The comfort I had after changing into a dry clean shirt was amazing but the only problem is to find my friends in this huge shopping mall in a foreign land. Fortunately I walked back to where we all started and as predicted they have not moved far from the instant noodle isle. We paid for our groceries and were soon heading to Krabi town for the early evening stroll around the beautiful beaches . As we passed by Krabi town center to Ao Nang beach, I spotted a few rows of shops selling souveniors and immediately made a mental note to explore this shopping haven later.
I was late afternoon when we hit the beach and the long tail boats were just returning to shore carrying happy looking tourists. The sun was shining intently down on us as we walked along the sandy beach, I would say that the beach was not as spectacular as I have imagined it to be. The water was murky with black coal particles and the sand was not soft and white. Honestly, I was quite disappointed but the fresh air break was much appreciated after spending so many hours in the van listening to non-stop Boyzone again and again. Our guide left us on the beachfront to give us the freedom to explore around and he will pick us up in front of McDonald’s.
Ao Nang Beach
Posing at Ao Nang beach
My three beautiful friends walking along Ao Nang beach
Trying to be artistic with the crushed shells…
We walked along the rows of shops trying to find a perfect gift for our missing friend May who could not make it for this wonderful trip due to work comitments. We went into all the shops but unfortunately nothing caught our eyes except a few fridge magnets that I wanted. My dream is to go around the world hopefully and at each place I would get a fridge magnet for rememberance but sadly so far.. my fridge is still looking quite empty!
The heat was unbearable and I could feel sweat dripping from my forehead as we walked towards Mc Donald’s which now feels like heaven beckoning us to enjoy the cold air conditioned room . The thought of iced cold Coke gave me the strength to speed up my stride towards Heaven! We immediately ordered 3 Large iced cold Coke and as soon as it reached my hand i took a big gulp and instantly felt my oesophagus freezing up!
We invited our guide to join us for early last dinner in Krabi before packing back for home tomorrow. We went to a local Thai restaurant but it was not as ideal as we want it to be as it was a popular tourist spot and we would have preferred the local shops. I must say the ambience was indeed impressive and the food was indeed new to me. We had a plate of water snails and as I used the toothpick to dig out the succulent flesh I tried to block my thoughts of the different types of parasites that could be habouring in the flesh. The taste was indeed fantastic and I could not stop myself from taking a few more as I have full confidence in the function of the acids in my stomach.
If there was one word to describe my apperance at that time it would be ‘Disastrous!’ . I was dripping wet , my hair was plastered to my skull in an akward style, I was struggling to keep the wet heavy towel around my waist and to walk properly at the same time but amazingly still manages to pose for some photographs praying hard that my towel will stay where it is suppose to be! Just when I am getting a bit dry, I suddenly felt big droplets of water falling from heaven above. Lim pointed to a pick up truck, a monk was just getting into the front seat and Lim beckon us to climb onto the open back area if we do not want to get caught in the heavy rain. Irene and Lene climbed up before us and Cor and I had no choice but to squat down on the floor of the moving truck. We had our towels around our head as the rain was getting heavier and our two ‘angelic’ friends not only did not have any sympathy for us but they were too busy clicking photos of us and laughing at our tight predicament! I really thank God for sending them into my life as without them my life would definitely be joyless! Throughout the short journey they were taunting us with comments that we looked like illegal immigrants getting deported back and I was trying not to laugh too much as i was stuck in between Cor’s legs and it was quite difficult not to to topple over everyone else on board which was many!
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We got off at the entrance of the forest reserve and thanked the owner of the vehicle profusely for giving us a free ride. We spotted a ice cream seller and we immediately head out towards him. My tummy was growling of hunger as I enjoy every bit of the thirst quenching ice down to the very last bite. Our next destination is the popular Tiger temple. We had difficulty getting a carpark and after after a few rounds around the temple our guide managed to squeeze into half a parking space. Part of the old temple is build in a cave and the other half is located on a hill with 200 steps or one hour climb. As soon as the number 200 came out of Lim’s mouth I immediately made up my mind that I shall remain down here giving full spiritual support to whoever that is game for the challenge. Obviously non of us ladies were mentally nor physically prepared for the torturous climb, so we made the wise decision to stay on solid ground and save the ambulances a trip just in case one of us slip off the steps and cause a disastrous ’human landslide’!
Tiger temple with endless steps
Irene and myself bought some fresh flowers and incense to make offerings to the ‘Godess of Mercy’ and pray for my family and friends. Irene asked for guidance in the form of a small yellow piece of paper written in Thai so Lim interpreted for her. As soon as he finished we burst into uncontrolable laughter as according to the paper, Irene will be expecting a baby boy soon! We congratulated her much to her disagreement and endless explanation on her current NON PREGNANT state! We had a really good laugh as we walk towards our car. We were hungry and wanted some local delicacy so Lim took us to TESCO to have our lunch in the food court. The food wasn’t really tasty and Cor was complaining about the small serving portions but I was too hungry to think about quality.
Irene enjoying her hot noodle soup.
After lunch, we went for some grocery shopping and while Lene and Cor were in deep discussion on which brand of instant noodles and soy sauce to purchase, I quickly hunt around for a top to change as I do not want to walk around Krabi town in a wet top.
Our day started bright and early as the four of us sat down to enjoy a hearty breakfast. We ordered ommelets and fried Thai flat noodles with fruits and juices. After breakfast we took a stroll down to the beach before walking to the guard house to wait for our guide. We will be exploring the hot spring pool ( located near the Khao Phra Bang Khram Nature Reserve) and other main tourist attractions around Krabi today. Our journey to the hot springs which is located on the mainland will take us about one hour and thirty minutes .
The beautiful ladies posing for Miss World 2009
We got into the MPV and immediately started chatting excitedly about the events and our dares that we have made last night over games. Lim decided to calm us down or shut us up with blasting boyzone songs. It brought back memories of our good ol’ high school days so we started singing along and laughing at each others silly jokes. Our initial plan was to go to the Crystal pool or known as Emerald pool first and then to the hot spring but when we arrive at the entrace of the pool it was packed with buses and cars. There was an immediate change of plan to visit the hot springs first then Crystal pool later to avoid the crowd. Lim explained to us about the entrance fee for the hot spring pool which was 90 baht for foreigners and 40 baht for Thais he told us to sit quietly in the car. When we approach the entrance, there were a row of young beautiful Thai girls collecting the entrance fees and as our van came to a halt , they greeted us with their sweet soft and gentle ’sawadeeka’. With my limited vocabulary I could make out that our guide bought the entrance tickets for 6 Thais instead of 4 foreigners and that was why he was asking us to be quiet. The hot spring is located deep in a forest reserve and to get to the pool we took a path through the trees . We were surrounded with tall trees and the morning sunlight stream through the thick leaves warming up the air . My ears were filled with the sweet songs of cicadas and other insects performing live singing their little hearts out. It was such a peaceful atmosphere that for a few minutes we walked in total silence just to enjoy the harmony and beauty that we could never experience in our concrete jungle. The natural hot pool jacuzzi was made of hard black smooth rocks and the water was clear and steaming hot. I handed my camera over to Lim and carefully walked into the pool. 
Our morning nature walk before a dip in the hot pool
Just before our hot water dip.
The rocks were slippery and the visibility were poor due to the steam evaporating from the hot pool, I tried my very best to maintain my balance using all my energy and concentration to prevent myself from crashing into the pool headfirst and causing embarassment to my nation and country! I managed to enter the pool as graceful as possible , the water was hot to my liking and I found a small nook where I can fit my body and rest my head on the rock with the hot water rushing over my head. I truly enjoyed my time in the pool and was quite reluctant to leave.
Enjoying our natural jacuzzi , a gift from Mother Nature.
Irene and Cor taking a break .
After about 40 minutes of soaking in the mineral rich hot pool, it was time for us to move on. Only then did I realize that Irene did not quite enjoy the pool as the water was a bit too hot for her liking and gave her a bad headache. We were soaking wet when we walk back to the car and the brilliant me have not brought any change of shirt! Our next destination was Emerald pool, it is a natural pool with crystal clear water the colour of emerald. The pool is located in the middle of a forest and is especially beautiful early in the morning as the sun shines down through the morning mist, illuminating the pool hence the name Crystal Pool/ Emerald pool. We had to walk through the forest in our wet clothes, with one hand trying to hold on to my towel and one hand with my camera, I still managed to snap a few nice shots.
We came across a few streams with crystal clear water flowing and I was so tempted to jump right in. I just could not wait to get to the pool anymore for a cold swim! 
We finally reached the famous Emerald pool but much to my disappointment it was full of swimmers and my dream of enjoying the peace and tranquility of this place was crushed. Whatever the outcome Lene and myself still wants our cold water swim so without much hesitation we got into the pool with our wet swimsuits. Cor did not want to join us for a swim and offered to be the camerawoman so the three of us hand in hand wade into the pool for a swim.
I came out of the restaurant feeling as if I was pregnant with quadruplets ready to explode anytime! We brought Cor to the row of souveniour shops as she was searching for a pair of sandals. I walked around the shop looking at the dresses, sandals, brightly coloured sarongs and accesories. Something pink caught my eye and it was a bracelet made from pink pearls harvested from the Andaman seas. I tried it on and immediately fell in love with those small pink pearls. I tried to bargain for a lower price but the shop keeper could see the glint of love in my eye so I was on the losing end from the beginning. I proudly show my prized jewel to my friends and waited for their praises but when I disclose the price I got a disapproving look from Irene and a short lecture on my poor bargaining skills. Cor was excited to check out the night life in Saladan town, Koh Lanta so we walked around the town looking and hoping to find a decent club with good music and nice crowd but to her dismay we found many empty pubs and the only people enjoying the drinks are the workers! We ended up purchasing a bottle of whisky ( chosen by Irene) and some wine coolers from the convenience store and we headed back to the hotel. We wanted to show Cor the sky of stars but to our dismay the clouds were all out today and not a single star was seen. It was too early to sleep so all of us ended up on Lene’s bed playing card games and updating Cor on our snorkelling trip. To spice things up we made dares for those who lost the game and most of the dares unfortunately revolves around our poor guide Lim. After games and games of blackjack, snap and old maid I could feel my eyelids getting heavy and my speech getting slurred. Lene kept talking and at one point i realized that my response was totally inconsistent with the topic of discusion and thats when I decided to bid her good night before I expose any vital information that could be used to torment me for the rest of my life! I can’t wait to discover Krabi coming morning as we would be going to hot springs, temple and more beautiful beaches.
Beautiful picture of the seaside restaurants captured by Lene.
I drifted in and out of conciousness and when I opened my eyes, our boat was slowing down towards an island. Announcements were made that we will be having our lunch on the island ( Ko Kradan). We jumped down from the deck into crystal clear water and walked up to the sandy white beach. My friends went to get their food while I sat on the sand to admire this beauty. I dare not have any food for the fear of throwing up again so while my friends are filling their tummies I sat and played with the soft sand . One stray dog came towards us and looked at us with those big, watery eyes. The kind hearted Irene shared her lunch with the dog and due to the hot weather she offered ‘him’ a glass of iced cold coke to quench ‘his’ thirst and to wash down all the greasy food! No wonder the poor dog is struggling with obesity, thanks to all the kind hearted tourist!
Ko Kradan beach with the different shades of colour
”Give me your food, give it all to me… give me!”
Nothing taste better than coke.
As I sat there waiting for my friends to finish eating and feeding the dog, I stared at the calm blue sea and I found myself lost in this beauty and my mind began to wonder along the path of imagination . This is indeed the place that I have been searching for a long time and would want to spend the rest of my life in, to build my dream house; a house made of wood with windows overlooking the sea, with a swing on the verandah to sit and sip my iced lemon tea, hammock under the trees to read my favourite novels. I would wake up to the morning sea breeze on my face, then a morning stroll along the shore feeling the waves gently rolling on the soft white sand leaving a trail of foam on my feet. Watching the sun raising lighting up this beautiful haven, feeling the warmth of the morning rays on my shoulders would be my daily ritual . Ahh!! Even the thought of it made me happy and as I was smiling into space, a face came forward and caused what I thought was an eclipse of the century. As I squint my small eyes , I realized it was Lene I am staring at and she beckoned me to go for a swim in the sea. I jumped up immediately and went for the much awaited swim in the crystal clear blue sea. I swam around lazily enjoying the warm sea water, the white sand below and the small fishes around me. Irene and Lene sat in the shallows and were intently trying to catch some baby fish with their bare hands. I made them an offer of one thousand ringgit for every fish they catch, knowing very well that there is no way on earth that they will be successful !
Mermaids trying to dance in the sea!
Mermaid trying to catch a fish! Dream on!
Time flies on paradise island and soon it was time for us to move on , reluctantly and slowly we walked towards the boat trying to enjoy the very last few minutes we have on this island. I trailed slowly behind my two friends trying to capture as much as I could with my Olmpus.
Mermaid Lene having her last float in the sea before going on land.
Our final destination before we head back to Koh Lanta was near a giant rock in the open sea ( Ko Chuak). We swam around the rock looking at the fishes below. The tide was strong but I need not to worry as there was nothing left in me to expel anymore! The sea was getting quite rough and bumpy on our journey back to Koh Lanta but by this time we were all too tired to complain but I still managed to crack a joke about the wonderful time Corinne must be having with our cute guide.
My calves felt as if it was made of lead and I took the slow crawl leading to the suite and the torturous steps up to the room. My hair was all clumped together and my body felt so sticky that if someone flung me up to the ceiling , I would probably be able to remain up there! We were greeted at the door by our much thought about friend Cor whom we thought must have had a great time but before we could open our mouth to tease her she started complaining about the horrible fat and short taxi driver that picked her up and the boring journey she had to endure. Only then did we realized that our plans has definately gone wrong somewhere somehow!
Instead of taking a shower, I had better plans for our evening; we brought the fuming Cor down to the pool and we jump in for a cold swim while she relax on the deck chair scouting around for cute guys but unfortunately it was just not her day! We ordered some cocktails at the pool bar and sipped our drinks while enjoying the sun setting upon us.
As I waited for Irene to get ready, my tummy began to growl in anticipation of dinner. We went to a popular seafood restaurant in town (Lalanta Seaffod Restaurant) strongly recommended by our guide Lim. When we arrived at the restaurant, it was packed with tourist from all around the world enjoying the delicious Thai seafood. We were lead to out table and without much hesitation we ordered our crabs, fish and the not to be missed seafood tom yam. I felt that the food was not as tasty as the one I had last night but I did enjoy the atmosphere and the company.
Irene and Cor waiting to be fed.
The greedy mermaid salivating over the food
Spicy crab in rich coconut milk
Squid in spicy sweet sauce
Yummy seafood tomyam soup
4 of us Finally!
I woke up bright and early bursting with excitement thinking about sun, sand, sea and fishes. We had a light breakfast and by 830 am was ready for our pick up . We sat in the hotel lobby admiring its architectural beauty and taking silly photographs of each other. Our pick up truck dropped us at the jetty and we were instructed to gather around to wait for departure.I just could not wait a minute more as the skies were blue, the sea was calm, the sun was shining brightly and the sea breeze was just sweet . It is such a perfect day to be out in the open sea!
Finally the 20 of us are packed into the small boat and we move slowly out into the open seas. Lene and I went out to the deck and made a few ‘ Miss World’ poses for our silly photos collection. As I stood on the deck I could feel the warmth of the sun rays and the gentle caress of the sea breeze , it was such an amazing feeling that i could find no words to describe it. We pass by many beautiful villas, resorts and bungalows built on the sandy white beaches and some on the cliffs overlooking the Andaman seas and I could not help but imagine waking up to this spectacular view everyday. wow! I could stay there forever and ever and never leave my house! If only I had one..if only..
Above: Irene and me in our small boat
The paradise resorts.
I sat next to the small open window and as our boat cruise along I get sprays of salt water on my face and sea breeze constantly blowing my hair which I found was utterly refreshing. Suddenly the engine died and our boat came to a halt , and began to bob up and down in the open sea. A man came and announced that they are having some problems with the engine and will need to stop for 20 minutes! Scenes after scenes from Jaws, Lost and the deep blue sea began to play and replay on my mind. After 5 minutes I began to get sea sick and all I could do was to pray that our boat will kick into action before I throw up.My silent prayer were answered after enduring another 10 minutes of mental and stomach torture. It was such a relief to hear the engine sound of our boat and to smell the wave of carbon monoxide.
We were finally at our first snorkelling site, Ko Ngai which is covered with hard corals and colourful fishes. As soon as the boat came to a stop we peeled off our clothes and were soon ready to jump in. Lene as usual prefer the grand splashing entrace while Rene and I decided to take the more graceful route. We were surrounded by thousands of jack fish with their yellow striped silver body darting around us curious with our presence in their territory. Below us ,the sea floor was covered with hard gray coloured corals and sea urchins. Occasionally, I spotted a few butterfly fish hiding behind the corals. When I lifted my head off the water I realized that I had drifted quite a distance away from everyone else and I immediately swam towards them recalling the theory that predators always pick the outcasted one, and I definately fit the easy target role! As soon as I get to my friends, Irene immediately pointed out to the sea urchins and went into an elaborative explanation of how the sea urchins could destroy the corals and is an early warning sign that the corals are not healthy. I do agree with her that the corals were not as beautiful and colourful as we imagined it to be. We swam back to the boat and as soon I got out of the water, I lost the battle with my stomach and before I knew it I was staring at my partially digested breakfast floating in the sea towards the group of happy snorkellers! I stood there in horror , disgust and guilt but there was absolutely nothing I could do! I staggered my way to my friends and immediately confessed about my sin of polluting the water but my dear kind hearted friends tried to console me by explaining about the nature’s way of disposing human waste!
My two lovely friends: Irene in black and Lene in orange.
Ko Ngai: Our first snorkelling site.
Our boat soon moves away and while we busied ourselves with sun blocks ,towels and sun shades. A man came on board with a waterproof bag and collected our cameras for our next snorkelling site. Ko Mook, our second snorkelling trip was the highlight of the day. We had to put on our life jackets, get in line holding on to the person in front and swim through a cave and will come to a beach beyond that. The wave was big and strong and we struggled to hold on to each other. I held on tightly to Lene’s jacket and Irene was behind me , in a tight formation we slowly entered the cave. The cave entrance is small and the waves were hitting against the hard rocks with full power, as I entered the cave I feared that my fragile head will be smashed against the rock.Once we got through the entrace, the water is much calmer and the sea water turned emerald green as the sunlight stream through to the bottom and I could see schools of tiny silver coloured fishes hiding in this natural nursey protected from the strong currents and predators. We swam in further and the cave got darker and at one point we were in total darkness. My adrenaline levels shot up as my pupils dilate and my body got into the ‘fight or flight’ mode. I was in a situation that could have plague many children’s nightmare. It was pitch black, I could not see what was in front of me, nor do I know what was below me! There was a strange smell of sulphur in the air and other than the splashing sound of water it was absolutely cold and silent. I had this eerie feeling in the pit of my stomach and every brush against my arms or legs made me paranoid. I use all my strength to grab on to Lene’s jacket in front of me, afraid that I would be left all alone in this total darkness. After a turn I could see light at the end of the cave . As we got closer I could see a small beach with a few trees and we swam towards the little paradise at the end of the dark tunnel. It was such a relief to be out in bright lights again with the sun above me and I could feel solid sand below me. We sat there in the shallow water and for 10 minutes were in complete silence , each to our own’s thoughts. I turned to Irene and noticed that she was intently staring at a 60 plus old Thai guy ( one of our guides) with white beard who looks like one of those ‘most wanted’ terrorist . If looks could kill I think that guy would have been dead many times over. Upon intensive interrogation from us she finally revealed that this old man was behind her during our journey through the cave and in the darkeness she felt his hand slipping up her thigh and her spontaneous response was to hit his hand with all her might and if it was not for the fear of getting lost in the cave she would have slapped him hard! My heart and soul went out to her as I console her on her predicament but Lene started giggling and that contagious giggle soon got us all laughing out of control and the situation turned to teasing her with the dirty old man! After taunting poor Irene so much, Lene soon took out her camera and started clicking photographs of what she called the beauty of nature. I followed her gaze and was soon laughing as her defination of nature’s beauty was a six foot, young, handsome man standing on the beach! No wonder she wants to stay in this paradise forever.
Emerald cave (picture taken from ‘paradise’ beach)
Lene and I enjoying the crystal clear water on paradise beach
After relaxing in the sun for 20 minutes, the guide round us up and again we got into line and began our journey out into the open sea. As we emerge from the cave the waves were very strong and high, we struggled to swim towards our boat and I felt thankful that my life jacket is on for without it I am not sure if I could stay afloat. Finally I climbed on board and we collapsed on the seat , as the boat sped off leaving sprays of salty water on my face I began to dozed off wondering what adventure lies ahead..
When I woke up , it was late evening so I had a quick shower and were soon on our way to discover Saladan town. We plan to walk around the town and perhaps could buy some local fruits and try out the local dishes. We took a tut tut to town which cost about 50 Baht each. We were dropped of f in the middle of town and went strolling along the street looking at the different shops selling souveniors and groceries.The shops were quite empty except for a few tourist and we decide to walk to the Long Beach which was suppose to be much more livelier than Saladan. We walked along and stopped at every stalls we can. One roadside stall was selling sausages and irene was so attracted to it and insisted on trying one but when we went near to the stall there were lots of flies but the aroma was superb! I could feel my salivary glands kicking into action but my brain quickly took over and spontaneously I pulled the two gals away from the stall. I really do not want to spend my holidays in the hospital or on the toilet bowl or both. We walked on and soon came to a stall selling fresh fruits and vegetables. Lene immediately went for the mangoes while I decide on the bananas. There were 3 diffreent types of mangoes and she took a few from all the different types. Further down the road, we discover this little shop by the roadside with a strong aroma of Thai food and our tired legs automatically took us into the shop and before I realize it we were flipping menus and deciding on what to order!
We ordered clear seafood tom yam soup , Larb gai ( recommended by Irene’s mysterious friend via text message) and Phad Thai ( Lene’s choice). The food looked and smelled good and the taste was simply amazing. The clear tom yam was the best I have ever tasted so rich in taste with a combination of sour, spicy and sweet. The Larb Gai is made of minced chicken meat, shallots, Thai chillies with green beans, peanuts and a dash of lime juice. The taste was tentalizing and though it was our first time trying it we simply love it! Phad Thai is stir fried glass noddle with beef, the taste was great as well. Our next surprise came when we called for our bill as the total amount came up less than 400 Baht .
Irene and her dream shop.
The wonderful shop
The superb clear soup seafood tom yam
Delicious Larb Gai
We walked out of the shop feeling satisfied and heavy and made our slow walk back to the hotel. We stopped by the convenience store and irene got a small bottle of whisky and I got myself a bottle of white wine cooler. The night was getting old and we were still quite a distance away from the resort . We spotted a ‘tuk tuk’ parked at the petrol kiosk hopped in. I could feel the sea breeze blowing on my face and as we turn into the small lane leading to the resort, we thanked our lucky stars to be on this tuk tuk as the lane was pitched black except for the illumination from the tuk tuk’s headlight.
The night air was hot and humid and I longed for a nice cold swim and my idea was immediately supported by lene and we quickly changed into our swim suits and ran down to the pool to discover that the pool closes at 6 pm! I walked down to the beach and felt soft sand between my toes and cool sea breeze on my face. It was low tide then and we sat down on the soft sand and enjoyed the sea breeze and the distant sound of waves. I looked up to the skies and my breath was taken away by the magnificent view. The dark skies were lit up by millions of stars and a pale moon illuminating the white sand and the gentle sea. At that moment no words could describe my feelings or the beauty of Mother Nature. I lay down on the soft sand and feast my soul on this priceless piece of nature’s art as I wonder if I will ever have the chance in this lifetime to experience this again. As we lay there in silence , each of us to our own thoughts, I thought about my darling at home and how he would have loved to see this sky full of stars and how wonderful it would be if he could be with me then to enjoy this moment.
We walked back from the beach and as we passed by the swimming pool Lene asked me if I am still keen for a swim. I told her we could but will have to keep it quiet and as soon as I finished my sentence, she turned and jumped into the pool with a loud splash as if to wake the entire neighbourhood up! I laughed and took a quiet dip into the pool, the water was cold and it was such a refreshing break from the hot and humid air we had the entire day. Irene prefers to sit by the pool with her legs dangling in the water still sipping her bottle of beer.
We retired to our room feeling drained but happy and excited thinking about our upcoming snorkelling trip.
Krabi welcomed the 3 of us with a draft of warm sea breeze and sunshine as we climbed out of our confined space in the aircraft. We walked towards the terminal as was suppose to look out for our pre-booked cab driver holding a sign that reads: Welcome to Krabi, Adelene! We strained our eyesight to read the finely printed fonts while from the corner of my eye I could see Irene shook a guy’s hand and began to follow him away! We stared at each other wondering if that was the ‘ friend’ that she spoke about earlier and as we exchanged puzzled looks, Irene stopped and beckoned us to join her so we quickly pulled our bags and ran after them. When we finally caught up with her, the tall man was nowhere in sight and she assured us that he is the cab driver we were searching for! We got into a 8 seater celebrity minivan ready with tinted classes. leather seats , TV with VCD player and for illumination flashing blue disco light. Our trip from the airport to our hotel ( Cha Da Beach resort) would take about 1 hour and as we were starving we requested for a lunch stop. Lim , (our driver) agreed and took us to a restaurant that serve local dishes. The restaurant was built on stilts and surrounded by a man made pond full of freshwater fishes that were as big as my arm. We ordered some local dishes and while waiting for our food to arrive we were given a container of fish food to occupy the time. We were so excited with the fishes especially one giant gold koi fish. The food was delicious especially the 4 sauce fish. However, I did hope that the fish was not caught from the same pond considering the amount of junk that was fed to them. We were soon on our way again to our hotel and throughout the journey our Lim was introducing Krabi to us, the places we should go, the people, the food etc. . As we were expecting another gorgeous friend of us arriving tomorrow we quickly made arrangements for this tall, dark and cute guide to pick her up and show her Krabi. We giggled with excitement with this brilliant idea from Lene! Lim also showed us some beautiful pictures of phi phi island with white sandy beaches, crystal clear blue waters, myriads of colorful fishes dancing among the corals and I really could not contain my excitement to be in this heaven on earth in less than 24 hours time.
Koh Lanta is an island off Krabi and to get there we will need to take 2 ferries across the islands. The ferry was more like a moving platform packed with cars and bikes being transported back and fro the islands and it was a new experience for myself. While sitting in our van we could see vendors selling fruits, food and even mud crabs from vehicle to vehicle. When we arrived in Koh Lanta, Lim brought us to a tour agency to book our snorkeling trip to Phi Phi island the next day. We sat in the small office as Lim and the tour operator discussed about our trip, a few phone calls were made and we anxiously wait for the confirmation. My heart sank when the tour operator broke the bad news to us; due to the low tourist season, all tours to phi phi island from Koh Lanta has ceased operation! We stared at each other in disbelief and disappointment as the news sank into us. After snapping back to reality we inquire about other available snorkeling trips around Koh Lanta and was offered the ‘ 4 island snorkeling trip’ which would cost about 1,000 baht each which was inclusive of pickup from our hotel, small boat to the 4 islands, lunch on the beach and transport back to the hotel. We grabbed the offer immediately, paid immediately as we did not want the entire day tomorrow not doing anything at all. Koh Lanta is a small island surrounded by beautiful beaches, resorts and luxurious villas . The peak tourist season is from October to January and since it was April then the streets were quite quiet with occasional spotting of tourist wondering around the small town aimlessly.
We bid Lim goodbye at the guard house and proceeded up to the grand lobby of our hotel. The traditional Thai architectured lobby looked grand sitting atop of a slope, made of solid wood with high beams and pillars with large open windows . As soon as we walked into the lobby a man welcomed us with ‘Sawadeeka’ and we proceeded to the counter for check in. I was truly impressed with their speed and hospitality . The man then sat us down and explained to us the facilities of the resort and warned us about the sightings of jellyfishes in the waters recently and all the time Lene was enjoying the welcome drink so much that she was not really listening. The drinks were made from pandan leaves ( leaves from Screwpine trees) with syrup and a tinge of lemon making it a zesty, fragrant and refreshing! We got into a golf buggy and it took us to our room situated on the upper floors of emerald suite which is a built up of a bungalow made into 4 suites. Our room was spacious made of solid wood with a balcony overlooking the swimming pool.
As I lay down in bed for a rest before nightfall visions of white sandy beaches and crystal clear water flashes before my eyes and I drifted in and out of conciusness.
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