Brown Skin Girl (Krabi: Day 1)

If there is a song perfect for this vacation, it’s Brown Skin Girl by Blue Ivy, seeing that all I did since I stepped foot in Krabi is explore its beauty, resulting in my shining tanned skin.

Krabi is associated with many legends. Some say that a hermit cursed all the people turning them into caves, islands, mountains, bays, etc. after a war over a daughter of a local governor. People also fight about the origin of its word. Others say it means sword because in 1872 local people found an ancient sword at Ban NaLuang and the sword is now used as the symbol of the province. Some historians argue and say that krabi was derived from the word krabue which means buffalo because the province has many buffalos and is the market of the nearby regions. Others disagree and say that it actually means monkey since the city was one of the 12 satellite cities of Nakhon Si Thammarat province and monkey is their mascot.

However, no matter where the word came from, it’s undisputed that Krabi is one of the most ancient cities. Archaeological evidences have been found around the province’s caves and cliffs, like prehistoric stone tools, ancient coloured photos, beads, pottery and skeletal remains which is thought that Krabi is home of homo sapiens between the period of 25000-35000 B.C.

What amazes me is not its history though, but the scenic views around Krabi. I’ve seen photos of this province circulating online and as a person hungry for new places, I always long to visit. People might think I’m foolish to dream of visiting different places, beaches, and countrysides but it is what it is. This dream came true one summer when I went backpacking. 

It’s nothing new being ditched by friends who cancel at the last minute so I said, ‘I’m gonna do this!’ and packed my bag. I rebooked a lot of hotel reservations because, well, it’s gonna be me and that’s an advantage – you can change anything on your itinerary. On the contrary though, it also means I have no one to share expenses with. Haha! Huhu! 

Places To Visit for Solo Travelers: 

Ao Nang Beach

This is a small, bustling beach and the most famous, which is located at the heart of Krabi’s tourist town. A line of cafes, shops, restaurants, banks, and ticket booths can be found along the coast. However, in the middle of the pandemic, most of these shops were closed and it’s sad to see businesses becoming dead. But life moves on. 

Facing the beach, there is a booth that sells tickets for a boat ride going to Railay. It’s on the end of the beach, on the left side. It’s quite busy with tourists sometimes so you can’t miss it. I believe each ride cost 100thb.

Tonsai Beach

After a short rainshower, I decided to visit Tonsai Beach that can be reached only by boat or through the mountain karst when low tide. I purchased my longboat ticket at Ao Nang but silly me, I didn’t buy another ticket to Railey nor a ticket coming back to Ao Nang. Maybe I was thinking of swimming or flying, I don’t know. 

Tonsai is situated between Ao Nang and Railay, with mountain karsts on one side and the beach on the other. It’s quiet with only one or two resorts operating. Most people come here to enjoy the silence or to rock climb which is quite famous in Krabi. But since Tonsai is not easily accessible by foot, it can be hard for tourists to just visit without planning to stay a long time. That is why they usually tell you to stay in the resort or buy a ticket for a longboat.

I found myself to be the only one swimming here. I enjoyed my solitude. Taking videos, snapping photos and swimming. I only became concerned when afternoon was approaching and I saw no longboat in sight. Now, this is a problem! But, I discovered a secret. 

Railay Beach

Seeing that I am now the only one, I decided to take a walk to a shanty kind of bar in front of the resort. Some climbers are still enjoying the crags so I let them be and didn’t ask questions. When I found nothing – no snacks, no person, no nothing, I walked back. How are you going to go back, you fool?! However, I noticed people disappearing in the mountain that was covered in trees and curiosity took hold of me. 

Ao Nang, Tonsai, and Railay are on the same side of the peninsula of Krabi but separated by mountain karsts, stones, and waters. With this in mind, I decided to trek to see where it would lead me but that I needed to hurry whilst it was still low tide or else I wouldn’t be able to make it once the water rises. 

To my surprise, there was actually a trail going to Railay from Tonsai. It was quite steep and one wrong step, you’ll find yourself in the ocean. There are ropes that will guide you but it is not advisable to trek at night or when the water is high. 

After a few minutes of trekking, wondering if I am on the right track, I made it to Railay. My heart was stirred and I started laughing! Man, that was thrilling! If there is one thing I always yearn for in life is this, the never ending adventure. And that was handed to me when I trekked from one beach to another. Hah! 

From the very end of the beach of Railay, I walked to the center. Then, it started raining! Hard. Wow! I must be so dear to heavens to know when to pour down heavy. When it stopped, I enjoyed strolling around, enrolled in a half-day of rock climbing, I had a very pleasant time sipping my smoothie and bought another ticket back to Ao Nang.

I guess we will see how my remaining days will end in Krabi! 

Brown Skin Girl signing off.