Our time in Krabi

Picked up early in the morning, we set off with the ferry and bus towards Krabi. The goal was Ao Nang, the largest tourist area in Krabi. We were curious to see what the island has to offer. After all, it is considered the ultimate activity island in Thailand. We took a Thai taxi for half an hour from the bus station to Ao Nang. During the taxi ride, we were particularly impressed by the large rock formations that lined the roadside. Impressive! Otherwise, it offered a similarly familiar picture. Garbage on the streets, small food stalls at the roadside, the usual tourist shops, seafood restaurants....and so on and so forth.

We searched the internet for two possible places to stay and checked them out on the spot. Fortunately, they were both right next to each other. With the Sea Sand Hotel, we finally found a suitable accommodation. For an unbeatable 19 euros per night, we felt really comfortable here. Jessy was especially grateful for that, because due to her injury, she would probably spend a looot of time there....and in the end, that's exactly what happened.

What we can tell you in advance is that we didn't like our stay in Krabi very much. However, this experience may actually be due to Jessy's injury. An activity island with a broken foot... rather difficult! Of course, climbing, kayaking, hiking, kitesurfing, and so on, were out of the question. Well, we tried to make the best of it.

The first two days went as usual. We rented a scooter - a really run-down scooter - and explored the island, always looking for a little surprise. However, we couldn't find that in Krabi. Based on tips from the internet, we visited Krabi Town. The 'center' of Krabi. Here, there was supposed to be a large shopping center and the highly praised night market. On a scale of 1-10, the shopping center should be rated at least -5000!! Terrible!! No flair, poor selection, nasty smell, and extremely unmotivated employees, simply disgusting. A short trip and not worth mentioning.

We found the night market we visited quite okay. Not great, but not a complete disappointment either! It was small and cozy, with only a few souvenirs and a rather boring selection of food. The weather once again ruined our plans. It was pouring so much rain that staying at the market was useless. So we stood under a roadside stand, had a snack, changed the wet bandage on the wound, and waited for the rain to let up a bit. Then we went back to our accommodation. After watching a really interesting documentary - Young & Mentally Disturbed, teenagers in the psychiatric ward - our eyes also closed. The next day was supposed to be better, especially for Thimo.

For Thimo, a 'small' hike was on the program. He climbed Mount Khao Phanom Bencha, which at 1350 meters is the highest mountain in the province. He drove about half an hour by scooter to the foot of the mountain and had to register in a book upon arrival. This registration serves to verify that all hikers come back down safely. It went through dense forest, over roots and stones, without a regular path, further and further up. A strenuous affair and pure nature! He particularly liked the constant sound of various animals in the forest. A small detour led him directly to a small waterfall. Unfortunately, it was very small and not suitable for cooling off. So he continued hiking up. By now it had started raining and the ground became increasingly slippery. But the path to the top was not far away and he was able to take some photos :)

However, going back down was a little challenging again. Due to the slippery ground and the approaching twilight, it was not possible to walk at a normal pace. Even with good footwear, he fell once.... but it wasn't a big deal :) Well, once back down, he signed out of the previously signed book and made his way to Jessy. FINALLY! She actually spent the day watching two more documentaries and vegetating. In the evening, we decided to go to a nearby restaurant. AMAZING!!! They offered a BBQ buffet, which was just what we needed after the exhausting hike. It was simply amazing! What we especially liked was that there was crisp fresh salad with great meat and two side dishes. Not a lot, but still a sufficient selection. The quality of the selected products couldn't have been better! We were more than satisfied.

The next day, we went to the tourist mile in Ao Nang and searched the souvenir shops. Always on the lookout for nice souvenirs - some people can be excited :) - and good bargains. We spent a good 4 hours there, went back to our accommodation for a nap, and had dinner in the evening.

The following day, we had to get up early. Another tour was on Thimo's list. It was a 7 Island snorkeling tour. We visited 7 different islands by boat, sometimes for relaxation, sometimes for snorkeling. As you can imagine, this trip was not very relaxing. Wanting to visit 7 islands is not exactly a small feat, but due to the tight schedule, there was no feeling of relaxation. With only 30 minutes on each island, it was very tightly scheduled. Unfortunately, every beach we visited was overcrowded. The promised snorkeling spots were poor and actually non-existent. What a shame, because snorkeling was the reason for booking this tour. The offered food and the final fire show couldn't make up for the disappointment.

Finally, as a conclusion, both of us went out on the town in the evening. Somehow, we found a trendy party street and ordered a drink or two :). It was a successful evening with a nice acquaintance. Towards the end of our evening, we met a small group of English people. They invited us to join their table. We were immediately offered shots and beer. The festive atmosphere was not without reason for this group. The wedding of a couple around 35 years old was about to take place and it had to be celebrated! We got along really well with the English people and spent 2 hours with them. They were very warm-hearted, in a good mood, talkative, generous, and just really NICE. As the evening went on, the topics of conversation became more and more interesting. You know how it is :) And so we were also invited to the upcoming wedding of the couple. Crazy people! The next day we went to Phuket and declined their invitation with thanks.

The evening was long, the night was short! After a few hours of sleep, we hurriedly got up, packed our things, had breakfast at the supermarket, and then got on the bus. The breakfast consisted of burgers - warmed up in the microwave - & sausage-filled sandwich toasts.... what can you do?! At least it kept us going until we arrived in Phuket :)

We would like to dedicate this post to our dear and honorable friend Steffen Huber, who lives in the beautiful Heddesheim:

Because of his persistent nature, we almost felt obliged, maybe even slightly penetrated, to write a new post :). Dear Hubi, we hope that this post meets your expectations and that you will continue to be a loyal reader. If we should take some time again to write a new post, don't hesitate to let us know via WhatsApp.

With deepest gratitude

Thimo & Jessy :)