01.01.2020! #TheFirstOne

Day 1 of 2020!

When the clock struck 12AM my husband and I wished each other "Happy New Year" at Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru. Happiness, cheer and warm wishes all around. We were excited about our first trip of 2020.
Thai airways with their wonderful staff and hospitality made sure our New Year began spectacularly.
We landed in Bangkok, completed our visa on arrival process and took off to Krabi which was our destination for the next few days.
Celebrating new year at Krabi was awesome. We spent the day walking around the streets, sitting by the beach endless conversation complimented by the delectable Tender coconut ice cream and snacks.
We found a hidden gem of a restaurant in Krabi called “Kodam Kitchen” where we had our first dinner-date of the year sipping wine and gorging on seafood. This place is a must visit when you are at Krabi.
We stayed at Deevana Plaza which had courteous staff and good service. The night market is just few meters away from this place. And so is Ao Nang beach.

The plan was to explore the most famous Four Island Tour in Krabi; a speed Boat Trip to the beautiful islands of Koh Tup, Koh Gai, Koh Poda and PhraNang Cave Beach.
The tour wasn't a disappointment at all as we were at a loss of words and our wits by the end of it.
In case of no prior speed boat experience, sea-sickness is a possibility, so I strongly suggest you to take some tablets along with you.
Snorkeling and other activities were part of this tour. But hands down, the best part was the smell of the sea, cool breeze and of course the company ;)
We couldn't click many pictures as we were mesmerized by the beautiful islands and tried out all the water activities.
I strongly recommend street shopping in Krabi. Chocolates, Souvenirs, snacks can be found at reasonable price.

The next day we were all set to experience the natural hot springs in the area. Set out early, or else you will be met with a sea of “people soup”. We reached early enough to secure ourselves a good spot and get enough time to unwind in hot springs. For people who wish to swim, the locals have created temperature-controlled pools.
We followed it up with The Natural Rainforest Discovery tour at Khlong Thom National Park. There are two paths to reach your destination. We gave Robert Frost a run for his money as we took both the paths on the forward and return treks and man did it make all the difference. The muddy rocky path while walking towards the pools the well-defined path back made sure we didn’t miss any sights along the way. We trekked for a reasonable while to reach the blue pool and emerald lake. The blue pool though tempting was off-limits to swimmers, whereas the Emerald lake was not.
We followed it up with a visit to the tiger cave temple which we reached by walking through non-touristy path were rewarded by the discovery of some caves and ancient architecture.

After a heavy breakfast and with a heavy heart, it was time to say goodbye to Krabi.
Our next stop was Phuket. On the way to Phuket, we visited the Dolphin show. It was superb. We were shocked, surprised and stunned at the way the seals and dolphins danced, sang and even painted! A must watch if you are around Phuket.
We followed it up with a visit to the much talked about Tiger Kingdom. Heads-up: long wait hours before you are sent inside the cage meet the tigers. I am not sure how these tigers are tamed but they're definitely friendlier than the cats that prowl my neighborhood back in Bengaluru.
We stayed at the Sunset Beach resort in Phuket. Lovely place with the prettiest sunset view, The Food options were good. Staff was friendly.

Final day plan was The Phi Phi island tour; famous for the colourful marine life and exotic coral reefs.
Snorkeling here was much better than the Krabi island tour. Colourful and lovely view. Don’t miss it.
We spent the whole day going across different islands of Phi Phi, greeting some monkeys at the Monkey beach. You need to be very careful here as these monkeys are way too smart and known to snatch food, water bottle, phone etc; basically, anything within their reach. Also, beware of monkey bites. Stay safe!
Tired and exhausted we headed back to our hotel where we were welcomed to some live music, a beautiful sunset and food to rival the hobbits.
We enjoyed the night markets, street food, Thai cuisine and their hospitality. Extremely friendly people and a lovely place, definitely worth the visit.
If you are a vegetarian or aren't daring enough to try street food or Thai cuisine, please do carry some ready to eat items.
Also, look for a 7/11 or a family mart shop around where you can pick some items quickly.
The next day we took our flight back to Bengaluru. A short trip but definitely a memorable one! The first of many more to go in 2020.