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Information for first time visitors How to get there Planes You can fly from Bangkok to Krabi daily or you can fly to Phuket, there is one an hour but it is 3 hours to Krabi. In 2003 the price was 2500 THB. Thai Airways and PB Air Both offer flights Trains There are trains but this is a pain in the arse as it is not cheap and goes to Surat Thani not Krabi, which means another 3 hours in a bus across Thailand in order to get to the boat. I tried this once and it was a killer. Automobiles You can get a VIP bus either from Sai Tai bus station or a cheaper one from the Khao San Road - the main travelers hangout in Bangkok. The VIP bus is great and a sleeping tablet makes the 12 hours fly by. From Krabi town to Raylee Beach / Ao Nang to Ton Sai There is only really one way to get to Raylee Beach (where the climbing is at - and it is an area not a beach), this is to get a long tail boat from the Pier in Krabi Town. Don't worry the boat men will find you. The Journey takes about 45 minutes and costs 70 Baht if you can get 4 people. If not, 300 Baht a journey. Bargain, but don't be foolish about it. You will not get it for less than this. This IS the price. Be polite and remember Thai's love a smile. You should get it for this price. I have been with Thai's and they pay the same price - This isn't Vietnam. You can go from Ao Nang beach also, but this way is lots easier if you are heading to Raylee. If you are heading to Ton Sai, it is 50 baht and the boat leaves from near the bridge. It is lots quicker but can only go in calm seas. Ao Na Mao is in between these two places and this is the only place that boats run from late at night or in rough seas.
Accommodation On Raylee Beach - Bungalows You've got a choice here. There are about 10 different types of bungalow places and they vary in price and quality. The cheapest is Ya-Ya's where you can get minging rooms for about 200 Baht in the low season. If you forget the Dusit Resort (who colonised half the space and stopped climbing in some great crags), there are still some great rooms. These are not cheap. See the prices section. The price of accommodation varies massively with the seasons and it is not unheard of for the price to go up literally over night Co-Co's is highly recommended, but often full. Sand Sea is okay also. Ton Sai seems like a better deal. The last few years have seen an accommodation (and visitor) explosion to the extent that most climbers now stay on Ton Sai. Cheaper and less suit-cases. For the latest in accommodation see the Climbing in Thailand Forum Camping There are a number of things that put me off camping here: bringing the tent, the heat, mozzies and the relative price compared to rooms (200 Baht/night). Still, if you come in the high season, you may have no other choice. Some camp for free in Dums Kitchen Ton Sai Beach This is where those who consider climbers hangout. It is isolated and there more of a traveler vibe. It really become the main area as package tourists take over Rayley beach. The hard routes are nearby and some swear by it. When it's packed Some get forced onto Ao Nang itself and have to get a boat around everyday but the recent accommodation explosion has put an end to this. The Prices Now, I surely don't have to tell you that these are subject to change. These are written in 2003. If I know of changes I'll update these. You can not barter in the shops but you need to make sure the boatmen, who are generally honest are not getting too much. Try to remember, these people have families and they are just making a living for them - However, don't get stitched. Bungalows 150 - 3500 Baht in the low season (May - Oct) and it is hard to get anywhere for less than 600 Baht in the high season. (Nov - April). Boats Roughly 70 Baht per person all the time with 4 people. If you are on your on wait for some others or it may cost you 300 Baht. Food My advice is forget buying it. It is about 30% more expensive than at home. FOOD - This is more expensive that the rest of Thailand, but not by much. 150 Baht. a say will be fine without beer. This is about 80 Baht. a bottle. Internet and Phone Without the 'net you wouldn't be reading this - sadly this is 3 Baht. a minute still (down recently from 10 Baht.). If you are calling home, take out a loan. It is a complete rip-off. (60 Baht. a minute). The same is said for changing money. Head into Krabi. When to Come The weather Thailand
has 3 seasons: hot, f!@#$%g hot and hot and wet. The best time to come
for the weather is mid November until mid February. There are drawbacks
to coming at this time, but the weather is slightly cooler and it rarely
rains. From mid February until about mid September the weather is warmer
and rain a little more frequent but you would be very unlikely to get
more than a couple of rain days a week. If you remember that it rains
in spurts and eh rock dry very quickly this is not big deal. The only
really hot month is April. From September until November it is the rainy
season and there is more chance of rain. You could see some rain every
day for a week. The crowds Northern winters and the cool season make November to March very popular here and at Xmas and NY accommodation can be scarce. Prices are double those in the low season and there are a lot more non-climbers in the area.
What to bring There is a more detailed list of this in the What to Bring Section Gear I recommend bringing 14 quickdraws, a couple of slings a rope bag (or you can buy a cheap mat to keep the sand out of the rope), a harness, 2 pairs of shoes, 3 times as much chalk as you think you'll need and your old rope. Krabi is harsh on both the rope and the gear. If you want to bring a new rope, don't expect to go home with it looking so good. An old rag to get the sand off the bottom of your shoes. In general Clothes wise: lots of pairs of shorts and T-shirts. A pair of sports candelas that you don't mind being wet and sandy all week, a cap if you intend being out in the mid day sun and some shades. If you are a four-eyed loser like me forget the last one. I know it's obvious, but suncream is a must and bug creme for the nights and occasional trip into those jungle crags. Bring a book for the evenings. Food is a little dear at times. You may want to bring your own. If I am there for a while I always buy a 50 litre tank of water from Hot Rock (50 Baht)and fill up bottles. This can save you 100 Baht a day. When it rains At Raylee Climb of course. Ton Sai remains climbable around the Tidal Wave area, as does the bouldering near Defile. Even better then this, THE KEEP remains climbable no matter what the weather and is widely regarded as one of the best crags at Raylee. Other than climbing there is nothing else to do in the rain. You could go to the lagoon (boring), sun bath or go snorkeling (in the rain?) In the area Go to some of the great surrounding areas. Take a walk around Krabi town and you will see what normal life is like in Thailand. This could be one of many towns in this great country. People sometimes hire a bike and drive around the area. You could also go and search out some virgin rock. There is plenty in the area. Malaysia is not too far away and just over the border there is a climbing area called Perilis. At Night I kind of put this in for a joke as there is not really a whole lot to do at night. There are some bars and you can hang out, drink cheap beer and chat about the climbing. This gets boring after a couple of weeks, so most visitors will have no problems. Those who come to Krabi for more than a month end up hating the night and lapse into the "watch a video" culture. There are always the fire shows (yawn!) and if you ask around you'll be able to find some medicinal Thai herbs. Being a boring twat and a keen climber, I seem to end up in bed too early in hope of being fresh for the crag the next day. Maybe is it time to say that I don't recommend Krabi for a visit of longer than a month (at a time).
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