Jalan-jalan cari pasal di Krabi (Krabi with Kids)

We r going to Krabi...what?? Crabby? Like Spongebob's Crabby Pattie??

It was a last minute decision nak ke Krabi ni...tiket pun last minute ngan MAS...nak komen pasal MAS ni sket..food sedap ok!! Outbound flight - tuna croisaant sandwich / chicken sandwich...super sedap, sampai anak saya minta 2 ketul! Inbound flight - dapat chicken lasagna..super good n besar portionnya!  Bravo Brahim's Catering. Sampai Krabi International Hotel, terus amik taxi ke Ao Nang..around THB8000/MYR80 (kalo tak silap, ke less).Dalam 30-40 mins drive.

We stayed @ Holiday Inn Ao Nang di Krabi.  Great hotel, especially for kids. Pool di family wing ada water slides. Rooms are very modern & airy.  Last minit deal, kami dapat bilik premier pool view with twin bed @ THB5640 per night incl. taxes (service charge 10% + GST 7.7% kat Siam ni wehhhh!).  That's about MYR621 per night, without breakfast.  Ni peak season, ada sikit mahal la.  Breakfast tak ambik sebab walaupun beef & chicken halal certified, tapi they serve pork too.  Maka, kami makan je kat luar, banyak kedai/gerai2 halal dedekat hotel tu.

Holiday Inn Ao Nang - Premier Pool Access Room overlooking Family Wing Pool

Tips to choose hotel di Krabi:

Kalau saya, suka hotels yang ngadap laut.  Lagi best if its directly on the beach..sebab saya obses ngan beach..haha!  These are the areas that u might consider before choosing a hotel.

Area Ao Nang beach:
Area ni paling happening...cam Pantai Cenang di Langkawi..Unfortunately, none of the hotels here are directly on the beach....beach Ao Nang ni pun tak berapa cantik...however, banyak kedai makan, kedai2 untuk shopping snorkeling gear, bikini, t-shirts, souvenirs, massage salons etc. Banyak juga gerai (stretch opposite Rakan Seafood)  /restoran halal (dekat dengan masjid) antara yang kami try - Lemon Restaurant & Bamboo Restaurant (opposite Vogue Resort)..both mmg 100% halal, alcohol pun takde.  Ada juga yg halal, tapi ada serve alcohol.  Food, on average RM10 n above for a plate nasi goreng / pad thai etc...tak murah kan?? For 5 of us, average about RM100-RM150 per meal.  Portion food kat Krabi ni quite small. There's a number of hotels di Ao Nang yang memang halal restorannya..sila lah google. Kalau malas nak jalan kaki, boleh naik "tuk-tuk".  THB30/MYR3 per person for about 2-3 km punya distance.

Ao Nang shopping street (Pix from anothertraveler.com)

Area Railay beach:
Railay Bay ni beach dia memang cantikkkkk sangat!  Very picturesque..air jernih, pantai yang dikepung oleh bukit2 batu kapur..klasik pemandangannya.  Ada banyak juga hotels kat sini..a few are with halal restaurants like Sand Sea Resort, Railay Bay Resort & Railay Village Resort.  These resorts are directly on the (west) beach of Railay. Nak ke Railay ni takde jalan darat...kena naik boat 10 minit dari Ao Nang, baru sampai. Haaa..bayangkan kalau dengan beg2 luggage besar2 naik bot tu...ada kebarangkalian beg basah ye..sebab takde jetty pun...loncat je dari bot tu ke pantai...haha..Kami amik boat dari Ao Nang to Railay, just to spend a day here.  THB100/MYR10 per person 1 way.  Beli je tiket one-way. Nak balik beli tiket kat Railay. Banyak juga choice food halal kat sini. Harga food ebih kurang Ao Nang je, walaupun hotel2 kat sini lagi mahal. Dari Railay West ni boleh menapak 300 meter ke Railay East, di mana letaknya Phra Nang beach / Princess Cave.  Hotel mahal Rayavadee & Bu Nga Thani kat sini.

Railay beach - the resorts here are overlooking this bay

Area Klong Muang beach:
Hotels kat sini pun banyak directly on the beach.  Kitorang mula2 dah shortlist Beyond Resort.  Tapi seaview room dah sold out plak last minit...so tukar plan.  Kalau hotel ngadap hutan, takde maknanya la kan...can't comment much about the place, but its quite far to go to Ao Nang tau...maybe dalam 20 minit jalan darat...kos jugak tu kalau nak pegi hari2. From my research, Klong Muang ni Muslim village, so highly likely ada kedai makan halal.  Sheraton pun letaknya kat beach ni jugak. I assume beach ni cantik juga la kot.

Beyond Resort, Klong Muang Beach

Area Tubkaek beach:
Lagi ke utara dari Klong Muang...mau 30-40 minit nak ke Ao Nang kot..lagi remote, tak sure banyak kedai2/restoran.  Tapi resort2 kat sini cantik2 n lagi murah & banyak yg directly on the beach. Amari Vogue Resort & Anyavee Tubkaek Resort kat sini.

Tubkaek beach - said to be a hidden gem in Krabi

Food to eat:
Wajib makan, BANANA NUTELLA PANCAKE.  Its actually roti canai pisang yang dilumur nutella.  Ada juga perisa lain...tapi yg ni yang favourite. Pulut mangga, pad thai, pineapple fried rice..semuanya sedap! Mango shake, coconut shake...yummy!

Banana Nutella Pancake 

Things to do (other than the beach):

1.  Thai Massage / Foot Massage pun adalah wajib.  THB2500/MYR25 for 1 hour.

2.  Elephant trekking 
Ada few places..saya pegi yang about 1 hour drive from Ao Nang.  30 mins ride on the elephant..best! Budak2 memang enjoy. Pakej yang kami amik ni skali ngan emerald pool, hot spring waterfall n tiger cave temple..RM100+ juga per person for 9am - 4.30 pm tour.

3.  Emerald Pool - Memang cantik, hijau gila natural pond tu, tapi licin ya rabbi...nak jalan dari entrance ke pool is about 800m.  Dari Emerald Pool ke Blue Pool (bapak kepada Emerald pool, no swimming, see only) another 600m. Jauh tak jauh???  Pakej yang kitorang amik termasuk lunch, tapi tak makan pun sebab restoran yang provide food tu jual pork jugak...fail. Changing room / toilet kat sini pun sangat basic.

Emerald Pool - licin weh tebing2 tu...depth about 1.3 m

Blue Pool - no swimming. Clap your hands & the pool bubbles.

*Tips:  Kalau ramai, charter taxi servis lagi bagus kot...banyak sket masa boleh spend kat emerald pool tu...ni dah travel jauh2, tour leader bagi 1.5 hours je! Mana nak jalan berkilo2 meter, nak salin baju lagi..ngan kids memang tak puas la..so, baik sewa taxi..banyak ada kat Ao Nang. Lagi satu hot spring waterfall tu pun tak yah la...secoet je kolam panasnya..lagi hebat yang kat Trolak tu.  Tiger Cave Temple tu pun tak yah la..unless u wanna climb up 1200+ stairs to see the whole of Krabi. Tangga maut namanya..

4.  Island hopping juga wajib.  Banyak pakej island hopping ni...

- Phi Phi Island & gang - Naik speedboat abt 45 mins to 1 hour.  Naik longtail boat, lagi lah lama. Speedboat mahal sket...dlm RM200+ per person kot, including lunch.  If travelling with little kids, not recommended, takut seasick.  Naik bot lama2, snorkeling time kejap je...tak puas kot.

- 4 islands / 5 islands (Phra Nang beach, Poda Island, Chicken Island, Tup Island etc) - ni pakej yang kami pilih, sebab from 1 place to another is around 10-20 mins je.  From 9am-2.30 pm.  Tapi dapat snorkeling 30 mins je...memang tak puas, lagi2 dengan budak2...1st time nak snorkel, terjun dari atas bot, terus air yang dalam gile...sume berpaut kat tangga bot! Takut!!! Tak berapa sesuai kot untuk kids yang 1st time baru nak snorkel. Dalam RM150 per person tak silap.

Snorkeling at Chicken Island...dalam tu wehhh..

- Hong Island - Orang kata cantik..Patutnya kami pegi sini...puas sket nak snorkel kot...dlm 30 mins naik speedboat. 45 minit on longtail.  Harga lebih kurang atas juga kot.

Hong Island (Pix from: traveljournals.net)

*Tips: Kalau ramai, charter je longtail / speedboat.  At least tak tertakluk kepada time limit tour guide tu sangat..menyampah betul ngan tour guide masa kitorang gi island hopping ni.. Kalau nak amik travel pakej ngan group of 20-30 pax, banyak jual kat Ao Nang ni..sampai Krabi, baru survey lah, senang. Tak payah beli kat airport or stop kat travel agent yg dibawa oleh taxi driver...kat Ao Nang tu senang nak compare prices. Berderet2 kedai jual tour pakej.

5.  Fossil shell beach
-  40 million years of shell fossil...should be interesting..15 minit from Ao Nang..boleh sewa taxi..but we didn't have enough time.

6.  Krabi Town night market
- NOT RECOMMENDED although the taxi / tuk-tuk guys will tell you to go there for cheap shopping. Dah la mahal THB8000/MYR80 return fare naik teksi yang jauhnya dalam 25 minit perjalanan.  Takde benda nak beli plak tu.  Pork ball banyak la.  For shopping just stay in Ao Nang..better choice, better quality.

That's all for Krabi, while still fresh in mind. Photos from my own camera, tahun depan la upload :P

~kd :: Krabi 18/12-22/12/14~