I loved my trip to Railay Beach, Thailand so much, that I wanted to return and explore some more. This time, I wanted to see what Thailand was like during the summer. In particular, I wanted to visit the beach town of Ao Nang, and the province of Krabi. The itinerary to Ao Nang is the same as going to Railay Beach. Except at the end, just let the boat captain know that you’re going to Ao Nang, instead of Railay.

Ao Nang is a quiet, beautiful beach down. The sidewalk is literally on the beach. And you can watch waves come crashing in as you take a stroll. On the other side of the street, there are shops, restaurants, hotels, and such. I reserved a few days at Holiday Inn Resort using Booking. The hotel was clean, modern, and comfortable. I checked into my room, threw my stuff onto the bed, and headed out.

The first thing I noticed is the sound of the ocean. It was so crisp and clear, like stepping on fallen leaves in the early mornings of an autumn day. Looking out into the distance, the view was spectacular. There were blue skies, white puffy clouds, and glaring sun rays. It was summer season, so the temperature was naturally pretty warm. I quickly donned on my sun glasses, and rubbed some Nivea sunscreen on myself.

I walked down the street and withdrew some Baht from the ATM. It would take RMB from my China bank account, convert it to Baht, and charge me a small interest. It was a much better alternative than using a cash conversion service, which charges you a much higher interest.

I strolled around and came upon a small plaza with many eateries. I ordered some traditional Pad Thai, Tom Yum Goon, and steamed rice. I sat on a wooden bench and quietly ate my lunch. As I ate, I people watched. Many different tourists walked about. They were wearing their bright vacation clothes, carrying their colorful cocktails, and even more colorful curries.

The foreigners consist of Koreans, Chinese, and some Europeans. It was a national holiday in Thailand, so there were also many Thais from the city. They camped out near the beaches with mats and blankets. They’d order barbecue corn, chicken, and other Thai cuisine from across the street.

After I finished my lunch of Pad Thai and some shrimp soup, I wanted to head back to my room for a nice nap. But not without a dessert! I saw a lady standing in a booth, pouring liquid onto a cold steel surface. The liquid slowly started to freeze. She took a metallic scooper and slowly started to scoop and toss the liquid. The liquid then gelled together into a coagulated mixture, looking very much like ice cream. In other words, she’s doing the opposite of cooking with fire. She’s using frigid temperature, steel and marble surfaces to freeze liquid into ice cream.

I ordered green tea with strawberries. I ate it while sitting on the beach, and watched people frolic in the water while the waves came crashing upon them. It’s one of those luxuries that everyone should enjoy once a while. I tossed my finished cup into the closest trash bin and sauntered back to my room. My lunch food coma is hitting me hard. I felt like a drunk stumbling around in an alley trying to find his way back. I made it to my hotel, and at that moment, those stairs look awfully tiring. Felt like I had to scale a mountain in order to get back to my room. And scaled it I did. All of two floors, and twenty steps. I closed the curtains, plopped down on my bed, and fell into a deep slumber.

When I woke up, it was around four, so I took a stroll down the beach walk where my hotel was located. I quickly made my way onto the main beach road where Ao Nang is known for its many shops, restaurants, shows, and tourist attractions, including a statue of a bluefin fish. I walked all the way down the street past Center Point, close to the longtail boats where they’d haul people off to other locations such as Railay. I then continued walking and planned to buy some bread, cheese, and meat in order make some sandwiches for my island trips tomorrow. The store was quite expensive, and catered to tourists, with tourist prices.

After getting what I needed, I stopped off at an TripAdvisor approved India restaurant to have dinner. The curry was delicious, and the naan fresh. I then took the rest of the evening to stroll around the shops, check out the bars near Center Point, and watch tourists walk around. I can honestly say being in Thailand during the summer during the month of June is not as nice as in the winter season, such as December, January, or February. I now know why those months are called tourist season. There is a wonderful balance of cooling temperature and drier environment during the winter in Thailand. Even though Thailand is naturally a pretty humid and hot place, the winter season makes the temperature just right for vacationing.

Going places on Longtail Boats

So I ordered the same four island package that I did from my first trip. This time, I got a deal with one of the locals.

There are pros to coming during the summer season: no tourists. The place was beautifully quiet. The first time I came here, there were too many tourists walking about, driving about, and motoring their boats about. This time, there was a lot less commotion. I felt like I was the only one around. It felt much more personal than the first time.

The captain dropped me off at a pier and I walked to the beach. I saw people laying about and sunbathing. I took my snorkeling gear, and waddled into the water. The water was weirdly warm. It looked light green. I dived under water and started looking for fishes. Even though I saw fishes, the water visibility was not as good as what I remembered. For some reason, the summer heat has warmed the water, and you don’t get the clear visibility as you do during the winter season. I started snorkeling, and saw fishes dart in and out of the murky green water.

Out of the corner of my eyes, I seem to have caught sight of a jellyfish or two. Then, as if on cue, I started to feel prickly sensations on my arms and legs. Soon these prickly sensations started happening on my back and stomach as well. It was so uncomfortable that I had to stand up and get out of the water. I tried again, and put the breathing apparatus mouth piece into my mouth, the inside of my mouth started to have these prickly feelings also.

Some pricks were actually painful enough for me to stand up again and run back onto land. It left tingling sensations as if I was stung by a small bug. Later that night, I started browsing the web on this issue. Apparently, it’s small invisible jellyfish that stings you. Others have mentioned that its “sea lice”. However, the symptoms of sea lice is that you start to feel the sting much later, most notably after you have showered. The stings I have experienced happened right away and in water.

• https://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/forums/asia-thailand/thailand/what-s-stinging-biting-in-the-phuket-waters
• https://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/forums/health/topics/thailand-things-that-sting-in-the-sea?page=1

After a while, I decided to head on down to the next snorkeling spot. The captain taxied me to another island, I think it was Chicken Island. We soon came upon a wall of mountain rocks and floated into an opening. We made a turn and soon found ourselves in a quiet lagoon. The captain abruptly turns off the boat engine, and it calmly floated into the middle of the lagoon. He signaled our arrival, and for me to jump in. I climbed down the stool steps that’s hinged on the side of the boat and plopped myself into the water. It was the same light green hue, but I didn’t feel any stinging this time around. I swam around and marveled at the beauty of the place. We were walled in by the island’s high mountain rocks. All you have to do is to look up while you’re in the water. And you’ll see that the mountain walls extend to the skies, giving you tunnel vision to the stars. This illusion is majestic, and you feel like heaven is only an arm’s reach away.

I backstroked around for a while, gazing up at the skies, and enjoying the quietness of the place. Soon, I heard another boat drift in, carrying some vacationing Thais. They jumped into the water and enjoyed the same serenity. I then swam around a bit and snorkeled. There weren’t many fishes in this lagoon, so I climbed back onto the boat. We then zipped to the other islands and it was basically the same activities of hanging out at beaches, and eating my sandwiches when I got hungry.

The sandwiches I made were delicious. It was bread, cheese, ham, and some turkey meat, with a light hint of mustard. I also brought bananas and coconut water. It was very filling for such a daily trip. Finally, after a day of swimming, snorkeling, and island hopping, I decided to head back to land. I said good bye to the captain of the longtail boat and walked my way back to my hotel. The longtail boat pier and my hotel was literally a kilometer apart. The night have started to creep in so I dragged myself back to my room, showered, and changed. I was hungry and wanted some local Thai food.

I asked around and was suggested that I go hit up Ton Ma Yom restaurant. I took a taxi there and ordered. Oh boy, it was simply delicious. Everything was authentic, freshly made, and the atmosphere was very family oriented. After I ate, I ordered my patented dessert of Mango and Sticky Rice. I wolfed it down and left the restaurant happy. I sauntered down the main road and strolled. The breeze was nice, the traffic busy, and people were milling around. I see convenient stores all over the place. I see a McDonalds, and some other chain markets. I also see many street stands selling their wares. Even though the walk from the restaurant back to my hotel took over an hour, the attractions and busy-ness of the place made it go faster. When I got to my room, I showered, and turned in early.

Tiger Cave Temple

The Tiger Cave Temple is a sacred place where many Krabi locals go to pray, donate, and seek guidance. At the base of the mountain, there are many sanctuaries and temples for the locals to do their prayers. These prayer hubs surround a huge mountain. At the top of the mountain, there are buddha statues, carvings, and other relics. It’s about 1280 steps to the very top, where a breathtaking panoramic view awaits the successful. That morning around 10am, I arrived by taxi. The weather was warm and humid. The skies were blue with white clouds. I was anxious to get to the top for a better view of Krabi.

I did a quick calculation in my head from my past climbing experiences. I knew that climbing up Nanshan Mountain (Shekou, Shenzhen) was only about 800 steps, and I did it in under 15 minutes. However, those steps were smaller, and only the first 600 steps were actually staircase steps. The rest had straight paths mixed in. In contrast, Tiger Cave Temple mountain have big tall steps that was much more difficult. From what I read online, it was 100% steps and staircases. No straight path whatsoever. Thus, I bought a bottle of ice water, and a wet cooling towel that I draped across my neck and shoulders. These towels are really cool (literally) in that they are drenched in minted cold water. When you open the package, you simply drape the towel on you and it retains the cooling moisture for a long time. That way, it feels like having an ice pack on you. It also smells fresh and minty!

I held my umbrella with one hand, and a water bottle in the other. A nice mint scented towel was draped across my neck, and I started my climb. Since climbing mountains was a weekend routine for me, I really didn’t feel any difficulty going up. I really enjoyed the atmosphere of it all. As I climbed higher and higher, the panoramic view of Krabi’s farmlands slowly edged downwards. The skies hovered lower and lower.

When I got about 500 steps, I saw the local monkeys come out. They were pretty used to seeing human climbers, and would try to snatch things from you. Thus, if you’re carrying anything, make sure you hold on to it. The monkeys come out in swarms, looking to see if they can loot anything delicious from you. Do not give them anything to eat or drink. If you do, you’ll have latched on their attention, and the whole swarm will bother you to no end. Hence, keep valuables in your bag, keep climbing, and mind your own business.

As you climb higher and higher, the steps become taller and taller. Near the end, some of the steps are 0.3 meters tall! Hence, take heed to lean forward as you step up. Try to hold on to the railings or even the step above you so that you don’t fall backwards. One fall, and you’ll be tumbling down a pretty steep stairway.

When you reach the top, there’s a place for you to put your shoes because it is a sacred place of worship. I removed my shoes and walked along the side of the temple. I can see Thailand’s lush greenery stretch hundreds of kilometers away. The baby blue skies and floating white cotton clouds created a beautiful backdrop to the century old scared temple. There were golden buddha statues everywhere. Each with a different pose, with a different meaning. If feels like each pose tells a story, teaches a lesson, and can benefit us if we can only understand its meaning.

I walked around and saw small prayer rooms. At the very top, and in the very middle of the temple is a humungous golden statue of the Buddha sitting upright, in prayer, facing the sun. It sat there, with one palm collapsed on the other, facing up and outwards. I stared at its calm face, in meditation, and wondered what the buddha was thinking about. Its golden hue created a beautiful contrast with the blue background skies. It glistens bright and clear, like a needle in a haystack.

It was very peaceful and silent at the top. You start to wonder how the monks got all the building materials up this mountain built it. If I were to guess, they got a few hundred monks, had them stand a few steps away from each other on the staircase, and handed the materials off to each other. That way, the materials get carried up faster. Then, they’d have the builders carve, mold, and chip their way to success. You can tell there was a lot of teamwork, artistic talent, and hopefulness while creating this sacred temple. The monks literally took the cream of the land’s crop, floated it up this mountain, and created one of the best in what Krabi and its culture has to offer.

I took a million pictures of the place. After I was done, I started my trek back down the steep mountain. Going back down, in my opinion, was much more difficult than going up. You have to carefully lower yourself down the steep steps and make sure you hold on to the railing. Else, there was a high chance you may just lose your footing and tumble fifty steps down. You’ll get hit by the sharp cement of the steps and it won’t be a good experience. Thus, I had to do things slow and crafty while climbing back down. I finally made it to the bottom, and drank some cold water. I don’t recommend any drinks or snacks with sugar as it can dehydrate you. Completing such a strenuous exercise on such a hot, humid day requires you to only consume the best: cool water.

After resting for a bit, I hopped back into my taxi. I was starving and requested my taxi driver take me somewhere local and authentic. Thus, the driver revved up his engine, and we started our journey to some of the best local Krabi spots…

The Local Food

Recollection fails me as I try to remember what the places was called and where it was located at it. But oh well, more reason for me to return for a vacation. However, I can tell you that the locals eat a lot of meat. The first place we went to was located on the side of a busy boulevard. I ordered some pig soup, chicken basil rice, and the driver had pork rice. The pork meat was made from its hind feet. The chicken was grounded, and served with fresh basil. Everything was tender, delicious, and homemade. I have also gotten used to having a nice glass of Thai Iced Tea along with my meals. Their tea isn’t as caffeinated, but its very sweet because they use condensed milk.

After I had my lunch, the driver took me to another place where they sell Krabi’s best Pad Thai. It came in a paper container, and was a bit sweet. The place was basically a small shack of a kitchen. The cook looked like your standard guy next door. We ordered our Pad Thai through the window of our car. I ate it and thought it was very good. Finally, I was dropped off at my hotel and I took a two hour nap.

Way Home

The next few days were a blur because what I did wasn’t all that fun in my opinion. I went on a mini kayak trip down a stupid river. I was proposed by some massage girls, and it rained a day or two. I quietly ate my meals at places near my hotel. Then, just as fast as I arrived, it was time for me to leave. The day was gray and it started raining. I waited for the ferry to arrive. When I got on, it felt like I was on a fisherman’s ship somewhere keep in the Atlantic Ocean. We were being tossed about in a pretty aggressive fashion by some pretty pissed off waves. I took a hint, and slowly removed the life jacket off the back of my seat. I eased the jacket onto myself and made sure it was a snug fit. I then quietly fastened its safety harness and hinges. Just in case a 50 foot wave knock us over and all hell breaks loose, I can at least make my way out of the boat and float to the surface.

I couldn’t really stand to experience the awkwardness of the boat within its cabin, so I exited and stood near the cabin entrance. I saw the waves come one by one, oscillating our 50 man boat up and down. It felt like we were constantly on the verge of being flipped over. There were a few others that stood outside with me. I listened to an Indian and an American guy discussing motorcycles and the dangers of riding them. This weird combination of sitting in a little boat that’s being tossed around in the ocean, ominous gray skies, pouring rain, and listening to two guys talk about motorcycle accidents is strangely apocalyptic. After two tortuous hours, I saw land and felt the boat slow its motors. The storm have died down a bit and our boat slowly eased onto the pier. When we got off, they taxied us to our hotels.

The next day, as I waited for my flight at Phuket International Airport, I felt I had a more fair, balanced evaluation of vacationing at Thailand. There were ups and downs, and I didn’t see Thailand through rose colored glasses. For my next trip, I plan on visiting other vacation spots such as Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Koh Samui.