Ramesh’s blog This is Me!!

My visit to Krabi

One way you know that a year has gone by so quickly is realising that you are planning in earnest and then packing for yet another holiday. After Langkawi  last year this year we aimed for a Family reunion at Krabi in the South East of Thailand.

Once again, my wife and I turned to Tripadvisor.com and started to look through the various airline websites for the best deals for air tickets and the best places to stay in. Without a doubt most travellers who blogged on Tripadvisor.com recommended we stay at Railay Beach (preferably West Railay) for that is where all the activities were. However after much debating and weighing our options and considering the possibility of having to wade through slushy soil during the low tides we decided on staying in Ao Nang instead for it was better connected to the mainland. Besides we had to give my fathers age its due.

Based on last years success at planning and executing the trip we felt so much at ease doing the bookings ourselves and in the process. AirIndia had the best deals on a to and fro ticket and so we grabbed it only to rely on Air Asia for the domestic flights from Bangkok to Krabi and back.

12 Jun 10 We arrived in Bangkok and spent the next two days generally catching up with family and shopping and of course deciding on what we would like to do while at Krabi. We browsed the net and decided on a hotel Ananta Burin in Ao Nang based on the reviews on Tripadvisor. The booking was done through AsiaWebDirect.com that offers the best prices than any hotel can directly through its own web site. We settled for a 4 nights package with airport pick up in a deluxe room pool facing. To my surprise we were sent two 10 seater vans at the airport and not charged any extra. The hotel itself is new and the staff polite, friendly and warm. Having got in at 1800 hrs we didn’t do much that evening except walk down the road to find a decent restaurant. We found one just as it was about to close but the food was good.

13 Jun 10 was a rainy day and we had to shelve our plans of going Rock Climbing at Railay Beach because getting to Railay depended on going by boat and we were not too sure to risk rock climbing on a rainy day. Instead we drove along the Noparathara Beach and went for lunch at a reputed Sea Food restaurant called Kruathara (I am not sure what the words After Tsunami on their board was intended to convey). They had displayed pictures taken seconds before Tsunami ravaged the place 6 years ago. The food was good and kids had fun watching live lobsters and strange looking crabs and ray fishes amongst other things in the aquarium. Later we walked on Noparathara beach and its an awesome sight to see a beach so lively and so packed with so many tiny crabs, and other shelled creatures and even an occasional Jelly fish. Having spent some time collecting shells and photographing the place and after the kids had their share of fun we returned to the cleaner waters of the hotel pool for more swimming.

14 Jun 10 With ten of us travelling together we could afford to charter a speed boat to ourselves and went on what is called a Three island tour. There are several islands to pick and chose from including the James Bond Island from the James Bond Movie. We picked Hong Island, the Lading Island and one other. It was the first experience of its kind to be zipping past so many rock masses jutting out of the water in various shapes and then to be taken into the cave like entrance to the mangroves. An occasional Jelly fish or two could be seen here an there. After the mangroves we left for Lading Island which was the designated lunch spot. After a good fill of Steamed rice and Thai chicken curry we ventured out into the waters to feed the schools of tiger fish with the left over rice only to be swarmed by them from all sides. An occasional white Jelly fish could be seen here and there and one got close enough to go past my wife’s leg leaving a jellyfish feeling and a burning sensation for a while. Hong Island was definitely the best stop where we got to snorkel and even take three turns of half an hour each canoeing with different family members. It was exhausting but fun as well. Of the lot, my niece and I surely showed such great synchronisation (see picture) in our movements that I suggested that we should form a team for the 2012 Olympics.

15 Jun 10 We decided on a half a day tour to go Elephant back riding through the thick vegetation and then to see the cat fish farm. We hadn’t planned anything for the afternoon and just as when my brother and I were coming under some serious criticism for poor planning and wasting a whole afternoon doing nothing the Rain Gods came to our rescue with a heavy downpour.

The elephant back ride was exciting no doubt with the kids definitely enjoying every bit of it. But having seen and experienced the bigger farm with over 250 odd elephants in Chiang Mai earlier, I didn’t find it all so impressive. The Cat Fish farm had so many different sizes of cat fishes and my brother could not ask help asking if they were feeding the unusually large ones any steroids.

16 Jun 10  Rock climbing was on the agenda and this meant having to go from Ao nang to Railay beach which is famous for its rock climbing locations. The trip was tailor made for our requirements and what is usually offered as a half day tour was converted into a full day tour with lunch thrown in as well. Once again we had a long tail boat all to ourselves. After a brief halt at the store to pick up climbing gear we were set for our maiden attempt at rock climbing. At first, when Judith – our German tour operator said the max height we might climb to as beginners would be only 30mts it seemed like a cake walk. A fifteen minute boat ride later when I came face to face with the rock face, I must admit I had my doubts … I could feel my acrophobia taking over.

That not withstanding I decided to give it a go but only after letting the kids try first. And my older son went up with no hassles and so did my niece. Now if nothing else at least for face saving I had to make an attempt of be categorised as a coward. So force I did and of the three possible levels a beginner could climb to – 10 mts, 20 mts and 30 mts – I got to the 10 mt mark easily. But as I was being lowered I had already decided that the 20 and the 30 were not my cup of tea. After lunch we walked to the eastern side of the island and then came the lovely beach into view. Oh it’s a spectacular sight to see and there was more rock climbing for those who were interested. While most of the family got busy playing in the sea, I tried my hand at building sand castles. In no time I had a few interested bystanders peering over me as I dug out a deep moat around my castle.

On the way back after an hour or so in the sea we decided to trek up the mountain to see a lagoon and view point. While my son accompanied my brother I took my niece and went our separate ways. Somewhere in between we lost them and we went ahead to find the lagoon. As it turned out the others only got to see the view point  where as we were the only two who got to see the Lagoon albeit from a distance. I was not comfortable taking her down the steep mountain slopes wearing her slippery plastic shoes. The way down from the visit to the view point and the lagoon  was quite tiring more so because I was worried for the safety of  my niece. I was sweating profusely as I normally do but when we finally got back to the rest of the family my niece was cheeky enough to claim she was not scared one bit but it was I who was and that I was sweating because I was so stressed out due to the fear of heights. Obviously my maiden attempt at rock climbing earlier that morning had not been enough.

Just for the sake of not regretting not having tried, tired as I was (or do I say stressed out as I was)  after the trek up and down to see the lagoon, I decided to give the 20 mtr  mark a go. I must admit I was doing fine only lowing upwards not looking down until my guide said something. To clarify what he uttered I made the mistake of looking down and that was curtains for me.

Now recollecting I realise it so funny and irrational how fear can affect us so much. We headed back to the hotel. After a change we headed out to a supposedly good sea food restaurant – The Ao Nang Sea Food Restaurant. The least I could say is Don’t go there. They are over priced, offer poor service and charge you an additional 3% on credit card payments for something that can be had for a third of the cost elsewhere.

After enjoying 5 days at Krabi, on 17th we headed for Bangkok.

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