Day three of our trip starts with a sumptuous breakfast at Sofitel Krabi Phokeethra Golf and Spa Resort. It was definitely one of the best breakfast spread that I have come across ~ the choices were amazing – from cold cuts, fruits, salad, to bread and pastries and in the hot section, amazing selections of Asian and Western items, dimsum, cook to order noodles, eggs and also desserts such as pancakes, crepes and waffles.
After a hearty breakfast, we had a little time to spend exploring the amazing resort of Sofitel Krabi Phokeethra. We thought of having a swim again in the amazing swimming pool but then the girls wanted to explore the So Spa by L’Occitane instead so we went to check out the beautiful spa which is set in a building on its own. The So Spa by L’Occitane has 12 private rooms ~ with options of single or couple rooms. So SPA is focused on delivering a rejuvenating spa experience through a balance of ancient Thai traditions with refined modern French cosmetology techniques. Their spa menu is extensive, providing a wide range of experiences for men, women and even children from age 5 to 12. They even have combinations of spa experiences with afternoon tea sessions or a romantic candle-light dinner.
After the visit to the So Spa by L’Occitane, we just went around to take photos on the beautiful well manicured ground of the hotels before checking out. The check-out was simple and easy and we know we will sure missed this amazing resort. How we wished we have stayed longer here. (you can read more about Sofitel Krabi Phokeethra Golf and Spa Resort here)
After the checkout, we headed out to Ao Luek, which is about a 45 minutes drive from Klong Muang area for the Bor Thor Kayak experience within the Thanboke Koranee National Park. The 2 hours kayak experience is suitable for all, as no experience is needed. There is a guide who will actually paddle the kayak (even though one can always help out if wanted) and you just sit and enjoy the natural beauty of the limestone caves, archaeological sites, mangrove forest and the calm river and inlets.
We are glad we went with the original kayak tour provider – Kayak Borthor Aoluk and the tour guide we had was amazing. He is so fluent in his English and he is also the direct descendant of the people who actually discovered the various archaeological sites within the limestone caves accessible only via the waterways.
We were given brief instruction about kayaking and about the tour before embarking on the journey. The weather that day was great, we started about 1pm and at first we were worried it might be really hot, but the mangrove forest did give us a lot of shades. Our first stop was in the middle of the main river, where we learn about oyster farming. We then paddle out to Tham Lot where we get to explore the beautiful limestone caves.
From Tham Lot we move on to the famous Pee Hua Toh or the Big Headed Ghost Cave or Skull Cave. We disembark from our kayak to explore the many really impressive cave drawings from thousands of years ago – some are still very well preserved, some a little faded but still impressive. The view point near the top of the cave is also very nice.
From Pee Hua Toh, we headed out to Tham Khao Wong, which is a rock tunnel (accessibility is dependent on tide) that opens up to a tranquil lagoon in the middle of the mountain. We were told the lagoon formed when the roof of the caves collapse thousands of years ago. We only had time for these four stops before we started to paddle back.
Once the kayak journey ends, we were treated to an awesome Thai family-styled meals with amazing dishes served. Our late lunch was superb, probably also because we were a little hungry from the kayak adventure and its like past 3pm.
We were indeed grateful to have followed Sulaiman and his crew for this kayaking experience. If you are planning to head to Krabi and looking for something fun to do – do contact Sulaiman from Choke Thara Travel at (+6688760827 / +66884514652). The cost for this kaying experience is 1500 baht per person (inclusive of hotel pick up from Krabi area and lunch) or 800 baht per person (for walk-in inclusive of lunch).
From Ao Luk, we drove back to Ao Nang beach this time for check in to Krabi Resort – the only resort on Ao Nang area with its own private beach. We checked into our Tropical Pool Villa at about 5pm and we didn’t want to leave the villa.
The 143 sqm villa is simply amazing with an over-sized bedroom, a really gigantic bathroom with a huge tub, separate shower stall and a walk-in closet. The living area is comfortable and both the living area and bedroom opens to an outdoor pool amidst a tropical setting.
We went out to explore the resort, especially the sunset beach during sunset for some beautiful photos and although we were planning to explore Ao Nang that evening, the girls wanted to just chill at the villa, so we just had some take out of padthais and pizzas.
We just spend the end of day three chilling in the pool before having a restful night.
Read roadtrippers.asia 1.0 Day 1 here.
Read roadtrippers.asia 1.0 Day 2 here.