Krabi (2017, February)
Krabi is a hot destination among Malaysians, so when my friend J asked if I wanted to go anywhere for my birthday (she'd pay for my airfare as a birthday gift), we eventually settled on Krabi after hearing reviews about the place.
Krabi was so kind to us when we were there: amazing weather, wonderful food, and barely any hickups in our plans. What seemed like a spur-of-the-moment decision turned out to be one of the most memorable experiences in my life.
The view from the Tiger Cave Temple summitKrabi was so kind to us when we were there: amazing weather, wonderful food, and barely any hickups in our plans. What seemed like a spur-of-the-moment decision turned out to be one of the most memorable experiences in my life.
We were there for 4D3N, and we went with basically no solid itinerary. All we had were tips and stories from friends and travel bloggers (a godsend!) to have an idea of what we were to do when we reach Krabi.
A few noteworthy tips from my research:
- For practical/logistic reasons, stay at Ao Nang (coastal area) rather than Krabi town itself, (much further inland) if you're interested in doing water-based activities.
- The package tours are totally worth it, but you need to negotiate the prices.
- Rather than book travel packages online, it's best to shop around for tour providers along Ao Nang beach. These providers generally have similar packages, but may be priced differently based on the combination of trips you are looking for (and also how well you haggle).
Itinerary
See: Check out the map I used for the whole trip here.
Day 1
After settling into our accommodation, we went to Ao Nang beach to hunt for package tours.
Makin our way downtown, faces past and we're beachbound <3
Strolling down Ao Nang beach.
After browsing a few shops, we ended up getting three package tours. It cost us THB2800 each, altogether (about RM357):
- Day 1: Mariam's 7-Island Tour (half-day, inc. of pickup, dinner and park fees)
- Day 2: Hong Island Tour (full-day, inc. of pickup, kayakking, lunch, and park fees)
- Day 3: Jungle Tour (full-day, covering Emerald Pool, Hotspring, Tiger Cave Temple, inc. of pickup, lunch and park fees)
Mariam's 7-Island Tour
This is a half-day tour which started around 2pm and we headed back around 8.30pm, covered the following islands:
- Taming Island: beach & snorkelling (30 min)
- Poda Island: beach (1 hour)
- Tupp and Morr Island: beach (30 min)
- Chicken Island: beach & snorkelling (30 min)
- Phra Nang Island: watching sunset by the beach, and dinner (1.5 hours)
- A small island: Snorkeling with bioluminescence after dark (20 min)
Not sure if these these jellyfish-looking lantern thingies hanging on a tree near the pier are decorative items or some kind of charm, but they're so cute!
The boat ride was pretty fun, thanks to our friendly guide and tourmates
Dinner by the sea
Loved the view of the sunset after a long day of island hopping
After dinner, the boat operators said they would bring us out to see something beautiful that we can only see at night. We then drove out to one side of the island. The water was dark and ominous when the boat driver turned off the engine... and then they asked us to get ready to jump into the water (my brain was all NOPENOPENOPE lol).
On a serious note tho, it was already pretty chilly at the time and I didn't have any change of clothes. I didn't want to risk an asthma attack in the middle of watery nowhere, so I skipped this. A few people were game though, including J.
A few tourmates snorkelling, excited upon seeing the 'surprise': bioluminescence underwater.
Since half of us didn't jump in, the tourguide scooped up some of the seawater and poured it onboard so we could catch a glimpse of what our swimming tourmates saw: the water looked like it was sprinkled with mini stars that quickly lost its glimmer as soon as it touched the floor.
As much as it was a beautiful fleeting sight, I also spent the rest of the night wondering if the planktons died for us to see them in our realm. I hope not. :(
Drinking a hot cuppa while watching a mesmerising performance by fire dancers.
Day 2
Hong Island Tour
This tour was a lot more relaxed than the previous one, because we had more time to breathe and take in the sights and sounds of the island we were on.
Here, I was able to kayak for the first time in years... and let's just say I highly overestimated my own strength. The island isn't that big, but kayaking around Hong Island was harder than I thought heheh.
Loved snorkelling with this view. Also note how far we were from the beach (#introvert)
Day 3
Jungle Tour
After a long van ride, we arrived at Hot Spring Waterfall, ready to get wet.
Hot Spring Waterfall
The start of the walking trail was already enticing.
Map of the Emerald Pool area
The walk up to the Emerald Pool is shorter and less steep than the hike up to Blue Pool... which means a bigger crowd haha.
J enjoying herself in the Emerald Pool
The Blue Pool is off-limits for swimmers to ensure that the delicate natural surroundings isn't disturbed by human activities (e.g. land, water, noise pollution). I think there was a sign at the time, stating that it was the mating season for some of the animals there, and humans may disturb the ecosystem if we swam in the Blue Pool.
The Blue Pool looks even more magical irl tbh
Tiger Temple
Next up on the Jungle Tour itinerary: Tiger Cave Temple (Thai: วัดถ้ําเสือ, RTGS: wat tham suea), a Buddhist temple around/on a hill, with a cave that the founder, a Vipassana monk, meditated in. Built in 1975, it's known for its tiger shrine in the cave, the 1,237 steps uphill to reach the summit, and the large golden Buddha statues at the top of the hill.
Someone praying at the temple, at the foot of the hill.
Tiger shrine, inside the cave.
I didn't plan to climb up the steps because I didn't want to risk getting an asthma attack... but let's just say the temptation to see Krabi from the summit was greater than my fear (lol), and I ended up climbing up. And boy, am I glad I did.
Managing to walk up over 1000 steps uphill is still one of my biggest achievements in my life. I kept wanting to give up, but J kept encouraging me to persevere.
Had to stop looking down at the steep, narrow steps - acrophobia kept me going lol.
By the time I reached the top, I forgot how to breathe, and literally stopped for a few good seconds when I saw the view.
#Blessed.
I'm still so proud of myself for being able to prove my anxiety wrong... that I could climb up all the steps despite my asthma is something I still find hard to believe. It took longer than other people would, and I panicked all the way down (not just because of my fear of heights but also because we were worried our tour van would leave us for being late lol) but all was fine.
We reached our van just in time. :)
Every Friday to Sunday evening, there is a popular night market in Krabi town that street food, snacks, clothes, artworks, souvenirs, all kinds of stuff.
In the initial planning of our Krabi trip, J and I were unsure if we could make it to this nightmarket because of our packed schedule. Since it was our final night, and there just so happened to be a night market, we decided to take a trip to Krabi town.
After waiting for over 20mins for a tuktuk, we ended up hiring a return-trip taxi for THB800 (for 2 pax) before the night market closed for the night (apparently, a 40-minute van ride is about THB500Baht (approx. RM63)).
While finding halal food wasn't too difficult, finding a table to have our meal was though. There were just so many people!
When we finally scored a couple of seats for ourselves, we dug right in.
Btw, there was a stage at the market, with some people performing in a local open mic or karaoke competition of some sort. It was kinda amusing to watch, hehe.
After dinner, we hurried to get gifts/souvenirs before the shops started closing.
We did survey items for us to buy as gifts/souvenirs along Ao Nang beach, but the shops were pricier than the other parts of town. Better to buy what you need at the night market though, if you're planning to go there!
So right before we left Ao Nang, J wanted to visit a spa. We decided on this one after comparing prices with a few other providers. I ended up getting a facial while J got a full-body massage, heheh.
It's quite easy to find halal food in Krabi, either on the streets or in seating-style establishments, partly because the majority of Thai locals living in Krabi are Muslims.
Since our hostel only serves tea, coffee, and toast for breakfast, we had to buy heavier breakfast to last us through the activities.
I'm really glad the cost of our package tours covers lunch/dinner. The food they serve is pretty decent if you like Thai cuisine.
Ao Nang road has plenty of street food vendors selling all kinds of sweet and savoury treats.
I have to bring this up because it's important: you cannot go to Thailand without stuffing your face with sticky glutinous rice with sweet mango and coconut cream. Although we have a similar dessert in Malaysia (we call it 'pulut mangga'), Malaysian mangoes are not always sweet, unlike the ones I had in Krabi.
This hostel was just nice for us, and we shared our 4-bed room with a travelling gardener from Czech, iirc.
My simplified conversion on-the-go formula in Krabi at the time, since THB->MYR exchange rate was 0.1275 at the time:
I budgeted ฿7430 for this trip (about RM1000), excluding return flight (covered by J).
Ended up spending about RM100 more than I budgeted.
1) Accomodation (2 pax, 4D3N) = ฿2100 ฿1050
2) Flight (paid for by J) = ฿0
3) F&B (exc. package set) = ฿730 ฿1054
4) Package tours=฿2400 (for 2 tours) ฿2800 (for 3 tours)
5) Other activities =฿400 ฿250
6) Gifts/souvenirs = ฿1000 ฿1300
7) Transportation =฿600 ฿850
8) Emergency =฿200 ฿680
Total expenses here: ฿8184 @ +RM1044
People chilling at (the quite well-lit) Ao Nang beach at sunset
Krabi Weekend Nightmarket
Every Friday to Sunday evening, there is a popular night market in Krabi town that street food, snacks, clothes, artworks, souvenirs, all kinds of stuff.
In the initial planning of our Krabi trip, J and I were unsure if we could make it to this nightmarket because of our packed schedule. Since it was our final night, and there just so happened to be a night market, we decided to take a trip to Krabi town.
After waiting for over 20mins for a tuktuk, we ended up hiring a return-trip taxi for THB800 (for 2 pax) before the night market closed for the night (apparently, a 40-minute van ride is about THB500Baht (approx. RM63)).
The market was packed!
[ Krabi Weekend Night Market: Pak Nam, Mueang Krabi District, Krabi 81000 ]
[ Krabi Weekend Night Market: Pak Nam, Mueang Krabi District, Krabi 81000 ]
While finding halal food wasn't too difficult, finding a table to have our meal was though. There were just so many people!
Cooling down after a long day with a strawberry slushie at the night market
When we finally scored a couple of seats for ourselves, we dug right in.
Kindly ignore our greasiness hehehe kthxbai
Btw, there was a stage at the market, with some people performing in a local open mic or karaoke competition of some sort. It was kinda amusing to watch, hehe.
After dinner, we hurried to get gifts/souvenirs before the shops started closing.
Day 4
Gifts & Glow
We did survey items for us to buy as gifts/souvenirs along Ao Nang beach, but the shops were pricier than the other parts of town. Better to buy what you need at the night market though, if you're planning to go there!
One of the shops selling beach/cultural attire and ornaments.
So right before we left Ao Nang, J wanted to visit a spa. We decided on this one after comparing prices with a few other providers. I ended up getting a facial while J got a full-body massage, heheh.
Sleepy after the massage, lol.
Food
It's quite easy to find halal food in Krabi, either on the streets or in seating-style establishments, partly because the majority of Thai locals living in Krabi are Muslims.
Meals
Since our hostel only serves tea, coffee, and toast for breakfast, we had to buy heavier breakfast to last us through the activities.
My breakfast for day 2: Fried rice with spicy fried chicken, with extra veg.
[ Roadside stall near Moment Hostel, on Ao Nang road ]
I'm really glad the cost of our package tours covers lunch/dinner. The food they serve is pretty decent if you like Thai cuisine.
7-Island Hopping Tour dinner
Hong Island Tour lunch
Jungle Tour lunch
Snacks & Desserts
Ao Nang road has plenty of street food vendors selling all kinds of sweet and savoury treats.
The queue to get to the noms is kinda long because everything is made there and then.
Queuing up for this variation of a pancake was worth it though!
[ Street vendor on Ao Nang road ]
I have to bring this up because it's important: you cannot go to Thailand without stuffing your face with sticky glutinous rice with sweet mango and coconut cream. Although we have a similar dessert in Malaysia (we call it 'pulut mangga'), Malaysian mangoes are not always sweet, unlike the ones I had in Krabi.
Sweet, tropical creaminess in all its glory <3
Accommodation
We stayed for 4D3N at The Moment Hostel, at Ao Nang. As per advice of friends and travel bloggers, Krabi is pretty far from where all the action is.This hostel was just nice for us, and we shared our 4-bed room with a travelling gardener from Czech, iirc.
J, me, and our Czech roomate on our last day
Getting Here/Around
1. Airport - town (return):
When we arrived in Krabi, we took a private airport van for ฿300. On our last day, we took a shared van recommended by our accommodation for ฿150. Total to and from airport = ฿450.
2. Around town
We mainly walked around, but we did take a taxi to and from the Night Market. We could have gotten a much cheaper ride with a shared van (refer to night market section above).
3. Island hopping
The transportation costs to go to the islands were covered in the package tours we took. We just had to walk to the closest pickup spots en route to the tour company's meetup location.
Expenses
See: My post on financial stuff, which may be relevant to this section.
Currency conversion
My simplified conversion on-the-go formula in Krabi at the time, since THB->MYR exchange rate was 0.1275 at the time:
Thai Baht (THB) to Malaysian Ringgit (MYR):
round down exchange rate to 0.125 (@ 1/8); divide THB sum with 8
e.g. THB8 is approx. MYR1
Malaysian Ringgit (MYR) to Thai Baht (THB) :
multiply MYR with 8
e.g. MYR100 is approx. THB800
Budget
I budgeted ฿7430 for this trip (about RM1000), excluding return flight (covered by J).
Ended up spending about RM100 more than I budgeted.
In summary:
2) Flight (paid for by J) = ฿0
3) F&B (exc. package set) = ฿
4) Package tours=
5) Other activities =
6) Gifts/souvenirs = ฿
7) Transportation =
8) Emergency =
Total expenses here: ฿8184 @ +RM1044
References
Credits to all friends as well as the following blogs/sites for sharing their Krabi travel tips!- 4D3N itinerary: http://dyllarezan.blogspot.com/2016/03/4d3n-krabi-budget-trip-itinerary.htm
- Thai spa massage: https://nurulharnanikasmari.blogspot.my/2015/10/travel2015-krabi-11-tips-mudah-nak.html
- Budget travel, inc. souvenirs: https://nurulharnanikasmari.blogspot.my/2015/10/travel2015-krabi-thai-merancang-budget.html
- Haggling and island tour tips: http://www.ohbulan.com/pasangan-ini-travel-ke-krabi-4h-3m-dengan-bajet-rm800-je-korang-pun-boleh-kala
- Beachwear (for hijabis): https://nurulharnanikasmari.blogspot.com/2016/01/travel2015-tips-fesyen-di-tepi-pantai.html
- Krabi commute: https://www.yourkrabi.com/getting-around-krabi/
So yeah.
I may update this, but for now this is all I have to share. Thanks for reading!
See: What else I've written about Thailand.
See: What else I've written about Thailand.
Last Updated: 2019-03-25
Comments
Post a Comment