{thai ed.o1} krabi tripping!

{ กระบี่ }

it's synonymous to lovely beaches, clear waters and relaxing vacations.

for me, it marked my first real vacation since i started my job.

oh, if you're still wondering what the word in thai is... it's krabi !

that's "krabi tripping, baby!" for me.

to fulfil our beach savoring quota, we decided to take the first flight out to krabi at 7am. but that also meant an REALLY early morning rise to get to the airport. considering the cheaper flight ticket as well as an earlier beginning to our vacay, it was worth it.

oh, btw what i mean by we -- it is as in the sisterhood of travelling longchamp :) i gave us that nickname simply because each of us brought our beloved namesake and it wasn't a planned effort! hehe.

note :: btw here's a couple things you could do to make the ungodly hour flight a little more bearable:
o1. check-in online on the airline website one day prior.
o2. have the boarding passes ready & printed.
o3. only carry on luggages (esp if it is a short trip).
o4. make reservations for a reliable ride to the airport the night before.
-- consequential gain: the extra half hour of precious sleep since we wouldn't need to be at the airport two hours prior to flight time despite it being an international destination. 

after my failed attempts at napping (better luck for the rest of the troop) for the next hour and a half, we were finally here! we made a beeline to the prepaid cell phone booth at the bottom of the escalator after the immigration for the unlimited data package for the next 3 days. what i would reason as an investment in the name of sending warmest regards from krabi via captured instagrams of the beautiful beaches :)

info :: rates for the truemove h carrier for 3g data plan totaled up to 200thb for 3 days.

our hotel was located in the lovely and busiest tourist town of ao nang beach (formerly known as princess bay). a 30 minute taxi ride along the semi-empty streets later, we spotted the signature bright cyan roof of krabi tippa resort, requesting if we could check into our rooms without much expectation. much to our surprise, the rooms were ready so we could settle down before heading out to hunt for a meal to appease our hungry bellies.

note :: it's a good idea to get the taxi driver's phone number because there may be discounted rates for the return fare to the airport at the end of your trip.

we were actually in the mood for some thai food but much to our disappointment, most of the food establishments along the streets were a fusion with international influence that stretched from the likes of thai-indian to thai-italian. during our stay here, it was a common sight where the staff from these petite eateries who would stand at the entrance along the street, calling out to passer-bys in their attempt to entice tourists to their restaurant; more evidently starting from the afternoon lunch rush extending towards the late hours of night. it was impressive that some of them were multi-lingual!

note :: the price tags of the food were a tad steep. 

ah, the first sight & smell of sea. :) without much of an itinerary in mind after our not-so-thai brunch, we agreed on a 20 minute boat ride to railay beach for a lazing session till the early evening return to aonang for dinner. however, we were missing some vital things to make our beach bumming plans a comfortable success, which we bought at one of the many tiny shops along our walk towards the boat ticketing counter -- a huge foldable mat and a multi-functional pareo!

note :: pareo is a must have for beach goers! its awesomeness lies in the different, easy ways to wear it - from a wrap around dress to a skirt to a towel. just ideal as cover ups over the wet swimwear after a dip in the sea. oh and don't forget a pair of flip-flops too.

getting onto the boat was a wet situation - realized it is probably an excellent idea to have on pair of flip-flops, slips on and off easily. the boat ride to railay beach was a tad nerve wrecking but the breathtaking view itself along the journey was very calming.

the weather was perfection - beautiful and sunny with the sea breeze occasionally leaving a cooling sensation in this trail of gusts. the combination of soft sandy beach and clear blue waters was the definition of island getaway. despite the huge number of tourists occupying the beach, we managed to find the best spot under the shade for our beach bumming session! each of us with our favorite book, a pair of shades and a cool drink as we lied down on the mat, this was paradise.

"sigh, this is life" :)

it wasn't long before we were in search for a late lunch spot and we found a place called flame tree restaurant that served thai dishes which i was absolutely thrilled and excited to finally get some thai food :)

since it was a late lunch, we decided to share a couple a dishes - an appetizer, an entree and also dessert. actually, make that two desserts since {smd} went on a hunt for thai banana pancakes, drizzled with melted chocolate. oh and obviously, it would not be a thai getaway without a cup of thai iced tea!

the drink wasn't served in two distinct layers of milk and tea as i've had previously at other thai restaurants. however, despite of its appearances, it had the foundation of what thai iced tea {ชาเย็น} is made of, the distinct ceylon tea fragrance in the midst of the creamy lightness of milk but not cloyingly sweet. not bad but i've had better.

appetizer :: som tum | green papaya salad {ส้มตำ}

the crunchy green papaya absorbed the vinaigrette of sour, sweet and savory from the fish sauce. we were hoping for a bit more heat and it was lacking a bit of the balance of flavors with a bias towards the sour. a good effort but not the best that i've had.

entree :: pad thai | stir fried rice noodles {ผัดไทย}

the signature noodles classic thai style. i've been craving for pad thai and was hoping to taste what "authentic" pad thai should be. the fresh squid and shrimp was cooked just right but the noodles were a tad overcooked in the flavors of sweet savoriness with a very light nutty disposition at the end. the fresh squeeze of lime was a much needed boost to the whole dish. pretty good though.

dessert :: khao neeo mamuang | mango sticky rice {ข้าวเหนียวมะม่วง}

a must-have in thailand, its best during the peak of mango season, where the mango is sweet with its tropical fragrance. the mildly salted sticky rice against the sweet, soft mango echoed by the slightly sweetened coconut milk. a couple of drawbacks: the coconut milk could have been thicker and wished the mango was sweeter.

a quick look up on the restaurant - trip advisor reviews gathered several food poisoning cases from their experience at this restaurant. however, thank goodness for us that it wasn't the case for us. probably explained the lack of people at the restaurant despite the flavors of the dishes weren't too bad.

however, the star of the afternoon lunch was the thai banana chocolate pancakes!

in malaysia, this would be akin to "roti pisang" or banana prata bread. crispy, sweet, almost caramelized slices of bananas with the soft chewiness on the inside, then topped with a mouthful of dark chocolate making it a sinfully buttery yet sweet delight. i quickly understood why {smd} was searching for this since we set foot onto krabi soil.

we had a quite a few of these throughout our whole vacation and i think this was the best that we've had. since i didn't follow {smd} to the specific petite stalls, my guess is that it was one that were closer towards the entrance of the restaurant row.

after a few more hours that ended with enjoying the sunset at railay beach, it was time to head back to aonang beach to get ready for dinner. as we were to head out, it started raining rather heavily that we opted for a restaurant closer to our hotel (room service was closed for the day much to our dismay): tanta restaurant

their menu was a combination of a lot of different styles, we opted the just thai food - no fusion for us, please. thanks!

entree :: thai basil stir fry noodles with seafood

it was a bounty of vegetables with a side of noodles. the fresh squid and the shrimp was cooked right but it was missing a punch of heat and was definitely lacking the fragrance and herbaceous sweetness of thai basil. predominantly soy sauce flavor with very faint whispers of fish sauce. despite its shortcomings, it tasted alright but i wouldn't have thought it to be a thai basil dish.

dessert :: bua loy phuak | taro balls in coconut cream

this was a lovely treat to end the night with. i am beginning to think i have a fondness for coconut milk based dessert but the sweetness of the warm, creamy coconut milk that coated the chewy taro balls that evoked comforting and cozy feelings as i took a bite.

we were contemplating to explore the town after our huge dinner but due to the bad weather and time, we decided to call it a day since we were also exhausted. a tad bummed out that we didn't get our thai massages yet but there's always the next day.. actually make it two more days.

for day 2 and day 3 at krabi, those will be a work in progress -- so please anticipate those entries !

disclaimer this is written based on personal experience and opinion. experiences and taste buds may vary for others.