Krabi Rules!

Our day in Ao Nang started at six in the morning as Julius and I only have half of the day to explore Krabi before we travel back to Bangkok in the afternoon. 

The town was still silent when we left the hotel; the beach was deserted except for a few joggers. Boats for Raileh, our destination for the day, don't leave Ao Nang until eight. So PJ and I had a couple of hours to waste, which we spent camwhoring (what else?). 

Half an hour before eight, and quite impatient already, we found a group of locals hoisting their cargo into one of those long-tail boats. PJ, who can speak some Thai, negotiated for us to hop on their boat and shortly thereafter we were cruising the bay of Ao Nang on a boat decked with beer, mineral water, and ice (I figured those people were bringing supplies for some resort they manage in Ao Nang). 

The sunrise was beautiful in the bay, with colossal cliffs, popular with rock-climbers, dropping directly into the blue water.

Ao Nang in the morning and our boat ride to Raileh Beach

In ten minutes, we reached Raileh Beach, which rests on the end of a peninsula. The cove on which it sits is surrounded by more imposing cliffs, making Raileh a rock-climber's paradise.

(I actually remember the first season of The Amazing Race stopping in Krabi, and from what I remember it seemed that they had a rock-climbing challenge in Raileh.)

The beach was still coming to life when we reached the beach. Some tourists who were booked in hotels right on the beach-front were having breakfast while some people paddled in the water in kayaks. I would've loved to do some rock-climbing and kayaking but we simply did not have enough time, instead, we quickly took pictures of the amazing place.

Asking a few locals, we located the winding path to Pranang Beach. The walk to the said beach took us though the marshy beach of Raileh East and through limestone walls where we caught sight of a few squirrels and birds.

Raileh Beach early in the morning

Another side of Raileh cove

I died at Hat Pranang. The moment I had my first glance of the beach, I was running towards it, shrieking "Ohmygawd ohmygawd ohmygawd ohmygawd!!!" (repeat 3,000 times). 

I honestly don't know how to describe the place; I fear that I would not give it enough justice. If there was anything on my mind the whole time I was in Hat Pranang is that I wish the Pranses was with me *blush*.

A family of locals were having a picnic near the small cave and except for them we pretty much had the beach to ourselves. While rushing towards the small cave that had phallic offerings (cute!), I did not notice that PJ had conjured his inner mermaid and was already swimming in the emerald water. 

The water was really, really tempting but I thought, damn, if I got wet it would not look good in the pictures. I know, I have set my priorities right! We explored more the cove and camwhored like we owned it.

Hat Pranang, bitch!

Hat Pranang, baby! Wish you were here, guapo.

Hat Pranang is the best beach I've seen in my life. I'm sorry Surigao, but Hat Pranang just nailed it. I swear. 

On the other hand, I haven't really seen all the good beaches in the Philippines. I haven't been to Pagudpud, Boracay, Bohol, Palawan, or Bantayan and I can only hope that at least one of them would bump Hat Pranang off the top of my list. But for now, it sits right there comfortably. 

I wonder how the other beaches in Krabi would fare, having missed Kho Phi Phi and so on, not to mention the beaches in the other parts of Southern Thailand (there are still numerous!). I'd soon find that out coz my friends and I already planning a trip back to Krabi in mid-May. 

Tang ina, I'd stay longer and explore more beaches, at least in Krabi. Methinks: At naging convert daw ako into becoming a beach bum? Katakot! Note to self: You hate beaches, remember?

A number of tourist boats started to arrive in the cove, bringing with them hordes of orange tourists. So PJ and I decided that it was time to go back to Raileh where we caught a boat back to Ao Nang. 

Damn, Ao Nang was already crowded when we got back. Obese people were sunning themselves on the beach. I don't get it, if I were that enormous I would never EVER leave the house, much less hang my flabs in the beach only to ruin the scenery. I know, I know, I''m a weight Nazi (what's new?). And oh dear, I saw some topless women! I've never seen so many mammary glands in my life!!! I'm traumatized, I swear!

PJ and I had a big lunch at the street-side food stalls and went back to the guesthouse to freshen up. Since we had an hour to kill, we took pictures of Ao Nang town and lingered under the midday sun, watching the long-tail boats bobbing in the water. 

We then took a 30-minute ride on a songthaew back to Krabi town where we camwhored in the jetty set amidst a verdant mangrove forest and some distant karst formations. A couple of hours later we were on a bus bound for Bangkok.

Ao Nang at noon

At the jetty, Krabi Town

Now I'd take this chance to thank PJ for being such a nice traveling companion. He was very, very patient with all my whining about the mosquitoes, the heat, the sand, and just about anything. 

He was also a willing photographer to such an extremely demanding model (that's moi dear). PJ really came prepared for the trip, his costume and accessories in particular. 

Three sunglasses, two scarves, one sarong, two swimming trunks, and a host of cleavage-bearing shirts. As a tribute, I present the changing face of PJ.

The diva of them all. Jabo!

That concludes my entries about the trip to the south of Thailand. 

I am very much impressed with the ease of traveling in this country. The bus stations are relatively clean and efficient, the buses are comfortable, the boats leave on time, the people at the guesthouses are honest and accommodating, and in general, the people are very friendly and helpful. 

And dahling, don't get me started on the amazing infrastructure (highways, seaports, and airports) otherwise I'd sound like I came from some other planet. And for those traveling with a budget, it is surprisingly VERY cheap to go around.

For more pictures of this last section of the trip, check this out.