AO NANG/KRABI

So as Corsiworld hit the momentous Fifth Anniversary in the Business of Marriage, we decided to do something special and spend the weekend away from home, more specifically, in KRABI, THAILAND. Wow, what a place. Krabi is the Thailand you imagine Thailand to look like when you picture Thailand in your head if that makes sense. The town is surrounded by amazingly shaped limestone mountains, the water is crystal green (thanks to said limestone), the people are uber-friendly and the food is sensational.

We arrived on Friday the 17th to AO NANG and our Hotel, the Somkiet Buri Resort, where we were greeted by a huge room with Rose petals strewn about the bed and in the bath (An Anniversary gift from the hotel). This place is pretty cool, located in town rather than at the beach and nestled in a tropical section away from the main drag, you hear more insects and birds than sounds of civilization. The whole resort is filled with lagoons and wooden walkways that take you all around and you walk up the long driveway to get back to the main road and the town.

We dropped off the bags and walked down to the beach (only 10 minutes from the hotel) to grab some lunch (Pad Thai, Tom Yum Soup & Thai Beef Salad), and explore a bit of the shops. It's low season in Thailand so the town was pretty quiet which suited us just fine, they still have the usual salesmen, mainly Tailors wanting to make you a suit but you are not fighting throngs of people to move about! We grabbed a massage, caught the sunset, walked to the other side of town, had dinner (Massaman Curry) then went to the bars to drink and play some pool. A nice intro to Ao Nang!

Day two was "tourist day", we were picked up at 8:30am for the JAMES BOND ISLAND SIGHTSEEING TOUR, yes! I was about to cross something off my personal Bucket List by visiting the famous island from the James Bond Flick, The Man With The Golden Gun and I was excited! We took a 90-minute Busride to the other side of Thailand (well that's what it felt like) and got onto a longboat with 5 other tourists (a nice small crew) at Phang Nga Bay where we sailed for 30 Minutes to Khao Phing Kan and the reason for our trip, the James Bond Island. Obviously the entire sequence wasn't filmed here (not enough land to build a secret lair for the worlds top assassin) but you recognize the place instantly. It was busy but not crazy busy so we were able to explore and snap pics for about 40 minutes before heading off.

Next we said through the Lod Cave, a crazy cool limestone mountain filled with stalagmites and stalactites. We then stopped for a nice little Thai lunch at Panyee Island, a giant floating Muslim Fishing Village that plays hosts to tourists like us daily. As lunch was wrapping up and we were exploring the village, a bad rainstorm rolled in and as we passed some amazing Viking Pictographs we goat soaked. Rather than wait it out or turn back, we boated straight into the onslaught and within minutes we were drenched but as soon as it started it was done and a light drizzle accompanied us back to the pier. From there we bussed to the Suwakuha Temple to see the Monkeys, explore the cave and see the giant 2000-year old reclining buddha. The big caves were actually the best part for me, as they were truly amazing, it made me want to explore more caves if I ever get the chance. Lastly we drove to a nearby Waterfall for a little dip before another 90-minute trip back to the hotel. An amazing tour day to be sure!!!

We got back to the hotel at 6:30 and immediately got some dinner at the Food Carts conveniently located across the street from our Hotel. Now, I know what you are thinking... "street carts? Are you serious?" Yes, yes I am! These street carts (think mobile woks on motorbikes where the sidecars are usually placed) sell everything from Curries, to Soups to Skewers to salads and beyond. There are eight carts that start cooking around 11am and close during the wee hours of the morning, cooking fresh food constantly. Our meals usually consisted of a combination of Green Curry w/ Chicken, Spicy Basil Fried Beef, Roasted Corn on the Cob, Pad Thai, Banana Pancakes and what I called Muslim Fried Chicken (the best tasting Fried Chicken I've ever had... ever) but seriously that was only scratching the surface of what was available. The crazy thing is that not only were all these meals delicious, they are insanely cheap! If we ordered one of everything I listed here at once it would cost 180Baht, that's less than $8 Sing, that's less than $6 Canadian. Take a tip from me true believers, if you are in Thailand and see a Cart that lots of people are eating at... eat there, it's good and both your wallet and your tummy will be happy.

After that meal in particular, it was back for another massage at the same place (yes they were good, yes they were cheap and yes I fell asleep during them. Michelle was practically floating after her foot massage she liked it so much), we then headed back to the bars for more pool and people watching.

Day three was all about the Rancho Relaxo. Up at 9:00 for breakfast, at the pool by 9:30. The best part of coming to Thailand during the low season is that it means there is very little occupancy at the hotel as well, so for us it meant that we had the pool to ourselves for 90% of the day, awesome! We grabbed some lunch at the Street Carts at noon, back at the pool by 12:30pm, back to the room at 4:30 to shower and change before heading to the beach to capture the sunset on film. Now I've seen sunsets and I've seen sunsets but I was stunned silent and the colors and beauty of these sunsets. I truly felt like I was witnessing burning skies with reds so deep and oranges so vivid I could not turn away, they were truly awe-inspiring! We then got some dinner and for our final night, another round of Bars in Ao Nang. Really, there's not much else to do in Thailand at night other than eat, drink, play pool and get hit on by Beer Girls and Ladyboys.

Day four, we woke up, had breakfast, walked to the far end of Ao Nang Beach and back, had a coffee by the seaside (where I finally got some WiFi), went back to the Hotel, packed, checked out, had lunch and then headed to the airport for the afternoon flight home. Word of advice, if you are flying Tiger Air (one of the budget airlines around SE Asia) pay to sit in Row 1. Not only do you get extra legroom but you get priority boarding to boot as sitting in Row 1 means you have to help out in case of emergency, worth the extra few bucks in my opinion.

All in all it was a fantastic weekend in Thailand and a fantastic way to celebrate and remember our Fifth Anniversary and here are the PICS to prove it! We will definitely be going back to Ao Nang/Krabi in the new year!