Day 2, Wednesday 5 February 2014 - Krabi

4-island tour underway..... I venture out around 7 am looking for something to eat then wait around for transport to Ao Nang. A songtheaw eventually arrives around 8.30 by which time the heat of the day is already building. There are other passengers to pick up around Krabi then is off to the bay.
On arriving at Ao Nang around 9 am I'm struck by the intensity of tourism here something that I'm not used to and really not in the spirit of this website. Crowds gather near the departure point waiting to be processed into groups, each individual given a colour coded sticker. My group turns out to be a big one. 72 bodies will climb aboard a larger version of the 'rua hang yao' (long-tailed boat). The tide is presently low and as I've noticed on other trips passengers need to wade into the water up to waste height to reach the boat. It's a tricky procedure with personal effects to look after and then there's the steel ladder to negotiate. It's something the passengers will have to get used to as this is a 4-island tour.
Tup Island..... At around 9.30 am the boat is ready to depart for the cluster of islands, just a few kilometres offshore. The guide points out that the first will be Tup Island. Hardly worthy of its status, Tup Island consists of two small forested mounds connected by a sandbar, the whole just a kilometre across. Yet boats arrive here from a variety of destinations all jostling for a parking space. On the island itself countless bodies engage in the usual beach activities, mostly sunbathing or swimming, but for the restless like me, it's possible to wade across to the next island, Chicken Island, and back. With 1 hour allocated there's time for that.
Chicken Island..... Bodies back onboard the boat heads out around Chicken Island, a much larger island with its limestone cliffs and rock stacks. It's one of the latter which gives the island its name. A stack no more than couple of metres across rises up culminating in a stone block resembling a chicken's head. It's a great photo opportunity as the boat makes its way around the island and around the other side.
Deeper water..... Here just 100 metres offshore the boat stops for what? For me it will become the highlight of the day. Passengers are invited to climb overboard for snorkeling. Others don't wait for the queue. They dive overboard from the roof into the crystal clear water. I feel a bit apprehensive but at the same time I cannot just waste this opportunity. I found myself in this situation only once before off Mombasa and I blew it. This time, However, I have an advantage. Life preservers are provided for all passengers. The majority choose to ware them. It's not that I cannot swim some distance from the boat but adjusting snorkeling gear at the same time is not easy. My concerns become ill-founded when I enter the water. The extra buoyancy provided by the jacket means I can hold on any position. The masks and tube are fairly recent issue and hardly need adjusting. This all adds up to an amazing experience as I observe sergeant majors swimming right in front of my mask. It's all over too soon as the sea-creatures are recalled.
Poda Island..... With all aboard, the boat heads away from Chicken Island and on to the next, Koh Poda. It's here on the far shoreline that the boat once again parks up but on this occasion offloads food containers as well as passengers for a buffet lunch. It's pretty basic but judging by the Oliver Twist reaction, most welcome. Another hour is allocated to this and we are told to return to the boat at 2 pm. There's ample time for swimming, but I notice that compared with the morning the tide is now in.
Pranang Beach..... Once again the passengers clamber aboard and the boat heads back to the mainland for the fourth and final destination. This proves to be an anti-climax but not because of a lack of natural splendor. Pranang Beach is located on what would be an island were it not connected to the mainland by a large permanent sandbar which divides two horseshoe bays back to back. These bays are very popular with tourists, but they can only be reached by boat. They are known as Railay East and West but at the tip of Pranang is a golden sand beach with limestone caves. At low tide these can be explored easily but at mid-afternoon now they are underwater. Unfortunately, here in high season this beach is teaming with tourists, but it still provides an excellent venue for swimming and snorkeling while the rock faces are popular with climbers. The main problem though is the high tide which offers very little space to walk around the beach. It's a bit of a nightmare to reach the caves as the boat is obliged to park too far away because of the congestion. It's really a pity this magnificent coastline is exploited to this extent. Not surprisingly, I eventually feel the effects of bad night's sleep and I'm not at all disappointed to be back on the boat. It's just a short trip now to Ao Nang, but I'm in for another hiccup.
Yet another Hiccup..... For the second day running I encounter camera problems. This time the camera won't switch on despite changing batteries. The implications for this tour are great if I have no camera, and a cloud hangs over me as I clamber off the boat for the last time. I must put this problem aside for now. At least it's the end of this trip. At Ao Nang Im obliged to wait again as the transport is nowhere near full and waiting for the next boat to arrive in. This is a side effect of package touring. It's become a long day. Arriving back in Krabi, I try to get some rest, but it's soon dark. I need to venture out again for a meal and reflect on the day's events. Back at Sutharat I fiddle with batteries in my camera again, but I just know this is a hardware fault which could be terminal. I have to put myself in austerity management mode for now. Before too long tiredness descends and I hope for a peaceful night. Thankfully, natural forces kick in and I get the best nights' sleep for days with no issues.
4-island tour conclusion..... Despite my philosophy that packed tours are not for me and not in keeping with the mood of my website I have to submit to logic on occasions. I'm perfectly comfortable using public transport and renting a motorbike when necessary but renting a long-tailed boat is out of the question on my budget. This tour cost me 400 baht, the cost of a meal and a beer in the UK. I couldn't realistically cover such an area of Thailand's Andaman coast in any other way. That's not to say that mass tourism here will have no environmental effect, but it has to be remembered that this is high season. Would you venture out to sea in the storm season? Perhaps the reefs recover then. I really enjoyed this tour and would do it again. As for Ao Nang it gets my thumbs down. I don't wish to venture anywhere near it. I'm glad I stayed in Krabi.
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