Paradise Found. - Krabi, her Islands and Peninsulars

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Tuesday 23 February
Well,we were recommended to detour our schedule and visit Krabi and area, by friends Alf and Marilyn, and we are really glad we took their advice. Although Samui is fantastic and a real chilling place, it has nothing on the Similan Islands of South Western Thailand. Last year we visited Halong bay in Vietnam and were bowled over by it's beauty but the quality of beaches and dramatic tree clad limestone cliffs and islands here make it pale into insignificance. We booked, at huge expense,we may add, a four Island tour ( 400 baht) about £16 excl Park fee. The trip by long tail boats took in Raili Beach, ( a peninsular, not island), Chicken Island (fantastic snorkelling), lunch at 2-Island (named such, although only a shallow white-sand causeway separates them, and lastly, but not least Pago Island. We are astounded at the sheer beauty of this area. Stunned by how natural and clean these turquoise seas and pristine white beaches are, in spite of hordes of day-trippers arriving each day. This is paradise! Swimming and snorkelling at Bat bay on Chicken Island , with, we guess large colonies of fruit bats circling above, and shoals of nibbling Tiger and Garr fish, clearly visible. Neither of us have ever truly visited such a paradise in all our quite long) lives. This area of the Andaman sea is as far removed from Malaysia's polluted offerings as it could ever possibly be. Lunch was a shock, delightfully though, as our helmsman 'Bank' and pilot 'Mr Boy' produced a delicious hot Thai meal beyond wildest expectations. Stir fried veg, chicken in oyster sauce, sticky rice with halved hard boiled eggs in rich tomato sweet and sour sauce, with sweet corn and beans, delicious. Nothing wasted, our friendly local monkey finished off any leftovers. Leaving with reluctance, we sailed on to Pago Island , one of the largest we have seen today, with 80 minutes to enjoy the sunshine, swim with the many fish species, and watch the Sea Eagles circling the clifftops, before heading back to Ao Nang to showers and change for dinner tonight it is Steaks at the aptly named Carnivour Restaurant.

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