DAY 3………ON TO KRABI…..BOONS FIRST DIP IN THE SEA:)
We arrived in Surithani at around 6.30. At this point the passengers all split off for their separate destinations on connecting services. We had about an hours wait for our onward bus to Krabi. During this time I emptied my supply of mozzy spray as we came under heavy attack at the bus stop.We hit Krabi at around 9.30am and took the 10 minute walk to town and managed to find a very friendly guest house in town. Deciding to save pennies we ditched our original plan to get a bungalow on the basis that we would spend most of the day by the water anyhow and it didn’t matter where we slept.
There was a motorcy rental shop opposite where we got a bike for 200 baht a day, which seems to be the going rate down there.
So, in the afternoon we headed out of town to find the sea, and after about an hours riding around palm lined roads, through rocky gorges and quiet Thai villages, we came apon Nopharat Thara Beach.
This huge beach stretches out over a couple of mile, to the west of Krabi Bay. It has a couple of Islets, reachable by foot when the tide is low. There are many eateries close to the beach, with many options, whether your budget is small or large.
We tucked into some very nice cockles in garlic sauce, before we left to return to our guest house and booked a snorkeling trip for the next day.
DAY 4……MAYA BEACH, PHI PHI, AND SWIMMING WITH THE FISH
Up early the next morning, we had a very good American breakfast before the transport arrived to take us on our trip.
We joined about 12 other people already on the truck and picked up a couple more on the way.
The ride to our departure point, Ao Nang Beach, took about half an hour.
There everyone was pointed to their respective tour operators.
We joined yet more new people on the speed boat that would take us to Phi Phi and its surrounding islands. Following the lead of a Thai family of four, we went upfront , thinking how much better it would be for viewing our trip out. As we pulled away from the beach the skies were quite grey and threatening rain but the surroundings were still stunning to behold. Full of excitement over the trip ahead we really didn’t realise what we were in for.
Then the pilot opened the throttle , the boat lifted at the front and our backs felt every wave as the bow of the boat smashed its way through the seas. Mad as I am, I actually enjoyed it, unlike the father of the Thai family who had to retreat with a serious case of sea sickness.
Our first stop was Bamboo Island, where we had about half an hour to chill on the beach and take a swim.
The sands were soft and white and the water crystal clear. Not surfing territory but enough waves coming in to make for a fun, refreshing swim. Not sure where the bamboo is, maybe on the other side of the island.
THE BEACH 
On to the paradise island, made famous in the Leo Di Caprio movie.
The speedboat pilot didn’t let up on the open sea but did occasionally slow down as we passed other small islands so that we could appreciate the beauty, of which there was so much.
‘The Beach’ was indeed exquisite, even if it is actually easily accessible and busy with other tour goers. Here we did our first spot of snorkeling in the crystal clear waters, coming across a variety of brightly coloured tropical fish , seemingly unperturbed by the numerous visitors splashing about.
To follow the rest of this trip please follow this link.
From Maya Beach it was of for lunch on Phi Phi Island. Yet another idyllic location, although for me it was a little spoiled by its commercialism. But dont be put off, if you are looking for a paradise holiday destination this place should come high on the list.
It has plenty of cafes and restaurants to choose from, a great market village, resorts and all the usual Island tours, diving, snorkeling , trekking, etc.
Nearby Monkey Island was our next stop , where we moored a little offshore and went snorkelling around the extensive coral beds. We had enough time to swim into the beach if we wanted and a couple of our fellow passengers took that option, to check out the monkeys on the beach. Boon and I stuck with the snorkelling in the deep waters, so many more fish to see, especially when the boat hands threw bread. This made the fish come in from all over and we were in the thick of them , some literally brushing past our goggles.
This was our last stop before heading back to Ao Nang Beach. The weather had worsened and the seas were even choppier than on the trip out. I had to retreat from the bow position, about half way back, because it was just too much.
The activity the day before had been quite tiring so we had an easy start the next morning, heading out on the bike at around 10.30. We first went in search of the Tiger Cave Temple, just outside Krabi. It was a nice ride past many mountainous rocks jutting out of the flat lands. A long tree lined road took us into the Temple grounds and we parked up to take a look around.
Above the Temple is a huge mountain rock, on top of which is a large Sitting Buddha and viewing platform. You just have to climb the 1237 steps to get there.Puffing and panting I dragged myself up. I have to admit to almost reaching my limit around 3 quarters of the way up. Foolishly we had forgotten to take water with us and there was scant shelter from the blazing sun on the steps.
