Thailand is always somewhere I’ve wanted to see. Those idyllic beaches, the incredible food and magazine worthy scenery, what’s not to love? I have a number of friends who have explored a lot of this part of the world and the island of Krabi comes up a lot in their recommendations but before now it was quite tricky to get to with multiple flights and transfers across Thailand.
Qatar Airways have just launched a direct flight from Doha to Krabi so it takes a lot of stress out your journey and quite frankly takes away any excuses not to go! I flew business class with Qatar from Manchester to Krabi stopping only at Doha in between and it was the most comfortable long haul travel I’ve ever done – more on our business class experience here! The journey was a real joy and made the time differences and travel time a total breeze – Qatar’s service seriously blew me away.
But why should you visit Krabi? Here are my top 3 reasons!
The Scenery
First things first, Krabi is just beautiful. With its limestone mountains, secret pure white sand beaches and crystal clear waters, this is the place to visit for a step into paradise. We spent a whole day speedboating around the nearby islands, splashing in the warm sea and relaxing on the sand.
We started on Hong island which is a real treat to see. With calm and quiet shores, secret coves and some very curious fish that swam around your toes as you step into the water. If you google Thailand Beaches this place should be number one – it was stunning. We relaxed on the sand and took in the serenity that surrounded us – this is exactly what I imagined when I dreamed of visiting Thailand and it blew me away.
Next stop was Maya Beach the location for the film The Beach with Leonardo DiCaprio! It was a truly beautiful beach with amazing view points, a real little sun trap. The only thing was that it was pretty busy as to be expected with such a famous part of Thailand. I couldn’t have spent the day here with this many people but it was stunning to see. I can imagine if you bag yourself an early morning boat here you’d be in heaven.
For lunch we stopped at Phi Phi Island which was incredibly tranquil with just the sea ahead of us and palm trees all around. We drank cocktails from coconuts (another bucket list item of mine as you know!) and lapped up the December sunshine. It was a beach with an atmosphere but wasn’t too crowded – just right.
With a few Thai beers on the speedboat and plenty of time to chat with your boat mates it made for a lovely day out (suncream required!) and something I definitely recommend you do – there are plenty of speedboat tours you can book in for in your hotel and also in the main town of Ao Nang for a good price.
The Relaxation
During our time in Krabi we stayed at the Sofitel Golf and Spa Resort which was quite simply perfect. With sea views, excellent food, incredibly comfortable rooms and staff that couldn’t do enough for you I’d highly recommend it as a place to stay during your holiday.
They have one of the biggest pools in Thailand and a great activities programme so you really can do as much or as little as you like on your holiday to Krabi. They also have a great spa where you can sample the delights of a traditional Thai massage. We were booked in on our first evening which is a fantastic thing to do after a long flight and we enjoyed a very relaxing aromatherapy massage with traditional firm Thai pressure. All my knots were worked out and I’m not going to lie to you I actually fell asleep on the massage bed!
If you’re looking for another step up in luxury and relaxation then The Ritz Carlton Reserve Phulay Bay is the place for you. This resort is completely secluded for ultimate privacy and the very first Ritz Carlton Reserve in the world! With 25 acres and 54 rooms ranging from luxury king size beds to villas with their own pools overlooking the sea you’re sure to be looked after here.
We enjoyed a traditional Thai massage here and I have to say my therapist nearly broke me but it was SO good! With spa hydrotherapy pools surrounded by palms and leaving you feeling like the entire spa is your own and beautifully tranquil rooms this is the place to be for pure relaxation.
There’s something very laid back about Thailand as a whole – this really is a destination you can visit to re-charge and relax in the sun.
The Food
Thai food has been my favourite type of cuisine for a long time but I always felt like a bit of a fraud for saying so as I’d never actually tried traditional Thai food! But I’m happy to report that it definitely lived up to expectations everywhere we ate in Krabi. With spicy soups, fresh salads, hearty curry dishes and delectable nibbles I was in my gastro-element!
At The Ritz Carlton Reserve we took part in a cooking class with their head chef and it was such a treat! We learned how to make Tom Yum Soup and Som Tam Salad which I got the recipes for just for you guys in case you wanted to give them a go at home – I certainly will!
A cooking class is a great way to learn more about a culture’s tastes and traditional food. It’s also a lovely way to take home a souvenir from your trip – I’ll certainly be making those two dishes again for friends and family now I’m back!
I absolutely loved my time in Krabi – it really opened my eyes to a new part of the world that I’m now so thirsty to explore more of. If you’ve ever discounted Krabi as a destination because it
If you’ve ever discounted Krabi as a destination because it was too tricky to reach then Qatar have got you covered. Our journey was just so easy and I’d strongly recommend you check out when the next flight departs and get yourself on it!
What a fabulous island!
xax