Krabi, Railay & Koh Lanta, Thailand
Initial Thoughts: I arrived to Krabi a solo traveller once again after spending three weeks in Malaysia with my boyfriend. I wasn’t having a good day. I’d nearly missed my flight out of Singapore due to a transit delay. The sole of my sandal had come loose and was flapping each time I walked. I’d torn my very cheap elephant pants while running through the airport. Upon arrival to the Krabi airport, I discovered that all four ATMs onsite were out of cash! Eventually I exchanged some American money (pro tip: ALWAYS have come cash stashed in a few secret locations in your bags for emergencies), boarded a bus into town and stumbled around the hot and humid town of Krabi until I found a hostel with a vacant bed. As I basked in the AC of my relatively luxurious room, I realized that after three weeks of fast paced travel, I need a few days to readjust. As it turns out the town of Krabi was an excellent place to recharge.
Best Moment: My favourite moment(s) in Southern Thailand came while on the island of Koh Lanta. I spent just over two weeks at a small, family run hostel located only five minutes from the beach. I quickly developed a relaxing routine. I would wake up fairly early, head to a nearby cafe for a coffee, breakfast and access to wifi. I’d work until the afternoon when I would go to the beach for a swim, a walk or a read in the sunshine. After a shower and dinner, I’d have dinner with my friends and then spend another couple of hours working at home. Every few days I would go off on a real adventure – renting a motorbike to explore the other beaches, hiking in the national park, going on a snorkeling tour of nearby Koh Rock, taking a beach yoga class – sometimes alone and sometimes with my newly made friends. It was the perfect place to recharge and recalibrate before my next adventure.
Take Away: Sometimes in long-term traveller, you need to take a few days break from travelling. Being constantly on the move, experiencing new and wonderful things is both inspiring and utterly draining. Especially as a solo, female traveller you are constantly thinking, planning and reacting. Giving yourself time and space to recharge is essential to maintain balance and long-term happiness. Even though my overall style is fairly slow, spontaneous travel, I’ve learned that on my next long trip, it is vital that I plan in some longer stays.
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Now It’s Your Turn: I doubt you need any convincing to take a relaxing beach vacation, but just in case you thought Thailand is only backpacker parties or luxury resorts, rest assured there is something for everyone. I extensively researched which island to visit as I wanted somewhere where I could work, relax, meet new people and explore. I didn’t want all night raves or to go completely off-grid (although those do sound good too!) so I used the Thailand’s Islands & Beaches Lonely Planet to scope out the perfect places.
While I was relaxing on the beach, I read dozens of juicy beach reads on my iPad Mini. It was a perfect companion for both work and play. I would advise buying a waterproof/sandproof case, something I didn’t have! I’ll bring one along the next time I visit the Thai Islands.
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Douglas says
You forgot to mention scary jungle trekking with your Finnish friend 😉