Birthday Gift : Solo Trip to Thailand

Tripoto
23rd Mar 2019
Day 1

View from Ao Nang Cliff Beach Resort Rooftop. Booked this hotel through AirBnb - was slightly expensive, but it's worth every buck and the view from the rooftop pool , is just mesmerizing. It's very close to the Ao Nang Beach and ferry station and literally a 2-min walk away from restaurants /pubs

Photo of Ao Nang, Mueang Krabi District, Krabi, Thailand by Saurav Basu

With low-cost carriers (LCCs) offering direct flights daily to Phuket from major Indian metros, I decided to take a direct flight to Phuket from Bangalore - it's about a 4.5hour flight which, departed from BLR at 4 in the morning and I was in Phuket at around 11. After that I decided to straight away head to Krabi - which is 3 hours by road from Phuket airport. There are multiple ways to get to Krabi from Phuket : A. You could take a ferry. Downside, ferries leave as per fixed schedule and you have to go to the city, and the exact ferry station and time yourself accordingly to catch that. It's about a 1.5-2hour ride by ferry.B. You could take a bus from the highway (exactly what I did), which to me is the most convenient, and also won't burn a hole in your pocket. Take a taxi from the airport (shared taxis available) to the highway pick-up point. It's about 15mins away, there you wait for a bus to come and pick you up. It's about 2.5 hours from there to Krabi bus terminal. From the bus terminal, you can take a tuk-tuk to your hotel. Total cost 250 - 300 THB (Shared Taxi 100 THB + Bus 100 THB + 50 THB for Tuk-tuk). C. You can take a direct taxi right outside the airport to Krabi. Upside: Convenient, will drop you at your exact destination. Downside: Will cost you somewhere around 2500 THB, but that should not be an issue if there are 3-4 people travelling together. Remember, you should always bargain for these taxi charges, they would tend to quote higher.

First sunset in TH- by the quaint Ao Nang beach. You can easily walk down this beach, and be at peace. The sea is calm and the breeze will weave its charm on you.

Photo of Ao Nang Beach, Ao Nang, Mueang Krabi District, Krabi, Thailand by Saurav Basu

Immersed myself in some authentic Thai cuisine with this sumptuous Chicken in Thai lemon and garlic sauce with veggies, alongside a bowl of rice and Schweppes limon soda

Photo of Ao Nang, Mueang Krabi District, Krabi, Thailand by Saurav Basu
Day 2

Buddha Posture for Thursday - Meditating in lotus leaf sit-down posture

Photo of Wat Suwan Khuha, Phet Kasem Road, Krasom, Takua Thung District, Phang-nga, Thailand by Saurav Basu

Buddha Posture for Tuesday - Also called the Reclining Buddha posture

Photo of Wat Suwan Khuha, Phet Kasem Road, Krasom, Takua Thung District, Phang-nga, Thailand by Saurav Basu

Took a day trip to Suwan Kuha temples, Monkey temple, Fishing Village and James Bond Island. You can buy the trip tickets from any one of the umpteen tour shops in Ao Nang, the night before you visit. The trip package is fairly standardized and commoditized, hence not much of a price differential (but doesn't mean you can't bargain). It will have a pick-up and drop from your hotel and have a lunch and snack / refreshments on-board included as part of the trip.

Entrance to the Wat Suwan Khuha - has a demarcated area for the monkeys, you have the liberty to buy dozens of bananas from the stores in the vicinity and feed the monkey population here. Just hold on to your belongings!

Photo of Wat Suwan Khuha, Phet Kasem Road, Krasom, Takua Thung District, Phang-nga, Thailand by Saurav Basu
Photo of Koh Panyi, Ko Panyi, Mueang Phang-nga District, Phang-nga, Thailand by Saurav Basu

After spending about an hour in the company of monkeys and appreciating the Buddha temple (Wat Suwan Kha), I was taken to the next stop - Koh Panyi (pictured above). It's a Muslim fishing village, which is also the usual stop for lunch. Lunch is pretty quotidian and austere - comprising sticky rice, steamed veggies, chicken broth and fried chicken. It's an hour long stop, where after finishing your lunch you can utilize your time to pick-up some handicrafts, souvenirs from the shops or just stand by the deck and appreciate the nature (usually it's pretty hot as it's around 1pm :P)

Photo of James Bond Island, Thailand by Saurav Basu

The backdrop that featured in the Bond movie - "Man with the Golden Gun" still reaps rewards for the Thai locals / tour operators with the daily heavy influx of tourists. This is usually the last segment of the tour. Honestly, it's nothing majestic, probably the presence of huge crowd is a dampener. But the setting amidst the surrounding jagged limestone cliffs, is definitely a treat for the eyes. Spend your time here, taking multiple shots in different angles with the cliff, or go take a dip in the bay - roughly 1.5 hours given to spend at the last segment of the trip, before you head back on ferry to the starting point.

Day 3
Photo of Railay Beach, Krabi, Thailand by Saurav Basu

If you're in Ao Nang - make sure you visit Railay beach, it's only 10mins by longtail boat from Ao Nang beach. The beach is accessible only by water. You can also go to Tonsai beach which is just adjacent to Railay, but again accessible only by water.

Photo of Railay Beach, Krabi, Thailand by Saurav Basu

If you go early in the morning, you'll have the entire beach to yourself and trust me it's worth it. The U shaped beach, situated between two cliffs makes it an ideal spot for admiring the nature and definitely some introspection. If you feel hungry, there are hotels right next to the beach, whose breakfast buffets are also available for guests for a charge.

What an idyllic setting :)

Photo of Railay Beach, Krabi, Thailand by Saurav Basu

Absolutely fell in love with this beach

Photo of Railay Beach, Krabi, Thailand by Saurav Basu

Watching the sunset along with some G&T was not a bad idea at all :)

Photo of Tubkaek Beach 6024, Nong Thale, Mueang Krabi District, Krabi, Thailand by Saurav Basu

After spending the morning, and first half at Railay - I headed back to Ao Nang. Got myself a good lunch, hired a scooty and then went off to Tubkaek beach to savour the sunset. Thailand's high quality beaches lie in the islands and in northern parts of Krabi. Ao Nang and Nopparat Thara are more commercialised and the terrain is not as breathtaking as in Tubkaek. The 30-minute scooty drive from Ao Nang to Tubkaek in itself was magical, where the last 10mins is along the coast.

Photo of Ao Nang Night Market, Soy 8, Ban Ao Nang, Mueang Krabi District, Krabi, Thailand by Saurav Basu

Ao Nang night market is a definite visit - the atmosphere is electric, with some live local music which will definitely make your feet tap. Besides, there is a designated food area which houses about 30-40 odd food stalls selling different types of Thai street food, across all courses.

Banana Nutella Crepe . Having these crepes are a must, you just cannot miss it when you are in Thailand.

Photo of Ao Nang Night Market, Soy 8, Ban Ao Nang, Mueang Krabi District, Krabi, Thailand by Saurav Basu
Day 5

Maya Bay -Koh Phi Phi

Photo of Maya Bay, Ko Phi Phi, Mueang Krabi District, Krabi, Thailand by Saurav Basu

Took a day tour to Phi Phi Islands from Phuket - as it's closer from Phuket than from Krabi. The tour operates in a similar bundle fashion, where various other islands would be shown to you. There's something vastly different about the terrain - that you would not witness anywhere else, but this part of the world that makes it a memorable experience.

Day 6

I'll let the picture do the talking - Just the right way to start off my last day in Thailand

Photo of Patong, Kathu District, Phuket, Thailand by Saurav Basu
Photo of Wat Chalong Temple, Chao Fah Tawan Tok Road, Chalong, Mueang Phuket District, Phuket, Thailand by Saurav Basu

Wat Chalong Temple (above) is a beauty - it's about an hour's scooty drive from Patong. But when you are in Thailand you should pay a visit to not only its idyllic 'Koh's(islands) but also its picturesque 'Wat's (temples). You can easily spend an hour or two here going around the different temples within the complex.

Wat Chalong complex - not bad even on an overcast day

Photo of Wat Chalong Temple, Chao Fah Tawan Tok Road, Chalong, Mueang Phuket District, Phuket, Thailand by Saurav Basu
Photo of Big Buddha, ยอดเขานาคเกิด Karon, Mueang Phuket District, Phuket, Thailand by Saurav Basu
Photo of Big Buddha, ยอดเขานาคเกิด Karon, Mueang Phuket District, Phuket, Thailand by Saurav Basu

Closing it off by visiting the Big Buddha temple, situated on a hill-top. When you reach the top, you'll be mesmerized by the larger than life Buddha statue in front of you - but if turn around and look back you'll b equally mesmerized (if not more) by the panoramic birds eye view of the Andaman sea and the islands dotting it. The cool breeze (more like wind) serves as the icing on the cake. Hope you enjoyed the anecdotes of my travel to Krabi and Phuket.

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