krabi and koh phi phi, thailand

krabi

i had my first hostel experience in krabi, thailand. i stayed at the pak-up hostel. what a great first experience! the room was nice and clean, the bed was comfortable, but best of all this hostel was organized so that travelers can meet other travelers.  i met so many great people and ended up hanging out with them and traveling together.  

it is so HOT in thailand!!! like take a shower and walk out and start sweating immediately kind of hot!  

the reason i wanted to visit krabi was bc i thought krabi was a beach city but there are no beaches anywhere :( it was such a disappointment for me and as well as others that i've met. krabi is a great location to get to other islands and beaches so that's what i did.  i took a long tail boat out to railay beach.  it is absolutely gorgeous there!

i'm on a long tail boat!

long tail boats

such a beautiful beach ;)

hungry?! order from the long tail boat restaurant

there was no nightlife in krabi except at my hostel!  i walked around krabi with some friends to find that the only happening place in the whole town was at our hostel bar...

pak-up's weekly activities...drinking games galore! i think i made up for all the college partying i missed by hanging out at the hostel bar!

i had a lot of fun staying at this hostel but i wouldn't recommend staying in krabi for anyone visiting thailand.  visit other islands and stay there...

koh phi phi

this island was recommended by so many people but it was not what i expected.  i thought i'll be arriving at a small secluded laid back island but i was wrong!  i ended but up in a tourist trap island!

the beach is amazing and the island is beautiful!  there are so many things to do and see!  but it is a party island.  surrounded by so many tourists, this island has tourist shops everywhere, restaurants have high prices (i mean still cheap but the prices are doubled here), tourists are seen as dollar signs and are approached by the locals abbrasively. 

at night, the whole island is turnt up!!!  i was in total shock as to what the island turned into at night but i loved every minute of it...surrounded by drunks and more drunks, i got to see all the crazies get loose!  unknowingly i booked a hostel right on the beach that turns into a nightclub with fire shows, fire limbo (such an adrenaline rush shimi-ing  under the fire), 420 being sold at the bar (i should have known since the hostel is called Stones), drink buckets everywhere with music blasting from every hostel on the beach with so much bass, people getting bamboo tattoos like they were giving it out dor free, it was such a shit show!  it was such an unique experience!  but the calm after the storm i what enjoyed the most!

my thai restaurant! chai thai restaurant ;) walking around eating and exploring

friends i've met along the way...waiting for the sunset...you can see how amazing the sunset was...all those colors changing and evolving all throughout the sunset...breathtaking!

i wish you could have experienced it with me! it was one of my favorite part of the trip so far.

this trip wouldn't be the same without all the yummy food...

pad thai

spicy fried fish

street food...fried everything!

meat skewers galore!

panang curry with rice...thai spicy is not jane spicy...so i had to add more chili!

my first coconut! i didn't even like coconut juice...until now!

it was great to have the beach to myself in the morning when the whole island was still sleeping...just chillin with my coconut :)

my trip has been AWEsome so far!  solo traveling is different from what i expected bc i'm really never alone.  it's actually hard to find time on your own.  other travelers are amazing and so friendly...like minded people discovering or rediscovering themselves.  i've enjoyed many conversations...it's crazy to talk to a complete stranger for hours at a time and at the end you realize you've met someone special who you wouldn't have met otherwise...life is truly full of surprises!  i believe in the goodness in all people and recently i felt like i was wronged by ones who i deeply cared about but traveling has me believing again...

hostels i stayed at:

krabi- pak-up hostel

koh phi phi- stones dorm bar and restaurant