. For only $10/day we rented a bike and rode over to AoNang where we caught a boat ride for $3.50 each way to the well-known Railay Beach. It was a beautiful beach with pretty water and a cute shopping center with plenty to keep you busy.

We had heard about a very cool look out point so decided to find it. It turned out you need to be in pretty good shape to get to this look out point. It’s a straight upward climb done with only a rope. Some parts were pretty challenging, even for an active person like myself. We got to a secondary view that was too much for me and I let Adam head up it alone. Later that night we hit up a restaurant called CoCo Nut for dinner. If you ever visit Krabi it's worth a try. It had great food, great service, and didn't have touristy prices. 

Look Out Point

Railay Beach

On our third day in Krabi we went on an island hoping tour that we booked through one of the local shops. 

 The itinerary was to see Bamboo Island, Phi Phi Dom, and Maya Bay on Ko Phi Phi, which many know for being featured in the movie The Beach with Leonardo DiCaprio. We were picked up at 8am and packed onto a fairly large boat full of people. Instantly, it felt super commercial and touristy, unlike our time in the Philippines. The most beautiful -- but also most commercial -- stop was by far Maya Bay. We pulled into the bay surrounded by dozens boats and hundreds of people. There must have been 50 boats crowding the shoreline obstructing our view. The crew literally was pushing boats away to fit ours in so we could hop off.

Once off the boat, you could see the amazing view but only if you are able to envision it without 500 crazy tourists in your way. The main highlight was encountering a very flavorful eastern European couple wearing the skimpiest bathing suits we'd ever seen (photo below). Lunch, cafeteria style, was on another island. It was impersonal and the food wasn’t even that great. On the way to lunch I banged my toe on a rock and for the first time in my life had a black toe. Drama queen or not, it hurt like hell and I pretty much limped the rest of the day.

Our packed boat

Maya Bay

Strange Eastern European couple

Overall, the day was good. The islands are beautiful and the weather was perfect. Considering the full day tour only cost us $74 for both of us we can’t complain much. My advice to you: hire a private long boat for the day which will only cost you $100. Lunch will be an additional cost but who cares. I guarantee you will enjoy it much more than these tourist packed boats.

Bet you forgot about my lost passport already but just in case you didn't, upon arrival to the hotel that evening, we were informed that my passport arrived from Chiang Mai! Hallelujah!

We got to spend one more day in Krabi before our flight out to Bangkok where we stayed one more night before our next flight out of Thailand.

Overall, we had a great time in Thailand. It’s a culture rich country that has lots to offer any visitor. If you are ever up for a visit be sure to get their famous Thai Massage and be sure not to over pay or get caught in a tourist trap. We averaged about $5/hour on most of our massages. The food is hit or miss in Thailand but either way be sure to check prices on the menus before you order. Otherwise, you might find yourself over paying when the bill comes.

Next stop, Casablanca, Morocco via Abu Dhabi! Get ready for some crazy stories ahead!