Sitting in A Bungalow, Eating Pancakes in the Pouring Rain

Night Markets in Krabi
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Day 4

Our mutual decision was that the time had come to leave Phuket to find something a little quieter than this bustling tourist hub. It was unbelievably hot, so we took a Tuk Tuk to the bus terminal in Phuket city (Not much to see there) and a 1st class bus to Krabi, around a 4hr trip. The bus' in Thailand are actually quite good - a 4hr trip on first class is fairly comfortable with air-con, and affordable at 146 Baht (Arnd $5 AUD). The bus' are all painted lairy colours, and for whatever reason, have insane sound systems with karaoke, subs, amps and a head unit. Thank god they didn't use it. And finally, as opposed to Phuket, we finally saw some THAI PEOPLE on the bus trip.

It's hard to get over the view you get all down the coast, of the green limestone mountains meeting the white beach, and the blue sea

Tom, Sarah, Gary & Judy @ Phi Phi Don Pier
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As we stepped off the bus 4km north of town, both of us had butterflies - this was our first foray into real Thailand, and it was a little daunting - the buildings delapidated, the streets intimidating beneath the impending dusk. But what we found was complety unexpected. Krabi is a beautiful port town, and while there's not a lot to do here, the people are really friendly, the bars relaxed, and the food/hotels cheap (and delicious). And as Lonely Planet intimated, it did grow on us very fast. (Hence we're here for a second time). We found cheap accomodation at the Green Tea Treehouse (400 Baht, $15 AUD) which was basic but sufficient, and headed out to a quasi authentic Italian dinner, which actually, turned out to be quite satisfying. The night markets here (which we discovered AFTER dinner) have even cheaper, and better smelling food, down by the river, and all the bars are relaxed and friendly. Everyone wants to know where you're from, where you're headed and what you think of the town. And in one particular bar, me and Judy won the longest pool game we've ever played. (I.e. The Thai barkeep was as shit as us)

Cheeky Monkey!
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Day 5 (The King's Birthday)

The next day we took the boat to Phi Phi island, with Sarah and Gary, a few friendly Brits we met on the hotel transfer (and during a walk down the ridiculously long Krabi pier). Despite the tsunami damage, Phi Phi is amazing. Even the port where all the boats are anchored is crystal clear, just like you'd see on a travel brochure. It was everything we were looking for in Phuket - sweeping views, white beaches and a relaxed lifestyle. Phi Phi has more of a resort feel - a lot of bungalows, markets lining the beach, beautiful people lining the pools, and restaurants with the most amazing views imaginable. It's hard to get over the view you get all down the coast, of the green limestone mountains meeting the white beach, and the blue sea. We took a longtail boat (There's really no other way) to a quieter beach, and enjoyed the sparkling, aqua blue water. In hindsight, we could have walked, but the ride itself - in that rickety old wooden "boat" (Definition of boat - Wooden planks with an outboard motor) was exciting, a little scary, but well worth it. The first night it rained, the side effects of Typhoon Durian, which had just rolled Phillipines and Vietnam and even in the rain the island is beautiful. But for safety's sake, we bunkered down in our (Overpriced) bungalow, had a few drinks and ate Thai pancakes, which are the tastiest Thai-Western hybrids. Plus, being the king's birthday, there was not a lot on offer in terms of nightlife. Thais love the king, murals everywhere, and there was even a mini parade that morning in Krabi.

Insane fire dancing (Poi) @ Apache Bar
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Day 6

The next day we got up early and took a tour around the Phi Phi Don and Phi Phi Ley (NB: The Beach), Monkey Island and Bamboo Island. While it was rough at times (Judy got seasick), the trip provided some memorable highlights. Maya Bay, where The Beach was filmed, is truly beautiful, wedged in a small bay, the sand unbelievably soft. But with such movie star status came the tourists, and it's hard to really enjoy yourself while your there (Just take photos). We ran into Nate and Carlene (and friend) from uni, and had a quick chat. Snorkelling around Phi Phi Ley was unbelievable - I can't believe how many fish there were - again, just like a movie. Coral formations line the bottom of the ocean, and the wildlife is nothing short of impressive. It's a shame that the tour makes no attempt to tell you not to touch it tho, and in the shallows, it's hard not to stomp the coral with your fins (by accident). It's also a shame they don't tell you just how many tiny jellyfish there are in that water, and how many times you can expect to get violated(many, many times)

And how about the view...
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On Monkey Island, the monkeys are literally everywhere. They come within 1m of you, and again, just like movies, love food (Chips, bread, anything) and shiny things. Amazing just how close they let you get. But be careful - when we got a little too close, a pack of monkeys bared their teeth and got defensive. Everyone ran - everyone that is except Judy, who ran 10 seconds later, and got swiped (albeit softly) on the leg a few times - thank god they didn't bite!

That night we had a beautiful dinner at Carpe Diem, which is a relaxed, treehouse restaurant, built after the tsunami. The quirky, Dutch owner, Pieter Koch, happened to be eating at the same time, and amused us with his odd mannerisms, and blatant homosexuality - but overall he was a fantastic guy, who gave us a free drink and told us about the place, and the ex-boyfriend he built it with.  And the meal was delicious too - steamed seafood curry was probably the best meal I've had so far, with the best view. Judy wanted corn afterwards for the second night in a row, and for the second time we got a song - this time a Thai pop song played on acoustic guitar, and the first time, a corn song, which went "corn corn corn corn corn (I'm desperate to sell more) corn" by an old Thai lady.

After relaxing in these surrounds, it was time to hit the clubs - namely Apache bar, to watch some spectacular fire dancing (Poi), and drink a bucket of Thai rum and juice. The dance floor went off (Thanks to a cool couple who I don't need to mention) who showed that not only hot, blonde American chicks can dance on a platform.

...And then a beach party

...And then the stumble home

And apparently, I passed out naked, booted on the floor and then hogged the bed. What a night.

Day 7

So here we are in Krabi again, about to enjoy the night markets, and loving the life over here. We missed breakfast this morning because I had a hangover, and I learnt why not to use public toilets, but we checked out on time, and made the boat back over after chilling on the beach - overall a very relaxed day. But Mum, I might need some money soon. Just joking. No seriously... :)