Hello again family and friends! For the final time, we are
checking in today from tropical Thailand to describe the amazing things that we
have been up to for the past week or so. After working incredibly hard for the
first half of our trip in the north, we ventured south to the beaches of Krabi.
Finally, it was time for us to relax and catch some rays.
Upon our arrival in Krabi, the weather could not have been
better. Sure, it may have been a bit hot, but the beach was only a five minute
walk away. After setting our bags down and getting acquainted with our amazing
resort, we headed to Ao Nang beach to get our first of many tanning sessions, catch
some waves body surging, and throw the Frisbee around.
Unfortunately, the amazing weather and beaches were not to
last for too long, as it is monsoon season in Krabi and the rain came in by the
bucketful for the next two days. While the rain came on and off, the real
trouble for us came with the wind, as it made the seas too treacherous to
travel by boat. While we were a bit bummed by our turn of luck, this group did
an amazing job of turning what could have been a really disappointing situation
into a really fun one! Instead of our original plan of a boat tour, we decided
to indulge in the following: authentic Thai massages, shopping in the town, kayaking
through the Thai jungle (while hanging out on a white sand beach!) and hanging
out by the rooftop infinity pool next door to our hotel. Not exactly a tough
life. We also were lucky enough to get to participate in an authentic Thai
silver class, with some of the TM’s even taking home self-crafted rings with the
help of a Thai jewelry professional. While these were all amazing activities,
we were ready to get out to the beach, and luckily for us, Mother Nature was
ready to turn around.
The next two days in Krabi felt like they were out of a
movie. On day one, we headed to Railay Bay, a small peninsula located between
the city of Krabi and Ao Nang. It is accessible only by boat due to the high
limestone cliffs cutting off mainland access. These cliffs attract rock
climbers from all over the world, but the area is also popular due to its
beautiful beaches and quiet relaxing atmosphere. The water was so warm! Our
group spent the entire day at the beach, and many of us truly learned the value
of sunscreen. At the beginning of the day, TM Remi said, “I want to sizzle!”
She definitely got her wish, as did the rest of us. After enjoying lunch at the
Railay Bay Resort, we moved from the west side to the east side of the
peninsula, where the water was super shallow and provided a great view of the
cliffs. By the time we got back, it was time to re-group and prepare for our
last day in the south.
Our final day in Krabi consisted of an authentic longboat
tour of the 4 Islands of Krabi. We jumped into our private boat as we made our
way through the beautiful islands of Ao Bang. We had the opportunity to stop
twice to snorkel, where we saw some of the most colorful fish ever, and had lunch
at Poda Islands. After lunch, we headed to Chicken Island (named for its
distinct shape, in which a peak juts out of the foliage and looks just like a
chicken’s head) where the beaches are white and the water is warm, to snorkel and
enjoy some excellent relaxation time in the water and on the sand. From there,
we headed back to the hotel and prepared for our final domestic flight back to
Bangkok. We were sad to leave Krabi, but excited to head back to the City of
Angels.
Our final days in Bangkok can be described in one word:
shopping. First, we went to the MBK mall, which was absolutely HUGE. The mall
had over 2,000 shops and vendors and 6 floors. Parents, don’t let your kids say
they didn’t have enough options with their souvenir shopping! Our final day
before the end of our trip consisted with one of some most truly unique
shopping experiences – first at the Maeklong Market, which is a market held on
an actual railroad track. The coolest part of the market was definitely when
the local train came right through the market on the tracks. We saw the
vendors, in a matter of moments, slide their goods back to allow the train to
come through and then got returned to normal immediately. It was so cool to
witness! Finally, we went to the floating market that contained crafts and food
to buy. It was truly amazing to see how we could step back in time to see how
the locals were still selling their food on long tail boats. We were even able
to take a boat ride around the floating market with a guide, which was so
relaxing and scenic with huge palm trees lining the canals.
After the floating market, we headed back to the hotel to
hold our final trip banquet, pack and get ready for our flights back home. As
our trip in Thailand comes to a close, all of us on trip T2 want to say “Khob
Khun Kha” or “Thank You” to the people of Thailand for having us along for this
amazing adventure. The scenery was breathtaking, the people were unbelievably
kind, and our group created memories that will last a lifetime. We will truly
never forget our time here in Thailand, and personally, I can’t wait for the
opportunity to come back again! Thank you to everyone for keeping up with this
blog throughout the course of the trip.
ลาก่อน,
T2
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