krabi – day 1
Posted at 15 Aug 2:49 am. 0 comments
We left our accommodation at the rather misnamed P.K. Mansion (RM50 for a basic bedroom and spacious, clean bathroom) just in time to catch a small parade complete with drag queens in resplendent costumes. What was the occasion? A staff party. It was a taste of things to come in a place where it’s not enough that you’re having fun: you’re morally obligated to make sure everyone joins in on your fun too.
The tuk-tuk arrived soon after, loaded us with our backpacks, and we were off. The fresh sea breeze played havoc with our hair. To our left golden shafts of morning sunlight illuminated the limestone mountains and the vast blue expanse of the sea, dotted with quaint wooden long-tail boats. To our right, in sharp contrast, were gleaming storefronts which housed the icons of the civilized world. A Haagen-Dazs. A McDonalds. And a Starbucks, for crying out loud.
Ao Nang, you sellout.
Railay Beach
The ferry from Ao Nang costs under RM100 per person for a return trip and stops by Railay before landing you at Phi Phi Island. Going by the photo above it may be hard to imagine holding out for something better, but we did. No regrets.
Ko Phi Phi is unlike any island I’ve seen. The entire island is so densely covered with small stalls and restaurants and mini-resorts, there is no road big enough to fit a car. The main route twists and turns and looks more like a series of well-maintained back alleys, branching off helter-skelter to dead ends. Thatch-roofed shacks slouch against brick-and-tile affairs, bamboo-adorned storefronts contrast sharply with gleaming white or brown paint; the whole affair, despite being the physical manifestation of the term ‘tourist trap’, has in its spontaneous haphazardness a certain charm.
Phi Phi Casita
After settling in at P.P. Casita, a community of charming little bungalows connected by wooden walkways, we headed for lunch and then – what else does one do on an island? – the beach.
Stripping down to our swim things, we frolicked in the pleasantly warm waters before retiring to our deck chairs. Beneath a large blue umbrella which shielded us from the worst of the sun, we sipped watermelon shakes and coconut coolers as we buried our toes in the fine white sand. Before us the calm blue-green sea stretched out to the horizon, its surface dotted with craggy limestone islands. Husky Latin singers crooned in the background.
Bliss? Oh, yes.
Coconut Cooler Recipe:
1 young coconut
Triple Sec
Bacardi
Malibu
Pineapple juice
—
- Pour the coconut water into a blender. Scoop out the flesh and add it in.
- Mix in the alcohol. Add ice.
- Blend.
- Shake the resulting sludge of icy deliciousness back into the coconut husk.
- Decorate with an orchid, pop in a straw, and experience heaven on earth.
Ko Phi Phi is a bit of a single girl’s paradise, by the way. Everywhere else in the world women habitually put on make up, dress up, primp and pose; here the ladies were obviously a lot more laid back and it was the men who strutted around nearly naked, their tanned and toned muscles gleaming, hair artfully tousled, sleek sunglasses in place.
Not that I was looking.
Say it with me: awww.
When dusk fell we wandered out in search of dinner and entertainment, which came in the form of pool tables and live Muay Thai matches in a rowdy, double-storey bar. The other options were the annual foam party (I can make one in my bathtub) and any one of the many raucous bars (which KL has no shortage of), but I don’t often get to see sweaty men doing their level best to kick each other’s faces in, live.
No, seriously.
Oh, balls.
When we ordered drinks our potent cocktails came in honest-to-god buckets, albeit small ones, with three straws, because one clearly would feel a little overwhelmed on its own. There was such a blatant lack of finesse in the presentation; the honesty tickled me pink. You’re here to get drunk. Come, let us help you.
Who could resist such an offer?
Alcohol. In buckets.
