"Krabi - it's heaven on earth" Krabi by wondersF

Crystal Clear water, cave dwelling monks, a crusty cemetery of ancient shells. All these and more awaits the traveler to Krabi where daydreams are every day events.
Those are the few words that I borrowed from a travel magazine to describe this place - Krabi.

Just 180 kilometers east of Phuket, down the road, is an exceptional destination filled with lush jungles, plenty of mangrove forests and historical sites. A couple of caves thrown in.

What is even better, all this nice spots can be reached within a short time by long tail boat or minibus from your hotel. This is Krabi, another playground of mine.

Started coming to this place in 1995, even at that time the Phi Phi island was beginning to open up and I could see a steady flow of daily traffic to this island resorts area. Now, more than 20 years later, the tourist arrival to these playgrounds have grown to unbelievable proportion. No more complain of not getting a good 5 meters under water visibility in Lohsamah bay in Phi Phi Lay. The appearance along the Ao Nang beach front transformed, with rows of shop lots gaining more the western settings. Same scenes that Pattaya offers. But being a lover of the Krabi province and to my eyes the place still has its magic. I am sure for many new comers to this place, they too have their expectation of how a good beach should look like. They will be amazed at the sight this locality can offer. Not the type of quality that one gets to see often. The place, the jungle and the beaches is simply enchanting.

Enough have being written about the fossil beaches and the silvery white sands on Mosquitoes Island . Upon arrival, just allocate one day to go out on the 5 islands tour as an orientation before you settle down. When you are back, there would be enough brochures awaiting you and have heard of talks during your days outing. Enough ideas for you to tailor your stay and keep your days filled for the whole period.

I spent my time more going into the jungles looking for birds and making pictures of waterfalls scenes. My recommendation, I would say, also consider a trip to Ao Luk. Nothing extraordinary but get the feel as to what the boat ride into the Mangrove forest can offer and the simple ancient painting in the caves, the public park Than Bokkhrani National Park look like.
If you are on the road here around April, Durians are displayed beside the trunk road for sales. Inspect the fruit, for Ao Luk is one place within 2 Thai provinces that still offered the natural fruits. Durians is seen in town and supermarket, widely promoted throughout Thailand and exported. But these nice looking cousins are cultivated hybrids. So to me, this is one chance to taste the real McCoy for experiences.

Then, if you need more forest park, then consider Khao Nor Chu Chi or Khao Pra Bang Khram Park. This is a picnic area where locals goes to bath in an emerald pool with another destination nearby for hot springs. The place famed for the sightings of the near extinct Gurney Pitta which reputed to have only 17 birds left in the world. Couple of years back, a big flock of thousands were spotted in a remote part of Burma. Not that many people has the resources to get into that remote part of Burma.

Near the demarcation line between Krabi and Trang, there are stalls lining the road on both sides. These stall were offering salted fishes and preserved food stuff collected from the seas.

Most visitors to Krabi stay in the beach area around Ao Nang, few venture into Krabi town proper [15 kilometers away] to catch the ferry to Phi Phi Island. Coming from land lock cities, I am sure you love forest scene. Then in Krabi town itself, there is a very nice concrete walkway through the Mangrove forest. Over a kilometer long, chances to see the flora, fauna and birds in your walk in and out.

Lastly, before you use up all your time in Krabi/Ao Nang areas, take a ride to look at Ko Lanta. This could be your holiday destination for next year.

• Pros:Enough of places to please the most discerning
• Cons:The popular places - too crowded
• In a nutshell:I could stay at any one place and do nothing