IT WAS the 2000 Hollywood film, The Beach, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, that gave me my first glimpse of Krabi, a coastal province in southern Thailand.
That movie, about an elusive island paradise, featured Krabi's beautifully-serene Phi Phi islands as DiCaprio ran around discovering a secret, self-sufficient community of tourists who'd never left.
Later, I discovered that another of Krabi's islands, Ko Tapu, had also made an appearance in 1974 James Bond flick The Man With The Golden Gun. It is now known to tourists as 'James Bond Island' (though some Thais funnily - and I suspect deliberately - mispronounce the name as 'James Bourne').
The images - all smooth, powdery white sands and crystal- clear waters - were playing in my head even as my plane began its descent on my maiden trip to the province last month.
I wondered if my view of the unspoiled tropical paradise I'd seen and heard so much about might be tarnished by reality. After all, I've visited several places in Thailand, among them Bangkok, Pattaya and Phuket, which are known for being something of a tourist trap.
When it came to Krabi, though, I needn't have worried.
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WHAT A THRILL: An exhilarating leap
off a cliff at Phra Nang Cave beach has
you headed straight for the gleaming
waters below. |
A mere 75km from Phuket (which equates to a three-hour bus ride), Krabi is made up of over 150 large and small islands.
Now, that doesn't sound all that impressive, except that their awe-inspiring rock formations and limestone cliffs flanked by the gorgeous turqoise Andaman Sea makes them achingly, unbelievably beautiful.
The discerning traveller should also know that while the province is first and foremost an agricultural area, with rubber farming the predominant occupation for its population of around 345,000, Krabi is also a hotspot for eco-tourism.
This means that the largely Muslim province relies heavily on its natural raw beauty to draw in the tourists. And it's obviously working: Krabi attracted over 2.2 million visitors last year.
Perhaps that's no surprise - Krabi is the kind of place that is so hypnotically beautiful that you find yourself turning off your mobile phone, that last link to the modern world.
And, unlike in Phuket, the bustle of crowds is noticeably absent.
If you want to, all you need to hear on your trip is the hum of the ever-present longtail boats used to ferry tourists and locals from island to island and the quiet chatter of the people you're with.
For my part, I spent four days and three nights immersed in Krabi's picturesque landscapes.
There, I snorkelled, dined like a king on local seafood and indulged in some sheer, unadulterated R&R bliss.
At the sandbanks between the idyllic Mo, Tup and Chicken islands, my companions and I would stand waist-deep in the gorgeous waters, giggling as schools of fish brushed past us.
Off Tup island, we strapped ourselves into life-vests and snorkelling gear and jumped straight into the clear blue waters among the parrot fish, angel fish and the occasional sea urchin, which we were instructed by our friendly tour guide, Aoody, to avoid, lest we got stung.
Much to our delight (and probably theirs, too) many fish swarmed close to us, snatching bites of bread out of our hands and sometimes even leaping out of the water in their excitement to get a nibble.
We watched in awe as a couple of thrill-seekers climbed rock formations on Railay Beach - which also has many beach bars, and is part of the Krabi party circuit, if you're a beer-swilling type - and gobbled down a picnic lunch on Poda island, happily spent from the day's activities.
Come nightfall, we traipsed into Ao Nang town, where a smattering of souvenir shops, pubs and massage centres (not of the naughty variety) awaited.
Towards the end of my all-too-short getaway, I thought to myself: If there is paradise on earth, then I've found it here.
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