Greetings from Krabi,
I managed to make my ferry without getting completely soaked just in time. The weather is Phi Phi had turned and I was glad to get out of there. A couple of friends had recommended a great hostel for me in Krabi and once I got there I headed straight over. Although this wasn't before bumping into my friend Helen on the boat again. Seriously I just keep seeing people I met in various places all over Thailand.
Pak Up the hostel is awesome. I could stay here forever, I only planned on staying two nights but ended up staying four. On my first day, I didn't do a lot. After alll the noise and lack of sleep from Phi Phi, I needed to catch up on sleep. I was really worried that Krabi would be like Phuket but they are nothing a like. Krabi Town is small and very chilled out. There isn't too much to do here but its great to do island trips for the day. That night I met up with friends I made a few days before for dinner. It was nice as a couple more people that we had met to joined us. We went to a Thai/Italian, both types of food as I learnt were amazing there soooo good and really cheap. I would have paid the same price for food like that at the market. In my four nights there we all ended up going there every night, I alternated between Thai and Italian food. Every time we went one of us would get something that another one wanted to try the next day. It had a lovely vibe and I really enjoyed meeting with friends for dinner and sometimes we met for breakfast too.
The next day I wanted to hit the beach but sadly it poured with rain for most of the morning so I ended up very bored not doing a lot the whole day. The most anooying thing was Claudia had gone to Riley Bay (where I was going to go ) about a hour before the rain and when she arrived back she said it was beautiful weather over there. Down on the islands the weather can change soooo quickly and a place that is a half hour boat ride can have completely different weather to that of another. I felt like kicking myself, I had finished my book so found it hard amusing myself. The best thing about my day was that I had the whole dorm to myself for a night- this huge room and just be in it. I didn't wake up once- briliant.
However, my third day was great. The hostel owner Pak was heading to the island Ko Lanta for the day to do promotion for the hostel and asked if we wanted to come in her car with her. Brilliant- meant a very cheap journey to the island. Ko Lanta is a place that a lot of travellers keep talking about and I was excited to go. Claudia and Sarah came with me as well. It is a gorgeous island, with nice beaches and is much more relaxed than Phi Phi, i preferred it straight away. Although the rain found us again but we had lunch instead. The afternoon cleared up and we spent some time relaxing on the beach. The beach we were on was very quiet as there were huge rocks that blocked off this little bay which meant people couldn't walk up the beach to find it. My favourite part was that thedy had old boats that they turned into really big sunloungers that you can lie on with friends. It was quirky and cool. We then spent the remainder of the a fternoon wandering around the shops killing time before we headed back. By the end of the day we were shattered and hungry and ready to go home. When Pak was finally done it was such a relief to see her car. Once home we met up with the others and suprise suprise headed to the italian across the road.
I really enjoyed my day out yesterday and Krabi is a great place to go for cheap hostels and food and then be able to go out and visit all the islands around it. This morning Claudia woke me up to go for breakfast, she has become my alarm clock since my phone broke :(. Today I was heading to Riley Bay no matter what. I have to take a longtail boat which is kind of the sea version for a taxi. The bay is beautiful and def one of my fav beaches so far, I loved it. When you first arrive you feel really disappointed as the beach is dirty and the sea bed is very rocky. Even the sand feels gross- which makes the walk from the boat to beach a slow one. But, then when you head to either the west or east beaches it is beautiful blue sea. Very postcard like and I immediately thought that this was the prettiest beach I had been too bar 'The Beach' beach in Phi Phi. There are huge rocks all through the walk way to the beach and its meant to be an incredible place for rock climbing. Then you arrive on the beach and its a huge long stretch of lovely sand and crystal blue waters where you can see the other islands in the distance. It was also bloody hot!!. I only had a few hours here as I had been warned that sometimes you can wait hours for the boats to fill so they take you home. The boats only go when there is a few people in it and I knew one was going at 2 so thought best be on it in case. My day here was spent sweating it out in the sun, then cooling off in the sea. It has been one of my favourite days of my trip and thought that I might come back tomorrow.
Sadly I didn't, I decided this morning I would head to Ko Tao, I have heard the weather is bad which is why I had stayed longer in Krabi (i also didn't want to leave the hostel as well but this was my main reason). However, due to the wonders of FB i had heard the weather was much better and decided I better get on over there before it changes. Sadly this means leaving the girls behind and getting another over night bus. Its going to be aweful as I will be woken as some ridic hour to board the ferry as I arrive at 6am tomorrow morning, I love 14 hour bus journeys :(
Speak soon
xxx