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Kayaking to conquer the "narrow bays"
Krabi's unique charm lies primarily in its towering limestone islands nestled amidst the azure sea. Numerous island tours are available, each offering its own distinct character. Some islands are renowned for their coral reefs, others for their schools of colorful fish swimming alongside humans. Some are home to feral cats, while others form clusters of islands resembling "oasis" in the middle of the ocean.
What impressed me most was the kayak tour in Ao Thalane, home to the most beautiful mangrove forest in Thailand. We started our journey paddling through calm waters, only to be overwhelmed as we approached towering limestone mountains that seemed on the verge of collapsing. More than ever, I felt the insignificance of humanity amidst the majestic mountains and the vast ocean.
Guided by our enthusiastic and humorous instructor, we traversed mountain ranges, sandy beaches, and small islands before entering a completely different world, with lush, verdant mangrove forests stretching as far as the eye could see. Our kayaks glided through narrow bays, sometimes having to lie down to let the kayaks drift over crisscrossing roots or through low-lying caves. The most terrifying, yet exciting, experience was when we inadvertently stumbled into a "battle" between two packs of ferocious monkeys. Normally, the monkeys are quite friendly, though a little impulsive, but when they fight over food, they become extremely aggressive.
Occasionally encountering kayak groups coming from the opposite direction, our guide would ask the boats on the other side, "Have you seen any crocodiles or snakes over there?" These very direct questions filled us with both apprehension and excitement. The 12km journey took 4 hours to paddle, but none of us felt tired and we wanted to keep going. At the end of the trip, the group stopped at a small, beautiful beach, where we were the only ones enjoying a swim.
Krabi was quite lively in the evening with its rows of restaurants along the beach. After dinner at a restaurant with live music, we strolled around town and bought souvenirs. We stopped at a rock bar. I'm not a big rock fan, but once inside, I was instantly captivated by the energetic rock music, the superb drumming, and the natural performance of the female singer. A friend in our group, a die-hard rock fan, highly praised this rock bar.
It would be a shame to visit Krabi without trying a traditional Thai massage. Massage parlors are everywhere, every few steps you walk. The staff are very professional and responsible. After half a day of boating and walking, nothing beats ending the day with a Thai massage.
A rare encounter with a giant monitor lizard in Koh Hong.
On our second day in Krabi, we took a tour to Koh Hong island. I decided against going to Koh Phi Phi, which is nearby and the most famous, because it's too crowded and almost all tourists choose that tour. Instead, I chose Koh Hong, a small, beautiful island with plenty of fish. We rented a private speedboat, which wasn't too expensive compared to sharing with other groups. A shared boat would carry 30-40 people for 800 baht per person (approximately 500,000 VND). With a private boat, we only had 12 people for 1,000 baht (approximately 650,000 VND).
In the morning, a car picked us up at the hotel right on time, and it only took about 5 minutes to get from the hotel to the boat dock. I was extremely impressed by the professional process here. They automatically came to pick us up, took us to the dock, the driver handed us over to the crew, and the crew led us onto the boat. I didn't have to call or ask many questions like at other places. It was so enjoyable to be able to move around freely on the boat; it was definitely worth the money.
Our first stop was Ko Lao Lading, a charming little island with many adorable stray cats. The island has a beautiful little path leading to the back beach. After a short rest, we continued on to Koh Phak Bia. This is a cluster of islands connected by a path hidden underwater. When the tide recedes, the path emerges as a white sand beach, similar to the Diep Son underwater path in Khanh Hoa that you may already know.
This island is home to many unusual fish species. There's a type of yellow-striped fish that often travels in schools and is found everywhere. The way to spot these fish is by diving along the rocky shores of the island. If you dive this way, be careful not to get hit by waves or scratch your hands and feet. After an hour, we boarded the boat to our next destination: Hong Lagoon. Krabi has many lagoons (waterholes surrounded by islands), but the most famous is Hong Lagoon.
This lagoon is captivating with its deep, distinctive turquoise waters. It also features a small mangrove forest, accessible only by a single path. As the boat glides gently through the gateway formed by two high cliffs, everyone gasps in amazement at the lagoon's beauty.
Finally, we arrived at Koh Hong around midday. We found a large table right on the beach, under the shade of trees, and laid out the lunch we had prepared that morning. I should clarify that, since we were traveling by private boat and without a guide, lunch wasn't included on the tour. Instead, we bought lunch in Ao Nang, Krabi's main tourist town, the day before our island trip.
While we were relaxing, something terrifying happened when a friend from our group rushed back and announced that a lizard bigger than a human was strolling past the tables next to us. We all went to see what was going on. Sure enough, it was a huge monitor lizard. I had never seen one that big before; it was about 2 meters long, just out foraging for food, and showed no signs of fear or intention to attack anyone.
We went back and prepared our gear for snorkeling. It's worth mentioning that the BBC recently ranked Koh Hong as one of Asia's most beautiful beaches. However, the sand and clear water weren't the most attractive feature for tourists. What truly captivated visitors were the schools of colorful fish swimming beneath the surface. They weren't afraid of humans, swimming freely and comfortably around the bathing area. This allowed us to sit among the fish and play with them.
There were fish as big as two hands swimming leisurely around. The rules here prohibit feeding the fish anything, but some tourists accidentally (or intentionally) threw food into the water, causing hundreds of fish to gather in one spot – a truly impressive sight.
After swimming for about two hours, we returned to the harbor where the boat was waiting, and then headed straight to Ao Nang. The sea was a bit rough that day; the speedboat glided over the high waves, occasionally crashing into large waves, making us jump with excitement.
After a day of cruising on the water and showering at the hotel, I returned to the pier lined with lush green casuarina trees to watch the sunset. I've watched sunsets in many places, but I have to admit that the sunsets in Ao Nang are still the most spectacular. The peaceful and clean atmosphere of this coastal town gives you an intoxicating feeling that lingers whether you're there or far away.
Additional information:
+ Journey:From Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi, you can fly with budget airlines like Nok Air, Jetstar, Vietjet, Air Asia, and Thai Airways to Suvarnabhumi or Don Muang airports (Bangkok). From Bangkok to Krabi, book a Nok Air flight, with only one daily departure at 10:00 AM, and from Krabi to Bangkok at 11:00 AM. Flying takes almost a full day, which is quite time-consuming. On my second trip to Krabi, I chose to travel by bus, booking through https://12go.asia/en. The bus ride takes about 10 hours, from 8 PM to early the next morning. The high-quality bus was very comfortable and not tiring.
Krabi is the town center, where the airport and bus station are located. You'll need to take a ride to Ao Nang town. There are express buses costing around 100,000 VND, or you can hire a private 4-seater car for 600 baht (390,000 VND).
+ Hotel:You can find and book hotels on Booking.com or Agoda.com. There are many types of accommodations, from budget to luxury. Room rates for two people are around 600-800 Baht (approximately 390,000-520,000 VND).
+ Rent a motorbike:If you want to get around Ao Nang town, you can rent a motorbike for 150,000 – 200,000 VND. Note that in Thailand, driving is on the left.
+ Cuisine:Krabi is located in southern Thailand, where the majority of the population is Muslim, so pork is not commonly found on menus. There are many street food stalls, open from 4-5 pm, offering a variety of dishes such as fried shrimp, grilled squid, grilled or steamed mussels. Prices are quite reasonable, around 100 baht (approximately 65,000 VND). You should try the Som Tam papaya salad and Tom Yum Thai soup, but remember to ask for "no spicy" or "mai phet" (not spicy) as the locals eat very spicy food.
+ Book a tour:Tourists cannot travel to the islands independently; they must book through a tour operator. Many travel companies offer tours, and prices are generally similar. Upon arriving in Ao Nang, you can book a tour yourself. The available tours include:
-Phi Phi Island: 1000Baht (650,000VND)
-Hong Island: 800Baht (520,000VND)
-Ao Thalane kayaking tour: 500Baht (390,000VND)
+ Dress code:For beachwear, don't forget your swimsuit, hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen. If you're going on multiple tours, you might consider buying waterproof bags, ranging from 5 to 20 liters, priced from 150 to 350 baht.
+ Souvenirs:There are many souvenir shops along the streets, selling clothes printed with Krabi symbols. Statues of elephants and owls, symbols of Thailand, can easily be found in any souvenir shop. Most notably, the beautiful Krabi magnetic badges are unique to this area, priced at 100 baht for three.
Text and photos: The Anh
