We were in Bangkok last week looking for flights to Koh Samui an island south in Thailand. It was the day before we would leave. At the last minute we changed our minds.
Flying into Koh Samui is more expensive then flying to the mainland to Surat Thani airport then going to the pier to catch a ferry to the island. As we discussed this we decided not to go through the trouble and find another beach location.
We chose Krabi. We had heard it was quiet and not over run with tourists.
We booked a bungalow which had a separate bedroom and is quite comfortable. It's off the main street but not too far, so noise is not an issue.
There are several bungalows in a row on both sides and in front of most including ours, there is a mango tree. Unfortunately they are green.
Our host has a jackfruit tree with large fruit tied up to secure it from breaking off.
It still amazes me to see these things that are not common in Canada. We get jackfruit in a can or frozen.
When you get to the main street you have many options for transportation. There are taxis that are scooters, cars, tuk tuks, and songthaews.
On the way to Ao Nang beach there are several restaurants and hotels. Our walk to the beach is only a kilometer and a half.
I was surprised that there are quite a few tourists here. I was under the impression that it would be really quiet.
I'm happy that the town has business and it's a nice vibe to see people having a good time.
The town seems to have drawn in a mixed crowd. There is a party crowd that most likely spend time on nearby islands and also a family crowd. The ages are quite mixed.
Unlike Bali and Mexico, Cats seem to be the theme here. I haven't seen any stray dogs. Many of the cats seem to be pets that are free to wander. They are clean and most of them are chubby.
It's a nice moment to see the beach at the end of the road, which is not the end but turns to another direction. If you go to the right you can walk to a beach called Noppharat Thara. It's far so we just go to Ao Nang near our place.
This is where things become really crowded. People stop to take in the sight of the glorious bay. It makes you stay still and just stare.
If you make a left turn you walk along a pedestrian lane lined with hotels, resorts and restaurants. The beach is on the other side.
What I love about the beaches here is the fact that you can relax without any vendors trying to sell you something every five minutes. Mexico was like that although it can come in handy sometimes.
One thing that blows me away are the cliffs that surround the area. They are breathtaking to look at.
The beach isn't white and powdery like some others but its clean and the water is very calm. I also love the temperature of the water. It's not cold at all.
It's a great place to spend the day waiting for the sunset. Even if you don't want to sit on the beach there are plenty of nice restaurants where you can get a drink and food. These are a little too pricey for us.
We go to the take away stand to get a cold drink then go to the beach to sit on the sand.
In Asia there's no shortage of massage places. You don't have to go far to be pampered. It's not for me so when they pressure me I just tell them honestly that I don't like it so that ends everything. They have too much competition.
I used to think that Acapulco Mexico had the best sunsets but I've changed my mind.
This sunset is mesmerizing turning from gold to pink to red. I love that people gather to take in the sight.
The sunset doesn't have to be the finale especially yesterday. It was Marc's birthday. I love using other peoples birthday as an excuse to go out for dinner.
We haven't stumbled upon any vegan restaurants but many restaurants offer vegetarian options so it's easy to make these dishes vegan. Often they are already vegan by default.
On our stroll back to the bungalow we noticed a restaurant that was really busy and had a sign out front with a vegetarian menu listed. The place is called Mama's kitchen and although it sounds Italian it specialized in Thai food.
The prices were very reasonable. There didn't seem to be much that was over 100 baht which is about 5 dollars Canadian.
Even the wine was reasonably priced compared to the beach side restaurants.
I was happy to know that the vegetarian curries could be vegan. I specified that we didn't consume animal products and they seemed very familiar with this kind of request.
We ordered two curries, one yellow and one green. They were both delicious but the green one was slightly better.
The week has flown by for us. This was the perfect get away. I wish we could have explored the other beaches like Railay beach which is supposed to be one of the nicest, and the beaches on the small islands. We may still do it someday. But then again there is plenty to discover in this world.
Thanks for joining me for this little tour of Ao Nang Krabi.