Day 244: Ferry to Krabi
There is only one ferry from Phi Phi to Ao Nang Beach per day (at 3:30PM), so we had another lazy morning – sleeping in, pigging out at the breakfast buffet, swimming on the beach – before catching a longboat to the Tonsai Pier. The ferry ride took about 2 ½ hours (including a stop at the jaw-droppingly gorgeous Railay Beach).
Leaving Phi Phi from the Tonsai Pier
We had beautiful weather for our 2.5hr ferry ride to Ao Nang Beach in Krabi
Dramatic karst islands in the Andaman Sea
Drive-by of the Railay Penninsula – home to some of Thailand’s most popular beaches
Capturing some postcard-worthy pictures of Thailand’s islands during our ferry ride
We reach Ao Nang Beach right around sunset
Our ferry ticket included a transfer to our hotel, the Ban Sainai Resort – a really pretty, quiet hotel a good 15min drive outside the village. A bit inconvenient for dining outside, but when the manager gave us coupons for free drinks (good for *anything* on the menu this time!) and a free fruit platter, we decided to have dinner at the resort for once. As we walked across the grounds it was clear that the place was practically deserted – we wondered why?
When we sat down and looked at the menu, we discovered one feature of the hotel that might be a turn-off for Western guests: it was dry. Turns out Krabi has a large Muslim community and our hotel was close to a mosque (in fact, we could hear the evening call to prayer as we were checking in). Alcohol and pork were not served at the restaurant or pool bar (although we noticed wine glasses and a bottle opener in our room, so they didn’t seem to mind if anything was *brought in*). We were a little disappointed we couldn’t get a beer with dinner, but the food was still good.
The staff of the Ban Saiani welcome us with dark blue drinks and refreshing scented towels as we check in to our beautiful room
More welcome treats! We get TWO complimentary bags of banana chips – YUM! Perhaps they are hoping guests fill up on chips so they are too full to eat foul-smelling durians
Ordering a bruschetta appetizer – we skipped lunch so we are starving!
Pineapple fried rice that is almost too pretty to eat
The resort is set back from the village and the beach, right next to the towering limestone cliffs. The pool is deserted – since it’s open until 9PM, we jump in and enjoy the gorgeous scenery