Definitely Not Feeling Crabby In Krabi

Ahhhh here we are...our last destination....the final pit stop on Project Wanderlust. 5 months, 8 countries, and a billion stamps in the passport later, and we end up here. And where is here, exactly? Here is Krabi, Thailand. Krabi is a province on the mainland, and world-famous for it's gorgeous white sand beaches and spectacular limestone cliffs. We're staying in a place called Railay Beach, which technically is on the mainland, but it definitely has an 'island feel' to it. You can only get here by boat as it's completely walled in by the limestone pinnacles, there's no cars or motorbikes, and everything is close enough that you can walk to wherever you want to go.

Railay truly is paradise on Earth. Some of the best beaches in the world are to be found here, and you'd be hard-pressed to find a white sand beach with scenery more spectacular than Railay's. Bordered in, and split up, by towering pinnacles of sheer limestone cliffs soaring out of calm emerald green waters, it's more than enough to take your breath away. Think 'Lord Of The Rings' meets 'The Beach', and you can start to imagine how gorgeous it is here. (Only minus the invading barbarian orcs, and cranky drug lords!) Because of all the cliffs, Railay is known to be the fourth best place on the planet for rock climbing. Being afraid of heights myself, I'll pass on that particular activity, but that doesn't mean that I can't still take in all the scenery! Honestly, do a google search on Krabi and sit and stare in awe at your computer screen at what pictures come up. I dare you! ;-)

Railay's on a small peninsula, but home to four different beaches, each with a very different and unique atmosphere. There's Railay West, where all the fancy resorts are, and home to a very beautiful beach with a wide shallow bay perfect for swimming. And to balance that out there's Railay East, home of all the budget accomodation. The beach is all mud at low tide and disappears during high tide, but is definitely the place where the good eats - and the partying - are at. Connected to Railay West during low tide is Hat Ton Sai, a small rocky beach full of cheap digs and an abundance of rock climbers. And then there's Phranang Beach, quite possibly the most beautiful beach in the entire world. I've been to a lot of beaches on this trip, but really nothing can compare to this one.

First of all, to get to this beach, you have to walk about ten minutes or so along the edges of some massive cliffs, whose base is riddled with small caves and dangling stalactites - and monkeys! Finally you make it to the beach, but not until you pass until a humoungous wall of rock which leans precariously towards the sea, as if the water is so beautiful and clear that even granite and limestone can't resist its draw. Underneath this rock wall is Phranang Cave, and it is here where the beach begins. It's a long, narrow, curving swath of clean white sand, nestled all the way of its length by straggly trees and bounded in at either end by walls of rock towering hundreds of feet into the air. And about half way along the beach, just off in the waters, is a massive chunk of rock rising out of the liquid turquoise, like a giant's discarded toy tossed into the sea. It really doesn't get any more amazing than this. You feel like you've discovered something so exotic and secret and heavenly that no mortal man could ever be worthy of its beautiful solitude. Or, you would feel this way, were it not for the few hundred other people also on the beach. Ahhh well...looks like I'll have to share this piece of paradise!

Janelle and I spent a full week here on Railay, and although the weather sucked most days (rain, rain, go away!) we made the most of it. Whenever there was a patch of sun, we'd throw off our clothes and run like madmen down to the sand to soak in whatever rays we could, desperate to maintain our golden tans. Even under cloudy skies, however, it was never cold, and we swam nearly every day in those beautiful waters. Ahhh man...I really don't wanna go home now!

And, if scenery weren't enough for us, we had the whole entire gang together here. Lucie and Baz had arrived the day before we did, and we ended up staying at the same hotel together, Viewpoint Resort, complete with bungalows and swimming pool. One night in the bar Janelle and I looked up and saw...Dave and Anthony...strolling in! What the hell! Yes, those English brothers that we had partied with in Ko Lanta had now made their way to Railay, with two of their own friends in tow, Andy and Carmen. And then I got an email from two old travelling buddies, Bobbi and Michael, who I had spent time with back in Mui Ne and Saigon, Vietnam. (Remember 'The Seashells' pop band?) ;-) Holy shit! The gang's all here!

Put together, we had a group of ten, and we certainly were a backpacker tour de force - and a party machine to be reckoned with! Nearly every night was spent at a place called The Last Bar where we consumed copious amounts of alcohol and stayed up far too late. What a blast and a half! Despite the fact that the bar played literally the exact same songs every single night, we had a good four consecutive nights of partying and everyone had a really great time. The beach is a good place to nurse a hang over, but luckily for me I fared quite well in that department with a minimal of suffering. We never let the rain or gray get to us cause when you've got great company you're having fun no matter what you're doing.

It really was a perfect way to end our trip. How fitting is it that our last stop is the one that is the most beautiful, and the one with the most amount of friends? Spectacular scenery, eight funtastic buds, delicious Thai food, a nice room to stay in, and a few pockets of gorgeous sun, all blended together into seven days of holiday bliss. Looks like Belinda Carlisle had it right after all - heaven is a place on Earth! ;-)

After our last day Janelle and I flew back to spend one more night in Bangkok. It was fun to wander thru Khao San Road again, and we stayed in the same hotel as we did two months ago - D&D Inn. After grabbing a quick bite from the street and taking in the circus for one last time, it was time to head to bed. We've got an early morning tomorrow! The next morning we headed to the airport to get on seperate planes heading to two different corners of the globe. She's travelling to Vancouver to spend a few days there with some friends, and I'm heading back to Korea for five final days in the Land Of The Morning Calm before flying back to Canada.

The 'Adventures In Asia' chapter of The S2H World Tour is almost finished, but not quite yet. Stay tuned to read about my final days in Korea, as well as two special bonus entries, summarizing Project Wanderlust with an Awards Ceremony, and giving you a run-down of Beaches: The Best Of The Best. Definitely a must-read for anyone who wants the inside scoop on travelling in Southeast Asia, and some more insights into PW. So don't touch that dial! There's more yet buddy, I promise you, I'm not saying goodbye to my fan base yet...

And, of course, there's always future chapters of The S2H World Tour, which are already in the works for the near future. You didn't think I was gonna stop travelling now, did you? Just cause I've been going for two years already doesn't mean I wanna stop - or even slow down for that matter! And you thought I was going to "settle down!?!?" Good heavens, no my child!

I've only just begun... :-)