TRAVELOGUE ON KRABI

BY: PRATHAM GOLCHA

Krabi is synonymous with the term peace, serenity and tranquility. The laid-back atmosphere of Krabi  is sure to leave everyone awestruck. Krabi stands a testimony to the fact that a town or tourist centre doesn’t necessarily need skyscrapers and hustle and bustle to be popular. Krabi is essentially a secluded province on southern Thailand’s Andaman coastline. At the first sight, I found it completely opposite of what I had imagined initially. The province is gifted with natural beauty and isolated beaches. Ao Nang is the town where most of the tourists reside in Krabi. It is otherwise, a sleeping city. The most famous beaches in Krabi include: Ao Nang beach, Railay beach, Nopparat Thara beach, Phra Nang beach and Klong Muang beach. The coral reef vistas are one of the most beautiful and famous vistas of the world. I can go on to call it as the soul of Thailand. The province of Krabi is situated between Trang and Phang Nga. It is also popular for the amazing limestone-cliffs, eerie caves, unseen flora and fauna and not to forget the warm Thai locals. There are a number of ways to reach Krabi. There are direct domestic flights from Bangkok Airport to Krabi, which caters to a sizeable number of population. It can be reached via road as well. Phuket is only 2 hours and 30 minutes away from Krabi. Interestingly, it takes about 90 minutes to reach Phi Phi island of Krabi from Phuket. 

The town is busy catering to tourists all-round the year. Water-based activities and water sports ought to be on one’s bucket list while visiting here. I did many water sports such as rock climbing on the Phra Nang Beach and scuba diving. The beautiful hues of water on the beaches are sure to surprise everyone.  There are a wide array of accommodations in Krabi- ranging from budget hotels to deluxe resorts. Aromatherapy and massages are immensely famous in Krabi. We were staying in the heart of Ao Nang Town. The town has a number of mesmerizing beaches and one can travel to-and-fro easily from here.

Our first day in Krabi was spent on the Ao Nang beach, which is situated in the town itself. A walk down the streets to the beach is itself wonderful. One may find a number of shops selling authentic Thai stuff. Be it Thai ice-creams, local artifacts, beer, clothes or Buddha sculptures, this place has it all. The Ao Nang Beach is spread out. One may not find people thronging the beach and it is spotlessly clean as well. There are many boats which offer a ride in the sea. The rain and over-cast conditions made it even more heavenly. The beach is endowed with bounties of nature. The crystal clear sand, the turquoise blue water, thousands of sea-shells, crawling crabs, sea-side lounges and the beautifully jutting out limestone cliffs would leave one in splits. There are estimated to be around 200 islands and islets in Krabi, with each one having its own essence. Many of the islands have no access to landing in the sea, they protrude out with sharp edges of the cliffs. They surely seem intriguing and scary at times, just because they are extremely remote. Even a thought of getting stranded in the islands would send shivers down ones spine. The monsoon season had just begun when we were there and the high tides of the sea are sure to remind one of their forefathers . Majority of the islands are uninhabited and the smaller islets have many caves and reefs.

The next day was an adventure in itself for us. It was pouring cats and dogs. We were scheduled to visit the very famous Four Islands of Krabi. These Four Islands were – Phra Nang Cave and Beach, Tup Island, Chicken Island and Poda Island. They are to be visited in the aforesaid order only, with the journey culminating on the other shore of Ao Nang Beach. These tours are easily available across the city. One may try and explore. There are beautiful boats that take you across these islands. The first to begin was the Phra Nang Beach. It was a secluded peninsula, consisting of clear shallow waters, soft white sand, hundreds of coconut and mangrove trees, caves and coral reefs. I did rock climbing on this island, which is very popular because of the design of the hanging cliffs. There are various limestone cliffs in the backdrop and it is a paradise for photography. There is a cave too of a Princess, to whom the locals pray fervently according to their custom. The next stop was the Tup Island. It was sandwiched between the Poda Island and Chicken Island. This island is essentially smaller in area in comparison to the other islands in the archipelago. It is the ideal place for snorkelling because of the shallow and warm waters. The equipment for snorkeling is provided by the ship or cruise crew only. The stunning views of the Krabi coastline in the background are truly jaw-dropping. Intersetingly, there is a sandbar that pops out of the sea during low tides which links this island to the neighbouring Chicken Island and other small islets. Our next stop was Chicken Island, often called as Koh Poda Nok in local Thai language. The name is given to it courtesy its structure in the shape of a chicken.  Scuba diving and snorkelling are highly recommended in this island. If one doesn’t wish to take a dip in the sea, a stroll on the islands is a great option. The picturesque beauty of hanging cliffs, the Andaman coastline, coral reefs are a sight to behold. There was a cute little shack selling drinks and local snacks, there isn’t any construction on the island. It is an ideal place to click pictures on polaroid and phones. The last stop after this island was Poda Island or Koh Poda. It belongs to the Poda group of Islands. Many movies have been shot on this island. Koh Poda is located in the west of Ao Nang. The incredible marine world and coral reefs aren’t to be missed. A stop here is not complete without a Thai lunch, though it may taste quite insipid to Indians. I loved to sunbathe at shore of the island. Like us, never forget to carry a raincoat as the rains are highly unpredictable in the Gulf of Thailand. Next, we were ferried in the ship to the town of Ao Nang. This too is a National Park area. Thus, there are many restrictions on usage of polythene, polystyrene and single-use plastic. There is a very small number of Indian population in Krabi, but Indian cuisine is a great hit there. Krabi also boasts of a number of posh malls, the Central Mall being very famous. Almost every tenth shop in whole of Thailand is Seven Eleven, where everything is available under the sun. I bought dozens of Thai chocolates from there. The area is also famous for its bountiful soaps in all shapes and sizes, ranging from shape of a rose to a shoe. The rice soaps are a must buy in Krabi. Even the cosmetics are not very expensive. All in all, it is a perfect getaway destination for people of all ages. Its full of entertainment and crazy adventure. Make sure everyone,  Krabi is on your bucket list now.