Krabi, Thailand – the post-tsunami paradise
Krabi is undoubtedly one of Thailand’s shiniest jewels when it comes to beaches and natural sceneries. Seeing it in full glory for the first time makes it hard to believe that a paradise like this was once hit by a tsunami.
One Too Many People
I visited Krabi on January 1–4, 2016 almost exactly 11 years after the natural disaster struck Thailand’s Western coastline — including the popular tourist destination Phuket and Krabi — and cost nearly 10,000 human lives.
Coming to Krabi at this time of the year means that you will certainly not be there alone. Season at its highest peak attracts many tourists and travellers from all over the world and it shows — people are simply everywhere.
But do the big crowds cause Krabi to lose its appeal? Hardly. Impressive rock formations, stunning beaches and the plethora of activities, such as climbing, kayaking, island trips and endless discovering, help overcome the mass factor of this destination and these attributes alone are a reason to return.
Side Quest — Finding the Mysterious Scenery
During my short stay, I enjoyed two places the best, namely Railay Beach and Poda Island (in no particular order).
The reason for the latter choice is largely personal. When I was a university student in the UK, I had a poster on my wall depicting a beautiful beach scenery in Thailand. After finding out it was located in Krabi, I was determined to find it. And I did — well, sort of. Upon closer inspection of the images, I discovered that the notorious rock formation didn’t quite fully match the one from the poster. So close but never mind. The place remains hidden for now only to be discovered later on. I will surely come back.
