Layover in Ao Nang Beach, Krabi (Thailand)

I woke up that morning, picked up my laundry, and checked out. I was heading to Bangkok, Thailand and depending on flight schedules and availability possibly going to try and make it to Krabi today as well. I got a cab to take me to the Hanoi airport. This cab driver was either not Vietnamese or it was his first day on the job as he was a very defensive driver. It took forever for us to get to the airport as he let everyone in, let everyone cut him off, and had quite a time figuring out what all the gears were for.

Once I got to the airport I checked in and then was released from Vietnamese soil. I flew Thai Air in to Bangkok. Not a bad airline but I much prefer Bangkok Air for their service and perks, such as their passenger lounge and free internet, juice, and cookies. I landed in Bangkok and made my way through immigration and customs then went to check on domestic flights. I was lucky in that there was a flight from Bangkok to Krabi, however a little unlucky in that it was not for another four hours. I was going to try and find a quick ride on a Tuk Tuk and pick up a much anticipated Thai pancake, however the airport is pretty far away from everything and with traffic it could easily be an hour to downtown so I settled for a Singha beer and watched a little CNN out of Toyko, Japan. Man it sure is nice to see what is really happening in the world, rather than our sugar coated US news viewed through the eyes of the producers.

I got to Krabi, this was my first time here as I was not able to squeeze it in on my first trip. I decided to try and get out to Phi Phi early tomorrow morning, then work my way back to spend some time in Krabi. Rather then what I did last time when I tried to make the continuous journey from Phi Phi all the way to Seattle. I was pretty sure that both Krabi Town and Ao Nang Beach had boats to the islands, and believed my friends stayed at Ao Nang Beach before, so I told the cab driver to take me there.

My first goal was to find a Thai pancake, which I accomplished fairly quickly. My second goal was to find lodging for the night. As I walked down the street towards the beach I heard the familiar sound of Buddha Bar coming from this place called the Tree Top Bar. A bar that was up in the top of the trees, with great lounge music playing, how could I not stop? I enjoyed a few beers in this open air establishment overlooking the waters, relaxing and thinking how lucky I am to get to see and experience all this.

Sometimes things just work out perfect. I left the bar and right next store was Phar Nang Inn, a cool looking, almost organic hotel that was molded in to the jungle as much as it was in to the ocean, and the price was right. I checked in and went to my room. This place was awesome, even the rooms make you feel like you are living right in nature’s arms, from the chairs and bed sculpted from tree branches to the shell sink and shower in the bathroom. The staff was also great and helped me locate a boat that would take me to Phi Phi the following morning. Now that everything was set in place I headed out to walk around the town and beach. This place was a little touristy, however nothing like Phuket and I was glad to have chosen this route on my way back to Phi Phi. In fact I recommend that anyone heading this way skip Phuket and check out Krabi instead.


VIDEO: Layover in Ao Nang Beach