Things to do in Krabi
Kayaking in the mangrove forests – Krabi was raw untouched by tourists until few years back, but such beauty is difficult to hide. Today it is very popular with tourists but still holds a few secrets within its folds – kayaking in the open sea converging in the mangrove forests is one of them. It was half a day organised tour – kayaking and breathing in that beautiful forest and sea air, waterfalls, caves, abundant trees, vast stretches of water and meeting the locals of the forests – snakes (and their shed skin), kingfisher bird, pack of monkeys trailing us on the trees, chameleons and few more from the lizard family (some too close for comfort and jumping off the kayak was not an option!). Thank God I was in a two seater kayak with our guide, Dave, so I could be completely lost in wilderness and pretend to paddle intermittently. Parts of forests were so low that we had to lie on our backs on the kayak and paddle through. Without the tiny markers on the cliffs and Dave guiding us, it was almost impossible to find our way back – would it be too bad if we didn’t?!
Becoming a fish at Koh Poda – Hand painted by God himself, leaving hundreds of skies and so many worlds behind , we made it to this beautiful paradise. Koh Poda is quintessentially Krabi, everything that we came seeking here, the turquoise waters, endless white sands, swaying palm trees and the whole island just to us – goosebumps guaranteed! My sister and I were prancing around dancing the step from the very famous Kaho na Pyar hai song that was shot here. I caught a glimpse of a couple sitting on a swing, looking at the sea and their abundant love and my heart skipped a beat – my mum and dad are honeymooners again!
We spent the rest of the day dipping in waters, swimming with the fishes (I fed my entire lunch to them so they could stay with me a little longer), eating corn on the cob and sipping coconut waters and tiring ourselves clicking my dad’s pictures, one per second – vanity runs in our genes you see.
Visiting the “Beach” film set at Koh Phi Phi – Phi Phi is a “must see” island for everyone who visits Phuket or Krabi, and without a doubt it is postcard perfect – white cliffs and blue waters, beautiful bays and beaches, backdrop for various Hollywood movies, unbelievable corals, Viking caves, lots of restaurants and shopping. But maybe it was too hurried or the fact it was so busy, the calmness slowly disappeared and the commercialisation sets in, which was honestly slightly disappointing. The highlight for us was bouncing with the waves on the boat ride, snorkelling with the magnificent sea beauties (read clinging to the safety ring and thrusting my head in the water to see the fishes swim by – when will I learn to swim!) and my Dad’s amusing rapport with our tour manager, selfnicknamed “Rihanna”, speaking in broken English and cracking jokes and taking digs at each other, humour is indeed universal.
Riding an elephant and dashing ATV bikes – Seeing elephants is not a novelty for us Indians but riding them in rubber and bamboo plantations definitely was. These gentle giants were so interactive and fun – with their wrinkly skin, spiky hair, swaying trunk, moving the logs on their way. Bhakti and I continued exploring the rubber plantations, riding ATV bikes on dirt trails and OMG, I had absolutely no control on the handle nor any sense of direction. Through the ride I was thinking that it would be a miracle if I only had a fracture and the helmet actually saves my skull from splitting into two. I rammed the bike into the trees, walls, against Bhakti’s bike and my poor sister was leading me but was looking over her shoulder just to make sure I was trailing and have not tumbled down at the last corner. So much for adventure!
Not from the Souvenir shop:
So there is a legend that praying to the God of umm manhood at Railay beach will give you babies and I did that out of jest; now I am scared of prayers being answered (sooner than wanted)!
I could go on and on about things to do in Krabi – emerald pools, hot springs, temples, rock climbing, scuba diving amidst beautiful corals, massages, rafting, horse riding, jungle walks and so much more. But what was most special about this holiday was how relaxed we were, sitting by the pool side, playing board games, Bhakti and I trying to unlock a song stuck in our head, this was like being home and what a beautiful home it was. By day 7, I had started missing Viral, definitely coming back to explore more, live and relive it again but this time not without my dear dear love. “Don’t change too much please”, I whispered to Krabi.
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