We got off to Ao Nang with a rocky start…literally. There were no other tourists heading to that beach at the time we were leaving so unless we got lucky, we were going to have to pay for the whole boat. Normally, it’s 100 THB a person with 8 seats to the boat. None of the pilots were too thrilled about taking only two people to Ao Nang with a very low promise of snagging passengers on the return to Railay. They would joke and bullshit each other about who was going to get stuck with us. After waiting for a while, Bradley and I decided we would just pay for the whole boat and get out of there. I have never seen a Thai person in such a hurry as our pilot. Uncharacteristically, he did not offer to help with our bags and hauled ass to Ao Nang. The sea was very choppy and there were a few moments where I knew he was pushing it to the limit. When we were approaching the dock our pilot anchored farther out than what was right. He put us in choppy water covering sharp rocks covered in barnacles. Again, he did not offer to help with our bags. My legs were shaking. It was really a miracle that neither Bradley or I slipped and fell or dropped any of our bags into the ocean. Then we had to hike up these rocks, without being able to see where our feet were to get to the paved area. It was completely dangerous and uncalled for. Bradley did cut his foot on a barnacle but thankfully it wasn’t deep. So of course I felt no sorrow for this man who was miffed he had to get change for us. That man had to hustle all the way down to the end of the dock to break a bill for us. Some instant Karmic justice.
We hiked all the way to our hotel Ao Nang Colors, a solid 10 minute walk from the pier. After all was completed for check in, we were notified that there was no hot water. We were still treating ourselves at this point and had booked a romantic bathtub suite which was now unusable. Exhausted and still shook about our treacherous arrival, we went up to our room to try and settle in. The room was disgusting. It was obvious the room hadn’t been cleaned, there were bug cocoons hanging from the bathroom ceiling, and our sheets still had market tags on them. Nothing was laundered and we had no hand soap. I could go on. This was supposed to be a 4 star kind of place and it was filthier than the jungle bungalows we have stayed in. We decided we needed to get out of there.
We booked the rest of our stay at another hotel and decided to go walk around and explore. The pavement of the sidewalks here have these waved lines all over it. I vividly remember them from our last visit. By the time we were in Ao Nang 2 years ago I was very, very sick. I had contracted a protozoa and let it go far too long. The waved lines would move as I kept my eyes on them to stay focused, like a mushroom trip. I think I hallucinated a bit from the sickness. This was a place where every square inch of the street was covered in businesses catering to tourism. And now, it was a complete ghost town. Every 5 meters there was a tourist information business that had been abandoned. Countless shops and restaurants dilapidated and left boarded up. Some of them still adorned with faded and torn Chinese New Year decor from early 2020, pre pandemic. As we walked from Deevana Plaza, our new stay, we were devastated all over again. It was eerie to hear hotel music playing out into the abandoned street, like a wasteland out of an apocalypse movie. After a walk down 2 blocks, we finally began to run into civilization on the main drag of Ao Nang. If you travel to Ao Nang anytime soon, bring some walking shoes. Everything that was open was incredibly spread out.
We aren’t really doing much shopping these days since we only have so much room in our bags, but I was in need of a new fanny pack. I heard a very kind “Sawatdeeka! Hello!” come from a little shop on the corner and saw the brightest smile. He looked so pure waving at us to stop by. So we did! His English was perfect and he was so thrilled to have customers. His shop was actually great, a lot better than the typical tourist finds and, as fate would have it, I found the perfect fanny pack. Handmade and beautiful. I also bought a fan. Even though we were his first customers of the day, after 14:00, he gave us a deal. He also picked out a small beautifully carved elephant and gifted it to me as a special token. He thanked us for coming to Thailand and wished us many blessings on our adventure. He bowed deeply with his Wai (a traditional greeting in Thailand where the positions of the hands and the depth of the bow determines the level of respect and relationship or status of the person being acknowledged) and I felt his love and joy. I knew, all the craziness and hiccups aside, that I was right where I was supposed to be. It was a remarkable and encouraging feeling.
The best day was Monkey Trail day. The sun had come out for the first time in several days. No overcast, just glorious Thai sun! The Monkey trail is at the far edge of Ao Nang beach and leads to Pai Plong beach. The trail is immediately intimidating with it’s rickety steps and railings. It is a trail maintained by the locals who have to take the trail to and from work at the exclusive 5-star resort on Pai Plong. An intense route to travel each way, especially in the dark. Believe it or not, we had to show the resort’s guard at the beach our COVID vaccination cards just to enter. The beach was wonderful and quiet. I found some gorgeous shells out there too. Just as we were getting ready to take the trail back, the sun left and the rain returned.
It wasn’t a complete bust as far as enjoyment goes, but I wouldn’t recommend Ao Nang as a place to travel at this time or anytime soon. You’re far better off staying closer to Krabi Town where the food is better, the beaches are prettier, and the walks to your desires are not as exhausting. The strip didn’t have a lot to offer us so we definitely got our steps in during those 4 days trying to find food and explore. Fortunately our new stay was lovely and they had upgraded us on arrival to a room with an amazing bathtub outside. We were able to lounge around and relax. We even enjoyed some pool time, even in the midst of the November Monsoon. We got to enjoy some nightlife with live music. We had delicious pizza and watched a couple great sunsets. It was comforting to see that the pharmacy that saved my life was still in operation as well as the small reggae bar that we had been to 2 years ago. Just as the rest of So. Thai will take years to recover and match a glimmer of its former self, so will Ao Nang.
Wow what an adventure and great attitude!
Thank you so much Cheryl!!