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Krabi Bloody Krabi January, 2008

Maybe it is the endless stream of tourists littering the town or maybe it is the water, but the name of the town best describes the native population's disposition. We had exited Malaysia a few days earlier and arrived in Krabi after a seven hour, not so comfortable bus ride. Earlier in the day, we took a ferry from Langkawi, Malaysia to the port of Satun in Thailand. Langkawi was not too exciting other than the flying squirrels, and rather than waste five days there, we opted to leave after two. Beaches were so-so and there was not much to do - unless you consider log rides and crocodile farms 'something to do'. Therefore, we ended up in Krabi, which is really a stopping off point for everyone going somewhere else. Every morning finds people and their backpacks on the corners by 10:00 AM waiting for transport to other destinations - Koh Phi Phi or Koh Lanta or one of the other outlying islands. We were content to hang around town and catch up on some housekeeping chores before heading a few miles up the coast. Our hotel was conveniently located across from the night market with easy bus connections to neighboring beaches. Nevertheless, the people herejust were not very friendly - perhaps tired of the same stupid tourist questions, maybe pissed off that outsiders have taken over their town - who knows, but there was definitely an impatient air about them. Krabi itself will vacuum your resources for all sorts of activities - kayaking, snorkeling, diving, mangrove hikes - every other storefront seems to be a tourist office, yet it is easy enough to get around using local transport including tuk tuks and bemos. The area outside of Krabi is gorgeous, with pinnacles of limestone popping out everywhere, something unique to this area. Our next stop is 30 minutes north of Krabi - time to cash in some more Sheraton points...

If You Go: Getting There: We arrived in Krabi by way of Langkawi, Malaysia. First we boarded a ferry to Satun, Thailand, then hopped on a bus that eventually took us to Krabi. It took most of a day and cost $30/person. Sleeping City Hotel, Krabi - Conveniently located right downtown and across from the night market, it's a high rise hotel and costs $23/night, although we saw a few other guesthouses we liked better - they were full. Dining: Street food at the night market across from the hotel and also down along the river. More Information: Krabi is not located on the beach, so you need to catch a bus to the outlying beach areas. I liked the town, but eventually you need to move out to the more appealing beach areas.

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