Jennifer's Travels: November 2014

Krabi is a wonderful place! I loved it very much! I travelled with Mala, my work colleague. We left Kuala Lumpur on Saturday morning and stayed there until Monday evening. That was a great 3 days/2 nights of travel! We stayed at Ao Nang Beach Cliff Resort. We flew via Air Asia. I paid MYR 600 for the package inclusive of the flights and hotel. I think the price we paid for the flights and hotel was pretty reasonable. I paid MYR 450 or THB 45,000 for the tour. Our tour included a day trip, private tour all around Krabi town and island hopping.

Day 1 – Straight from the airport, we were picked up by our tour guide at the airport around 8am. We went to the Emerald Pool. It is a clear, natural, greenish water. Due to the moss, it makes the water look green. It is all natural. The water is warm and nice! It was raining when we went so I slipped and fell somewhere near the pool but I was not injured. Thank God!

After the visit to the Emerald Pool, we visited the Hot Springs Waterfall. Clean, warm water flowing from the waterfalls. It felt like a warm Jacuzzi. We arrived there pass 10am so there were initially few people. Until noon came, people come in and there is not much space to move around the hot springs.

We decided to take our lunch at a local shop there after the dip at the hot springs! It was so refreshing.

It was still raining nonstop. We continued our tour to the Tiger Cave Temple. Summit to the temple is 600 meters (2,000 feet). It features more than 1000 steps. It was raining and we were in raincoats so inasmuch as I’d like to go up the stairways, I could not especially after my fall at the Emerald Pool.

We relaxed and waited for the rain to stop. But it did not stop. So our tour guide offered to take us to the shopping malls and to the night market earlier than expected as we could not do much at the Tiger Cave Temple.

Shopping happened. It’s not in my list of “to-do’s” but seeing the prices of stuff in the mall. Everything was quite cheap! So I shopped, and shopped and shopped. I travelled to Krabi in single backpack and came back in these 3 bags. I could not help it… But I was glad with the things I bought: lots of souvenirs, four bags or five. Lots of earrings cause each pair was only THB 20.00 or MYR 2!

The night market has lots of nice food. A must try is the Pad Tay!

After our rounds to the Night Market, we checked-in at the hotel. This is Ao Nang Beach Cliff Hotel.

Day 2 was Island Hopping.

Bamboo Island

Maya Bay – This is the location of the movie, “The Beach”. I have not seen that movie yet. (Added in the bucket list)

Maya Bay

Koh Phi Phi Islands

We stopped somewhere here just to appreciate these lovely rock formations and the water and the waves. Oh, I could stay here forever!

It was my first time snorkeling! I rented snorkeling gear from the boat operator for THB 100.00 (or MYR 10.00) and it was the best THB 100 I have ever spent. I do not know how to swim. I can wade and wiggle in the water as long as I can feel the bottom, but in the ocean where it is deep and in the open sea – is something I have not tried before. I ventured and it was worth it. I kept asking the tour guide if I will float with my life jacket and I did after bombering him three times, “are you sure I will float?”. Then I slowly let go and bothered all the other snorkelers to ask how to use the snorkeling equipment until I figured it out and I saw the fishes in the ocean. They are simply amazing! Small green, blue, yellow, white and lots of other colored-fishes swimming around me. I wanted to touch them but they were far! But they seem so near. Oh my God, I asked myself why I did not do that earlier in my life. Snorkeling made me realize how wonderful God’s creation is. The lovey view of the ocean floor and those sea creatures – it’s just wonderful. I was very happy I tried snorkeling and I am going to do it again!

After the island hopping, we visited the famous Hill Top Restaurant. They have a transport service which is convenient so we asked the staff to pick us up from the hotel, and they also sent us back. The view is amazing. You can see the islands from the hill top. Their green curry is so yummy!

It was just 7:30pm and we just finished our dinner at the hill top. Since it was quite early, we roamed around the Ao Nang street and checked out the massage places. We got a foot scrub with back massage for THB 200.00 only (MYR 20.00). It was great! The place is called PU Spa and Massage Centre.

That ended our second day. We went back to the hotel around 9pm and tried to pack our shopping bags in 2 or 3 bags nicely.

Thai Foot Scrub

Third day was our feel free and relax day at the hotel. We woke up at 8am for the buffet breakfast and had a swim at the hotel swimming pool. The weather was just nice- sunny!

We went back to Ao Nang Street for a Traditional Thai Full Body Massage!

We left from the hotel at 1:00pm. We requested for late check-out and the hotel said okay with no extra charges. At 2:30pm, we were already at the airport! It was too early. There was only one restaurant at the airport. We did not have any more Thai Bahts to use so we asked if this restaurant accepts credit card and they don’t. We had breads we bought from 7-11 for lunch instead. I purchased 7 packs of their custard cakes.

At 6pm, we left Krabi Airport and arrived in Kuala Lumpur past 8pm! It was a tiring trip but I promised myself to come back to this wonderful paradise!