Princess Bay, Krabi

Ao Nang, Phra Nang and Railay

Elephants, now beaches! 

Ao Nang's main part of town lies close to the beach, along the major road.  This is where you'll find most of the restaurants, bars, travel tour booth and shops.  Along the beachfront there are bigger resorts and hotels.  The beach is nice, although the ocean water is quite warm.  I was anticipating some cool ocean water to refresh me from the heat, but the water was as warm as a bath.  On the left side of the waterfront, past all the resorts, is a place called The Last Fisherman where you can get some food, a massage or manicure.  I had lunch at the restaurant (a Thai pork omelet and rice for 70 baht) and bought a mango rum daiquiri (90 baht).  

Evening Fire Show At One of the Bars

Ao Nang

Longtail Boat

Thieving Monkeys

The following day we took a long tail boat to a couple nearby beaches--Phra Nang and West Railay.  These beaches are part of Thailand's mainland, however are blocked in by mangroves and cliffs, making it only accessible by boat.  We bought out tickets at the ticket booth down the road, near where most of the longtails dock.  Tickets were 200 baht roundtrip.  We boarded the long tail which dropped us off at Phra Nang.  Phra Nang is a peaceful white sand beach surrounded by limestone cliffs.  Of the 3 mainland beaches we visited, Phra Nang was most enjoyable.  The water at the beach is still warm but slightly cooler and much clearer than Ao Nang and even West Railay.  There was a nice isolated feeling on the beach that seems like you're on a separate island rather than part of the mainland.  There is also a sand path that extends from the shoreline to a floating limestone rock just off the coast.  It is easy to walk or swim to the rock opposite the beach.  If you're looking for some food, there are also several long tail boat restaurants that serve hot food and beverages for a reasonable price. I bought seafood phad thai and a mango shake for 100 baht from a long tail food stall. 

Phra Nang

In addition to the relaxing beach, Phra Nang also has an interesting cave.  According to the sign, the villagers believe that the spirit of Phranang, Princess Goddess, lives in the cave.  Before going out, fisherman would wish for good luck from Phranang by offering gifts.  Common offerings are flowers and incense, however usually villagers offer special lingam gifts in hopes for fertility and prosperity to the whole earth and mankind. 

It is also possible to walk from Phra Nang to West Railay via the mangrove-filled East Railay area.  The walk is very easy--we just followed the paved road through all the resorts and it only took about 10 mins.  However, watch out for the thieving monkeys along the way.    West Railay is a bit more populated since there are resorts right on the beachfront.  Unfortunately, the water wasn't very nice either, compared to Phra Nang.  So I made use of Railay Bay Resort's spa happy hour and opted to get the best 90 minute massage for 594 baht.  Chai was my masseur and he started by washing my feet with lemon water.  While I was enjoying the rinse off they gave me a floral infused fruit tea--very refreshing.  The massage room was an open air area overlooking the beach and the resort's pool.  The fan in the room and the enjoyable ocean breeze from outside had me relaxed in no time.  It was the best massage I received during my trip.  We took the boat back from West Railay to Ao Nang before sunset. 

Krabi Sunset

The Festival of Lights

"Beautiful" is a commonly overused adjective, especially when referring to travel sights.  However, it doesn't even begin to describe the stunning display of magic, peacefulness and spirituality that the Yi Peng and Loy Krathong festivals emanate to their spectators. 

Yi Peng in Chiang Mai

Yi Peng is a Lanna festival held on the a full moon of the 2nd month in the Lanna calendar.  The event happens to coincide with Loy Krathong, making it a week or two of spiritual festivities.  As Chiang Mai is the former capital of the Lanna Kingdom, the festival is best celebrated here and thousands of Thais and tourists alike travel to Chiang Mai during the end of November. 
Although many lanterns are lit throughout the city, the main Lanna Thai celebration led by Buddhist monks took place at Mae Jo University on November 24, 2012 where approximately 10,000 khom loi lanterns (floating lanterns made of rice paper and roll of waxy flammable tape) are released simultaneously into the night sky.  The sky lit up with an ethereal glow. 
According to a some locals, a khom loi is lit and released for Yi Peng to rid the self of negativity and evil.  It is also to wish for prosperity in business and future endeavors. 

Tip: There are normally 2 Yi Peng ceremonies a year, abut a week apart.  The touristy one is highly advertised by TAT and seems quite elaborate.  However admission is $80 USD.  I chose to attend the free locals' ceremony for a more authentic experience.  Both ceremonies require proper dress (shirts with covered shoulders and bottoms below the knee).  Also, lanterns bought outside the grounds aren't allowed--so wait until you're there to buy the lantern unless you want to release a few lanterns early for practice.  The festival started at 6pm, but it's best to leave Chiang Mai for Mae Jo University (approximately 8 miles away) around 3pm to avoid some traffic and save yourself a spot.  It was awfully crowded!  Be prepared to deal with many people, slow foot traffic getting out of the grounds and endless crowds.  However, its well worth it!

Loy Krathong in Sukhothai

After Yi Peng in Chiang Mai, I made my way south to Sukhothai for the full moon celebration of Loy Krathong. The origins of Loy Krathong are not clearly known, however it is believed to have originated since the Sukhothai period.  Loy means "to float" and krathongs are vessels typically made of banana leaves, a candle, an incense stick, and decorative flowers.  It is customary to put fingernail clippings or hair strands and money in the krathong. 

There are 3 purposes to float the krathong:

1. To pay homage to a Buddha footprint at the bottom of the ocean, the Namatha Mahanathee.
2. To show gratitude to the Goddess of Water for providing us water and life, and to ask for forgiveness for the abuses done unto her during the past year.
3. To float away sorrows and unpleasant past.  To pray for good luck and fortune in the coming year. 

Many Thai people from all over the country and several foreign visitors joined the city's residents for the five-day festival.  The ground of the central Old City were transformed into a carnival of sorts, filled with food, massages, clothing and goods, krathong booths, and parades.  There were various krathong making contests, monk ceremonies, local music and traditional performances.  Events ran from sunrise until past 11pm.  On the evening of Loy Krathong, the 28th, we attended the Light and Sound show before partaking in the krathong floating ceremony.  The Old City was so vibrant, lively and spiritual; a perfect time to visit Sukhothai.  

Decorations with the King in the Old City

Krathong-Making Contest

Making Krathongs

Krathong Shopping

Large Krathong

Wat Mahathat

Ready to Wish for Good Luck!

Floating Krathongs

Light and Sound Show

Light and Sound Show at Wat Mahathat

Chiang Mai

An old city in a new city, in an old city.

One of my favorite destinations in Thailand

Chiang Mai is a slower-paced city in Northern Thailand that offers a refreshing mix of city and country life.  The charm of the city comes from its character and cultural influence from Burma, Laos and even southern China.  Chiang Mai is a popular destination for travelers seeking accessible outdoor experiences. 
The city is so enjoyable in fact, that I made 2 separate trips to this Lanna (Northern Thai) destination.  The first for sightseeing and the second specifically for the Yi Peng and Loy Krathong celebration.  It is a laid back city filled with creatives and artisans.  Arguably the best place to shop in Thailand, Chiang Mai has several night markets with unique handicrafts, massage parlors galore and cheaper yummy cuisine. 

On my first trip I stayed in a hotel near the old city and about 10 minutes walking distance to Ta Pae Gate.  In addition to visiting the local sights and buddhist temples, I spent some time outside of Chiang Mai city exploring with day trips around the Mae Taeng river and Mae Rim.

Day One

Sights:
Wat Phan Tao: A stunning teak wood Temple built around 1846
Wat Chedi Luang: Next door to Wat Phan Tao.  A 14th Century Lanna-style Buddhist temple

Wat Phan Tao

Wat Chedi Luang

Inside Wat Chedi Luang

After sightseeing we had dinner at Safe House Court, a family-owned guesthouse with great food, friendly service and good prices (195 TB for a large Chang, Fried Onion appetizer, and northern thai curry pork and ginger with rice).  Suffering from a little food coma, we stopped for a foot reflexology massage at Saija Massage & Cafe (160 TB/hour).  This massage place had the perfect ambiance to re-energize me for some late Saturday Night Walking Market shopping (My favorite night market in Chiang Mai for their assortment of handmade goods!).  There are also many food and juice vendors with delicious items to keep you refreshed while bargaining deals.  

Night Market Fruit Smoothies

Local Artist Selling Pieces

Day Two

We had an early start for a full day tour with Woody's Elephant Farm for trekking, white water rafting and mahout training with the elephants.  This was an incredible experience.  Woody's Elephant Farm owns about 8 elephants and takes care to educate visitors about these gentle giants. We spent half a day with the elephants: learning training commands in Thai, the background of elephant training, feeding and getting acquainted with the elephants, learning different ways to get on/off the elephant (not as easy or graceful as some make it seem), riding and bathing them in the nearby river. 
After it we did some beginner white water rafting down the Mae Taeng and hiked to a local waterfall with a natural slide.  FUN DAY! 

Thai Elephant Training Commands

Elephant Kisses

Bath Time

 

On top of a raft, on top of a truck. Ready for rafting!

Waterfall Slide

Cowboy Tom blowing bubbles with plant sap

Dinner at Art's near Ta Pae Gate. Delicious mango and sticky rice with homemade mango ice cream. 

Day Three

Visited Wat Chiang Man and Tiger Kingdom for play time with cubs and big cats.  When I entered the pens the tigers were playing wildly with each other just like domestic cats (but Jumbo size), tackling each other and pouncing into the water.  It was an experience being so close to these gorgeous animals.  

Wat Chiang Man

Inside Wat Chiang Man

Baby Tigers tired from playing

Just Can't Get Enough

I didn't return to Chiang Mai until the last week of my trip, making my visits 3 weeks apart.  What a difference three weeks and a festival make! Chiang Mai was packed with tourists.  Taxis and tuk tuks were harder to come by and it seemed the entire city was transformed into a grand night market.  I came back specifically for the Yi Peng ceremony celebrated by the locals on November 24 at Mae Jo University. 

I spent the next couple of days relaxing in Chiang Mai with yet another foot reflexology massage and a full day cooking class at Siam Rice Thai Cookery School.  I've been interested in attending a cooking class for some time, but never got around to it at home.  Since I had some free time, I decided to try it in Chiang Mai and am more than happy I did!  The Siam Rice class is very organized and fun!  The class is limited to 10 people so they can help you ever step of the way. I did the full day class for 900 TB which included hotel pickup/drop off, class, ingredients, cookbook and beverages.  Oh, and you get to eat all the food you cook!! In total I made 7 Thai items: Chicken Coconut Soup, Pad Thai, Fried Spring Rolls, Curry Paste, Red Curry with Chicken and Pumpkin, Chicken Cashew Stir Fry and Mango with Sticky Rice = Aroy Mak Mak!!  The class was so much fun and should come in handy on the rest of my journey.  

Pad Thai made by yours truly

Chiang Mai has so much to offer for any traveler willing to visit and experience some Lanna culture.   

Pup tired from all the festivities