I reckon
that people who know me, know that how much I love the coastal area. I
absolutely enjoy basking myself under the sun, letting myself engulf by the
warm sea breeze and allowing the sea water to carry all my burden away. For me
personally, coastal area is just the word “adventure” spells with other
alphabets. In fact, I love coastal area so much, I even thought of having a
beach wedding. But, when I think of all the trouble my guests have to go
through, I think it will be better if I stick to the garden wedding plan :P
Anyway, one of my dreams for my future travelling plan is to visit most of the
stunning coastal areas and Krabi is definitely one of them.
An
opportunity to travel to Krabi came out of the blue when my friend Wen Ji
happened to come across a promotion on accommodation in Krabi from Groupon. It
was a 3D2N stay at Timber House Ao Nang Resort with daily buffet breakfast for
2. At first it was only Wen Ji and I, then I remembered promising my sister (Sha)
on rewarding her if she did well in her STPM and indeed she did =) So, there
were 3 of us for this summer vacation. We purchased the Groupon voucher for RM
189.00 with an additional RM 140 (2 nights) for the additional bed.
Leo leo
getting ready to travel.
1st
Day:
Since Sha
and I were still in Melaka on the 28th Jun 2012 which was our
travelling day, we took the 7am bus from Melaka to TBS, KL to meet up with Wen
Ji before we headed to LCCT. We reached TBS around 8.50am and after that we
took the Starline to Taman Tun Razak to meet up with Wen Ji and her dad who
kindly fetched us to KL Sentral to board the bus to LCCT. For those who have
transportation difficulty to go to LCCT, always remember to purchase the bus
ticket to LCCT from KL Sentral (back and forth) when you book for your flight.
Or, you can always board the bus first at KL Sentral and pay later. For us, we
bought the bus ticket first while we booked our flight ticket and the ticket
price is RM 14.40 (back & forth) per person. The bus ride was around 1 hour
and once we reached LCCT, we weighted and check in our luggage. Realising that
we were there early, we decided to have lunch, wandering around, snapping photos and letting the excitement bubbled :D
LCCT
Our
boarding passes and passports.
Waiting at
boarding area.
Sha’s
virgin flight :P
Getting
ready for take off.
As shown
by some of the photos above, the three of us travelled to Krabi, Thailand by
Air Asia. Since it is a budget flight, we did saved up a bit on flight tickets.
The flight ticket was RM 360 (back & forth) per person. However, the take
off and touch down were unstable and could be intimidating for others especially
for the passenger who flew for the 1st time with Air Asia like Sha
and I.
Our
departing time was at 1315 (Malaysia time) whereas our arriving time was at
1340 (Thailand time). However, we touched down at Krabi 20 minutes earlier than
the estimated time.
Krabi
International Airport.
After we
had reached Krabi International Airport, we started to look for transportation
to go to Timber House Ao Nang Resort. Prior to our travel to Krabi, we had did
some research on our travel and discovered that there are different means of
transportations provided around Krabi for the tourists’ convenience. We
followed our initial plan which was to take the bus to the resort from the
airport and only take the taxi/private van when we wanted to go to the airport
from the resort. The bus is easy to spot as there will be a representative who
can speak in English waiting at the exit of the airport. The bus does not only
go to Ao Nang but it also goes to Krabi Town and some places which the tourists
requested. The bus ride from the airport to Ao Nang cost 150 baht (RM 15) per
person and the ride was around 1 hour.
As we were
sitting inside the bus and observing the scenery which passed by with great
interest, I realized that Krabi feels like Malaysia to me personally. The
weather, the scenery, the buildings, and etc do remind me of Malaysia. Another
thing which we noticed was, there are tons of 7-Eleven in Krabi, it’s like a
town made from 7-Eleven, we saw it everywhere! I am curious with this phenomenon,
and perhaps, since it is a town which centralized the tourism industry, the
huge number of 7-Eleven might due to the reason to cater to the needs of the
tourists who are more familiar with this particular store compared to others.
Anyway,
once we reached the resort, we had to wait for a while before we check in as
there were other fellow Malaysians who were dealing with the receptionist in
regards to their rooms. It seemed like there was some misunderstood occurred to
their room arrangement and they were not too happy with it. Frankly speaking, I
pitied the receptionist who tried to deal with their request politely and I was
embarrassed by my fellow Malaysians who stormed on her. One can always be
meticulous when it comes to his/her own right but don’t be fastidious and ill-mannered
to others who are polite to you and above all, don’t wreck your own summer
vacation dumb dumb. (Certain) Malaysians *yawn*. Anyway, one good thing which
derived from this incident was, due to their needy request in regards to the
room, it seemed like all the Superior Rooms were fulled. Hence, the resort
upgraded our room to the Family Superior Room without extra charges :D
After we
had settled our accommodation, unpacked the luggage, and let the excitement set
it, we started to walk along the streets. The nearest beach is just within
walking distance from the resort we were staying in and there are numerous shop
lots and stalls which sell a variety of unique and eye catching souvenirs.
When it
came to dinner on our 1st night in Krabi, we were actually facing
some difficulty in deciding where to eat due to the reason that there are so
many restaurants, food stalls, and street food at Ao Nang. We were actually
dazzled by the options. After a long walk and surveyed, we eventually came to
agreement to have our 1st dinner at a restaurant named Ao Nang
Cuisine.
I got to
say that we were very pleased with our choice as the food and drink which were
served at the restaurant were great. Our dinner consisted of:
Food:
1. White
rice (30 baht) – Love how creative they were by shaping it into the shape of
“heart”. Put a smile on everyone’s face.
2. Pad
Thai (70 baht) – Oh, this food is delicious. It is a must try when you travel
to Thailand.
3. Green
Curry (100 baht) – I am not usually a big fan of curry because it is too strong
for my liking but I like the green curry because they added in some mint to it.
Hence, it is more refreshing instead of being too rich and heavy in flavour.
4. Tom Yam
(100 baht) – Their tom yam is somewhat different from what we have in Malaysia,
Wen Ji noticed that they added in ginger which is rare for Malaysia tomyam. It
gives the whole bowl of tomyam a different flare which I like.
5. Satay
(80 baht) – For those who are watching their diet or wanting to eat healthily,
I would have recommended Thai satay as it tastes lighter and more original. We
believe that they do not use that much spices while preparing it and the meat
is very soft in texture as well.
Everyone
loves the heart shape rice.
During the
dinner, we also talked about the massage and snorkelling package which we shall
sign up for the next day as well as settling our transportation to the Krabi
Town night market and going back to the airport on the 3rd day. Due
to the fact that there are numerous travel agencies, transportation service and
massage parlours/centres at Ao Nang, I would highly recommended future
travellers to do an advance research before you travel to Krabi (or any
countries). Apart from that, if you have ample time in your hands, do not rush
in making any decision as different agencies/service providers/centres offer
different range of prices for the same package/transportation/massage you are
searching for. What we did was, we surveyed different agencies/service
providers/centres as we walked around the town and when we had our dinner, we
talked it over and made our decision. Having a strategic travelling plan will
definitely reduce/cut off the wastage of your time and most importantly, your budget.
While
confirming our snorkelling package and transportation service for the 2nd
and 3rd day, we also strolled along the street and bought some of
the delicious street food which we had been craving for since we touched down.
Refreshing
coconut drink which cost 30 baht each.
Pancake
and papaya salad stalls.
After
that, we went back to the resort, showered, dolled up and went out for a
chilling session at a restaurant/bar known as “Blue Mango”. Coincidently, they
were having “Buy 1 free 1” happy hour drink promotion that night. I like that
restaurant/bar instantly for its cute name, relaxing atmosphere, and friendly
waiters. We were glad that the promotion included the non-alcoholic drinks as
we wanted to have a wee bit of fun but WenJi doesn’t want to get drunk and me
and Sha CAN’T get drunk :P
We ordered
non alcoholic Virgin Pina Colada & Virgin Mai Tai. It costs 125 baht each.
Apart from
that, we also ordered a sweet Menrigue Suisse as dessert. It cost 135 baht.
2nd
Day:
Like Wen
Ji said, we actually completed most of the “to do list” on our 2nd
day in Krabi. I would have said that it was the most adventurous, exhilarating,
and well spent day among the 3 :D
Our 2nd
day started with a delightful buffet breakfast provided by the resort which
started at 7am.
After the
breakfast, we went back to our room, changed into swimsuit, pareo and got ready
for our snorkelling activity. The snorkelling package which we signed up for
was a package offered by the Ao Nang Resort & Speed Boat. The price which
was stated on the brochure was initially 1800 baht (RM 180). However, after we
had surveyed different travel agencies on the 1st day, we found out
that for the same package, we could get it for a mere 900 baht (RM 90) from a
travel agency known as “Let’s Go Krabi”. It was actually 50% cheaper than any other
prices offer by other travel agencies for the same snorkelling package. Do your
homework, you’ll never regret :D
Anyway,
that snorkelling package is the “One Day Tour Phi Phi Islands”, it includes few
tourist attractions such as Bamboo Island, Hin Klarng, Monkey Beach, Phi Phi
Don, Pi Leh Bay, Viking Cave, Lohsamah Bay and Maya Bay. Around 8.30am, we
waited at the resort lobby for the pickup service which transfered us to a
local pier. After we had reached the pier, we did an informal register in which
they gave out different stickers to us for different packages. We were asked to
wait at the local pier for around ½ hour to wait for others who were on their
way.
Our speed
boat.
Finally,
we were allowed to go on board and I would say that boarding the speed boat is
one of the most unforgettable memories for all of us. Due to the large number
of people who boarded the speed boat, we had no choice but to sit at the front
part of the speed boat which was shade less compared to the back. Me being
typical me who was in an extremely good mood for my summer vacation, thought
that there was no harm in taking the front seat. Little did we know, due to the
rainy season which started to hit Krabi recently, the waves were strong and
unstable. Despise the advice from the tour guide who told us that it was going
to be a bumpy 45 minutes ride to Phi Phi Island, we confidently assured him
that we will be just fine. Boy, was I wrong. The bumpy ride was fun at the
beginning in which we laughed and made fun of it. However, after 10 minutes had
passed, I started to feel a tinge of regret when my bum and neck started to
hurt. Those who sat at the front part of the speed boat were literally lifted
from their seat to the air whenever the boat encountered or had to cut through
the rolling waves. For those who are longing for an adrenalin pumping speed
boat ride, I would highly recommended you to chose the front part of the speed
boat whereas for those who wanting a comfy ride, PLEASE, choose the back part
of the boat.
After the
1st experience with the speed boat, the 3 of us decided to sit at
different places whenever we re-boarded the speed boat throughout the day so
that we can know which seats suit us more. For me personally, I think that the
best seat one can get is the back seating which is allocated at the front part
of the speed boat. The ride is not as bumpy as the front seating at the front
part of the boat, but it is not as boring as the seating at the back part of
the boat. Another reason which leads me in disliking the seating at the back
part of the boat is because it is confined, the air regulation is not that good
and I got nausea easily by that.
Hasun, our
funny and friendly tour guide and his friend.
Bamboo
Island
Back to
the speed boat.
The
gorgeous Maya Bay.
From Krabi
With Love.
We came
back to the resort around 430pm in which we decided to take a lil’ swim at the
nice resort pool to cool off before we shower. It was after my shower that I
realized I had a pretty severed sun burn despite the fact that I applied layers
of sun block before we went under the sun.
As the
boyfriend said, “X marks the spot” :P
For the
night activity on the 2nd day, we decided to go to the Krabi Town
Night Market. The distance between Ao Nang and Krabi Town is around 30 minutes
if one travels by car/van. Hence, on the 1st day, as we booked for
our snorkelling package, we also booked for the Krabi Town Night Market package
from the same travel agency whereby they will provide us with a van which fetch
us from our resort at 7pm to Krabi Town Night Market and fetch us back to our
resort at 9pm. We paid 200 baht (RM 20) each for this package and we were given
2 hours to explore the night market.
Dolled up.
Waiting at
the resort.
Krabi Town
Night Market.
I
absolutely love the night market, it was exactly how I pictured it before we go
there. We were spoiled by a huge variety of street food and souvenirs. We spent
the 1st hour solely on food, discovering, buying and eating them.
Some of the street food which we ate were mussels, deep fried chicken skin,
chicken ankle, grilled squid, coconut sweets, papaya salad, and more. When I
looked at the photos, I can’t believe that we actually ate all of them! It was
how good the Thai street food is. One can just keeps munching on them without
realizing the bloated stomach in making :P
Look at
the food!
After the
night market, we decided to go for a massage as planned. The massage was like
icing on the cake in which we got to lie down and enjoy a relaxing one hour
aromatherapy massage which cost only 350 baht (RM 35).
Massage
centre.
Tut tut.
As Wen Ji
said, we pretty much accomplished all on the 2nd day. Snorkelling,
night market, Thai massage, Tut tut ride. Before we slept, we played the Scrabble.
It was indeed a fruitful and beautiful day :)
3rd
Day:
On the 3rd
day, we woke up and went for breakfast as usual. The only difference was, it
was the day to pack our belonging and get ready to go back to Malaysia :(
Sometimes, when one travels to such pleasurable place, 3 days seem too short.
Anyhow, we decided to not be saddened by this and chose to seize our last day
in Krabi. After the breakfast, we went for a stroll and decided to try on the
pancake which we saw the other day and also bought some souvenirs for our
family and friends.
For our
transportation to Krabi International Airport to catch our 1445 flight back to
Malaysia, We booked a private van which cost 500 baht (RM 50) per trip.
Back to
Krabi International Airport.
Goodbye
Krabi.
Leo leo.
Emo drinks
which bought by Wen Ji.
Souvenirs.
As I was
typing this travelogue, it has been almost 2 weeks since I left Ao Nang, Krabi.
What I miss most about it is the soft, lapping sound of the morning wave that
hit the beach as we sat at the nearby beach and ate our Banana Nutella Pancake
on the last day. Compared to all the activities which we had done there, this
was the simplest, yet I cherish this memory the most. It must be the simplicity
of the coastal lifestyle which has stamped me with a life time memory of contentment.
3D2N
Expanses (Per person)
Accommodation
(Timber House Ao Nang Resort) RM 94.50
Flight
ticket (2 ways) RM 360.00
Transportation
(LCCT bus back & forth) RM 14.40
Transportation
(Bus from Krabi International Airport to Ao Nang) RM 15.00
Restaurant
Dinner (with drinks) RM 16.00
Snorkelling RM 90.00
Transportation
(2 way trip from Ao Nang to Krabi Town Night Market) RM 20.00
Full
Body Aromatherapy Massage RM 35.00
Tut
Tut (1 Way) RM 2.00
Transportation
(To Krabi Internation Airport) (Per van)
RM 50.00
Miscellaneous
(Food & Beverage, Souvenirs) RM
300.00
TOTAL RM 996.90
