When people go to Thailand for the first time, they often visit Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket and other places that everyone hears about. But for the second and third time they want something exclusive, unprecedented. And, of course, there are the islands. Krabi (this is the name of the province and its capital) in the Andaman Bay is the best advice.
This is a paradise with splendid flora and exotic fauna… A land where, after a running wave, a lot of small mollusks and crustaceans remain on the sand (that's why the local area has such a name), where, like bizarre stalked mushrooms, peep out from the depths of the sea rocks … Tourists come here who know exactly what you can take from life. They come from all over to admire the islands.
Krabi Town itself is also very good. Its center is small, but there you will find good and cheap shopping. The city itself is located on the mainland, but near it there are a lot of rivers, which - together with sea waters - make up whole labyrinths in the jungle formed from mangroves. They are very interesting to swim on.boats with a "long tail" (actually a very popular means of transportation in Thailand, when the motor is raised and lowered with a pole to steer from shallow water).
In addition, there are a lot of interesting limestone caves with the remains of stalagmites and stalactites, as well as natural hot springs right in the rainforest. The closest attraction is the Buddhist Tiger Temple (Wat Tam Sua). One of the shrines of this complex is located on the top of the mountain, to which more than one and a half thousand steps lead. Only the most courageous decide on such a difficult path, especially in the heat. But Thailand does not inspire guests to such feats.
Krabi Island - this is how tourists sometimes jokingly call Railay. This is another "trick" of the mainland of the province. A peninsula protruding into the sea and separated from Krabi Town on the one hand, and the fishing village (and now the fashionable resort of Aonang) on the other. These wild rocks have become a haven for many macaques, which tourists love to feed. These monkeys themselves jump from rocks into the water, frolic and dive - just for fun. You can get here only by boat, because the steep mountains two hundred meters high are impassable. There are several hotels on the peninsula itself, both five-star boutique hotels and inexpensive ones designed for backpackers. From Railay you can see the real islands. Krabi is famous for its tiny but amazingly beautiful rocks sticking out of the water. But the island of Poda is the object of many excursions. Upon their completion on the sandyOn the shore, tourists fry meat and fish on a fire. Or Chicken Island, which looks like a chicken with a hundred-meter neck and jungle feathers. A long sandy spit goes away from it. When a person steps on it, it seems that he is just walking on water. There are other islands here as well. Krabi is often associated with the name "Hong". It is the larger island that is the farthest from land. It was badly damaged by the tsunami at one time, and there is a monument to the dead there. Guides show tourists the inner lake, which can only be reached by a narrow channel that disappears at high tide.
But more than once, and not even twice, you need to come here to visit all the islands of Krabi. The map shows us that there are a huge number of them here - there are large ones, and there are smaller ones. And if you look around all the islands near Krabi Town itself, then there will still be large areas of land, such as Koh Lanta. And also an archipelago in the neighboring province of Phang Nga. (including James Bond Island). And even further - an hour's drive - are the most beautiful places in Thailand. For example, Phi Phi Island, where the famous film starring DiCaprio was filmed.
In a word, these picturesque and bizarre landscapes, with greenish or crystal clear blue water, white or yellow sand, rocks where monkeys, lizards and amazing colors of birds lurk, will forever remain in your memory and heart. You only have to see them once.