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- VOL. 12.7
Wrapped in Comfort at Le Meridien’s Portofino Ristorante
Piercing – The Rite of Purification
Epat Diary: Dangerous Liaisons
Fresh in from Phuket, I opted for an early night at a friend’s house. At midnight a crack squadron of Krabi’s finest mosquitoes zoomed in for the kill. After an hour of wrestling the net I resigned myself to the darkness, exhausted. The night thrummed and buzzed around me. Occasionally a fully gorged fit-to-burst mosquito thudded to the floor with a gasp of delight. Eventually a gibbon whooped through the jungle dawn and I fell asleep as the house stirred awake.
Hailing a longtail back to the mainland was easy and cheap (US$ 1). On these beaches the longtails work in association with each other and fix their prices, all signposted and none over the top.
Granny-gearing up the hill out of Ao Nang to the exotically named Gastropod Fossil Park some 10km south I felt like I was bicycling through a pizza oven, it was that hot. Meanwhile, the locals, almost without fail, waved at me, shouting a singsong “hallooaa!” then probably muttered something about mad dogs and Englishmen to their kids as soon as I rounded the bend.
At Fossil Park, or the Shell Cemetery – depending on which map you read – there’s a sign explaining that these 75-million-year-old cement-like slab formations of compressed snails are to be found in only two other locations in the world. Nevertheless, the slabs somehow reminded me of a rundown Warsaw suburb. An information sign stood in the shade of a lagerstroemia floribunda jack. I know this, as all the trees in the park sported neatly placed generic labels. My Latin isn’t exactly top-notch but luckily a sign up the road nailed to an identical tree provided the rough English translation: Luna Beach Bar This Way.
I top-geared north to Pine Beach Bungalows, following a tip a friend had given me. Route 4304, running parallel to the coast, some 5km inland, is a gorgeous ride. This main road winds through towering vine-choked limestone peaks that lend an exotic perfume to the air. Once off the main road and heading down to Khlongmuang Beach though, the rustic beauty turned into a treeless arid hell as hill after sun-baked shimmering hill stretched out before me. My shadow was a dot under the bike. At the beach I pulled over, gulped water, slapped on more sunscreen, shook out the perspiration from my hat and . . . gave up.
After a siesta I found the poorly marked bungalows. For those who love simplicity and solitude this is the place to come. Once settled in I watched thunderheads billow in from the west, burst overhead then disappear inland. Silver and gold foliage shone, dripping raindrops as the evening fell. Delicious. Pine Beach Bungalows: Tel. 075 612 192.
Next morning, heading to Krabi Town, I pulled into a talad sot, a local market, to buy bananas and fried chicken. The journey was beginning to tell on my back and I found myself taking more frequent breaks. This meant that I was meeting more people than the usual guesthouse crowd and that was a good thing. A one-legged man in a sarong, teeth stained dark brown, carrying a frightening crooked-neck machete, happened by. He spoke gently in clear Thai, explaining that neither he nor I had far to go. His house, he said, was paces away and Krabi Town seven kilometres down the road.
Freewheeling into Krabi, passing a tatty banner reading: Boon Siam Hotel 50m, I pulled up at a fork in the road. After asking a couple of smiling students the way downtown I followed their directions down a dirt track, through a cluster of houses, up a hill, round a corner and joined a main road on which, two minutes later, I struggled past a tatty banner reading: Boon Siam Hotel 50m. Luckily, there was an English-speaking travel agency to help me right beside the spot where, in frustration, I’d flung my sweat-stained Krabi map.
Krabi Town is nothing short of charming. Strolling from shop to shop, I couldn’t believe the easy symmetry of the place. I’d finally found a Thai town in which I could find my way around. Of course the Krabi River has a lot to do with it. But little touches, such as the fascinating roadside stalls and a boulevard with ornamental elephant-topped lampposts (the town originated as an elephant stockade) lent an indelible sense that this place is meant for strolling around in, and it’s compact enough to do so. Many of the guesthouses’ names here, such as Sea View and Mermaid, reflect an easygoing seaside feeling such as to be found on Mallorca or at English beachside resorts.
Krabi is one big point of departure to Railey and Ao Nang as well as to Koh Lanta, Koh Phi Phi and the surrounding islands and southern beaches. At first impression I’d say that 95% of its population is either running a guesthouse or a travel agency or both. You’ll never want for a room in Krabi Town, top end to low end.
After resting up I ventured out again into the evening. There were travel agents everywhere. Street banners boasted of the ease with which one could fly to Samui/Phuket. I wandered into the Vogue department store and there, on the stairway leading up to the men’s room, was an impromptu travel agency. Xeroxed, badly focused photos of near and distant locations were scotched to the cement wall behind a desk. They’re everywhere in Krabi.
I’d taken a B150 room above a bar (and a travel agent) and had slotted the bike behind the bed to settle in for the night. Outside, a rainstorm chased away the night market. It’d been a colourful vista of mangoes, durians, shoes, sarongs, finger bananas and clothes for sale, all illuminated under swinging naked light bulbs.
At 11 o’clock the next morning, the back end of Railey’s cliffs was a welcome sight. They beckoned me to head north, to glide down into Hat Noppharat Thara Park and on to Ao Nang, there to jump aboard The Andaman Princess – a 60-foot twin diesel ferry that runs daily between Phuket and Krabi, stopping off at Railey. Tel. 076 232 040. Ao Nang is another well-developed jumping-off place that – like Krabi – has all the accommodation and facilities one could need, only at higher rates. In fact, many of those travel agents in Krabi will send you right here to start your tour/trek/kayak/rock climbing/ mountain bike adventure.
Boarding the ship, my legs felt like jelly and my butt felt, well, tender. All the same though, nothing in the last 20 years has reminded me so much of that wonderful feeling you get when there’s an open road ahead of you, full of possibilities. Exploring Krabi Province can do that for you.
Krabi At A Glance Krabi Province is 60km due east of Phuket. The geography consists of scenic beaches, over 200 islands, mangrove forests and limestone cliffs. Krabi Town, a pleasant riverside location, (pop 18,000) is situated 1000 km south from Bangkok and 180 km by road from Phuket. Getting around in the province is easy; there are regular and cheap buses and songtaows (local buses); motorcycle taxis and bikes for hire as well as fixed-priced longtail boats. Krabi has its own airport. Krabi Town, as well as Ao Nang, is small and compact enough to stroll around in.
What To Do Krabi is a veritable playground for active folks. Here are some suggestions for those looking for adventure.
Sea Kayaking: Sea Canoe has an office at Ao Nang. Tel. 075 637 170 or
E-mail anurak@hotmail.com
Diving: Ao Nang and Railey have several dive shops to choose from, all PADI certified. Try Phranang Divers at Ao Nang. Tel. 075 637 064. www.pndivers.com
Rock Climbing: Too many sea front operations to list here but the cream of the crop seems to be King Climber’s Rock Climbing School E-mail kingclimbers@iname.com or Tex Rock Climbing Tel. 01 8911528 www.texrockclimbing.com
Elephant Trekking: Krabi Nature in Krabi Town. Tel. 075 632 640
Mountain Biking: Ao Nang Adventure does day trips. Tel. 075 637 487. Or hire a bike for B100 a day at Ao Nang Travel and Tour at the north end of the beach. If you do, go north. The incline is less steep and the view is infinitely better.
Snorkelling: Charter a longtail from any beach or from Krabi Town. Half day: from B400 to B800. Full day: from B1,500.