This resort has a fantastic location, the pool overlooks the beautiful waters with the two islands on the horizon. Sadly that is the good part. The rooms are OK , the restaurant is very average in food quality and service, the bar service is slow and unwelcoming. But, Phi Phi has fantastic snorkelling, and is a great place to relax, and this is the best location to enjoy it. So for those on a budget, and not looking for fabulous accommodation, this is a viable option.

I stayed there in june 2008. Normally the rainy season already started. However, the weather was perfect. Only some rain at night. So, that was OK, great to sleep with the combined sea and rain music. Friendly staf and extra helpfull french manager , named didier. The guy even traveled around teh world in a Bangkok tuk-tuk. One of the owners, a belgian, started a local english school for his staf and surrounding poorer families. Hope it wil work. I enjoyed my stay there very much, and will try to go back.

I would recommend staying in Krabi Town, but taking a quick long tail boat over to the beaches for the day. It's unbelievably beautiful.

Look for Pong or Somporn. He is the Managing director at Sea Cliffs. Pong is a local and has been teaching climbing in Railay for the past decade at least. Unlike other climbing places in Krabi, Pong is has an attention to detail and safety above average and is extremelly friendly and patient. His prices are below the average plus he makes the climbing experience for either novices or experts so enjoyable you end up coming back for more. I cannot recommend anyone but Pong if you are either refreshing your skills or just curious about rockclimbing.

Krabi is just too beautiful.  It was so great lying on Railey beach.  Hadn't been to a real beach for years I almost forgot what sea water feels like.  Ton Sai beach is just a short stroll from Railey beach, one can walk from one to another when the tide is low.  We got ourselves lost in the many cozy bars along Ton Sai beach until it was almost too dark to walk back, though we continued bar hopping and ended up at a funky bar well hidden in the bush.  I regret not taking any photo of/with the funky dreadlocked Thai bar dude!

My last week was spent looping back through some of the nicest places Ive been thus far. Denise's visit brought me (after ne night in Phuket) to Ao Nang, Lanta, and then spent my last days back in glorious Ko Jum. It is interesting to note the changes in the tourist season as I have witnessed it these past few months. The rainy season/mnsoons is just starting here in Thailand, and with them, the travelers leave in droves. And due to the lack of travelers, many places in the Andaman Sea close from May through Oct or Nov. So while I first thought that my paradise of Ko Jum was quiet and mellow, my third and last visit brought this to a new level. It was almost like a deserted island, which was quite amazing. What also was amazing were the electrical storms over the sea as well as the brief but fierce storms that hit the islands. With the rains, of course the bugs come out to play more. On Ko Ju, I was fully attacked by a battalion of sand flies during the daytime on the beach. A woman there from Hawaii claims they are known as 'noseeums' in the States since they are extremely tiny. Anyway, I look like I have some sort of horrible skin disease at this point, because those little fuckers got me around 200 times, and what remains are the itchiest bites I recall ever having.

Nonetheless, Ko Jum was exactly the place I wanted to be to wind my time up on the beach. Seeing Add and Sao and Dela again was just wonderful. The water was clear and beautiful, and I was happy to have the view from the Ko Jum beach as the last one imprinted in my mind.

Any trip to Phuket is never complete without a day excursion (at least) to the the world-famous Ko Phi Phi Don (Big Phi Phi Island) and Ko Phi Phi Leh (Small Phi Phi Island), otherwise known simply as Phi Phi Islands. Normally I would have lumped the photos and this blog separately as in the more recent trips to Phuket, but since this was my very first of many many trips there, I chose to set them as one.  [ See my other Phuket blogs here: Phuket 2007 (Again) | Phuket 2007 | Phuket 2004 ]

Backgrounder: The Phi Phi Islands are located between Phuket and the western Andaman Sea coast of mainland Thailand. Both Phi Phi Don and Phi Phi Leh are administratively part of the province of Krabi. Phi Phi Don is the only island with permanent inhabitants; although the beaches of Phi Phi Leh are visited by many people there are no accommodation facilities there. Phi Phi Don was initially populated by Muslim fishermen during the late 1940s and later became a coconut plantation. Today the Thai population of Phi Phi Don remains more than 80% Muslim. Phi Phi Leh was the backdrop for the 2000 movie The Beach, whereupon a criticism surfaced that the permission granted to the film company to physically alter the environment inside Phi Phi Islands National Park was illegal. Following the release of the movie, tourism on Phi Phi Don increased dramatically, and with it the population of the island.

Because we booked the 07:00 ferry I had to get up at 05:00 to pack my bags and walk for about 15 minutes to the place where a mini-bus would pick me up. The mini-bus driver was right on time and he dropped me off safely at the Thong Sala pier. Kelly was there already so we got something to drink and a sandwich from a street vendor as breakfast and got on the ferry.

The ferry ride was perfect, because we could sit on the roof in the sun and it was at the Donsak pier near Surat Thani on schedule. So far, so good.

Then the painful rest of the trip started. The bus company apparantly had not been counting on that many people leaving Ko Pha Ngan after the fool moon party (which is strange, because the party is every month) so there were not enough busses to take everyone to Surat Thani town. We had to wait in the sun (while being moved around now and then for unclear reasons) for almost an hour before two mini-vans showed up to carry the remaining people. Because the luggage wouldn't fit in the back I sat with my feet on my backpack for an hour and then we were in Surat Thani.

They dropped us off at a temple annex busstop where one tuc-tuc (yes ONE! for about 180 people) drove back and forth from the busstop to the office of the bus company. But, we were still on time to get on our bus which was supposed to leave at 11:30. I specifically write "supposed" because - for a reason unknown to us - that was delayed until 14:30.

When the bus was finally underway you could see the landscape change from the flat land around Surat Thani to the limestone hills shooting up if out of nowhere around Krabi. The only place where I had seen that before was in China.

We got to Krabi at 16:30 and there were no more boats going to Ko Phi Phi so we changed our plans and tried to go to Raileh beach instead. We took a taxi to the small pier, but after waiting until 18:00 (at a terrace of a bar with drinks luckily) it became clear there were not enough people for the longboat to leave (unless we chartered the entire boat for 900 Baht). We decided to spend the night in Krabi and try again tomorrow morning.

We stayed at a basic, but clean, guesthouse and didn't do much in the evening (being a bit tired from the long trip today).

I stayed in a 4 star hotel along the seafront called Oa Nang Buri, the staff were very friendly and eager to make me happy at thier hotel (and also stay longer). I have attached a little review of the hotel to the bottom  of this blog .

I rented a bicycle from a German shop owner in town , for only about 100 bhat  per day and kept it for 3 days.I cycled the whole seafront and also onto the beach and left it there when i went in the sea . The water was so shallow that i could walk out 100 yards and still only be up to my waist !! I enjoy beach combing and there were lots a small shells (see pic). The seabed was kind of muddy and squelchey underfoot and little clouds of  murky water came up as i paddled and waded thru it.When i returned to the hotel and showered , there was a brown tidemark on the shower floor .

The German sometimes left his shop in the hands of the lady who ran the shop next to his , otherwise i could have asked him about motorbike rental , he had a furry ginger persian cat on a lead which spent  all of its time sleeping . 
There were several internet cafes in town , charging about 50 bhat for an hour and lots of T shirt/clothes shops where i bought T shirts and polo shirts reasonably cheaply .I still wear them and they are  quite  good quality , I did barter for them ,

but not down to the last ‘penny’.

I took several tours , including  the  Elephant tour/ride , 4 island boat tour , the rain forest tour and kayak tour. These can all be booked from the hotel or from about a dozen other tour places in town , and a minibus comes along and picks up everyone from thier hotel , I found that  it is a bit cheaper to book the tours on the ‘high street’ rather than at the hotel (it will nearly always be the same tour anyway).

It was raining during the rain forest tour and we got soaked , but it was warm rain ,and pleasant , there were several warm water springs/pools in the forest in which we wallowed for 15 mins or so (take swimwear).There were only 4 people on this tour as well as 2 guides and i was the only foreigner , and they were all 20 something and they kept calling me Papa !! respectfully , but i could have done without it . Anyway i am pretty fit and they did not show me up for fitness .We must have walked maybe a mile or two thru the forest  to get to the hot water springs and the floor in parts  was clay/mud  and quite slippery  since it was damp. I took hardly any pics of this not wanting to get my camera wet .

We had a lunch  after the walk thru the forest and it was a table full of mostly fruit  with lots  of pinneapple , a little cat came to share .

I am a veggie and although this is a buddhist country , they do have lots of meat/chicken and fish for sale , I ate veggie pizzas  during my stay and they cook nice little  banana/pinneapple/raisin pancakes from cooking stands by the roadside (see pic) for only about 30 bhat and there is always lots of fruit  and drinking coconuts .

Also i took a torso massage one evening which lasted for about 30 mins , i did explain that i had a stiff shoulder due to an injury but they dont always understand and i shouted in pain a few times , i was on my front , i think she must have been standing on me .She was a bit like a femail wrestler  and certainly did some pounding on my back  ;-) There were two  scotsmen also receiving a massage next to me and we exchanged a few jokes whilst we were being ‘worked on’. The massage place was open to view from the street , I have had a Thai foot  massage elsewhere in Thailand which was very refreshing . 

The elephant tour was also good , i love elephants and we got to feed them afterwards ,I was with a Norwegian family of  man + wife and two boys and the husband shared an elephant with me and we exchanged news of each others countries , I found we got onto politics and I did not/do not have a high opinion of the UK government  and told him so .

As I recall we fed the elephants with bananas afterwards , me thinking that I should save some for the Uks’ garbage government , but enough of that . An elephant ride  is a strange kind of rocking lurching  motion , i had taken one on a  Chaing Mai  trek a few years previous , when we waded thru a river . Another time when  India i took a camel ride ; i like camels too , but nearly got 'sea-sick' as we went over the hillside , that was more like being on a ride at a fair .

The islands tour is a must and there was some snorkelling amongst some very colourful fish , i did not participate , cant remember why and they offered me a snorkel  too .They were friendly fish and seemed to come and visit those in the water .I used Barracuda tours , if anyone else uses this company , be sure to note the number of the longboat , because they have about 9 and they will all be out at the same time , sometimes at the same island . We visited 4 or 5 islands (they all look the same ) and we passed many other longboats and speedboats also visiting islands , often full of european tourists .Generally  the boat  would  beach itself , we would have

about 50 mins before it left again , some would simply sunbathe , I would usually walk around the whole island beachcombing if it was small enough , I came home with a small collection of shells .
The kayaking was also enjoyable and quite lengthy , we took a picnic ,and we had it on a sandbank island .The water in the lagoons is very shallow and you can usually hop out of the canoe and be only waist deep in the water .There were lots of monkeys on the muddy rock beaches we visited . It was called Ao Thalane Krabi and we had a lunch/picnic , there were two Irish girls on the tour ; they had kayaked before and shared a kayak and i was in another with a tour guide ,they both lived in london and were on their way to australia.It was a bit strenuous  but I do enjoy exercise anyway .We visited a cave which had some ‘old bones’ in it , it looked like a setup to me although I am sure others would beleive that the bones were of cavemen .

Although I have said elsewhere that the driving is orderly and disciplined in Thailand ,before I ever went to Thailand I had been to another Asian country (India) several times where the driving is not orderly by any stetch of the imagination , maybe I had been comparing the two  , anyway on the way back in the minibus from one of the tours we saw the remains of a very bad accident where a car was on its roof  on a road that was not particularly busy .

There were mopeds available for rent  in Krabi  and although i have never driven one , i thought that if a i got an automatic and had 5 mins tuition then i would be fine .

They are pleasant people and geniunely wish to please , but unfortunately , although they said 'yes yes yes' , i could not arrange the tuiton or properly make myself understood ,and got fed up and shelved that idea .

Krabi is a good place for families and people looking for a quietish time , the only rowdy behaviour I saw or heard  during my week there was from 2  couples in their twenties who were a bit  drunk in a full Italian restaurant (and not really aware of anyone else )and made enough noise to disturb the other diners .

The Thais  are quite tolerant  and full of grace and smiles and there is a gentleness about them that I like , they just seem to shrug off such behaviour .

Railay Bay Resort in Krabi provides austere accommodations complementing its average price tag, and this, considering that the other hotel options enjoying the beachfronts of either West Railay (most preferred) or West Railay (least desired) Beaches summon ridiculously high room occoupancy rates. (Trust me, if I can afford it, I'd pick the ones on even more magnificent Phranang Cave Beach!) It has a fairly OK location, close to all four beaches--East Railay, West Railay, Phranang Cave and Tonsai (via a trek through a small jungle)--even for average hiking lovers. Turnoffs around the periphery of this hotel include the sound of giant power generator and the smell of sewage (at times)--may be a major glitch--but this just might encourage you to spend more time in the coves, bays, beaches, bars, et cetera--not an altogether bad idea if you want more from your Krabi holiday.

One of Thailand's unseen highlights,Thale Waek (Separated sea), the amazing phernomenon happens when there is a low tide and water level is down till, is situated along Koh (island or islets) Dam Hok and Koh Dam Kwan. These two, each of which offers one spectacular beach, are surrounded by about ten smaller, all-rock islands that have no real beaches. As for the magic of the Miracle Beach, Koh Dam Kwan , in only a moment while you are watching strange-shaped Dam Khwan Islet and other small islets nearby, the tide can go out unnoticeably, a line of raised sand eventually appears forming a bridge between the islets, allowing visitors to walk between them. An old sea man mentioned that there was an emerald sea hiding next to the blue one and that only those knowing the rhythm of the tide would see a strip of white powdery sand connecting two islands amidst the sea. This seems to point out that in one beauty, there hides another beauty, which can be seen only at a specific moment. The secrets of nature will solely reveal themselves to those who are in the right place and at the righ Separated seat time. The best time to visit Thale Waek is 5 days before and after the full moon from December to beginning of May. To visit Thale Waek, you should proceed on Highway No. 4034 from the city of Krabi, then turn left and follow Highway No. 4202 to Ao Nang.

Four star accomodation , popular with europeans , located 'around the corner' from Krabi itself .It is on the seafront and a 1 minute walk onto the beach. You can also book local tours there , washing service was cheap and regular.There was a small safe in my room , it overlooked the pool,which has 'no diving' policy , The room i was in was ensuite and had a tv which allowed me to watch some live english football games (at 02:00 am). I stayed bed and breakfast ,it was done in buffet style , help yourself . Friendly staff , speak english quite well . This area was not affected by the Tsunami , the sea is too shallow there , you can walk out over 100 yards and still only be up to your waist .The sea floor is slightly muddy/clayish

The hot shower waterfall, which are one of unseen highlight in Thailand, located in a shady forest area of Changwat Krabi, with generalized numerous hot springs, the hot springs and cool streams converge on a slope to form lovely cascades of warm water that not too hot to swim, only 40-50 degrees Celsius. Near the hot water fall, there also be the Emerald pool where hot spring originates from a warm stream in the lowland forest of Khao Nor Juji which is supposedly Thailand's last piece of virgin and fertile forest. The intensity of the pools turquoise colored water varies according to the light and Emeral pooltime of the day so you determined to see the real emerald color should plan to visit at dawn or early in the morning. The best time to visit this charming waterfall, I recommend from 7.00 a.m. to 8.00 a.m. and from 4.00 p.m. to 5.00 p.m. To reach the waterfall you should travel 45 kilometers from town to Amphoe Khlong Thom, then take Sukhaphiban 2 Road for another 12 kilometers. The admission fee is very cheap, only 10 baht per person. Enjoy the trip!!!

So what I have been thinking about lately is when traveling, people often say, "Oh, in my real life, blah blah blah".  For instance, "In my real life, I exercise more than when I travel".  Or I drink less beer.  Or I do this or do not do this.  But how can life in Chicago or Stockholm or wherever you hail from be real life when a few weeks or months on top of a mountain or in SE Asia or wherever NOT be real life?  Isn't still our same bodies, souls, minds, codes of ethics, etc?  I find myself saying this often, but have been thinking that it doesn't really make any sense.  You dig?

As for me, let's see.  I think I wrote about my week with Scott on a previous blog.  Over the past few days, I headed back to Koh Jum with Daniel because a) it is amazing there; b) he owed Dela from Bo Daeng Bungalows money; c) I love it there.  I do not know how almost a month has gone by with me in Thailand.  It seems like just the other day that Parwaiz, me, and Shah were saying goodbye in Panang, Malaysia, and I randomly looking at the bus schedule and decided to head to Krabi.  And why the hell have I spent so much time in this Krabi town?  It is so bloody cheap, but sort of a transport hub without much beauty directly present.  Regardless, it has been loads of fun.  Lots of laughs every step of the road.

My next plans will be happening soon, but are still unclear.  I will most likely be heading back to KL to catch a flight to Vientiene, Laos.  Or perhaps I take a bus up to Bangkok to cross into Laos.  Everyone says that Laos is amazing, so cheap, and wonderful. Stay tuned for updates, and thanks for reading!

hello intrepid readers!

It would take me hours upon hours to catch up where I have been, who I have met, and all the lovely experiences that have continuously come my way.  But to be brief, I will bullet point some highlights of the past 2 weeks...

- spent 8 amazing days on Koh Jum, a quiet island an hour's boatride away from Krabi.  On the boat, carrying my hula hoop, I met another girl carrying a hoop!  Brittney and I shared a room on Koh Jum for 8 days, and met some hilarious, lovely, and wonderful people on the island, including Daniel, Spider, Frederick, Charlotte, the 5 year old twins, Abby and Emma, and their great parents, etc.

- had to return to the mainland because I ran out of money (no ATMs or internet on Koh Jum) and because my friend Scott from Chicago was coming for 9 days.  He just left today.

- Scott and I traveled to Koh Lanta, where we met more characters and had many laughs.  People include Team Dread (Anushka and Joe), Frank, Allen (he was hilarious!), Alexis and Todd, and Eddie, the guy who ran the bar. 

-We also took a day to go scuba diving off Koh Haa, which was lovely.  Best part of the dive was surfacing into a cathedral of fresh air and looking around for a bit.

thats all I feel like writing for now.  have no idea where Ill be next!