One nation that is more and more in the spotlight these days is Thailand. May it be because of its scene-stealing baby pygmy hippopotamus Moo Deng, or it being the location of the third season of ‘The White Lotus‘, or it excitingly becoming the newest government to sign marriage equality into existence for its citizens. Thailand has been on the radar of world travelers for years, but with these three new reasons to visit, the destination just becomes that more desirable and we all become that more curious.
Instinct was fortunate enough to visit three different areas of Thailand, a nation, the same size as Texas. We visited Bangkok in Central Thailand, Chiang Mai in the North, and Krabi in the South. Each area was unique in its own way, we had varying experiences, different food, and even varying weather.
Our journey took 10 days total in Thailand, so it’s only fitting that we take our time to share our Thailand experiences with you. In this first posting, I’d love to share with you what we did in Krabi, the south.
Krabi and Rayavadee
Our journey to Krabi was via a 2-hour flight from the northern city of Chaing Mai to the south. It would be our Day 7 in Thailand but it would be all new and fresh.
Temple – Wat Bang Tong
Before we were to arrive at our next lodging offering, we were to visit one of the largest and spectacular temples of the trip. It was rainy and damp when we visited Wat Bang Tong, but we ventured out to see possibly the last temple we would see while in Thailand. Out came the umbrellas and yes, off with the shoes and socks as it is custom to remove the shoes when entering a temple, but the socks were to get soaked so they came off, too.
The grandeur of this temple was palpable, the colors were vibrant and rich. There are thousands upon thousands of temples ranging from hundreds of years old to ones still being built. Wat Bang Tong was started about 83 years ago and was finished about 12 years ago. We all felt that yes, this temple did not have the history others did, some were built 700+ years ago with no nails, but it was still done so well, it was so moving with the care, quality, and honor. Hundreds of munk statues surrounded the temple, they even had QR codes where you could download a better picture the individual statue honoring that specific monk.
This was the first temple I saw lions represented in some of the towers as guardians and not just astrological signs. I also met a fun Russian man and we swapped taking photographs for each other, the only english he spoke was to list off the names of about 15 US states. You’re bound to find nice people when visiting Buddhist temples. The rain was great, almost calming and cooling and brought a different feeling to this temple on this day.
Rayavadee Resort
The sky cleared and we were off to Nong Nuch Pier in Krabi. Rayavadee Krabi Resort was our next destination. I cannot edit myself saying that this felt like it was my ‘White Lotus’ moment as we stood on a private dock waiting for the private resort boat to arrive to whisk us away to paradise. The only way to get to the resort was by boat as it is at the end of a peninsula cut off from the mainland by limestone karst mountains.
The dramatic little mountains you see more an more of as you head South on the Thai Southern Line are called ‘karst’, and they’re pretty weird.
These Karst mountains are made of limestone – a sedimentary rock composed mainly of shells or skeletons of marine organisms such as corals and moluscs and microscopic marine creatures. They leave their shells behind when they die, which build and build over generations to create mounds and reefs in shallow waters (like that of the Gulf of Thailand). Then sometimes, techtonic plates – large surface chunks of the Earth’s crust – push against each other which can force these reefs and limestone seabeds up out of the water over millions of years to become mountains and hills. – windowseater.com
I didn’t mind putting that info in there and the link to more as the karst mountains are what most foreigners are in awe of when visiting southern Thailand.
The transfer boat arrived and we stepped down off the bow onto the beach and were welcomed with refreshing drinks, cool towelettes, and an attentive staff. Romain, Nancy, Tan, and others took care of us for the next three days. A tour of the resort showed us where we would see the sunrises, sunsets, relax in the pool, eat breakfast and dinners, and ended at our private deluxe bungalows.
Of course the resort had amazing food options for all the meals, from the breakfast buffets, to dinners overlooking the ocean, epic room service, and sunset drinks and beach side meals at The Grotto.
Definitely check out the Rayavadee Krabi Resort website as there are some exciting deals presented. One I’m thinking about is a 4-night All Inclusive stay. See you soon!
Excursion to the Sea
We spent an amazing three nights at Rayavadee, but took some day excursions out and about to surrounding islands for beach time at Poda Island and Tub Island, viewed Chicken Island, and did some snorkeling and more staring in awe of the karst mountains. Some of the day trips were back to the mainland to see more of the Krabi area.
Hot Springs – Relaxing Time
Wareerak, is a Thai hot spring/spa located in Khlong Tom in Krabi. We were treated with three hydrotherapy pools, back, neck, and head massages, and of course fresh coconut water. There were residences on the property for an extended stay which sounds very enticing. The staff and focus was all about health and wellness as even before we participated in any activity, we had our blood pressure taken and a personal health history done.
Kayaking on the River
We also did a kayak tour in Ban Bor Thor where we paddled through a lush mangrove forest and Tham Lod Cave, a tunnel right under the cliffs through which we floated. The cave is decorated richly with stalactites and stalagmites. Further down river we saw the stunning Pee Hua Toh Cove, home to Pre-Historic cave paintings.
The river was not too fast, but very full of sediment and a little high at the moment as this past month was during the rainy season in Thailand. Still a great time and a great way to be one with the environment half way across the world.
This was just a third of our trip to Thailand. There’s no way to say that this was the best part of the trip as each of the three destinations we visited were very special in their own unique way.
Stay tuned for the other parts of Thailand we visited. I promise, there will be elephants!
Here are some more pictures of the Rayavadee Krabi Resort.
