J+L in Transit

Flying South

Our journey next took us south to Krabi, Thailand. There are several small towns in the Krabi area: Krabi Town, Ao Nang, and Railay Bay. Our first stop was Railay Bay, known for having some of the finest beaches in the entire world.

Our Flight to Krabi on Bangkok Air

Great Airplane Food, Especially for a Short Flight

Railay Bay

To get to Railay Bay, you must take a longtail boat ferry from either Krabi Town or Ao Nang. Railay Bay is a peninsula surrounded by steep mountains which isolate it from the other parts of Krabi. Everything comes into and out of Railay Bay by boat, which makes it a very quiet and secluded vacation destination!

Longtail Boat from Ao Nang to Railay Bay

Our Luggage Tucked in the Bow of the Longtail Ferry

Panoramic View of West Railay's Beach

Lin Outside Our Railay Bay Hotel

Our Accommodation in Railay Bay

On the Beach in West Railay

Walking Street, the Path from West to East Railay Bay

Walking Street, Railay Bay

Rotee Bread, a Delicious Specialty of Railay Bay -- Sort of Like a Crepe Covered in Nutella

Rotee Bread Stand

Coffee Shop on Walking Street

The Middle of the Railay Peninsula Between East and West is Quite Jungly

Us Somewhere on Railay Bay's Walking Street

"Jungle Soup" -- This Was Really Spicy!

Thai Spring Rolls

Boats Bring in All the Supplies for Railay Bay's Residents and Visitors

Pad Thai

Green Curry

Pineapple Fried Rice

A Couple of Chang Beers -- "Chang" is Thai for "Elephant"

A Couple of Monkeys Hanging Out in the Trees Above the Hotel Pool

Longtail Boats in East Railay

Kittens

We saw the cutest bunch of newborn baby kittens living in a small crack in the pavement, just outside our hotel room.

Litter of Kittens Just Outside Our Hotel Room

Cute Little Guy Peeking Out of His House

Phra Nang Beach

Phra Nang Beach is the jewel of Railay Bay, and consistently shows up in travel publications’ lists of the the best beaches in the world. Part of the beach and ocean is directly under a huge overhanging cliff. Many rock climbers travel to Railay Bay to climb here. At one end of the beach is a cave filled with large phallic carvings created by local fishermen to pray for fertility (not pictured). We explored some amazing pools and caves by swimming out from Phra Nang beach.

Phra Nang Beach and the Cliff Overhang

This Longtail Boat Tied Up at Phra Nang Beach to Act as a Floating Snack Bar

A Monkey on the Trail to Phra Nang Beach

Family of Monkeys on the Trail to Phra Nang Beach

Phra Nang Beach -- West Railay is on the Other Side of that Giant Rock

A Quiet Spot on Phra Nang Beach

Ao Nang

After Railay Bay, we spent some time in Ao Nang. Ao Nang is a lot larger and more developed than Railay Bay. During our stay, a major power outage affected the whole town for a night. We made the most of the powerless evening and had dinner at the only place in town with a backup generator.

Walking Street, Ao Nang

This Pug Lived at Our Ao Nang Hotel

Thai Spring Rolls

Penang Curry

Pad Thai

Chang Beer was a Local Favorite

Ronald McDonald Welcomes You in Traditional Thai Fashion -- "Sawadee Krap"

Another Meal in Ao Nang

This Was Our Blogging Destination in Ao Nang -- They Had Wine and Free WiFi!

The Best Snack for Blogging? Cheese Plate.

The Ferry to Koh Phi Phi

We woke up early to catch the ferry from Ao Nang to Koh Phi Phi, an island between Krabi and Phuket. Koh Phi Phi is the setting of the movie “The Beach”. A shared bus picked us up at our hotel and drove us to the docks. A large storm was moving into the area that morning and as the ferry pulled away from shore, the waves were really starting to get big. After some serious tossing and rolling, the crew informed us that we were turning around as a safety precaution. Our trip to Koh Phi Phi cancelled, we were left to make new plans.

8 AM Bus to the Ferry Dock

So THIS is Where They Keep All the Longtail Boats

The Drive to Phuket

After our ferry trip to Koh Phi Phi was cancelled due to bad weather and large waves, we had two options: wait a day or two and try to catch the next ferry, or make other travel plans to get to Phuket. We had already bought plane tickets from Phuket to Penang, Malaysia, so we knew we had to get to Phuket somehow. We opted to hire a driver to take us to Phuket, and split the cost with some German tourists who were also left stranded by the Phi Phi ferry.

Gas Station in Rural Thailand