Thailand in the Off Season: Great Weather and Fantastic Value

Flying to Thailand

Happy to leave smoky Singapore behind, I had my first experience with a bare bones cost airline. In the U.S., there are a number of low overhead, low cost airlines (Southwest and Jet Blue come to mind); however, I had never flown on a nickel and dime carrier before (I hear Ryan Air in Europe is very similar) until our first flight on Tiger Airways. Don't get me wrong, there's no better value in airfare, but that's before the extras are piled on. Have extra luggage? Pull out your wallet. This is understandable, and pretty standard in the US. It gets worse. Want a seat assignment to ensure your party sits together? Pay up. Need extra legroom in an exit row? Pay up. Want to board first to ensure you get overhead space for your carry-ons? Yep, pay up. However, even with all the extras, the total all-in cost was very reasonable compared to similarly distanced domestic American routes.

After boarding, and cramming ourselves in seats with horrible legroom (my knees slamming against the seat ahead of me, naturally) we ended up waiting an hour at the gate, waiting for Air Traffic Control clearance; this was likely due to the continuing hazy conditions at Changi. Once airborne, I was surprised that there were five flight attendants for our small A319 aircraft. I shortly discovered that the job of these flight attendants isn't so much to serve, and though they are surely trained in safety, their main purpose is to sell, sell, sell. Want a coke? Pay up. A snack. Yep, more money. We ended up spending about $40 US on snacks and drinks.

Fortunately, the flight was a short 90 minutes, and after a bumpy approach with some killer, fish tailing crosswinds, we landed at Krabi airport.

Our flight to Thailand - delayed due to hazy conditions at Singapore airport

First impressions of Krabi

To be perfectly honest, I was always a little snobby about Thailand. We've all heard the stories of the pervasive sex trade, the full moon parties, the beaches and towns overrun with backpackers. My wife even reminded me (though I don't recall saying this) that I called Thailand a poor man's Bali. Yep, very snobby.

We had a couple of things going for us that reset my expectations. First was our location. We chose not to travel to and stay on Phuket - it just struck us as too touristy, too cliché. The more I researched Krabi, the more it seemed a laid back version of Phuket. Both places border Phra Nang bay, with its archipelago of beautiful limestone cliffs rising out of the sea.

Secondly, we arrived in low season. This translated to great values across the board. Hotel rooms are cheaper, discounts on food at restaurants in the tourist town of Ao Nang were plentiful, and the crowds were non-existent. The only risk we faced was the weather. It's low season for a reason; in the case of this part of Thailand, the southwest monsoons bring in heavy rain during the summer months. It's hit and miss though. Some days/weeks face non-stop rain, while others experience sunny, albeit humid weather.

We were lucky. Extremely lucky. The week prior to our arrival, we were told it rained all week long. For the entire eight days we stayed in Krabi, the weather was phenomenal. Lots of sun, with only a few rainy periods...and they were late at night. It was definitely steamy out - both day and night; lots of humidity. However, it paled in comparison with the sauna that was Dubai.

The scenery looking out to the sea is simply awe inspiring. Stretching across the horizon are dozens of islands, a few inhabited, but most are simply limestone monoliths reaching out of the sea towards the sky, with lush vegetation clinging to the sides. In the mornings, with the sun's rays striking the islands, they appear as emeralds shining in the distance. At sunset, with the sun setting behind them, the islands are silhouetted against the sky as it shifts from blue to red to scarlet and then to indigo and finally black.

Islands of Phra Nang Bay near sunset

Though we got off the resort several times, including two days spent visiting the many islands, a few trips to the nearest town of Ao Nang, and an excursion to ride elephants, much of our eight days were spent at the Amari Vogue resort. Throughout, we experienced such radiant, sincere and friendly service from staff at both the resort and the various restaurants and destinations we visited. I must admit, it rivaled the friendliness of the Balinese people. Definitely a far cry from our Mexico trips where most with which we came into contact in the tourism trade were hustling for tips. Granted, the proprietors at the shops lining the main drag of Ao Nang were constantly trying to attract us into their stores, but that was understandable - especially with the dearth of tourists during the low season.

Another thing Thailand lacked were the aromas and scents that permeate Bali throughout. I assume this is due the large differences in religion (Thailand is nominally Buddhist, but seemingly more secular than the Hindi Balinese), where in Bali, incense based offerings are ubiquitous, where the air itself seems more infused with the smell of exotic spices and incense.

Then there's the food. I've enjoyed many a meal at home at various Thai restaurants, but it was such a joy to experience the food in the homeland. Of course, I had a few servings of Pad Thai, but was more enamored with the various curries (red, yellow and green). The food was definitely spicy. My shirt soaked by the steamy air typically went into overdrive in the consumption of these delicious curries. I was surprised at the prevalence of eggplant and mushrooms in so much of the food. Of course, lemongrass is also a big flavor component.

The other surprise was the temperature of the sea water as well as the drastic change in the tides. At low tide, the water fell back hundreds of feet, exposing an ocean of sand, broken up by the receding channels of tidewater. At low tide, the beach was overrun by sand crabs. Thousands of them dug holes, from the size of a dime to larger than a fist (the holes reflecting the size of the suckers). They were extremely fast, and scurried into their hides whenever we approached.  As for the water, though not crystal clear like other places I've visited, was the warmest I've ever experienced - and I've been a lot of places. My son Liam spent countless hours walking the beach, looking for seashells. He collected over 40 of them, and hopes to bring them home and sell them to his friends. :)

Liam collecting sea shells on his many excursions to the beach

Our Hotel: The Amari Vogue Hotel

After a pleasant 35 minute ride from the airport (in a van - we have eight pieces of luggage, and we have to plan ahead to make sure we have a car big enough to hold us and our luggage), we arrived at the Amari Vogue, a boutique resort that was a stark comparison to the mega resorts we stayed at in Singapore and Dubai. Much more to our liking. We had originally booked a villa for the four of us, but when we walked down the many steps of the resort to our accommodations, we discovered that they had two roll away beds stuffed into the sitting room. There was no way this was going to work, since it left no room to even open our suitcases. After trekking back up the steps to reception, the staff was kind enough to offer us a second room - a honeymoon deluxe room with Jacuzzi on the deck - at the price of a basic deluxe room. Leslie was initially worried that the kids were separated, but I talked her into the advantages of more space for every one. This turned out to be a great arrangement. The kids had a modicum of freedom, while we had lots of room to spread out in our villa.

Villa Bathroom - Sinks and Vanity

Villa Bathroom - Shower and tub

Villa Sitting Room - An ungodly mess with our suitcases spread everywhere

Entrance to Villa

Beachside Restaurant

Morning Buffet Spread

Lobby Area

Moreover, the location of our villa was adjacent to the main pool, and its lounge chairs, and the beach was just steps away.  We spent lots of time at the pool, smallish, but beautifully decorated with stone elephants shooting water from their snouts - a great way to cool off our heads in the pool.

The Amari clearly attracted the honeymoon set. Lots of couples hanging out, many young and fresh off what would have clearly been their first marriages. There was one European couple, with a PDA habit that bordered on the disgusting. Out in the pool and on their lounge chairs, he was constantly nibbling on her neck and back. If they had been attractive, that's one thing; but they were hideous. Fortunately, that was the only example of such behavior. Perhaps I'm a bit prudish, but that was over the top.

As far as we could tell, we were the only American guests. Russians, Australians, and British seemed to make the majority of guests. A veritable melting pot.

View from the upper pool

Water Spouting Elephants

Beach bar outdoor seating area

View of the resort from the beach

In summary, we loved the Amari, and wouldn't hesitate to return. The staff was friendly, the service excellent, and the location - though remote (Ao Nang, the nearest town, was a 20 minute drive away), was ideal for relaxation.

In upcoming posts, I'll dive into the details of our two excursions across the sea and into the magic archipelago of limestone islands - backdrop to such movies as The Beach and The Man with the Golden Gun of James Bond fame. Also, we did experience a ride through the jungle on Asian elephants. A very sketchy operation with the minimum of safety standards, but a wonderful experience nonetheless.