After catching a night bus from Bangkok we were fornunate to recieve a upgrade to a VIP coach which personally was so comfortable. Provided with a selection of refreshments and a toilet onboard we couldn’t complain.
Krabi is situated on the west side of Thailand, around 12 hours drive from Bangkok. We decided to spend 3 nights in Krabi, giving us time to explore the beaches and also the islands close by.
Hiring a scooter for 24 hours (200baht) gave us the freedom to explore without being tied to public transport. We decided to drive to Ao Nang beach which was very crowded with white people. My prediction was mostly British and Germans! ha
We also discovered a nice secluded beach where we enjoyed a beautiful sunset and an evening swim basically on our own.
The following day we planned to drive our scooter to the Emerald Pool, 50km outside of Krabi. It was an easy drive, mostly on one highway which was decent.
There is a fee of 200baht per person for foreigners (20 for locals) to enter the national park. A short walk through jungle, was enjoyed with beautiful views and pleasant sounds of the wildlife.
The Emerald Pool is very popular with locals aswell as tourists. Despite being slightly busy. It was nice to enjoy a swim in the clear water after walking in 33 degrees.
Once we had cooled ourselves off, we wandered up to the Blue Pool which was not for swimming due to being a hot spring (aprox 60°C) but was nice to take photos and enjoy the peacefulness.
For our dinner we wandered down to the Riverside where they had a great selection of food markets. Much food was consumed from Pad Thai, grilled chicken and honey pancakes.
Our last day in Krabi we booked to explored 5 islands in the Andaman sea. Hong island being one of them. The tour was 1000baht each plus an entrance fee of 400baht. This included a pick up from our accommodation, a speed boat ride, lunch, snorkel equipment and a drop off back to our accommation.
I read many reviews about these tours being so touristic. Fortunately we were a small group of 10 with two friendly guides. We found most places we visited weren’t to crowded. Our first stop we enjoyed 30 minutes of snorkeling off an unhabited island called Red Rock which offered a great opportunity to see so many tropical fish.
Hong island we spent 90 minutes soaking up the sun whilst relaxing on the beach and taking in the gorgeous view.
The islands were just so magical, just how I imagined it too be. We enjoyed lunch on the beach and some time snorkeling.
Overall the tour was actually worth the money, a nice group of people, informative guides, beautiful beaches and not to rushed.
Krabi was a lovely place to stop and spend some time at. Offering a great selection of islands to visit as well as some amazing national parks on the main land close by.
Next stop the island of Ko Lanta.