Imagine lying under the hot sun on some of the most beautiful beaches you will most likely ever encounter in your lifetime. As a reward for having all of our paperwork submitted early (this year’s deadline is April 30 for fall semester students) TEAN generously paid for our trip down south to the magical land that is Krabi.
Picturesque white sand beaches, limestone cliffs towering over the shimmering ocean, all different beautiful shades of blue. Think I’m exaggerating? Take a look for yourself, and be prepared to be blown away by the beauty of this place.
The massive cliffs make taking a long-tail boat the only form of transportation to get to Railay Beach, where we were lucky enough to stay for the weekend. We began every morning indulging in the most luxurious breakfast buffet, including omelettes, pancakes, fruit, cereal, home fries and pastries. It’s every Westerner’s dream. Not to mention the restaurant faces the wide, wavering ocean.
We kicked off our first day with a boat tour of four islands. Tup Island was our first stop. We had to get there while the tide was still low otherwise as the water comes up, it takes the beach away with it. We spent the day out on the boat, making stops to swim and eat lunch on Poda Island. We also went snorkeling, which many of us were happy to cross off the bucket list. There was no better way to soak up the sun and see the unreal beauty of the different beaches in Krabi.
Despite the limestone cliffs being an inconvenience for transportation, they were perfect for rock climbing. For our second (and unfortunately last) full day at Railay Beach, we spent the morning trying our hand at rock climbing. It was a lot harder than our guides made it look, but still a blast to try something different nonetheless.
The rest of the day we had some free time. A few of us rented kayaks from a shop on the beach and spent three incredible hours kayaking through caves and stumbling upon small hidden beaches. We ended up staying for an hour on one beach tucked between limestone walls, captivated by all of the different seashells.
I had the time of my life sunbathing, snorkeling, rock climbing, and kayaking all weekend. Plus there were no better people to do it with than the new friends I have made in my time here in Thailand, people I know will now be a part of my life forever.
