Chitraroff Blog Thai Entry
Ao Nang Beach, southern Thailand
Krabi Province, Day 6-8
Friday, 11/25
“kor” Please
“dorng gahn” I need a bottle opener.
“yoo te nai” Where’s the market?
“yin dee” You’re welcome.
“choo ay doo ay” Help!
We started out this third leg of our journey at the Chiang Mai airport after driving down from the mountains of Mae Wang. Another 1 hour flight took us to southern Thailand to the Krabi province noted for its white sand beaches, dramatic island cliffs and turquoise water along the Andaman Sea. Since I haven’t spent too much time near seas, my scientific curiosity prompted the question: “What is the difference between an ocean and a sea?” Well I found out the answer. Do you want to know it? Seas are smaller bodies of water that are partially enclosed by land and are usually found on the margins of an ocean. For example, the Sea of Cortez in Baja is sandwiched between the Baja Peninsula and mainland Mexico while it borders the Pacific Ocean to the south. So, the Andaman Sea in southern Thailand is bordered by the Bay of Bengal in India and the Indian Ocean to the south and West.
Ao Nang is a quaint little beach town adjacent to some magnificent islands. We took a pretty long mini van ride from the airport in Krabi to Au Nang. When we turned off the main street to get to our hotel we were in a pretty shanty looking area and we got a bit worried about our accommodations. Luckily, when we turned into the driveway of Phu Pi Man (yes, it’s pronounced Poopie Man :) ) our concerns were unwarranted. Leslie booked Villa No. 5 which is an incredible, 2 bedroom villa with an amazing atmosphere of high quality decor situated right next to an infinity pool with an incredible backdrop of dramatic sea cliffs. It was pricey by Thai standards but priced at a standard hotel room cost in California. The complimentary breakfast buffet with a view was worth the price alone. It is only a short 5-10 minute ride to Ao Nang beach from our hotel with a free hotel shuttle.
After an amazing sleep in Villa No. 5, we woke up to an incredible lookout as we enjoyed our complimentary breakfast. The spread rivals some of those amazing buffets on Mother’s day with a little Thai twist. It’s always a bit strange to be offered noodle soups, fried rice, Pad Thai, and mixed veggie stir-fry for breakfast but we don’t mind at all. We could tell that they had yogurt, pastries, and sausages to satisfy those western breakfast traditions. After filling our bellies for the day, we packed up our gear and headed down to the beach to board a long tail boat for an island and snorkeling tour. Our guide was San Carlos and he was quite a character from Spain. We also had a local guide named Him. Leslie and I thought it would be entertaining to take on new Thai names of “Him” and “Her”. Well, in Latin countries I go by Ramoncito, my alias given to me by my mother in law, so why not “Him” in Thailand?
The boat tour took us past many of the islands that surround the Krabi coastline. The steep and jagged limestone cliffs topped with tropical vegetation contrast supremely with the turquoise water of the Andaman sea. The furthest island on our tour would also be our primary snorkeling spot. The diversity of fish and sea life was impressive. Some of the highlights for me was seeing eels, giant clams, and a squid. We got to snorkel in some caves, in the undercuts of some of the islands and through the shallow reef formations. I forgot how much I enjoy snorkeling once I get my mask properly tightened and situated. It’s always a bit challenging to get a proper seal with facial hair. The boys admitted that snorkeling was a contender for the favorite activity.
Our boat docked on a variety of islands allowing us time to explore the white sand beaches, climb into caves and ravines, and to see some of the wildlife. There was one island with monkeys that were harassing the tourists by stealing their food. The tourists attempted to recover their food but the monkeys protested by hissing back. Our lunch for the day was an incredible spread of hot dishes and fresh fruit, and cold drinks situated under the shade of coconut palms beachside.
After a full day in the sun and on the boat, we parked at Railey Bay and sat on the beach watching the sunset from the beach. Once it was dark, we left the beach to find an island that was dark away from the lights of the coastline. We jumped in the water with our mask and snorkel and then saw biological magic. Any stimulation in the water produced bioluminescent sparks of blue light. Diving down deep I would move my arms and see an amazing firework display of light. It is easily one of the most majestic natural phenomenons caused by the proliferation of dinoflagellated phytoplankton. The deeper you dive, the more intense the glowing from these specialized organisms. After about a half an hour in the water, we hopped back on the boat and headed back to shore to finish our tour. We laid on our backs on the top of the boat and watched the stars and the islands float past as the boat rocked us into a deep state of relaxation.
~Sa-wat-dee Krub,
The Chitraroff Family in Thailand
Absolutely amazing!
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