Krabi steps into the luxury echelon

The click-clack of well-heeled travellers is a rare sound on the streets of Krabi. Many visitors only catch a glimpse of the modest little town through the tinted windows of their plush transfer vehicle, en route to some swanky beach resort.

In the past, Krabi never aspired to being anything more than a sleepy backpacker stopover; it was comfortable shuffling along in the same old familiar flip flops. But lately, the town has taken some baby steps towards a more comprehensive tourist infrastructure.

Without selling out to crude commerciality, Krabi is confidently carving a niche in the high end market. Using facets of leisure, art, culture and health to attract new interest, the town is gaining credibility and becoming a more appealing destination to affluent travellers.

The 46-berth marina, set to open at the end of March 2010, could bring a new wave of tourism with it. The marina is located close to the Krabi’s centre, and will provide a convenient gateway for luxury travellers. With this sturdy rung on the ladder, Krabi has the opportunity to climb to new levels of popularity and profitability.

As local hotels struggle to keep afloat during turbulent financial tides, luxury pool villas are becoming an increasingly popular choice of accommodation. These managed homes not only feature all the lavish trimmings of a high-end resort for a cheaper rate, but they are unparalleled in terms of privacy.

Pierre-Yves Loiers, the creative force behind Krabi Villa, describes the advantages a private pool villa has over a resort suite: “you can play music and drink champagne in the jacuzzi at 3am without causing any disturbance, enjoy a private butler service, and you tell us what time you want the cleaners to arrive.”

Krabi Villa provides guests with a mobile phone with speed dials for a poolside massage, free transport to the beach and the in-villa butler service. Every service can be tailored to suit guests’ individual needs, ensuring the ultimate relaxing experience.

Many luxury travellers are switching to this style of accommodation due to the maximized space, privacy and relaxation, not to mention considerable savings.

Krabi’s dining scene may lack the variety found in Phuket; however, it makes up for it with a few extra ladles of authenticity. Ruen Mai is Krabi’s longest-standing restaurant, and is well known beyond provincial borders, for its exceptional food and incredible ambience.

The restaurant is located in a concealed leafy oasis just outside the town centre. Lush nature paints the perfect backdrop for al fresco dining and Buddhist art pieces add an almost temple-like aura. The array of tasty classic Thai dishes, such as mango and cashew nut salad and tom yam kung (a hot and sour broth with shrimp), are always fresh and sensationally flavoursome.

This blend of delicious food, rustic décor and jungle ambience, ensures the restaurant remains a firm favourite among locals and visitors.

Across town, Takola Restaurant is a newer addition to Krabi’s dining scene, and also offers the winning combo of exotic setting and consistently good food. Takola trades tradition for trend; with brilliant white columns, waxy foliage and subdued lighting creating a modern tropical accent.

Takola prides itself on its range of healthy dishes, which are accompanied by a bed of mixed leaves, freshly picked from the on-site hydrophonic farm.

The chef adds a dash of elegance to everyday dishes by incorporating high quality ingredients. Diners can choose red curry with imported beef, or enjoy spring rolls stuffed with fresh river prawns; the restaurant excels at putting a classy spin on everyday fare.

The wine list features a number of good New World wines, which complement the restaurant’s signature spicy cuisine.

Luxury spa treatments are a necessary indulgence on any visit to Asia, and Kantawan Spa, in Krabi, offers a tranquil setting for some star-rated pampering. The traditional Lanna-style teak house overlooks a lotus pond, and the interior is thoughtfully designed using natural materials and subdued lighting to promote relaxation.

Asian massage, deep-cleansing facials and invigorating body scrubs are performed by professional therapists using nature’s finest ingredients; customers can also enjoy private use of the sauna and jacuzzi.

A stylish new yoga studio has recently opened in Krabi, and offers bilingual instruction in various styles of yoga. Soul of Yoga offers three classes each day, including hot yoga and children’s yoga.

Other noteworthy sites for the discerning traveller include Krabi Contemporary Art Gallery and Wat Gaew Korawaram. Works of national and international artists are exhibited in the new art gallery, many of which depict local landmarks and scenery. The new temple, which is still under construction, will house the South’s largest library of Buddhist literature.

In Krabi, visitors can immerse themselves in the rich local culture and enjoy a truly authentic experience, while still enjoying all the essential elements of a luxury holiday.

Which way to party?

One of things most visitors love about Krabi is the opportunity to have an authentic Thai experience without straying too far from familiarity. Delving into the local culture is a lot less daunting when there’s the comforting assurance of bread and coffee on the breakfast table each morning.

In Krabi, you can shovel rice like a local or grab a Colonel’s burger. You can elbow your way through the sweaty market or enjoy a leisurely spree at the mall. Similarly, after dark you can choose your preferred route on the party circuit.

Locals swarm to noisy, air conditioned live music venues, with scantily-clad hostesses and bottles of Johnny Walker, while Western revellers tend to frequent the tourist-orientated bars, where they are more hopeful to find some social interaction.

If you prefer to kick back with like-minded travellers and exchange tales and travel tips over a cold beer or a G’n’T, then Chao Fa Road is the best bet. Many of the bars along this main tourist strip have pool tables, live sports action on large screen TVs and cocktail menus to write home about.

A healthy expat community ensures the candle stays aglow on a nightly basis, and their impromptu parties in venues such as Fu Bar, Chilling Room and the Rooftop Bar are well worth gate crashing. These bars are all located along Krabi’s main tourist hub, Chao Fa Road.

Fu Bar is Krabi’s main rasta den, featuring compulsory tricolour décor, reggae beats and a team of dreaded and tattooed characters. Low tables and floor cushions allow the crowd to mingle without much effort, and the pool table often sparks some friendly rivalry between travellers and locals.

Across the road, the leprechauns have been chased out of town, and a new, sophisticated lounge has replaced the beer-stained eyesore that was the Irish Bar. Chilling Bar certainly knows how to deliver the ideal blend of comfort, class and of course, cocktails.

Whether it’s a griddled steak or a seven-piece live band from Malaysia, it’s served mighty hot with lashings of devotion from the new owner, despite being the coolest joint in town. This is one of the few bars where you can find a mixed Thai and Western clientele.

Further up the social slope, The Rooftop Bar is a bright and breezy spot for sinking a few cocktails as the sun heads south. The sweeping views of the town and surrounding coastline are sure to unsteady your legs, if they aren’t already jelly-like from the arduous hike up the steps.

On entering the bar, the necessary climb is quickly forgiven and forgotten. The Rooftop’s chic open-air deck offers welcome relief from the stifling ground-level heat, and the uber-cool bar stools provide the perfect perch for sipping the bar’s exotic signature cocktail.

Travellers who brave the Krabi club scene will be rewarded, not with free drinks or even a guaranteed enjoyable night, but with an invaluable glimpse of Thai club culture. Every aspect, from the lay-out to the line-up, differs dramatically from the average Western nightclub, so it is always an eye-opening experience for the curious traveller.

Crazy Pub is the town’s most central nightspot, located on Maharat Road close to the Shell garage. From 21:00 the house band blast out renditions of popular Thai pop and rock songs, to a mostly seated crowd - until the whiskey kicks in and they find their feet.

Weeknights are quite tame, but the venue can be very crowded on weekends, when young revellers are out in full force. Locals tend to bring their own bottle of whiskey or brandy, but the bar is quite well stocked with local and imported beers, as well as some spirits such as gin and vodka.

Most bands are fronted by an attractive female singer, whose repertoire usually includes a few familiar hits from home (which never seem to get old in Thailand).

On the same road, Room 69 is a modern venue with the latest hi-tech sound and lighting equipment, an outdoor terrace and different bands playing each night. Seating is limited and most clubbers congregate around elevated tables. Although few people actually dance, a sea of raised arms beat out the popular anthems mid air.

After the band raps up, a DJ pumps out thumping Thai trance and techno. Tracks are played at high speed and interrupted often by the DJ talking on the mic, spoiling the flow for those who want to dance. Although the crowd begins to disperse after the band finishes around 01:00, punters can drink and dance well into the wee hours.

It’s definitely worth hitting some of these hotspots while in Krabi, just to experience this unique brand of clubbing. Interacting with the locals is sure to be one of the main highlights of your trip, and even if the barriers of language get in the way, there are always glasses to clink.

Crazy Pub and Room 69 are both located on Maharat Road; Fu Bar, Chilling Bar and Rooftop Bar are located on Chao Fa Road.

Krabi welcomes a new season with Boek Fa Andaman Festival

Every year during November, Krabi celebrates the beginning of a new season of tourism with the ‘Boek Fa Andaman Festival’ which means - ‘Opening the Andaman Sea’. After the long rainy season, locals gather in anticipation of the influx of tourists over the coming months.

Tourism is the mainstay of Krabi’s economy and as new arrivals touch down, there is great hope among the community for a long, prosperous season. The festival is also a celebration of the rich diversity of cultures in the region - the food and crafts on sale reflect the infusion of styles from India, Malaysia and China.

While past festivals had featured exhibits drawn exclusively from within Krabi Province, this year, traditional arts and crafts from each of the fourteen Southern provinces were on display.

The festivities commenced on November 20 in Tara Park, close to the town centre. After dark, the vibrant market scene was beautifully illuminated against the Krabi River. Hundreds of shoppers browsed the range of basket-ware, textiles, jewellery, coconut products, plants and furniture. Aromas filled the air as vendors concocted an array of mouthwatering snacks and desserts, demonstrating their unique cooking techniques.

Each night, the main stage hosted a wide variety of entertainment including shadow puppet shows known as ‘Nang Talung’, traditional southern Thai dance or ‘Manora’, as well as upcoming local bands and singers.

‘Nang Talung’ is the indigenous performing art in the south of Thailand. It uses figures cut from animal leather, elaborately painted and attached to bamboo sticks. These figures are manipulated from behind a screen, accompanied by narration, dialogue and music in an hour-long story from Ramayana, an ancient Sanskrit epic. The chief of Nang Talung sits behind the screen and not only narrates the play but provides dialogues for each of the puppets. It is a hugely popular form of entertainment and a regular feature of festivals in this area.

Manora dancing is revered by Thais throughout the country and originates from the southern province of Pattalung. It is the dance of a half human, half bird creatures featured in Ramayana. Dancers at the festival wowed the audience with their elegant gestures and colourful costumes.

A second smaller stage featured performances from local musicians. Isalee Mala played traditional Thai folk music known as ‘Rong Ngeng’, and there were also appearances by Jellyfish band, featuring Choy and Thai reggae sensation Job2do.

Rong Ngeng music is played on violins, mandolins, Arabian drums and Chinese gongs accompanied by old fashioned Western dances. It is still prominent in Koh Lanta, where the first settlers inherited the legacy from the Portuguese, who had been the first Europeans to trade with Thailand.

Local musician and tsunami survivor Choy, whose real name is Piyasak Guntharungsi, performed a selection of songs he composed for his debut album Andaman : Lesson of Loss. The album is an expression of his mixed emotions about the tsunami, but ultimately Choy uses the power of music to send a message to the world, encouraging people to visit the islands and areas worst affected by the tsunami.

Choy explained the purpose of the festival: “It marks and celebrates the beginning of a new tourist season for Krabi. It is the end of the monsoon, when the rain disappears and tourists can enjoy the surrounding nature and good weather once again.”

He added: “Krabi is blessed with beautiful beaches, mountains, islands, hot springs and forests. It is a central point on the Andaman coastline and a gateway to so many other idyllic holiday destinations, for example - Phuket, Ko Lanta, Koh Phi Phi. We are very proud to reside in Krabi, it is a special place with so much culture and endless activities on offer. The international airport also makes it very accessible.”

Job2Do brought a slightly more contemporary sound to the festival performing a selection of his popular reggae songs. The crowds thronged to watch the undisputed Thai king of reggae, complete with synchronized fire show.

The festival was a showcase for Krabi’s charm, hospitality and rich heritage. Krabi is well and truly open for business.

Ang Thong Archipelago - Koh Samui

Consisting of around 40 small islands, 27 kilometres from Koh Samui, the Ang Thong Archipelago is a scene of incomprehensible beauty. Perhaps Mother Nature sprinkled her magic in the sea to create this isolated paradise away from the destructive hands of mankind. The group of irregular limestone karsts jut out of the emerald sea in a haphazard arrangement. A verdant carpet softens the jagged contours of the mountains and glowing fringes of white sand define the shoreline.

All of the islands are uninhabited, apart from one, Lok Paluay, which is home to a band of sea-gypsies, or ‘Chaolay’ as they are locally known as. These sea-faring nomads can be found along many isolated stretches of coastline in the south of Thailand, and have their own distinct culture based around animistic beliefs. They make their living from fishing, often using very primitive equipment with great skill. Despite cultural differences including their own language, the sea gypsies have lived in harmony with all other Thai religions for many centuries.

The island’s topography provides the ultimate tropical adventure playground. Caves, lagoons and hidden natural treasures spark images of classic desert island movies. Opportunities for exploration and discovery are endless. An arduous climb on Koh Mae Ko (Mother Island) is well rewarded with views of an emerald saltwater lake fully enclosed by a ring of towering limestone cliffs and connected to the sea by an underground tunnel.

Ang Thong translates as ‘golden bowl’, and refers to this isolated lake which resembles a brilliant gleaming bowl, protected by the encircling mountains. Many of the islands are named after their distinguishing features, including ‘Sleeping Cow Island’ and ‘Three Pillar Island’. Some islands have passageways leading to lofty peaks, where panoramic views across the Ang Thong Archipelago allow visitors the chance to appreciate this spectacular natural creation in its entirety.

Ang Thong Archipelago is a National Park which means the island’s wildlife is protected and allowed to flourish in an untouched environment. The wooded areas of the park can be classified as dry evergreen forest, beach forest and limestone forest. Dry evergreen forests dominate the larger islands, beach forests provide shade on the beach, and the limestone forests sprout from the soil covered areas of the mountains.

Only small animals inhabit the islands, and the 16 species of mammals include otters, langurs, crab-eating monkeys, hogs and silver haired bats. Dolphins and whales have also been spotted off shore. More than 54 species of bird, 14 species of reptile and five species of amphibians also reside in the National Park. The surrounding water is teeming with tropical fish, crabs, oysters and a rainbow of coral carpets the sea floor.

The sheer scale of the archipelago means it is possible to find secluded beaches away from the crowds, where you can concoct your own desert island fantasy. The islands are a great spot for water based activities such as kayaking and snorkelling. Kayakers can paddle through mysterious caves and examine the fascinating stalactite dripstones at close range. Snorkelling provides a window to view the thriving underwater world of vibrant colour and curious form.

Koh Sam Sao boasts a massive coral reef, and is a popular with snorkellers. This hilly island is also a great place to admire a panoramic view of the National Park. The most rewarding time to snorkel in the Ang Thong Archipelago is from late March until October, this is when visibility is at its best. However the islands can be visited all year round, with only the monsoon season occasionally disrupting the sunshine from September until November.

Accommodation is available at the National Park Headquarters in Koh Wua Talap, in the form of basic bungalows, however most visitors arrive on day trips. Travelling to the archipelago by speedboat means you can explore the islands in a smaller group and avoid the masses. The large tour boats carry up to 50 people, and involve transferring to a longtail boat in order to reach your island of choice

Photographers will get lost in the scenery. From the karst-silhouetted seascapes to the mountainous interiors and the abundant wildlife, this stunning setting certainly isn’t camera shy. The most popular activity on the islands is simply enjoying their incredible beauty and tranquillity. The islands’ sandy shores provide a relaxing haven for soaking up the sun’s glorious rays and contemplating this tropical paradise.

Laanta Lanta Festival: A celebration of cultural diversity

The Laanta Lanta Festival is held annually on Koh Lanta Yai during the month of March. The event celebrates the eclectic mix of cultures and traditions found across the island. In a world where so many nations are divided by religious and cultural differences, it is inspiring to behold this crucible of cultures, where people can reside together in peace and harmony.

The Koh Lanta archipelago is made up of more than fifty small islets, most of which are uninhabited; Koh Lanta Yai is the most popular with tourists and also has the largest population. The island’s topography consists mainly of abundant forest land, mountainous terrain, pristine beaches and plentiful marine resources. Koh Lanta’s original name was ‘Palau Satak’ which means ‘long beach island’ in Malay. In 1917 it was officially changed to Koh Lanta - thought to come from the Javanese word for ‘fish grill’.

Lanta Old Town, located on the South Eastern coast, is worth visiting at any time of year. Once a major sea port and the commercial centre for the island, it provided a safe harbour for Arabic and Chinese trading vessels sailing between Phuket, Penang and Singapore. The town’s status changed fifty years ago with the advent of roads and automobiles, which linked the island with the mainland - now tourism and fishing are the main source of income for the locals. Despite the growing tourist industry, Lanta Old Town retains its quaint charm. Sino-style wooden shop fronts and stilted houses are evidence of a rich history as well as the diverse mix of cultures residing in the area.

The Old Town is home to three main ethnic groups: Chao Ley (Sea Gypsies), Thai-Muslim and Thai-Chinese. The Chao Ley preceded the Malay (Muslim) immigrants while the Chinese merchants arrived more than 100 years ago.

The Chao Ley have occupied the area for over 500 years, settling along the coast in houses built upon stilts. They are unique in that they speak their own language, have animist beliefs and retain close ties with the sea. Thai-Muslims make up the majority of the population and the Thai Chinese settlers have assimilated into local community working as business owners, agricultural farmers and fishermen. There is no religious tension between these groups and they have lived together in peace and harmony for hundreds of years. The ethnic diversity is reflected in the old Sino-style houses, mosques, Buddhist temples and traditional Thai housing styles, all on one island.

The Laanta Lanta Festival is held each year as a celebration of this unique community spirit, locals and visitors congregated to enjoy an array of cultural facets still prevalent on the island today. Festivities commenced on March 7 - lasting three days and nights - featuring music, dance, cultural performances and markets. Glowing red Chinese lanterns illuminated the streets while the aroma of incense and spice filled the night air. Vendors lined the town’s streets, as locals and tourists browsed the waterside stalls admiring the old wooden Chinese shop-fronts. Craftsmen and artists from the surrounding area exhibited a variety of goods, including leather, jewellery, batik and a miscellany of souvenirs.

The Old Town’s melting pot of cultures is well represented in the local cuisine. Aromatic flavours, originating from India, Malaysia and China are infused in a variety of dishes such as Chinese noodles in fish curry (Kanom Jeen) and Malaysian style chicken in yellow rice with roasted spice (Khao Mok Gai).

The vibrancy and freshness of the ingredients alone is enough to whet your appetite. Bright yellow juicy corns, freshly caught fish and exotic juices served in bamboo beakers tempted the taste buds of passing shoppers.

The main stage stood brightly illuminated at the water’s edge while smaller cultural displays of music and dance taking place close to the Old Town Museum. The first act to take to the main stage was Assalee Mala, a band well known throughout Thailand for it’s traditional Thai Rong Ngeng folk music. Rong Ngeng is a style of folk music and dance incorporating western style dance steps while music is played on violins, Arabian drums and Chinese gongs accompanied by Malaysian lyrics.

‘Rong Ngeng’ has been popular on Koh Lanta for over a century and is often played at weddings, festivals and by sea gypsies. There have been many recent attempts to keep the music alive, particularly in Koh Lanta and other Southern areas of Thailand. The band’s violinist known as “Mac”, explained: “We enjoy playing all over Thailand but we love playing in Koh Lanta and close to the Malaysian border. The music originates from here so there is a great atmosphere among the crowd.” Mac also alluded to what makes the Laanta Lanta Festival special: “The amazing mix of culture and traditions makes it an exciting experience. You can try so many different styles of food and hear a variety of music. It is fun for everyone involved. Tourists can learn a lot about the interesting history of this island and take home some great memories,” he said

The festival was an impressive and enjoyable showcase of the cultural diversity of Koh Lanta. Most importantly, it is a positive example to the world how people of different ethnic groups can live together peacefully and respectfully.