Anyone wanting to go to Thailand, primarily for the sea, and playing it safe, without any desire to at least virtually explore other potentials, most often chooses Phuket. The tourist city therefore offers little in terms of tradition. The city on the Andaman Sea, also the largest island in the country, after about 50 years of accommodation exploitation, is today a typical Western destination.
So-called Maldives for the poor. With over three million tourists visiting this island annually, it is clear why anyone seeking a grain more than typical tourist consumption avoids it like the plague. As I unexpectedly left Khao Sok, the sea was a logical choice. I only knew that I did not want to go where everyone rushes, but I had no idea where exactly I wanted to go. Koh Samui seemed like a good target (to be clear, all islands and all places on the coast are touristy, the principle is the same, everything else is just nuances). Of course, there are significantly better places and islands, but they are quite far away, and due to the complicated departure to Surat Thani for the next flight to Bangkok, ferries simply were not an option. For those who might go to Thailand in winter (the best period is between November and February), the Phi Phi Islands are excellent.
However, I was fortunate to meet a ‘mixed’ British-Thai couple on my trip to Khao Sok who advised me to choose Krabi for peace and less crowding. And so it was. I stayed in a modest hotel (modest in terms of star rating, luxurious in terms of the warmth and service of the owners) in a relatively central part of the city. Although the city is coastal, the beaches are about 20 kilometers away, significantly encroaching into the area of limestone cliffs, which makes the beach landscape special.
Taxis are an option that is always available, but rarely does anyone opt for that variant – open ‘shuttles’, eight-seaters, usually drive to the beaches, an additional attraction that everyone wants to experience. From the very first touch with the beach part of Krabi – and yes, it is a typical tourist sales-gastronomic landscape, with thousands of tourists crowding in cafes, restaurants, and the offer of Thai ‘street food’ – it showed me how much more crowded Phuket would indeed be a grand mistake for my taste.
Krabi has several well-known beaches, the two most famous being Ao Nang and Railay. Ao Nang is also the starting point from where ‘long tail’ boats take you to other beaches. These boats had already become my most photographed object in Khao Sok (as is usually the case, solo travelers might appear in two or three photos out of a thousand, all the rest, you know, priorities) – the grace and incomparable beauty of their craftsmanship captivated me at first sight and again and again… you get the idea. But wherever you set off, whichever beach the boat lands you on, the cliffs are around you. Although Ao Nang beach is two kilometers long (and swimming requires walking deep into the sea, which is still too shallow for any arm swing about a hundred meters from the beach), the cliffs make it enclosed, pressed in, somewhat secluded. Yes, there are many tourists here too, but the magnificence of the length and depth of the beach makes people just a black spot in the expanse of sand. The obvious crowds just a step towards the beach blend into a mirage of the rare visitors whose presence does not disturb even a fraction of the perfect picture.
By the way, the city of Krabi is not new; it emerged in the Middle Ages as an important trading center in Southeast Asia. Its excellent location on the Andaman Sea made it an ideal trading port between India, China, and other countries in the region. This history is reflected in its architecture, with buildings and structures that reflect the influence of various cultures and architectural styles. However, few will truly penetrate the traces of those styles in the dilapidated, time-worn buildings. Perhaps only architects. Unfortunately, the trading history has also influenced the region’s cuisine, with a mix of flavors and ingredients from different cultures. I say unfortunately because I have become accustomed to eating typical Thai cuisine in the north, with plenty of chilies and various other delicious sauces as perfect blends of spicy, sweet, flower petals, and wonderful organoleptic extracts. Additionally, there are quite a few Muslims (logically, Malaysia is nearby) and Indians in Krabi, so various flavors and cuisines have blended here. Such a mixture of aromas did not sit perfectly with me. Fortunately, even in the forest of Muslim gastronomic offerings, it is not a problem to find an indigenous offer from local ‘chefs’, at street stalls or modest dining places (restaurant is too serious a word for some of these places). Whether standing or sitting, it doesn’t matter, Pad Thai, Tom Yum, Tom Kha Kai, Pad Ka Prao are my finest choices.
