Welcome to Paradise

We have been further south of Thailand in the region around Krabi from Bangkok, because the dream beaches of the region should round off the overall travel package together with the metropolis, temple complexes, national park with elephants and Jonas and Lisa.

We specifically chose the beaches with the beautiful limestone formations in Krabi, as they are often referred to as the most beautiful beaches in Southeast Asia. However, before we could relax on the beach, we had to endure another long bus ride. We had already organized the transportation 2 weeks in advance, so we only had to get up very early for the fourth time in a row to be at the Southern Bus Terminal in Bangkok at shortly after 6:00 am.

We had booked a day bus trip of over 12 hours, to see some of the countryside and the people and to be able to relax in a hopefully comfortable bed in the hotel in the evening. The bus ride went quite quickly, although it was of course not easy.

Once arrived in Ao Nang Beach and our hotel, the Marina Express Fisherman's, the hardships of the transportation were immediately forgotten, as we had a really nice hotel and incredible rooms, so we immediately felt comfortable. For about 30€ per night in a double room with a rich breakfast buffet, you also get a pool, incredibly beautiful rooms and the minibar refilled free of charge every day ;-) We can therefore highly recommend the hotel. In addition, the location about 1km from the beach of Ao Nang is perfect, because you can decide whether to spend the day on the beautiful beach, take a longtail boat to the next beautiful beach to Railay West, the beach of Phra Nang, or go on a full day trip to Koh Hong or Koh Phi Phi, whereby all beaches are quickly and easily accessible and belong to the most beautiful beaches in Thailand.

After our first extensive breakfast, we wanted to visit the beach of Ao Nang Beach on our first day. Here we could immediately enjoy the unique surroundings with the steep limestone cliffs and finally swim in the sea =). Unfortunately, it was rainy season during our stay, so there were occasional heavy showers, which quickly disappeared. At the same time, we were also glad about some clouds, as it was incredibly hot in the blazing sun.

On the following day, we booked a longtail boat ticket to Railay West and back for 5€ per person, so that we could immediately enjoy the next beautiful beach. Again, we were not disappointed, as the boat ride through the breathtaking landscape was a dream. Arriving at the beach, we could hardly believe our eyes due to the natural beauty and immediately took some pictures. The landscape is exactly how you imagine and wish the beaches in Thailand to be.

We then spent the day comfortably in our beach shelter, which we have had since Australia and which convinced us once again. This souvenir will certainly find its way back to the Black Forest =D

On our 3rd day in the region, we wanted to top it off and booked a full day tour by longtail boat to Koh Hong and the surrounding islands. We had done a lot of research in advance and identified this as the most beautiful island for us. Unfortunately, the weather on this morning was not as we hoped for the trip and we had to deal with drizzle during the boat ride.

Arriving at Koh Hong, getting up early was once again more than worth it, because we felt like the only guests on the beautiful island so far and could hardly believe our luck on the most beautiful beach of our entire world trip. We were able to set up our camp undisturbed with beach shelter and towels at the almost perfect lagoon and take pictures without a soul in an incredible environment.

After an extensive photo session, we used the time on the beach to enjoy life and at the same time introduce Jonas and Lisa to snorkeling. It was a premiere for both of them and so we could admire some colorful tropical fish, although unfortunately a few jellyfish also crossed our path. This was not a big deal, but still unpleasant.

Afterwards, as the beach became more crowded mainly with Asian visitors, we continued to the Hong Lagoon, where we were particularly impressed by the path through a limestone rock gate.

Then there were 2 more stops at Koh Lao La Ding and Koh Pak Bia, which were also nice stops, but the first stop of the day was by far the best. At our last beach, a curious monkey had also lost its way to the beach, obviously looking for something to eat. At first, we found it quite funny to take a few typical Thailand pictures, although, of course, we were very skeptical of the animal due to our experiences in the monkey forest in Ubud, Bali and kept a sufficient distance. This time, our feeling should not deceive us, because when the monkey almost attacked a Thai who had come too close to him, we packed our things just to be on the safe side and went back to our longtail boat. You really should not mess around with monkeys, as they have about 4cm long canines and do not hesitate to use them when provoked. At the same time, they are used to humans and of course try to take advantage of their presence and get food.

Then we headed back towards Ao Nang with our private longtail boat, where we had a really nice tour and experienced a lot again, not least the most beautiful beach for us =).

In the evening, another highlight was waiting for us, as we wanted to have a fresh fish prepared in a local way. Again, we were not disappointed, as the before and after pictures show. The fish was very tasty and should not be missed during a stay in the region.

However, we unfortunately had to cancel the planned tour to the beach of Phra Nang on our last day in the region due to rain. We gladly keep this beautiful beach for our next visit and it goes on our travel wishlist for the future ;-)

After a great stay in the breathtaking region, it was time to pack our backpacks again and return to Bangkok, where the four of us explored the city and especially the many small shops in the Khaosan Road and the Asiatique Night Market. At the same time, we also enjoyed a short night view over Bangkok before we had to say goodbye to our visitors from home once again. While we stay in Bangkok for now before continuing our journey, Jonas and Lisa already had to return home. The 2 weeks passed incredibly quickly and we really enjoyed every day of the full travel program.

In addition, we naturally hope to have given both of them many impressions and hope to have introduced them to the taste of backpacking travel. We experienced incredible things together and even though we have already seen a lot on our trip, there were still some highlights for us =)).