A weekend in Krabi
Chinese new year was loaming and we did a last minute booking for a weekend in Krabi. Krabi is quite nice but NOT during high season. This was right at the very beginning of our installation in Thailand and we were not prepared for what "high season" means in Thailand compared to Malaysia.
In Malaysia, high season was absolutely fine, maybe it just meant we had to book a little in advance but we never felt that anywhere was really crowded. Thailand was another scale altogether, and that first weekend in Krabi was an eye opener. (we got a lot smarter after this, spending money where it was necessary to stay away from mass tourism).
There was a "good deal" (high season + last minute is not a good combo) with airasiago for a decent hotel+ flight in Krabi so we took it and where on our way. Thailand is a lot easier to travel since it's well travelled already ! From the airport we could take a shared minibus to ao nang beach from one of the counter at the arrivals for 150thb each and it took 1 hour to be dropped off right in front of our hotel.
The hotel was very nice, simple, quiet not on the beach but just a 5 min behind. We walked in the early afternoon to find a longboat that would take us to see Phra Nang & Rail lay beach. On the way we met a Japanese couple in need of the same, so we grouped up and found a boatman willing to take us. We were dropped at Phra Nang beach and walked our way easily to Railay beach were the boat agreed to pick us up. This was a nice and easy afternoon.
Where we got shocked... ( I will sound super prude ! ) Thai are quite reserved and cover up their bodies when going to the beach - imagine my shock at seeing these cruises guests topless tanning on the beach ! Also the beach was packed, at first I though I wanted to swim but between the "food longboat" parked along the shore serving fried & smelly food and the selfie sticks... I gave up. We visited the fertility temple at the end of the beach (where you can find all these phallus dildos & statues) and moved on to Railay beach.
In the evening we strolled down the waterfront and enjoyed some cheap and nice barbecue seafood in a small restaurant, since we were on the extremity of the beach, not many tourist walked that far so we were good. On the second day, we decided to visit the tiger temple on the way to the airport - we arranged a taxi with the hotel to drive us there, wait and then drive us to the airport. It worked well - and luckily we did this, because there was not that many taxis at the temple, if we had done differently.
The temple is a whopping 1,237 stairs until the top but the view is worth it !
This was an interesting week-end, just pick an off-season week-end to do it and take a nice hotel, the beach in Ao nang itself is not great for a swim and very public unless you are from Phra Nang Inn (good hotel, we stayed there on another weekend) and after.