Temples of dreams
from Bangkok. This area is far more rural with resorts only really taking off around 20 years ago according to locals.
Now, it’s home to luxury hotspots like Banyan Tree where you can stay in rooms with incredible ocean views out over Phang Nga Bay and the Andaman Sea.
The water is bright turquoise blue, warm even in winter, and is studded with islands and white sand beaches. You can book boat tours on a traditional Thai longboat where you’ll whizz through the water using their modded engines to the islands where you can sunbathe, snorkel and spot wildlife.
Not only are there plenty of fish to spot, but also crabs, stingrays and even dolphins. Drinks and meals on Hong Island cost from around £1.80 to £4.50.
I’d also recommend trying your hand at stand-up paddle boarding while in Krabi as when you fall you’ll only land in warm water and soft sand.
The food of the region is impressive too – I discovered Tub Tim Grob; a dessert made from coconut milk and grenadine-soaked water chestnuts – sweet and refreshing. It’s also the home of massaman curry – a sweet, rich lamb dish perfect with dosas thanks to the small local Muslim population.
Plus, the Pad Thai is sweet, sour and spicy at the Naga restaurant at Banyan Tree.
They also serve an incredible breakfast, with access to a white sand beach and a view of the islands.
Phuket: three nights
There’s a fantastic temple on the route from Krabi to Phuket known as Wat Bang Thong that I would recommend. It’s unlike lots of other temples, featuring huge statues of figures holding snakes and other animals. The temple itself is a towering golden structure and it’s filled with intricate statues lining the walls and can often be very quiet with the only sound the chanting Buddhist monks.
When you arrive in Phuket you’ll feel transported to another world. Monkey howls occasionally sound out and you may even spot some.
There are plenty of beaches and Phuket Town is filled with colourful shop fronts. Street food vendors line the roads selling skewers and fruits, and it’s the home of the Phuket Big Buddha – an enormous statue built in 2004.
I stayed around 45 minutes away from the main town near Nat Thong and Banana Beach at the Trisara Resort. You can enjoy kayaking out to small uninhabited islands from Trisara beach, but I wouldn’t recommend swimming due to the sharp rocks.
In the evening Phuket comes to life as crabs – hermit and otherwise – take to the sands in their dozens.
The area is also home to the PRU restaurant, a Michelinstar destination that serves fresh Thai ingredients in unusual ways. This is where I tried durian fruit for the first time.
Also known as the King of Fruits or the corpse fruit, due to its smell, I wouldn’t personally recommend it.
Instead opt for the fresh duck on offer. Vegetarians should aim to dine at Jampa where fruit and vegetables grown on the restaurant’s farm are shown off to their finest.
For the ultimate relaxation before your 11 hour-plus journey home (you can fly from Phuket to Bangkok and then take another flight to the UK) I’d recommend a Thai massage.
This aggressive form of treatment will bend you in unusual ways before painfully kneading out knots and painful muscles – like an odd mix between yoga and massage. It’s worth it though. You can head to the Jara Spa in Trisara for the fancy option (£138) or go down to the main public beaches for a cheap alternative massage (around £10).
And the good news for your long trip home is that the dreaded durian is banned by almost every airline in the world, so there’s little danger of an “aromatic” aircraft for 11 hours!
The area has islands, white sand beaches and warm water, even in the winter