Busy Ao Nang Beach in Krabi

The little Village of Ao Nang in Thailand is sometimes seen as a gateway to other destination like Railay or the Islands of Phi Phi. For those staying around for a few days there is a beach to be enjoyed.
 

Ao Nang Beach is just a few steps across the road that separates the golden sand from the village with it`s shops and hotels. This is one of the more busier beaches we have been too in Thailand. There is a constant bustle of long tail boats ferrying tourist to resorts along the coast or  passengers on day-trips to the nearby islands.



The south end of the beach is much quieter with the road having turned inland. Here the edge of the beach is lined with the occasional place to eat or have that relaxing massage. Noppharat Thara beach is to the north and much longer if you prefer a bit of a walk.

We thought the Ao Nang Beach and town a little bit to busy for our liking. We just never got that feeling of being alone and remote. But if want a little bit of excitement or shopping close by then it would be ideal.



What the beach did offer was fantastic sunsets and views. Just sitting at the edge of the beach and inhaling the changing colors of the skies is something not to be missed. As long as you do not mind a 100 other people quietly sharing your experience and some with much much larger cameras.



The views out the sea are quite amazing, with the limestone outcrops rising out of the clear blue water Ao Nang does have something relaxing about it even with the bustle going on around you. 

We enjoyed Ao Nang and the beach with the little time we spent there. The style of life here was completely pleasurable and fitted right in with us. Thailand offers us a lot and unfortunately for Ao Nang we enjoyed other places much more. Saying that I would still recommend it to anybody.

Sunshine and Monsoon Kamala Beach Day 16

Our last full day on holiday but not time to look back yet. The sun was up and there was a beach we needed to enjoy. First port of call was the inclusive breakfast in the resort. I supposed typical hotel international breakfast but they did have a good range of foods on offer.

Armed with bottles of water and hats we headed across the road to the sea and it looked twice as beautiful as yesterday. The waves were rolling in and crashing on the slope of the beach with hardly anybody there to enjoy it all.



It was a good morning a few clouds but plenty of sunshine. We took to the north of the beach again, passing the sun loungers and massage tents. Here is was just really us, the trees, the sand and the waves.



After a good couple of hours splashing around and having a bit of youthful fun there was a noticeable darkness in the clouds and a stronger wind starting to blow.



We thought about it for a while and reluctantly decided to move back down the beach.



Not quite fast enough, we got caught in a heavy monsoon downpour and managed to find some shelter in a restaurant located on the beach. The tables began to fill up with other holidaymakers seeking refuge from the storm.



For us it was convenient,  a bit of food and a couple of beers while we waited for the rains to stop. It was a long wait, it just seemed to get heavier and heavier. It took a couple of hours and a couple more beers before we thought of chancing our luck.



The rains did ease slightly or so we thought. Hurrying in the direction of the hotel, not more than a couple of hundred meters we got completely soaked. All part of the fun I guess, at least it was not freezing.

Sadly that was our day, we did manage a few hours on the beach but the rains kept up from venturing out for the rest of the day except for an evening meal close by.


We manages lots of monsoon free days it was just a shame we had just a few days to spend in Kamala.  Tomorrow would be traveling back to Phuket Airport and home.

First Look at Kamala Beach Day 15

We checked in at the Print Kamala Resort and had been allocated a garden hut. The room was big with a decking out front to sit and relax. All this was raised above the ground and set in a tropical forest complete with pond.  It was quite an exotic and relaxing setting.

The resort is not directly on the beach but it’s just a short walk to the sand. For us we decided to have a look around town and get some food. We should have done a bit more home work here as we set off the wrong direction away from town. Food was, um, pizza and chicken sate with a cool beer.

Having our hunger satisfied we jumped down on to the beach and took in the views. Kamala Beach sits in a little bay and  it would be an easy late afternoon walk up the sand.



The southern end just near out resort seemed to be the busiest part of  the beach, not that there were many people around. The sand was nice and soft as we headed north.



Tuned out it was a bit too soft to walk on properly. Luckily a track parallels the beach and we walked a bit more firmly. Quite a few massage tents and beach restaurants. Some were tempting but having just eaten it was not for us. That was until a pancake seller on his motorcycle came alone the path – not something we could resist. A few minutes later and a freshly cooked banana pancake was in our hands.

The north end of the bay was quiet, nothing near as touristy looking as the southern end. The waves looked challenging as they broke on the slope of the shore.

Sadly, time was not on our side and darkness was beginning to fall. We sometimes forget how early and quickly it arrives. Saying that we headed back to the resort and took to the hotel pool. I know there were other people staying here but we had the pool alone.



For the evening we just took a restaurant just outside of the hotel. I have to admit we were a little bit lost here and not much time to explore but it was a nice place one flight up that allowed us to dine while looking down at the road.

Ton Yum soup and a Green Curry. Both were very tasty and enjoyable but not ranking up with the best. Could we be getting a little bit too fussy with our Thai Cuisine.

The night was pleasingly warm and we sat for a while watching and finishing out beer. We could hear the occasional sound of thunder in the distance.

End of the evening was set sitting at the edge of the beach watching an amazing lightning show far out in the ocean. Too far to hear any nose but the constant bolts of electricity were illuminating up the sky. There were a few locals sitting near but it looked like there were more interesting in their mobile phones.





The lightning is not something the camera could pick up easily and doesn’t really show how fantastic it looked.

End of a nice day, a little bit long in the travelling and not much time to explore. Kamala Beach was not a disappointment  but with just two nights here it`s not enough time.

Weather in Koh Lanta

During our trips to various parts of Thailand the weather has always started off looking a bit grey. Usually while waiting for transport in Bangkok or getting off the plane we are met by a down pour of rain. It’s actually a bit refreshing for a few seconds then you start to think is the whole holiday going to be like this.

Fortunately the rains soon pass and the rest of our trips are mostly full of warm sunshine and blue skies.

Koh Lanta and southern Thailand is just above the equator and is all you could want from a tropical island, even the weather.

The seasons here are dictated by the directions of the Monsoon winds. This can be either one of two directions and splits the year into the hot dry season or the cooler wetter season. The exact months of when the seasons start and ends vary each year but mostly you could guarantee the dry season centered around April and the wetter time around September.

The average temperature across the year is around 30C with this ranging up to 36C during the hot season and 21c for the cooler monsoon. If your coming from someplace much cooler then either season would seem warm enough to be enjoyable.

During out stay in October we has a few darker skies and some short light showers. But overall we had lots of sunshine , clear blue skies and maybe someday a little too much heat.

The cost of hotels and resorts can be twice as costly during the dry season when koh Lanta becomes more busier. Our visit was low season and I think we had the best of what was on offer. Sometimes the sand was a little to hot to walk on barefoot and shade was a bit welcoming.

Maybe we missed the heavy downpours of rains, there was some evidence of dirt on the roads after being washed down from the hills. Koh Lanta was extremely enjoyable and the weather should not put us off going there again at any time of year.