KRABI, THAILAND 13 Jan - 16 Jan 2008
Railey Village Resort & Spa
Amazing resort! We had such a relaxing time that we did not want to leave the place on our last day. When we arrived at the reception late night on 13 Jan, I thought to myself I must have chosen the wrong place and we were ripped off. The reception area looked like a run-down shed and we had to walk a long way through a narrow garden before we saw the single-storey bungalows and I started to feel more relieved.
In the morning when we woke up, this was the view from our room. Railey Village Resort & Spa is nestled in the Railey (West) Beach. It is about 10 minutes away from Ao Nang Beach and is accessible only by long-tail boat or small speedboats. Railey is a favourite spot for rock-climbing enthusiasts and there are day courses for amateur climbers.
The boat ride from Ao Nang beach costs around 80 baht per person, but will leave only when there are 10 passengers. The drop-off point is directly along the main street where all the shopping can be done. As we arrived at night, the cost was higher. We paid the boatman 600 baht for the both of us and we took the boat from the pier instead of the usual Ao Nang-Railey drop-off point. The boat ride at night was quite scary, with all the limestone formations towering over the sea. It looked like sea giants watching us as we passed by.
There are many activities in Krabi catering to different interests. For sun-lovers like us, we went on some day trips to go island-hopping. There are over 100 islands in Krabi and many good places for snorkelling, diving or just sun-tanning on the beach.
On our first day, we went to Tub Island, Chicken Island, Kao Si and Poda Island. Chicken Island has its name not because there are many chickens on the island (as Antonio initially thought...silly boy!) But rather, the front of the island resemble the head of a chicken, hence the name. We joined Green Planet-The Krabi Tour Specialist (289/1 U-Tarakit Road Paknam , Muang Krabi Krabi 81000 Phone: 075611371 Fax: 075611372).
The trip costs 450 baht/person (lunch inclusive) and the starts from 9.00am to 4.00pm. The last island where we had around 1 hour of R&R was Poda Island.
On our second day, we went to the famous Phi Phi Island, where the movie "The Beach" starring Leonardo DiCaprio was filmed. I personally think that the place is a little overhyped as there are many other beaches as beautiful as Phi Phi Don. The guide told us that 10 years ago before the place became famous, Maya Beach was much more beautiful and tranquil.
The trips to Phi Phi costs around 1800 baht/person and the speedboat ride takes about 40 minutes from Ao Nang. The trip usually includes Phi Phi Le, Phi Phi Don and Bamboo Island. We loved Bamboo Island, the sand was so soft and white. There are many shady places where you can just lie down and take a nap with the sea breeze gently blowing.
On our final night, we decided to take it easy and stay in Railey to enjoy the beautiful sunset. There are not many restaurants in Railey except at the resort. The prices tend to be more expensive, but there are not much choices really. We had 7 king prawns, 2 seafood kebabs and 5 satay sticks, all were very delicious and costs 1390 baht for our meal.
For first time visitors, we highly recommend you to go with guided tours to the islands, so as to see the different beaches. But for our next trip, we will definitely hire a long-tail boat and decide where we want to go and for however long we would like to stay. There are many activities such as white-water rafting, ATV rides and hot spring bath to do. So Krabi, we will see you soon!
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