Our time in chilled out Chiang Mai has come to an end. We are flying back down south, via Bangkok down to one of our favourite Thai destinations ... Krabi.
21 September - Chiang Mai to Bangkok
The time has come to leave Chiang Mai already. We could definitely stay in Chiang Mai for longer as it is so chilled out however, it is lacking things to do during the day as there is no beach. If it had a beach it would be perfect. We really do love it here!
We had an early morning flight back to Bangkok. After a quick hour flight we got a taxi back to Khao San this time agreeing a fixed price of 500b. We pre-booked into Khao San Palace which is across the road from the D&D and looked better from the outside. To our disappointment it was horrible and unclean and noisy from the road. We even had a premier room. Definetly go back to D&D next time.
In the afternoon we got a taxi agreeing 100b to MBK shopping mall, we spent a few hours here and watched another film then back to hotel to change and back to our usual haunt for chicken noodle soup and a beer.
For a few days we have been trying to decide where to go next. The full moon party isn't until the 8th so we have a week or so before we have to be in Koh Samui/Phangnan. We had looked into Koh Chang as it is only a 4-6 hour bus ride from Bangkok however the review explain it as a very chilled island with only the basics. Let's face it we are flashpacking this time so we are going to go into the monsoon in the south anyway and head to Koh Lanta which looks like paradise! But first, we will spend a few days in Krabi as we love it there. We went to the same company in D&D plaza and booked a flight to Krabi for tomorrow costing 2000b each (£40).
22 September - Bangkok to Krabi
After breakfast and Starbucks it's back to the airport for the god know how many times. We got picked up at 11am in a mini van back to the airport. This time the van stopped on the highway, said 'you BKK' and took our bags out of the van and into a van that pulled up behind is on the highway. We had no idea what was going on and couldn't communicate with the guy so we got into the other mini van. This guy caned it full throttle all the way to the airport, very scary and stupid! Shaun was raging!
At Krabi we got a taxi from the kiosk inside the airport for 600b to take us to Ao Nang. We hadn't booked any accommodation so we tried Dream Garden where we stayed for 3 weeks on our last trip but it was undergoing refurb! We tried Ao Nang Villa where my family stayed for Nenas wedding but they were charging an extortionate price so our taxi driver took us just down the road to a basic hotel, Ao Nang Palace, for 1100b B&B. It was no palace and a bit gross! Never stay anywhere called palace, FACT! We had a 4th floor room looking over the road. As it was cloudy we took a walk along the beach to find the monkeys but they weren't there, in fact nobody was. It is low season right now but there is seriously hardly anyone here and most of the restaurants are closed!
We had a beer on a balcony and watched the sunset before heading out to find tiger prawns. To our disappointment they are also charging extortionate prices for these, even in low season so we headed to another restaurant along the strip for some curry and a jug of beer. Krabi is a lot more expensive then we are used to paying as it is a holiday resort.
We had a beer on a balcony and watched the sunset before heading out to find tiger prawns. To our disappointment they are also charging extortionate prices for these, even in low season so we headed to another restaurant along the strip for some curry and a jug of beer. Krabi is a lot more expensive then we are used to paying as it is a holiday resort. After dinner we had a Smirnoff Ice by the beach then a pancake for the stroll home.
23 September - Krabi
We had a crappy breakfast at the hotel and then I chilled by the pool while Shaun went to Starbucks. It is by far the hottest day yet and I couldn't sit on the sunbed, instead having to get in the pool and read my book (the pool was rather gross but I was so hot). After an hour we were over heating so checked out and went across the road into PK Mansion where we have also stayed before. This time it had another new hotel which was nice but basic, but at least it's clean. We paid 700b room only. In the afternoon I went down to the beach for an hour whilst Shaun went to the gym which is on the strip.
For dinner we walked up to The Massaman which retains its title for worlds best massaman!! We were going to make a night of it on the strip but it absolutely dead! We played a game of pool on the go-go strip and headed home for an unwanted early night.
A la perchoine
Jodie and Shaun
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