Krabi town & Klang Island

Krabi is a town on the west coast of Southern Thailand. It is the capital of Krabi Province and Krabi District. The 8 districts include Ko Lanta Island as a district and also Mueang Krabi district which holds Ao nang and Railay bay. So to sum it up it is a huge province with some areas more popular than others.

Tourism is the main source of income here.

Unfortunately I did not have time to cover all the districts on this trip. Explored 3 and drove through an additional two. My trip to Krabi covers my short stay in Krabi town and my stay at Klang Island which is near the mouth of the Krabi River. Additional posts cover Railay, Ko Lanta, and Ko Phi Phi.

Travel tips for this District:

** Arrival to Krabi Town

There are 3 options here:

Krabi International Airport (KBV): Ideally located not very far from Krabi town or the surrounding districts. This serves as a convenient entry point.

Krabi boat piers:  Klong Jilad is the new pier 4km from Krabi town.  Chao Fah pier or Phi Phi pier is the old ones in the center of the town. Ferries run daily from Ko Phi Phi, Ko Jum, Ko lanta, and ko Yao Noi. There is also a Pier called Krabi Thalen 27km west of Krabi town where they have frequent speedboats. Buy your tickets at the pier to get a good price.

By Road: The roads here are good and easy to travel on. There is a bus service to Krabi town but do yourself a favor and take a private taxi. I did a taxi from Phuket to Krabi for ฿2500 and it took 2 hours through some gorgeous scenery.

**Krabi Town Expectations

This is a small town and much calmer than Phuket. The town is next to Krabi River and there are hotels and restaurants scattered all around. One of the few chilled out places for a Thailand town. 

Arriving there at 1pm there was some traffic but not much pedestrians about. Most of the tourist population use this location as a transit point to go to the other Islands in or simply transfer to Ao Nang or Railay further to the west. The highways around the area are very modern due to all the transportation needs in and out of town.

**Locations for accommodation

There are few hotels in krabi town ranging from backpackers to some 4 star hotels. There is one popular hotel called Maritime Park Resort & Spa, this is over booked most of the times and contains a lot of large travelling groups. So try to avoid this place or double check your booking status before arrival.

Most visitors staying in the Krabi Mainland head west to Ao Nang where all the fantastic hotels and resorts are located. The more adventurous get in long tail boats and head to Railay.

My situation here was different, arrived at the Maritime Park resort to discover they have overbooked so relocation meant a new adventure. The relocation option was to an Eco Village Resort on Klang Island, just south of Krabi town.

 The hotel staff drove us to Tara pier, located along Krabi River in Krabi Town. The local long tail boat then another 5 minutes cruising across Krabi River to Klang Island’s pier.  Then we jumped on a motorbike tuktuk and drove through the village across the island. A fun ride about 7 km through the narrowest of roads if we can call it that. Finally we arrived at the secluded peaceful Islanda Village Resort.

The Krabi Adventures: From Krabi town to Tara Pier, to Klang Island. The Drive to the resort. Boat out to Railay bay

**Islanda Village resort

Most of my travel friends don’t really like Krabi town after spending few too many days there so a relocation here was a sign from the travel gods looking after me. This was a hidden paradise. You have quite surroundings, luxury comfortable villas, a big swimming pool with Jacuzzi, good restaurant, and a manager who goes by the name Mr. Big. There is not that great of a beach or night life on this island but it is designed for relaxing & recharging. The only way to travel on the island is by tuk tuk or bicycle. Only way on and off the island is by boat or helicopter.

The Beachfront Villa and Pool	Arrival by boat and transfer by tuk tuk
Relaxing in the pool and Sunset view	Hotel Manager: Mr. Big

**Wildlife

While most people fought the mosquitoes and played with the cats at the resort, I found myself trying to convince more than save a cat from a snake. Both animals were safe from the drama that unfolded. So there are snakes on the island if you are lucky to see one.

Snake

Cat versus Snake

**Things to do on Klang Island

Daytime: I was here to relax and they have a big pool overlooking the beach to do that. You also have the option to borrow a bicycle and go check out the island. There was also a bathtub on the deck to watch the sunset. Limited activities so more of a “my time” place.

 Nighttime: Dinner and drinks followed by interaction with other guests. If you get bored you go look for snakes or other wildlife.

** Costs on the Island
Food is relatively cheap and will cost ฿200-300 a day at the resort. Water is quite cheap with big bottles 1.5 litres trading at ฿20. Beer is about ฿50 and cocktails can range from ฿100 to ฿150.

Accommodation price was ฿5000per night with breakfast for the Ocean Beachfront Bungalow. Other Bungalows start from ฿3000.
No Grocery stores here so buy you goodies in Krabi town.  No Medical centers or ATM’s either. I did mention it was a secluded Island with one awesome resort and a village.

** Conclusion

If you looking to stay in Krabi you can choose a hotel in Krabi town but options are quite limited if you looking for luxury. As an alternative for a night or two try this resort on Klang Island. It is quiet and peaceful. Getting away from the crowds helps in Thailand. On check out we took a 30 minute boat ride across to Railay.

South Thailand Island Guide
Boat options for Island Transfers

Phuket Tips
Phuket Map
South Thailand 13 Useful tips
Ko Phi Phi Don
Railay Beach 
Ko Lanta

Railay Beach

Railay Bay is located in the Mueang Krabi District, which is one of the eight districts in the Krabi region. It is only accessible by boat which makes it quite exclusive. Its neighboring Tonsai bay (North) is also only accessible by boat. The roads in this region only lead to Ao Nang Beach and town so both Railay Bay and Tonsai Bay have no connected roads. Railay bay is one of those spots I could stay for several weeks as it has lots to offer and at the same time have a relaxing vibe to the whole place.

It is a great place where you can easily spent a week to a month. There are many activities during the day and night to keep one occupied. There is strong WIFI at most hotels and some bars, massage houses, and shops. There are ATM’s on the island, 2 as I recall. Railay East has one at the convenience store next to Viewpoint Resort, and the other at Railay West’s "Walking Street". There are no ATM's at Tonsai Bay.

There are no Hospitals or medical clinics at Railay. There is a pharmacy on Railay east. All medical issues require a trip to Krabi by boat. This is one of the most spectacular beach destinations and worthy of a visit. I will definitely go back.

Here are my top 10 tips for Railay Bay :

1. Arrival to the Island:
This is the part that is really important. There is a west side to the Island and then the East side. Arrival on both sides are affected by the tide times. High tide is at approximately 1.41am and 1.34pm, Low tide is at 7.58 pm and 7.58am. The low tide depth gets down to 0.17 meters and high tide gets up to 2 meters. Current tide information can be found here.

2. Railay Bay East:
This is the glamorous side of the bay with the beautiful long beach and awesome views. During low tide the ocean is still deep enough for the Long tail transfer boats to come in and drop you off at the beach. So the west side is good for both tides. Once you arrive on the west or east side, you will need to walk to the hotel and if this requires going to the other side of the island, the middle concrete path takes 10 minutes to get to the other side.

3. Railway bay West:
This is the glamorous side of the bay with the beautiful long beach and awesome views. During low tide the ocean is still deep enough for the Long tail transfer boats to come in and drop you off at the beach. So the west side is good for both tides. Once you arrive on the west or east side, you will need to walk to the hotel and if this requires going to the other side of the island, the middle concrete path takes 10 minutes to get to the other side.

Arriving on the East of Railay bay

East of Railay bay at low tide

Railay Bay West

Railay bay West

4. Accommodation options:
There are lots of great hotels, apartments or backpackers in Railay. I personally recommend Railay Princess Resort & Spa. This place is located on the East side but has two lovely pools and great facilities. The walk to the beach on the other side is 10 minutes and here you can find the sister resort to this hotel called Railay Bay Resort & Spa. If you planning a honeymoon and need to hit the ball out of the park then try Rayavadee on the Bay. It is near Phra Nang Beach south of Railay beach.

Princess Resort Multiple Pools

Sister hotel: Bay Resort Beach Front

5. Wildlife:
The area around here is covered in dense jungle. So expect a lot of animal noises and activity. Monkeys are the most popular animals here and they are not shy. Leave you balcony sliding doors closed or you will have visitors. We saw a monkey going room to room and picking the nuts from the mini bar. They are also quite the pickpockets on the beach. Mosquitoes are the next most popular thing you will see here apart from monkeys. Also be careful when walking on the paths further north of Railay bay as there are centipedes in the area. You do not want to be bitten by one of these. It won’t kill you but it will cause a lot of pain.

Monkeys up to no good stealing from the Minibar

Evening Sunset after excursion trip

6. Daytime Activities:
This place is rock climbing central. A lot of the guests come here exclusively for some great climbing with spectacular views from the top. There are many stores with gear rental and they also have beginners course for those that want to get into it. A much better experience than being stuck in an indoor climbing facility. The beach of the west side is fantastic so you can spend the whole day there tanning and swimming. Kayaking is also an option around the bay and to Phra nang (cave beach). Trekking to the viewpoints to catch the sunset or views is another physical option. Throw in some diving, and fishing to sum up the range if activities available.

7. Evening Activities:
When the sun goes down the options of activity range from dinner at any of the beach restaurants on the west side followed by a long walk on the beach. They have a street called “Walking street” on the west side with some restaurants and shops which is worthy of visits. However if you looking for something different then head to the east side. The evening means high tide and the water is right up to the edge of the concrete path on the bay. There are lots of restaurants and bars on this side of the bay. Rooftop bars with the Rastafarian setup are popular, so try Joy Beach bar or Skunk Bar. The music on this sound of the bay is great along with the night market style setup of shops. There are also lots of massage places open till late. On Friday night’s Lucky restaurant & Last bar is the place to go to see some kickboxing and fire shows.

8. Excursions from the Island:
Never book anything online in Thailand for excursions as it is unreliable and overpriced. Always book in person at a dive store or tourist/tour operators stands. The east side of the Island has many operators that offer you a good price. There are several excursions from the Island that takes you on an Island hopping tour, snorkeling, dinner and a fire show. The locations are: Phra Nang Cave, Tup Island, Chicken Island, Poda Island, and some reefs around the area. This trip should cost about ฿800 at a tour operator but some hotels will have this from ฿1200 to ฿1800. There are also longer excursions headed to Phi Phi islands or Hong Island. Alternatively sailing on yachts with private dinner/lunch is an option.

Also to note here the fire show we saw on our 4 Island trip was good but you can see that the performers failed to read the section on fire safety precautions. There was an incident where one of them failed to secure the fire wick on his stick. This resulted in the wick getting dislodged into the air and into a projectile motion towards the audience. Just my luck when I saw this coming right at me. Luckily the calm ninja techniques worked and I moved in the last moment to see it land 30cm away from me. All part of the adventure I guess.

9. Selection of boat:
Speedboats: If this is an option take it and pay the extra Bhats(฿). Speedboats are becoming popular these days and are very reliable, safe and comfortable.

Long tail boat: At first heading out there in a wooden boat seems risky but the handlers are experienced sea gypsies or locals at most locations. They know the oceans are the islands and do a fantastic job. Can get a little rough if the ocean is choppy but the small numbers on board make for a private experience.

Big Boats: These look great in the brochure but when you get close to it and see the rust on the boat you begin to worry. The boat is old and usually over crowded. Things seem to be in place but this doesn't mean it is working or attached properly. The boat I went on tilted a good 45-60 degrees at times when stationary. When you struggle to get to the other side of the boat to bring the boat to balance you are in for a rough ride.

Poda Island

Evening Fire show on the excursion trip

10. Costs on the Island:
Food is relatively cheap and will cost ฿200-400 a day. Water is quite cheap with big bottles 1.5 liters trading at ฿20. Beer is about ฿50 and cocktails can range from ฿100 to ฿300. Accommodation prices vary from backpackers to hotels. Hotels are roughly ฿5000 per night with breakfast. Groceries at stores are cheap and not overpriced like other locations (Ko Ngai, Ko Phi Phi). Shopping for souvenirs and clothing is not bad as there are quite a few shops on both sides.

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Ko Ngai

This was my favourite island on this trip. Pronounced as Ko Hai. You arrive at an Island with beautiful turquoise coloured water, dense tropical forest, rocky headlands, and a beautiful white sand beach. This Island has no roads and is approximately 4 km long and 2 km wide. It has approximately 10 resorts, with 9 of them lined up across the beach on the east side of the island. There is one exception with one resort located on the southern beach.

This is one of the more relaxed islands. It is not too large and therefore the crowds are minimum. There are no day trippers so it feels like an actual holiday without intrusion here. The hotels are cheap and the costs on the island for restaurants are cheap with the option to go even cheaper outside the hotel. There is no cash machine so bring about ฿300-900 for each day if you eating out. You will need money for the private non hotel excursions which costs ฿400-500. So bring cash, mosquito repellent, and snacks. Definitely a great stay that is better than some of the bigger Islands.

Here are my top 10 tips for Ko Ngai:

1. Use the Speedboat: The island is a 45 minute speedboat ride from Koh Lanta. It is the middle point for travellers going further towards Koh Lipe, Koh Muk, and Koh Kradan. The speedboat pulls up to the front of one of the resorts to let all the passengers and luggage off. A long tail boat then comes to pick up the luggage and passengers. Most of the visitors choose to walk to the resort since it is so close and the beach is awesome.

Arriving to the beach landing spot

Arrival to Ko Ngai island

2. Accommodation options: They have a range of accommodation from the Hill side Villas to the beach from villas. There is also couple of camping sites. I chose Koh Ngai fantasy resort for my 3 night stay. Try to get one of the beach front villas or a family villa which is just behind the beach front villas with partial views to the ocean and a quick 1 minute walk to the beach. Accommodation prices vary from backpackers to hotels. Hotels are roughly ฿5000per night with breakfast.

3. Be Prepared for the wildlife photography: The island has a dense tropical forest and there are all kinds of wild animals and insects present here. I saw some bugs that I have not seen on Discovery channel on hangover Sunday. The main fear is once again mosquitoes so use a lot of repellant. (Recommend citronella which is very effective) There are snakes, spiders and monkeys in the tropical forest here so any hikes would require proper shoes and not flip flops (jandals, thongs).

Bug John Doe

Dragon Fly

Horn Bill Birds

Bats

4. Things to do on the Island: The Island is small and day time activity would include tanning, swimming, snorkeling, kayaking, scuba diving, PADI scuba courses, and just long walks on the beach. There are two hiking paths on the island, one goes to the south of the island to a sunset viewing point. The other goes west of the island to another view point from the west of the Island. I set out on the west end view point but took a wrong turn and ended at the southern point which was pretty good. Chilling on the beach at night time is fun and if you lucky you might see some shooting stars.

Tanning and Enjoying the view

Ocean Time

5. Excursion to Ko Maa & Ko Chuaek :There are two islands in front of the beach. They are Koh Ma and Koh Cheuk. Most of the excursions have a snorkeling trip which visits these two islands with 2 additional spots. The 3rd spot on the excursions is the Emerald cave (Morakot cave) located on Koh Muk. The final spot is usually the beach on Koh Muk where you can visit one of the resort restaurants for lunch. Koh Ma and Koh Cheuk offers nice snorkeling spots where there is a lot of fish and they are not shy swimming all around you. The reef is quite colorful and alive. On the rocky cliffs you can see hundreds of bats chilling in the sun (not by choice).

6. Excursion to Emerald Cave: This was quite an experience. The boat operator anchored the boat a good 30 meters away from the cave. He did not speak good English and gave our group of 6 a touch and pointed to a hole in the rock. We assumed this was the cave and just jumped in. Once we got to the entrance of the cave it was a 70 meter swim to the beach on the other side. Approximately 30 meters of this swim is through the caves is in pitch black hence the touch. Our touch worked for 30 seconds and then we followed the sounds of people on the other side. At this point I was thinking of all my equipment back at the hotel like my touch and the Rambo glow sticks. There is the occasional chain gang tourists in life jackets in groups of 10-20 swimming through in a line formation through the caves. The beach on the other side is amazing and worth the effort in the darkness.

Inside the cave where there is still some sunlight

Exiting the cave after some Pitch black action

Enjoying the moment after exiting the cave

At the Hidden Beach

Cave Exit to the Beach

The Chain Gangs of Tourists

7. Where to Eat: Food is relatively cheap outside the hotel and will cost ฿200-400 a day. At the hotels you can double this cost. Water is expensive with big bottles 1.5 litres trading at ฿60. Beer is about ฿80 and cocktails can range from ฿180 to ฿400.So head next door to the Thai restaurants on the beach for some fresh seafood at really cheap prices. The service is fantastic and the food is representative of the island.

8. Hotel Services: Some of the resorts on the island are under foreign ownership and this kills the vibe for the resorts. Fantasy resort for example is under Chinese ownership and the services are focused on making money from tourists without much concern of the staff. This removes some of the traditional Thai friendly hospitality. A lot of the staff were from Burma and Philippines here. All hotel bills have a 10% service charge (tips) but some investigation led to the discovery that this money goes to the owners and not to the staff who deserve the tips. So get to know the staff and tip them privately with the secret handshake. The resort food is okay but too international with burgers, pasta etc.

9. Medical Emergencies: : There is no medical center on the island so emergencies will require a boat visit to the east towards the Trang district on mainland. Our group had one case of dental emergency and had to take a 2 hour boat ride to Trang and a private taxi to the hospital dentist. The quotation from the Chinese owner for this trip was ฿5000 for the trip including the taxi. Speaking to locals the same trip was done for ฿1600.

10. Watch out for Hidden costs: As mentioned the hotels have lots of mark up on all products and services for normal Thailand prices. Excursions can be purchased for 50% less from the local tour operator at the beach. Same with restaurants outside the hotels which are 50% cheaper and quality of food is better.

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South Thailand: 13 Useful tips

This European winter I decided to take an 18 day vacation in South Thailand. Not being a big fan of the cold weather, some relaxing time in the sun was my Christmas gift to myself for 2014.

The itinerary set for my trip was taking the flight from Oslo with Qatar Airways to Hamad International airport in Doha for a 13 hour layover, followed by a direct flight to Phuket. From Phuket the plan was to do some Island hoping in this order: Phuket ► Krabi ► Railay Beach ► Koh Lanta ► Koh Ngai ► Ko Phi Phi ► Phuket

I had never been to South Thailand before so this itinerary was purely based on light research, and my adventurous ambition to discover new holiday spots. Having New Year’s Eve in Phuket would be the kickoff for my Thailand adventure. After the short layover in Doha, I arrived in Phuket at 1830 on the 31st December 2014.

Now there are several key important tips one most know before traveling to Thailand:

1. Same Same but different:
This goes for pretty much everything in the country. So if you have a ferry travelling from Phuket to Koh Phi Phi, tourist agencies will print different pamphlets with different prices. However the actual ferry is the same ferry used by all the agencies. The same goes for organized excursions, transfers, and services. So buying online tickets is not recommended for any service oriented activity as it is a marked up price. The best procedure here is to buy on location when you are in the country.

2. Always bargain:
So continuing from above when purchasing on location, always bargain. The vender or service provider like a tuk tuk driver will throw you a price, and you counter offer that price till you reach agreement. Supply of services exceed demand in most service areas here so you will have the bargaining power. For example petrol cost is 40 Bhats per litre, so paying 100 Bhats for a short taxi ride is okay but you can get away with paying half of that. All product purchases can be negotiated and you can get 20-50% off on the price.

3. Everything runs on Island time including International Airline flights:
Don’t expect anything to run on time. Take a scheduled time for an event and add an extra 15-30 minutes if you are lucky. This is how it operates in most islands across the globe, growing up on Fiji I know all about Island time so relax and just go with the flow.

4. Lose your normal accent and switch to Thai accent:
English is not the main language here so a fast speaking American accent, or strong British or French accent will do very little for your communication. So adapt to speaking “Thai-glish”. How to learn this? Observe and imitate.

5. Always repeat the keywords in a sentence:
So if you want the taxi driver to wait for you, you would say in Europe or America: “Please keep the meter running, I will be back shortly”. In Thailand you will say, “Wait wait, I come back fast fast.”

6. Learn the Key Words:
Like any foreign country learning the keywords such as “Thank You”, “Hello”, and “How are you?” among others helps break the ice and makes the locals appreciate your effort of trying.

7. Insect Repellant:
The wildlife is quite beautiful here and if you are lucky you might see some spiders, snakes, scorpions, and some exotic birds. The guaranteed sightings will always be monkeys and mosquitoes. The Mosquitoes are all over the place and love the tourists. So invest in a repellant. Local organic product Citronella is a good choice which you can purchase there.

8. Carry Cash:
Cash is king. When doing a cash out, go big and take out 20k bhats while you at it instead several small transactions along the way. Most stores as modern as they look may not cater for cards so cash is needed. Once you in the smaller islands good luck finding an ATM. Carry cash with you and lock it in the safe, so you take what you need on each outing.

9. Hit and Miss:
This is the theme of South Thailand with all services. For example a Thai restaurant at a 5 star resort will serve the worst Thai food you would have on your tour because it is run by Non Thai cooks. A foot reflexology massage ends with your shoulders being massaged. You order one dish and you get something else. So communication and following recommendations here are important.

10. Keep it private:
All excursions and transfers are best kept to a small group. Island transfers are best done in speedboats or private long tail boats depending on distance. Avoid large ferries and groups as this is a disaster waiting to happen. Overcrowding on such ferries is common and makes for a very uncomfortable ride. So spend the extra dollars and go private.

11.Stay clear of the day trippers:
The day trippers are common around the world when it comes to locations with beautiful Islands. They will stay on a bigger island with resorts where comfort is guaranteed and wildlife is at a minimum, hospitals are close by, translators and tour guides are with them, and hotel staff are there to help in all kinds of small emergencies. Good on them for travelling and discovering the world, however they are quite annoying as they often travel in packs. Their objective is to see locations and the tour guides mission is to throw them on boats and get them out there. Information such as sea sickness, what to wear is not discussed so expect to see them throwing up in the ferries, and running around in denim when the temperature is 30 degrees Celsius. They are prone to appear in tourist trap locations and are guaranteed photo bombers in your background. Stick to rule 10 and avoid them in boats. As for locations such as Maya bay in Phi Phi, you will need to get there earlier than the big boat loads of tourists.

12.Lady Boys (Kathoey):
Lady Boys (Kathoey): This term refers to either a transgender woman or an effeminate gay male in Thailand. They are also known as the third gender. Anyway they have Cabaret shows in the bigger cities and can be found all over Thailand. They are living life as normal individuals and you can refer to them as females when communicating. There is no need to fear them as they are friendly just like any Thai person you meet there.

13. Pollution:
Unfortunately in this paradise rubbish dumping has become common practice. Walking along beaches you will find lots of plastic bags, plastic bottles and other sort of Rubbish washed up on the beach. Now our travel group made an effort to clean up several beaches but this is a much larger job than several individuals. So try to educate someone not to throw rubbish into the ocean and hopefully the Thailand government starts a campaign to help clean up the beaches. Tourist and locals are equally guilty in this dumping of rubbish into the ocean as witnessed on this trip.

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