If you are waiting for someone to travel with you…..You may end up waiting a lifetime!
ANONYMOUS
Day 4: If you had been following my posts diligently, you will realize that I head to the beach every morning to meditate and self-reflect. Nights are spent pumping and dumping milk (tiring process yes, I salute all exclusively pumping Mothers!). I’m glad this process is over and I can run home to my baby. Today morning, I was back at Ao Nang Beach again, self-reflecting and savouring the moment as this was probably my last time here during this trip – I have an early flight to catch tomorrow to Singapore. Hearing the waves crashing along the sandy shores, makes being at the beach very calming to the mind and soul. Really helps me to declutter my mind.
I decided to explore a new breakfast place today which was quite a walk away in the opposite direction from Ao Nang beach. Passed by Dao Art Gallery, a really cool place if you love art, however it wasn’t open yet.
Buzz Cafe – a compact cafe serving organic and all-natural food and beverages in generous portions with affordable pricing. Can’t believe I’m on a holiday and actually eating healthy! I had snapped pictures of all my food during the trip and shared with my husband, who was so jealous that I was eating all these yummy food without him. Sadly, I could not finish my meal as it was just too filling for me.
After breakfast, I headed back to The Verandah Hotel to relax before heading out again to shop for souvenirs. As mentioned in my earlier post, there are numerous street stores selling apparels, souvenirs and gifts at affordable prices. Pssst.. Test your skills and bargain for a good deal with the store owners – most likely you will get lucky! I bought a whole bunch of singlets including matching singlets for my son and husband to pair together. Also bought some sarong pants for my cousins and magnets as a memory of my solo trip. I’m a sucker for buying magnets from countries/places I’ve visited and sticking them on my fridge at home! Don’t you think it’s cool?
By they way, you should never leave Krabi without making a visit to the Krabi Night Market, which is well known for its street food and souvenir shopping. It’s also known as the Krabi Walking Street Night Market and I definitely wanted to check it out to see if it’s as good as the locals say it is. It’s open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 5.00pm until 10.00pm.
After my shopping, I booked a Krabi Night Market Tour priced at only 200 THB for a group tour, which includes pickup and drop-off at my hotel.
At 5pm, my guide arrived promptly to pick me up in a minivan along with other tourists from nearby hotels in Ao Nang and Nopparathara. It was about 30 minutes drive to Krabi town. Our first stop was to Wat Kaew Korawaram, the biggest and most important Buddhist temple in Krabi town, situated on a hill. (Don’t panic, there was no climbing of steep stairs involved this time round!) Visitors can assess the temple via the entrance plaza off one of the city’s main streets, which is also near to the night market. The temple’s grand entrance leading up to the main sanctuary is lined with intricatedly carved snake sculptures. As it was already past opening hours, I couldn’t explore much of the temple. However, I could feel a sense of peace and calm as I walked around the temple grounds and made a silent prayer to Buddha for everyone back at home.
The night market was bustling with life as stalls were lined up on both sides of the street, selling interesting handmade products, t-shirts, souvenirs, dolls and intricate trinkets. There were also food stalls with amazing Thai street food and performances by the locals. There are some spots to sit at in front of the stage however, if there is a performance that day, it might be difficult to get a good sitting spot.
I came across this interesting stall selling various cocktail concotions in a bamboo and I WAS HOOKED! I got myself a Blue Hawaii – a tropical cocktail made of rum, pineapple juice, Blue Curaçao, sweet and sour mix, and sometimes vodka.
Sipping on the cocktail like a happy adult (not child), I explored the Night Market and bought some T-shirts and souvenirs. The vegetarian food stalls were closed hence, I headed across the road to Cafe 8.98 to have my dinner before my transport arrives to pick me up. Cafe 8.98 serves really good western food with vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options and is a must-try when you head to Krabi Town or Ao Nang. I was starting to feel a little tipsy from that cocktail and gobbled my dinner down quickly before I fall asleep. Thankfully, my guide had arrived early at the stated pickup point and I fell asleep in my seat on the van, during the drive back to my hotel. I reached my hotel room safe and sound. End of Day 4.
Day 5: It was my last day at Ao Nang, Krabi. All good things must come to an end. I am very happy and proud of myself for embarking on this solo trip. It was a much-needed trip for me to self-reflect and rejuvenate and I have to thank my husband and family for ‘pushing’ me to take on this solo trip. I am also happy that I’m heading home with beautiful memories of my adventures and stories to tell my son when he grows up. In his eyes, I want to be his role-model, someone he looks up to for strength and courage in times of adversity and this trip would hold witness to that.
However, I’m also feeling sad to leave this beautiful place. There’s so much more to explore in Krabi and yet so little time. I was beginning to enjoy this lifestyle, the freedom to explore, to get in touch with my inner self and enjoy some me-time but reality hits. Anyways, I hope to be back again Krabi. Thank you! Kawp Koon, Lah Gorn (Thank you, Goodbye)
EuReka Moments 