Kayaking to conquer the "fjords"
Krabi’s unique features are its limestone islands towering above the blue sea and sky. There are many island tours here and each island cluster is different. Some islands are famous for their corals, others are famous for their colorful schools of fish swimming alongside people. Some islands are home to wild cats, or island clusters form pools of water like “oasis” in the middle of the ocean.
What impressed me the most was the kayaking tour in Ao Thalane, home to the most beautiful mangrove forest in Thailand. We started the journey by paddling through the calm bay and then were overwhelmed when approaching the towering limestone mountains, feeling like they were about to collapse. More than ever, here I felt the smallness of humans amidst the mountains and the vast ocean.
Following the enthusiastic and humorous tour guide, we went through the mountains, through the sandbanks and small islands, before getting lost in a completely different world, with lush green mangrove forests covering the sky. Our kayak group glided through the "fjords", sometimes having to lie down to let the boat drift through the crisscrossing tree roots, or go through low caves. The most terrifying, but also interesting experience was when we accidentally got lost in the "battle" of two groups of ferocious monkeys. Normally the monkeys are quite friendly, although a bit reckless, but when they fight for food, they will be extremely ferocious.
Occasionally, when we met kayak groups coming from the opposite direction, our guide asked the opposite group: “Do you see crocodiles and snakes over there?” These very real questions made us both confused and excited. The distance was 12km and it took 4 hours to paddle, but none of us felt tired and wanted to continue. At the end of the trip, the group stopped at a small, pretty beach, where we were the only ones to swim freely.
Krabi is quite lively at night with rows of shops along the beach. After dinner at a restaurant with a live band, we walked around town and bought souvenirs. We stopped at a rock bar. I am not a big fan of rock music, but when I entered this bar, I was naturally attracted by the vibrant rock songs with the excellent performance of the drummer and the natural performance of the female singer. A friend in the group, who is a big fan of rock music, highly appreciated this rock bar.
And it would be a mistake to come to Krabi without trying a traditional Thai massage. Massage parlors are everywhere, every few steps away. The staff here are very professional and responsible. After half a day of boating and walking, there is nothing better than ending the day with a Thai massage.
A giant monitor lizard encounter in Koh Hong
On the second day in Krabi, we joined a tour to Koh Hong. I decided not to go to Koh Phi Phi, which is also nearby, even though it is the most famous island, because it is too crowded and almost all tourists will choose this island tour. Instead, I chose Koh Hong, a small and beautiful island with lots of fish. We rented a private speedboat, which was not too expensive compared to going with other groups. If we go together, the boat will carry about 30-40 people for 800 Baht/person (equivalent to 500,000 VND). But when we rented a private boat, we only went with 12 people for 1,000 Baht (equivalent to 650,000 VND).
In the morning, the car picked us up at the hotel on time, and it only took about 5 minutes to get from the hotel to the marina. I was extremely impressed by the professional working process here. They automatically picked us up, took us to the marina, the car driver handed us over to the sailor, the sailor led us to the boat. I didn't have to call to give instructions or ask many things like other places. It was interesting that we were able to move around freely on the boat, it was worth the money.
First, we went to Ko Lao Lading, a small and pretty island with many lovely wild cats. This island has a very nice small path to go to the back beach. After a short break, we continued to Koh Phak Bia. This is a cluster of islands, connected by a hidden road under the water. When the tide goes down, the road emerges to become a white sand beach, similar to Diep Son waterway in Khanh Hoa that you know.
There are many strange fish species on this island. There are yellow striped fish that often travel in schools and are everywhere. The way to find these fish is to dive along the rocks along the island. If you dive this way, be careful not to hit the rocks or scratch your limbs. After an hour, we boarded the boat to our next destination: Hong Lagoon. There are many lagoons (swamps surrounded by islands) in Krabi, but the most famous is Hong Lagoon.
This lagoon is charming with its deep and distinctive turquoise water. There is also a small mangrove forest, with only one path to enter and exit. When the boat glides through the gate formed by two high cliffs, everyone must exclaim in surprise at the beauty of this lagoon.
We finally arrived at Koh Hong around noon. We found a large table right next to the beach, under the shade of a tree, and set out the lunch we had prepared in the morning. I should point out that since we were on a private boat and had no tour guide, there was no lunch included. Instead, we bought lunch in Ao Nang, Krabi’s main tourist town, the day before our trip to the island.
While we were sitting around, something scary happened when a friend of ours came running back and announced that there was a lizard bigger than a human walking around the tables next to us. We rushed out to see what was going on. Sure enough, it was a very large monitor lizard. I had never seen such a large monitor lizard, about 2m long, walking around looking for food and there was no sign that it was afraid or had any intention of attacking humans.
We headed back and packed up to go snorkeling. It should be added that the BBC recently ranked Koh Hong as one of the most beautiful beaches in Asia. However, the sand and clear blue water are not the main attractions for tourists. What attracts tourists are the schools of colorful fish swimming in the water. They are not afraid of humans, swimming freely around the swimming area. That allowed us to sit among the fish and play with them.
There are fish as big as two hands swimming leisurely. The rule here is not to feed the fish anything, but there are also some tourists who accidentally (or intentionally) throw food into the water causing hundreds of fish to gather in one place, a truly impressive sight.
After swimming for about two hours, we returned to the port where the boat was waiting, and headed straight for Ao Nang. The sea was a bit rough that day, the speedboat glided over the high waves, occasionally bumping into a big wave, making us jump with excitement.
After a day of surfing, after showering at the hotel, I returned to the pier with a row of green casuarinas to watch the sunset. I have watched the sunset in many places but I must admit that the sunset in Ao Nang is the most wonderful. The peaceful and clean space of this coastal town has brought a feeling of intoxication that is hard to fade when you stay or when you leave.
More information:
+ Itinerary:From Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi, you can fly with low-cost airlines Nok Air, Jetstar, Vietjet, Air Asia, Thai Airways to Suvarnabhumi or Don Muang Airport (Bangkok). From Bangkok to Krabi, book a ticket with Nok Air, with only one flight a day departing at 10am and from Krabi - Bangkok departing at 11am. If you go by plane, it will take you almost a day to travel, quite time-consuming. The second time I returned to Krabi, I chose to go by car, booking tickets at: https://12go.asia/en. The car runs for about 10 hours, from 8pm to early the next morning. The high-quality bus runs very comfortably, without getting tired.
Krabi is the town center, where the airport and bus station are located. You have to take a bus to get to Ao Nang town. There is a fast bus for the equivalent of 100,000 VND or rent a 4-seater private car for 600 Baht (390,000 VND).
+ Hotel:You can find and book hotels at Booking.com or Agoda.com. There are many types of motels from budget to luxury. Room rates for 2 people are around 600-800 Baht (equivalent to 390,000-520,000 VND).
+ Motorbike rental:If you want to move around Ao Nang town, you can rent a motorbike for 150,000 – 200,000 VND. Note that in Thailand, people drive on the left.
+ Cuisine:Krabi is located in the South of Thailand, where the majority of residents are Muslim, so pork will not appear commonly on the menu. There are many roadside stalls here, open from 4-5 pm, with many dishes of fried shrimp, grilled squid, fried squid, grilled and steamed mussels. The price per portion is quite cheap, at 100 Baht (65,000 VND). You should try Som Tam papaya salad and Tom Yum Thai sour soup, but remember to say "No spicy" or "mai phet" (not spicy) because people here eat very spicy.
+ Book tour:Tourists cannot go to the islands themselves but must book through a tour operator. There are many travel companies that offer tours, the prices are the same. When you arrive in Ao Nang, you can book a tour yourself. There are the following tours:
-Phi Phi Island: 1000Baht (650,000VND)
-Hong Island: 800Baht (520,000VND)
-Ao Thalane kayaking tour: 500Baht (390,000VND)
+Note on clothing:For beachwear, don’t forget your swimsuit, hat, sunglasses and sunscreen. If you’re going on multiple tours, consider buying waterproof bags, ranging from 5 to 20 liters in capacity, priced from 150 to 350 baht.
+ Souvenirs:There are many souvenir shops along the streets, clothes printed with Krabi symbols. Elephant and owl statues, the symbols of Thailand, can be easily found in any souvenir shop. Most notable are the beautiful Krabi symbol magnet badges that can only be bought here, for 100 Baht/3 pieces.
Article and photos: The Anh
