Krabi, Railay, Koh Lanta Thailand-
Leaving Pai we knew that we wanted to get down to the islands of southern Thailand. We had crossed paths with many travelers, who had just come from the south, and they really sold us on the need to make our way there (especially since Chris was leaving soon). We booked flights from Chiang Mai to Krabi, which meant we needed to take the windy road back to Chiang Mai from Pai. Finally- after the 3 hr trek back to Chiang Mai we headed to the airport. We landed in Krabi around 7pm, so we checked into our hostel and started figuring the lay of the land. The hostel in Krabi was awesome, granted it was boiling hot outside, but the rooms were well air-conditioned and the company was great. The coolest thing about the hostel in Krabi was that they had a legitimate nightlife staff, who dedicated their evenings to making sure the hostel residents had the best night possible. The hostel itself was connected to a bar called "Playground" and it was a great place to meet up with others in town. We ended up playing in a beer pong tournament that night and then after we went out with a couple of the people from our room. They happened to be from Chile, so I also got to speak Spanish all night. Overall- it was a great start to this leg of the journey.
The next morning we bought tickets for a long tail boat from the pier in Krabi to Railay (Krabi itself isn't a major hub for beaches, so most people take ferries/boats to neighboring islands). Railay was beautiful, it was our first glimpse into the islands and they do not disappoint. The green waters transitioning into pale blue, with limestone cliffs touching the beach make for some amazing pictures. We spent the day lying in the sand and just enjoying the environment. We ended up leaving the first spot and moving a bit further out (West Railay), where we had to walk by a bunch of monkeys (gibbons). The monkeys were perched up on fences, seating areas and trash cans, they got grabby periodically and would snatch a person's water bottle or any object next to them. The monkeys really do have their own unique personality, I particularly liked the ones picking bugs off one another's backs. Once we made it to the other side there were some amazing views and again beautiful water to swim in. I found it particularly hilarious watching the beach-goers do photo shoots with hired island photographers, I can't really illustrate it to where it would be funny to read, but just know some of the shots were laugh out loud funny.
In the morning we booked ferry tickets to head to Koh Lanta and I am so glad we did. Chris only had 2 more days with us on the trip so, it was the perfect place to end his stay. Koh Lanta was about 3 hrs from Krabi, by ferry, and when we arrived the sun was literally beating down on us. After a long ride by boat we ended up grabbing lunch next to our hostel and then planned our evening. We walked along the beach right before sunset and found a restaurant/bar that had setup these little seating areas right on the sand. They were covered in these matted rugs with pillows and tables. We had a front row seat to the sunsetting directly over the Andaman Sea. The whole day and evening was completely cloudless, so the sun set in an open sky….breathtaking. It was one of those moments where you feel really grateful to be right where you are, at that exact moment. We then took a 20 minute tuk tuk ride to a bar on the other side of the island where we ended up meeting a couple Americans teaching English in Bangkok. We spent the night talking with them and then headed back to the hostel.
The next day we got up really early and headed down to the other end of the beach, where we posted up for much of the morning. I ended up staying on the beach for a couple more hours by myself, which included an uncomfortable solicitation for a menage a trois from a man and his wife (I assume). I politely declined and then headed back to the hostel. Since the sunset, the night prior, was so damn beautiful we decided we should eat right on the beach. The second night's sunset may have out done the first because there were clouds overhead, so we got to see this beautiful pink and orange sky. The view was definitely one of the best sites thus far! We decided on a beach front restaurant that was doing an ocean front BBQ, right on the sand. The difference between our Texas BBQ and this one was that the food was just swimming a few hours before. I got a full red snapper, Chris had a whole young tuna and Alexa had the white snapper fillet (much larger fish). The restaurant let us pick out our fish, plus our choice of side (we all got baked potatoes). They grilled the fish right next to our table, on a wood burning grate, so you know that what you picked out was what you were served. The food was amazing and you could taste just how fresh those fish were. I was licking bones clean, no joke. The next morning we said our goodbye's to Chris, then Alexa and I headed to Koh Tao (here currently- journal entry to follow).
I am so glad I got to experience part of this adventure with great friends because these memories can be shared forever. I want to give a special thanks to Chris for being a trooper and joining me on this venture on the other side of the world. Stay tuned- my first dive is coming up!
Neill
See photos here.
