Visiting Krabi Province In Thailand - A Winter Resort Destination
It's hot and steamy right now but before you turn around, winter will be here. ex-Marine (husband, Steve) and I spent five days in Krabi Province last winter, one of Thailand's upcoming resort areas. Looking for a place to tan the darkest brown under a scorching sun? Swim, fish, snorkel and scuba dive in aquamarine, bathtub temperature water? Rock climb the limestone karst? Eat delicious Thai and/or Western food? Want a ultra-deluxe hotel or guesthouse? Krabi Province is the place.
Krabi Province, split into eight districts, is on the southwest coast of Thailand, about 500 miles from Bangkok.
How to get here? Some of the airplanes on this route are: Air Asia, Nok Air, and Thai Airways. Nok Air has same day walk-up flights with super-cheap prices. Or take a government bus from Bangkok. Bus fares range from 626 Thai Bahts ($18 U.S.) and takes 12 hours. Once in Krabi, there are ferries to smaller islands off the coast: Ko Phi Phi (a group of six islands), Ko Lanta (two islands - Lanta Yai and Lanta Noi) and Ko Jum. Ko Phi Phi was devasted by the tsunami but has been almost completely cleaned up. You could also take a ferry to Phuket.
Ko Lanta - There are twin Lanta Islands, Lanta Yai and Lanta Noi, located south of Krabi Province, close to the mainland. Lanta Yai is the only one of the two that has been developed for tourism with all the beaches on the west coast. Klong Nin beach has the highest amount of "backpacker" style beach houses and bars. You can either ferry from Krabi Town or take a ferry from Hua Hin.
Ko Phi Phi is a groups of six islands, approximately 45 km from the mainland and Ko Lanta. You can visit on a day cruise or stay overnight on Phi Phi Don, the largest island in the group. Phi Phi Don was decimated by the Tsunami but is completely cleaned up. There is only limited accommodation so book far in advance.
Ko Jum is another island. Again served by ferry with lots of bungalow resorts concentrated in the southern half of the island, near Ko Jum village.
In all these locations, accommodations range from dirt-cheap to extremely expensive. There is also a building boom going on with many houses for sale, lease and rent along with property property (if you'd rather build your own resort dreamhouse.) Try any of these links to search for Thailand (or other countries) hotel rooms:
