Anyway, I find it really intriguing that friends find it super startling that I am able to travel alone. Well for one thing, I didn't want to travel alone! Jason had to cancel on me one week or so before the trip, so I wasn't able to find another person to go with me. What's worst you're not able to do a name change on Tiger Airways. I also thought of joining Wendy, my colleague for Ho Chi Minh City, but by the time I decided, it was too late! The prices went up by $200!
So, rather than waste the money ($130 including taxes), I decided to go alone anyway. Didn't think I would see anyone there also to suan me.
Lo and behold, I did see my EX colleague at the boarding lounge - Klins & Yan Fen. I think they were kinda quiet folks, but we still managed to have a great seafood thai dinner together at Ao Nang Beach on Friday night.
Just before I left Changi though, something else happened - Just before I was about to enter immigration, I searched high and low in my bags but I couldn't locate my boarding pass!
Had no choice but to approach the check in counter once again.
Me: "Sorry, but I lost my boarding pass"
Staff: "You lost it? Sorry but it will be a breach of security. We are not able to re-issue another one."
Me (You're Kidding ME!)
Staff: "Ok, hold on. Let me get my manager"
Me (crosses fingers): Ah, great.
Manager: "Hi, where did you lose your boarding pass?"
Me : "Ummm. If I knew, it wouldn't be lost ... "
Manager speaks to staff: "Just re-issue another one, and escort him to the immigration area"
Me: "Thanks so much!"
Two thumbs up to TIGER AIRWAYS!
Again, another downer awaited - the flight was delayed for one hour. Wah lau, could have slept somemore loh.
So, decided to check my work email. And of course knowing my work email, one thing leads to another, and I spend almost 40 mins at the free internet kiosk. Then, I suddenly realized I was late for boarding. The display reads "Last Call".
So I ran. And ran. Doesn't help that gate is like 1 km away I think. So finally reach there and .... cheh! The gate was not even open for boarding. Bluff people one these budget airlines.
One and half an hour later, we finally reached Krabi Airport. Was one of the worst airports I have ever been to. It has only one arrival area and 2 departure gates. Kinda funny la, anyway - we got a cab which cost 600bt to Ao Nang beach. Was glad I could cost share with Klins & YenFen.
They were both staying at this place called Krabi La Playa (sounds that steady right, like Spanish resort like that). Anyway, I sneaked into the hotel area and managed to get a picture of the pool - so damn bloody nice!
So, I got back onto the cab with my taxi driver, and chao turtle - the guy didn't know where my hotel was! We kept driving up and down the beach. I just thought this could be one of the worst holidays in my life ... I payed money to a duh hotel on the internet. = ( Major letdown. After stopping and asking like the 5th person, there was finally a glimmer of hope - it was where I thought it was but the taxi driver didn't believe me!
So alas by the aid of a sign on the main road, we had to drive in 300 m into a lane and there it was - Krabi National Park Success Resort! SUCCESS! Wah lau, I thought - the hotel seemed far away from all the action.
However, the resort itself was quite rustic and had an nice swimming pool (which incidentally looked much better on the website). And the cable they promised had only ... 2 channels - HBO & ESPN. The rest were Thai channels.
Anyway, during the 2 days I was there, I headed to Ao Nang most of the time to hang out - and of course eat, and drink SingHa beer ...
The beach at Krabi mainland isn't that great. Didn't go to Ko Phi Phi this time, but I think the sands there as much nicer (it was tsunami-ed though)
There's an Absolut Bar! But bluff one la, pirated bar - they dun serve much Absolut stuff. RIP OFF!
My dinner location on Sat evening = green curry + pha thai by the streetside.
My dessert - went for the egg pancake this time round, with condensed milk at the top
Long live pirated DVDs!!
This time round, the tut tut drivers were much cooler than those in Bangkok - all of them charged reasonably.
Some other photos of the area :
Back to the Krabi airport - it was so basic they didn't have one of those aerobridge, so we had to walk on the runway.
All in all, a nice getaway! Could def been more fun in a group, but life hurts sometimes. Hahaa
Where next? Ho Chi Minh, Taipei, Shanghai or Tokyo?
1 comment:
Definitely Ho Chi Minh city!
When?
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