Crunchy Onion: August 2017

Sawasdee Ka & Sawasdee Krub!

Every time I came face to face with anyone in Thailand, beginning from the very welcoming staff at Thai Airways (good option to fly), I was greeted with the most warmest smile and a tuneful - Sawasdee Ka! I obviously googled and found out that 'Sawasdee' means 'Hello' in Thai and the 'Ka' bit is added if a lady/woman is being addressed to. In case you're travelling with your spouse/partner who happens to be a man in my case yes, then you also hear a melodious - Sawasdee Krub. 'Krub' is added when you're welcoming a man.

This is the only bit of Thai I picked up, on our delightful trip to Thailand back in June this year. We covered Krabi, along with a lovely day trip to Phi Phi and a quick stopover at Bangkok. We stayed for four days in Krabi at the Holiday Inn Express and for about 2 nights and 3 days in Bangkok at the President Park . To sum it up the holiday lasted for a week and was quite memorable. I am in love with Krabi and its gorgeous landscape, the fresh and scrumptious seafood, hospitable locals and the most beautiful blue Andaman Sea. The weather was fairly comfortable, with sunny days, breezy evenings and very occasional bouts of rain.

My floral, holiday look at Holiday Inn Express

Krabi

Krabi is a fabulous beach destination, an hour away from Bangkok by air and nestled in the magnificent Andaman Sea. It is also a bustling tourist spot with tantalising white beaches, gigantic cliffs, majestic temples and lively local bars.

Beautiful Krabi

We kept our itinerary a bit relaxed on the first day, by taking walks by the popular Ao Nang beach and market, strolling into cosy cafes, enjoying the traditional Thai massage, and hopping into ethnic looking shopping stores.

On the second day we decided to go island hopping. The view of the blue sea flanked by enormous cliffs was breathtaking. Some of the popular islands we visited and took dips into the crystal clear water included Maya Bay, Bamboo islands with the last stop being Ko Phi Phi!! A picturesque island that has been wooing moviemakers since time immemorial and enticing travellers with its exotic pearls, Phi Phi is one of the most popular getaways in Thailand. After a quick lunch, now was the time for some adventure. We were trying something we had never done before. I can swim, but just know the basics, not that great at it, but my husband swims really well, almost as smoothly as a mermaid. We decided to go snorkeling and I was both glad and relieved to see that there were many in the group, who did not even know how to float. The trainer provided us with life jackets and snorkel tubes. It takes a few minutes to learn and get used to breathing with that on, but it is surely not too tough. Finally we jumped in and what we experienced after that was truly surreal. It felt like we were swimming with a myriad of colours under water. It was my first time and I could not go on for too long but I am so glad I was part of this experience. Next on the bucket list is scuba diving someday soon. It was such a beautiful day and while on the speed boat back to Krabi, I wished it never ended.

The view while island hopping!

Just before jumping in to snorkel

Snorkeling - ticked off

Our third day involved a day out at Krabi's most popular beach - Railay. We dutched in and took a long tail boat ride for fifteen minutes. We had three American men for company who hailed from Florida and were on a backpacking trip for two months covering Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia. Though this may not be my ideal idea for travel and not practical too, I must admit I was impressed with their plans, consumed by wanderlust. Once we reached our destination, it was a bright day by the beach. We basked in sunshine, read a book and feasted on a delectable lunch comprising - prawn chips, prawns dipped in garlic sauce, steamed rice with basa and Vietnamese sauce. It was lip-smacking! By late afternoon the clouds were hovering over the sea and albeit it was a splendid sight we needed to head back. We finally got into a tail boat and it started to rain right then. So shivering in the rain with a little bit of sunshine still in the sky, gushing winds blowing into our faces we were on a bumpy ride back. This is when I spotted two magnificent rainbows against the sky and over the vast waters. It was mind-blowing to say the least.

The tail-boat ride

The lunch we feasted on at Railay

Cloudy, Grey and just another day by the beach

Somewhere over the Rainbow!

Day four and the final day was fun too. We went on two short hikes. One led to a natural hot spring surrounded by greenery. A visit to Krabi's natural hot spring is a must. There are many hollowed-out 'bathtubs' which are caused by the running water from the thermal springs. You can relax in one of the many natural hollows in the creek and watch the water gently cascade into the blue pools. Enjoy your own natural 'hot-tub jacuzzi' filled with running spring water at a pleasant temperature of 35-40c.

Natural Hot Spring - Krabi

The next hike took us to The Emerald pool and Blue Lagoon. These are part of the Khao Phra Bang Khram Nature Reserve, and their waters come from thermal hot springs that are deep underground. It almost seemed like we were amidst a nature's theme park! I will let the picture below do justice to the actual experience. However one has to be very careful while dipping into these pools as the way down is slippery and it is extremely deep. I really wish I could freeze time in Krabi, but it was now time to head to Bangkok.

The hike upto - The Emerald Pool in the lap of nature

Bangkok

Bangkok as expected was full of fun, food and yes a bit of shopping!! I never go crazy shopping while I am travelling but since we were in Bangkok I had to indulge in a bit. The Platinum mall is highly recommended for all shopping enthusiasts. We had one dinner at the popular Cabbages and Condoms - a unique restaurant decorated with figures made out of condoms. Very creative, I must say! I will keep the Bangkok bit short and crisp with pictures to follow, however I have to mention that the visit to the Wat Pho pagodas and gazing at one of the largest recliner Buddha statues of the country was indeed marvelling.