ITINERARY:
Day 1: Singapore - Hatyai
Day 2: Hatyai
Day 3: Hatyai - Trang - Hat Yao
Day 4: Hat Yao - Trang - Krabi - Ao Nang
Day 5: Exploring Krabi
Day 6: Tour to Phang Nga/James Bond Island
Day 7: Exploring Krabi
Day 8: Ao Nang - Krabi - Singapore
DAY 1 (20 November 2009, Friday)
Arriving at Golden Mile Complex, I got on the 26 seater overnight VIP bus by Konsortium to begin a 15hr journey from Singapore to Hatyai (with stops in Yong Peng, Tg Malim, Gopeng, Tai Ping, and Changloon). Can't imagine I began the journey dozing off at 7pm!!
DAY 2 (21 November 2009, Saturday)
At about 0900hrs on arrival in Hatyai, the outskirt of the town was flooded by the continuous rainfall that got some part of the road flooded by as high as knee level. We were lucky that the tour coach is able to drive through the water level while some cars were left stranded in the flood!
Checked into Regency Hotel after purchasing a hotel voucher from the travel agent at 620Baht.
Shortly later, I immediately got out of the hotel despite the rain, to get to my favourite stall across the road for sharks fin soup, oysters, fried rice, and tom yum soup.
Hatyai hasn't change much since my last visit in January 2006. It's still very much a bustling international market town, and everything from dried fruit to cuttlefish to garments are sold in shops by the side of the road.
Alternatively, one can also choose to do shopping at the more 'upscale' mall at Lee Garden Plaza, where the display items are more modern, and with a generally cleaner environment. There happen to be a bazaar sale when I was there.
Had BBQ Steamboat buffet dinner with the Thai locals, for only 79Baht! While travelling overseas, if you see many locals eating at the outlet, generally the food must be good!
Busy night hawkers lined the street outside Lee Garden Plaza
DAY 3 (22 November 2009, Sunday)
Had a sumptuous meal of mini timsums before I left for the bus terminal on a tuk tuk taxi. The journey from Hatyai to Trang takes about 2.5hrs, and cost 100Baht only. On arrival at the Trang train stations, there are plenty of travel agents that offers tours to nearby beaches and islands.
Public tuk tuk lined the streets in Trang
I opted for a public minibus to get to Hat Yao, where I stayed at Sinchai Resort. The inexpensive resort boast a private beach, and some secluded privacy unlike the beach Patong Beach in Phuket. Accomodation at the friendly faimily resort is 600Baht per night.
Limestone karst overhanging at Hat Yao beach
Sunset in Hat Yao
DAY 4 (23 November 2009, Monday)
Mr Sinchai himself was going to town and decided to give us a lift to Trang. On arrival at Trang bus station, I bought a ticket to Krabi for 230Baht on a comfortable 40 seater coach. The 2hrs bus ride was connected by a public tuk tuk in Krabi where it sends me to Ao Nang Beach.
Got a nice and clean accomodation with a sea view at Panan Guesthouse for 700Baht. The room is clean and basic, and comes with cable tv too, however it is kind of small in size.
Lugged on my camera, I went out to take a walk along Ao Nang Beach. There has not been much changes since my last visit in 2003 and 2004, except for a couple more guesthoues and resorts. The coastal town features a European-style promenade and a long strip of htoels, souvenir shops, restaurants and bars.
Street scene in Ao Nang
An upscale resort in Ao Nang
Shops lined the street facing the beach
Arts stall displaying posters for sale
Are you HUNGRY, STARVED, or DEPRIVED? Burger King has the solution!
Shiny clean tuk tuks waiting to slaughter tourists!
Street stalls offering Thai cuisine
Tom Yum Gong
Green curry chicken
It was reported that the 2004 Tsunami destroyed many long tail boats moored at Ao Nang Beach, flooded a few shops and damaged a section of the concrete seawall along the beach. All has since been repaired. Coconut trees now lined the beach with amazing scenic karst formations along its coast.
At the end of Ao Nang Beach near the limestone caves, a huge bunch of monkeys rule the territory!
On the coastal footpath, at least 20 massage spas offers a wide range of services from manicure, to oil massage, to facial services.
Sipping a glass of Singapore Sling at Phra Nang Inn, watching the sun goes down.
Sunset in Ao Nang Beach
Twilight
After witnessing a beautiful sunset, I rented a motorbike for 150Baht and rode in the cold night to Krabi town for dinner at the night market. There are more than 30 stalls selling a wide variety of food such as seafood, pancakes, thai noodles, beef intestines, etc.
DAY 5 (24 November 2009, Tueday)
A delicious bowl of glass noodle with peanut sauce at the nearby Boat Noodle House began my day.
After breakfast, I've decided to move over to J. Mansion, which is just next to Panan Guesthouse. The room is much bigger, brighter, and has a safe deposit box. The room is only 800Baht, slightly more expensive than Panan Guesthouse.
With my rented Yamaha Nouvo motorbike, I kicked off the day beginning with Noppharat Thara Beach, about 200m north of Ao Nang.
PAN Beach Bunglows
Siew Bay
Klong Moung Beach
Tup Kaek Beach
At the Thara Park, there was a Tsunami Relief Carnival to raise funds for some charity organisations.
I was back in Ao Nang beach before nightfall to return the motorbike before having dinner at Ao Nang. Sat by one of the beachfront restaurants to pamper myself with a delicious candlelight dinner meal.
DAY 6 (25 November 2009, Wednesday)
The tour bus came to pick me up for a full day tour to James Bond Island in Phang Nga Bay. The 1hr 15min bus ride took us to Phang Nga Bay, where we were all transferred to a long tail boat to tour the bay famous for its turquoise waters, scenic odd rock formations, submerged karst caves and fishing villages.
The first sight in Phang Nga is Koh Panyee floating village
At the James Bond Island, the island was made famous by the movie "The man with the golden gun" in 1974.
Canoeing at Kao Majoo under the limestone cave
Lunch was at a local restaurant on Koh Panyee fishing village
The locals make handmade souvenirs to sell them to earn a living.
Drying the cuttlefish prior to packaging
Back on shore, we were transferred to Wat Suwankuha (Monkey Cave Temple) to see a 15m reclining buddha.
Naughty monkeys were seen all over the temple cave. They will snatch your food if you do not offer them anything to eat.
The final destination of the tour is a short visit to the Raman Waterfalls. There are a series of cascades along the 3km trail, but due to the time factor, we only had a swim/dip at the lower cascade and pool.
The return journey by bus takes about 1hr 15mins, as most of us in the bus fell asleep till we got back to Ao Nang.
DAY 7 (26 November 2009, Thursday)
It's again another free and easy day where I rented a motorbike to explore the Gastropod Fossils. At this site have been found fossils that are said to date 40 millions years old. The fossils are among the broken rocks of the large slabs there are on the sea water. To see perfectly preserved shells you must find a broken edge in the slabs since the ones on the surface have been walked on and worn down by the elements and are hard to distinguish. This place is most definitely worth a visit as there are only two other sites like it in the world, one in the USA and the other in Japan
Having lunch at KFC that is served on proper plates and glass mugs, unlike those in Singapore where its served on paper plates and paper cups.
For the rest of the day I simply rode the bike around in Krabi town to explore the city's shopping malls, and hypermarts such as Tesco Lotus.
DAY 8 (27 November 2009, Friday)
It's the last day in Krabi. I packed and left J. Mansion for the airport on the airport shuttle bus to catch my flight back to Singapore on TR183.
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FAST FACTS
Flight: $116
Land transport: $64
Bike rental & petrol: $11
Accomodation: $91
Massage & shopping: $35
Food & beverage: $160
Shopping & miscellaneous: $76
TOTAL EXPENDITURE: S$518
EXCHANGE RATE
S$1.00 = THB23.68
TRAVEL GUIDES / NEWS / MAGAZINES
Hatyai - Thailand for Visitors
http://thailandforvisitors.com/south/songkhla/hatyai.html
Trang Online
http://www.trangonline.com/
Trang Islands Tour
http://www.trangislands.com/
One stop Krabi
http://www.1stopkrabi.com/
Krabi Guide
http://www.krabi-guide.net/krabimap.htm
Krabi.com
http://krabi.com/
Krabi Hotels
http://www.krabi-hotels.com/
Krabi Sawadee Hotels
http://krabi.sawadee.com/
Phang Nga Sawadee Hotels
http://phangnga.sawadee.com/
Asia Web Direct
http://www.phuket.com/island/phangnga.htm
Wikipedia - Phang Nga Province
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phang_Nga_Province
MAPS
Hatyai
http://www.nature-run.psu.ac.th/images/hatyai_map.gif
Trang
http://www.trang-hotel.com/images/trang-map.jpg
Krabi
http://www.krabi-guide.net/krabimap.htm
http://www.thaihotelslinks.com/krabi/image/aonang-map.jpg
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