Deciding between Krabi and Phuket was a tough one for me. Given that I have been to Phuket quite a few times and wanted the familiarity of a holiday destination, it was for the sake of a new blog entry that I decided on a Krabi holiday trip.
I went to Krabi in the tail end of the monsoon period. This meant cheaper flights and less crowds. Unlike the usual leave on Thursday and come back on Sunday, I did a leave on Saturday and come back on Tuesday. This proved more relaxing as most tourists would have headed home on a Sunday, leaving the resort relatively quiet.
I found that if one desires a quieter laid back and less commercial feel, heading to Krabi is definitely a better option that Phuket. However, food, massage, and shopping wise, Phuket still has more to offer.
Instead of staying at the popular Ao Nang Beach, I was sold on trying out Sofitel Krabi which said it had the largest pool in Thailand. Any hotel confident enough to make such a claim is definitely worth trying. The hotel is a 20 min drive from Ao Nang Beach, located at Klong Muang Beach. It is a very quiet location with no shops found outside to the resort compounds. So if you are the sort that likes to snack on a holiday, be sure to pick up some water and snacks at the airport entrance or at Ao Nang Beach.
I was suitably impressed when I arrived at the Sofitel Krabi hotel. Styled in British Colonial design I felt transported in time to the olden days. The lobby area is so grand and the rooms was a great comfort and luxury. And yes the pool at Sofitel Krabi is perhaps the largest I have seen and I did enjoy several hours of swimming and just lazing around. Given the largeness of the pool, floats were offered so one would not be tired swimming up and down. Adjoining the pool is also the kids pool, a jacuzzi area, and a pool bar. This hotel is certainly the place if you like to have a good work out swimming without getting dizzy doing your laps. The gardens was also perfectly manicured with hammocks for you to laze around. The beach is just located across a small road and is relatively isolated, clean only for a small part to cater to the hotel guests. This is perfect for sandcastle building with your kids or just lying on the sandbags provided by the hotel. With no touters this is perfect for people preferring privacy and seclusion.
Sofitel Krabi, being away from the hub of activities charges everything much higher - the food, the private trip to Hong Islands, and even the taxi ride to the airport. Nevertheless, it was an enjoyable trip of rest and relaxing, and I would be happy to come back here again when I need to recharge and breath in some fresh air.
