Taya Starling

One of my favorite places in the world is Krabi, on the west coast of Southern Thailand along the Andaman seaboard.  With over 100 islands off the coast of Krabi, there are plenty of places to explore and on the SkinnyFatKid’s recent trip to Thailand I just knew we needed to sneak some time out of Bangkok to explore a few- especially since it was the week before my birthday.

Due to poor planning, as a result of not anticipating the massive growth of the tourist industry in Krabi, the majority of hotels are next to the beach rather than on the beach.  That means there’s a main road running between the hotel and the actual beach.  Such a pity since who really wants to cross a street to catch some rays?  Not this girl. So we decided to stay at a favorite hotel of mine- the Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas, Krabi.

The best time to visit Krabi is between November and March just after the monsoon season ends and before the hot season begins.  Since it was September, we expected some rain but hoped for the best.  The weather was nice but a bit cloudy when we landed, just in time for a lovely little lunch by the beach.

The Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas Krabi has its very own private beach as it is secluded in its very own little bay called Pai Plong Bay.  The hotel is nicely (& quietly) nestled into the embrace of a small mountain range in a well-preserved National Park.  Exactly what I wanted for a few days of vacation.

There are two ways to access the hotel;  One is by monkey trail which is a wooden pathway that leads you up and over the edge of the mountain to Ao Nang Beach.  The other way is by boat to the hotel’s private dock; The hotel also provides pick up and drop off from the hotel plus a shuttle boat that runs from morning til late at night to take people into Krabi town.  Personally I love the exclusiveness, the serenity, and the well-kept beach located at the Centara Grand so I didn’t feel much need to head into Krabi town. BUT if you are looking for a super fun spring break style beach vacation, I recommend you find a hotel in town where all the bars and restaurants and clubs are. Otherwise the only reasons you really have to head into town from here are if you go stir crazy, you need to buy something that the Centara can’t provide for you, or you’re looking for a new place to eat.

Since the first day was overcast we mostly just hung around the hotel enjoying every breath of salty, lazy air on the private beach.  The hotel wasn’t very full (since it was low season) so we had plenty of space to play.

 The cloudy day brought on a beautiful sunset though (: Can’t ask for more than that at the end of a nice relaxing day.

 After a sunset drink we headed to the Japanese restaurant for some yummy sushi and teppanyaki- the food at the hotel is actually really good and with 3 different restaurants you won’t run out of options too soon.

The next morning after a nice breakfast buffet we decided to wander up and down around the monkey trail to check out the other side of the mountain in case they were getting better weather. Usually you can see plenty of monkeys playing along the path but the rain kept them in hiding.

Oddly enough the weather did seem to clear up nicely on the other side- big wide open beach, plenty of sun, and barely a soul in sight.

 Have I ever mentioned how much I love seashells? I’ve been collecting them since I was a little girl and no matter what beach I’m on I can’t help but marvel at how beautiful they are; how each of them are a unique tiny masterpiece.

 Since we finally got some solid sunshine we decided to head back over to the hotel to really take advantage of the private beach, huge pool, and unlimited amounts of doing w h a t e v e r we wanted (:  A little painting, a little reading, a little sunbathing, some swimming, and a whole lot of loving life.

 Day two’s sunshine sealed the deal with a gorgeous sunset- perfect for a little impromptu photo-op (in my L*Space fringe top and Acacia Thai print bottoms)

 The next day we woke up to absolutely perfect weather. I packed up some beach essentials and we made plans to spend the day island hopping around Krabi and her 100+ islands and beaches (of course we couldn’t hit them all so we decided on 4 of the prettiest).

 Back on the dock to board the speedboat for some glorious island hopping.

Southern Thailand is famous for these awesome long-tailed boats where the engines float up over the water while the propeller dips beneath the surface and helps the driver steer.  My favorite thing about them can be found at the front- I love the shape and the way each driver chooses to decorate their boats with colorful strips of cloth and plastic leis as blessings for safe passage.

 Our first stop wasn’t actually another island but rather another bay.  Just around the corner from Ao Nang is Railay Beach- absolutely stunning and one of my favorite spots in Krabi.

 If you’re a rock climber than this is going to be one of your favorite places.  Krabi is very well-known for its many rock climbing spots.  Just check out that huge rock behind us…

 After a little gallivanting around Railay we hopped back on the boat for more island exploration.  One of the must see islands here in Krabi is Koh Kai or Chicken Island which as you can see is shaped like a chicken sitting in the middle of the ocean staring out at sea.

 We continued on our way to Koh Moh where the SkinnyFatKid happily lived up to his name with a fresh roasted ear of corn.

 He wasn’t the only hungry boy on the beach though.  A bit further down the beach we came across a lone monkey (who has apparently been ostracized from the rest of his pack).  He watched us curiously until we fed him some crackers and watermelon which he ate calmly before strolling back into the shade.

 My other favorite place down in Krabi is known as Talay Waek or the Split Sea where three small islands are joined by a pristine white sandbar that only emerges at certain times of day.

 We luckily got there just before the sandbar got swallowed up so not only did we get to cross the ocean by foot but we also got to enjoy the islands with far fewer people than usual.

  The water in Krabi is so beautifully clear and aquamarine that you can see each fish as they swim up to say hello.

As you can probably guess Krabi is also well-known for snorkeling and scuba diving – I’m unfortunately still not certified to scuba dive but i do love a good snorkeling session and we definitely made the most of our snorkel gear.

 And finally, we got to do a little more of what I so badly wanted… simply soak in every ray of sunshine, every drop of ocean, and every grain of sand.

We lose ourselves in the things we love. We find ourselves there too.