Thailand - Satun to Krabi

Satun to Pak Bara – 61km

As the time in Thailand is one hour ahead of Malaysia it was light by 6am and we should have been up and away in the cool of the morning. But we couldn't be a***d to get up that early and then by the time we'd had breakfast, searched for the post office and cash machine and topped-up the phone it was gone 9am. Just to prove the BBC weather forecast wrong, the sky was blue and the sun hot.

The road was flat, passing through palm oil, banana and rubber plantations interspersed with a few paddy fields. Initially it was a wide dual carriageway with a hard shoulder. Once we turned off towards Trang it was more variable, with some sections widened and re-surfaced and others still narrow and rough. But, the overwhelming impression during this our first full day in Thailand was one of greater prosperity in the local population than we had experienced in Malaysia's countryside.

The roads seemed to be in better condition. The houses seemed to be that bit better kept and people seemed more intent in their daily business. Of course such things are all relevant and by no means could this level of prosperity be compared to Europe or the USA. There are still lots of road side vendors.  This one for example selling petrol in plastic bottles!

As we rode into La Ngu and stopped for Chinese noodle lunch, we were very aware that most of the signs were totally indecipherable. Usually we have managed to find one person that can speak some level of English. We asked ourselves how difficult will it be in rural China where the signs are un-intelligible and nobody speaks even one word of English – We shall see!

It was only 10km or so to Pak Bara, our destination for that day. It is a small fishing village and staging post for access to the Mu Ko Tarutao National Park comprising the Islands of Ko Taruato, Ko Adang, and the more famous Ko Lipe. Much as we were tempted by Ko Lipe, this was not in our sights. We planned to go to the Island of Ko Kradan further up the coast and possibly a couple of others.  This was our first sighting of  the so called  "longtail" boats.

It is currently the off season so Pak Bara is very quiet. In fact I think we are the only travellers here today. We walked around the sleepy place trying to find improved sun hats for the bikes and looking at the boats on the river.

We stayed at the Best House Resort, comprising a few small chalets around a fish pond, complete with resident lizard, for 45 baht (about GBP10) per night. According to Travelfish and Lonely Planet this seemed to be the best of the bunch in the village.

As the sun was setting we sat at one of the only open bars opposite the jetty. The local children were out enjoying playing football and cycling round the car park. Instead of the old jalopy type bikes common in Malaysia, these children had sparkling new mountain bikes.

It was a struggle to find anywhere open to eat but a walk up the road took us to a local eatery and a bit of basic Thai and sign language got us a dish of fried rice and chicken followed by roti bread with condensed milk and sugar for the princely sum of two pounds.

Pak Bara to Trang – 111km

We both slept badly and were glad to get up at 6am. After a quick fruit and water breakfast we set off at 7am. It was cool and pleasant and the traffic was light. We headed north through flat rubber and palm plantations. At Thung Wa we had a meal at a stall in the market. The ladies went all silly and giggly when faced with us non-Thai speakers. 

As the road continued north it started to climb into an area of karst hills and rain forest. There were more tall trees at the roadside providing shelter from the sun. There were several small roadside Buddhist shrines with novel decoration. 

After climbing over a low col we rode along a river valley with towering limestone cliffs.

Closer to Trang the terrain was flat and the road became a dual carriageway with heavier traffic. Just 11km from the town Karen rode over a shard of glass from a road accident which went through her back tyre and inner tube. The tyre split so we had to replace both when we arrived.

Trang to Ko Kradan – 49km

Today we decided to visit one of the 'mythical Trang islands'. Lonely Planet describes the island of Ko Kradan as a beauty queen, part of the Hat Chao Mai National Park. Because it has no permanent population and it is low season there are no regular boat services. We called Wally, the American owner of one of the resorts. He advised us we could get a boat from Kuantunguhu Pier.

We set off with a vague idea of where we were going. The problem is the maps and the roadside signs do not always agree and sometimes the signs are in Thai. After an hour we stopped at a small roadside stall for a drink and do-nuts. The man who served us was busy mending his motorbike, which was in pieces in the middle of the floor. Several of his friends were sat around smoking and giving advice. As we left he was just touching up the paintwork with an aerosol spray. We could only imagine what effect the scene would have on a western 'Health and Safety' official.

We continued following the signs to Pak Meng beach. There was a small turning signed 'Hat Koh Muk' and at the end of this road was a small harbour with a very small sign saying Kuantunghu Pier. On the way down we passed the local primary school. It was break time and they were all out in the playground. One of the groups of boys had a small bonfire and were poking it with sticks – can't imagine that in a British playground.

At the harbour was a booking office but it was closed. Several locals were hanging around and Steve, in his best Thai, asked if there was a boat going to Koh Kradan. Luckily the man who he had picked out to ask spoke some English. He was just about to go over to the island in a small Longtail but warned us he had a lot of gear to load in the boat first. If we shared the boat with him it would cost 600 baht, to hire a boat just for us was 1200 baht. 

There was no choice, we crammed ourselves into the boat together with a large (new) septic tank, a huge tree in a pot, several other shrubs, various boxes and bags and two other passengers. As the boat drifted away from the pier, it tilted alarmingly and Karen was convinced that it was about to turn turtle and tip us all into the water.

Once the engine was running it seemed much more stable and the sea was very calm so the one hour journey to the island was uneventful. The boat ran onto the smooth pale coral sand and the water was beautifully clear. There were no other tourists around, the other few resorts on the island shut down in the rainy season. Plastic rubbish - bottles bags and polystyrene as well as a few more lethal things like light bulbs and fluorescent light tubes were spread all along the high tide mark.

Wally, the owner of the 'Paradise Lost' resort had said he would meet us with his tractor but he was not there. Following the directions of the boatman we rode up a dirt track from the beach to the cluster of stilt bungalows set around a lawn and surrounded by the tall jungle trees. Another family had just arrived also. Rob, Fiona and their young daughter, Simone, from Perth were backpacking around Thailand for two weeks. 

After lunch we walked along the beach to the next bay to snorkel on the reef. It had been described as 'the best in Thailand'. There were plenty of fish around but the variety sunset was limited and the corals were pale and didn't appear to be growing. 

At dusk we all walked over to Sunset Beach to see the sun go down. 

Impressive though the sunset was, again there was an appalling amount of debris and rubbish strewn around the rocks. Paradise Lost certainly seemed to be an appropriate name. The food at the resort was very good, a mix of traditional Thai and western dishes, all cooked by Wally's partner Nuk.

Ko Kradan to Hat Pak Meng – 25km

In the morning we had to leave, the accommodation cost more than expected, the boat fares were costly and Steve had not really taken enough money with us. Rob and Fiona were also going back to the mainland so we were able to share the cost of the boat. This one was larger and faster than yesterdays and also cheaper.

From the jetty we headed north to the nearest ATM as our cash was practically zero. The cash machine was just outside a very upmarket resort with two security guards and a high watchtower. Some very important people must holiday here.

Our loose plan was to head to Hat Pak Meng jetty where we could get a boat to Ko Lantra and from there to Ko Phi Phi. This would save a 100km ride by road. The Langkawi and Kradan experiences had somewhat put us off going to the islands. Everything (quite rightly) costs a t least 30% more and the impact of tourism changes the nature of the island and the reason that people went there in the first place.

There was hardly any traffic on the road and it followed the coast north through the Hat Chao Mai National Park. The long beaches here are shaded by tall casuarina trees and were totally deserted. As we came round the curve of the bay we could see the huge karst rocky outcrops to the north of Pak Meng. This area of the coast was affected by the 2004 tsunami and a few derelict houses and uprooted trees still remain.

Hat Pak Meng is very much a Thai tourist area with a lot of bungalow type resorts hidden in the trees and a strip of very good restaurants. There are tables with comfy cushions and umbrellas on the grass beside the beach and we enjoyed a great lunch and a beer. It was so nice here that it seemed pointless going further today. 

Luxury

We booked into the 'Fisherman's Hut' resort which has about seven traditional style huts, all fitted out very luxuriously with huge comfy beds, crisp white sheets and lovely bathrooms. Outside was a small, shady deck with a comfy chair, a hammock and a fan – bliss. One night was never going to be long enough to appreciate this place so we booked in for two.

Traditional Fisherman's hut

To make Steve feel better about the shortage of ready cash on Ko Kradan, Karen had to own up to having left the passports at Paradise Lost. We both seem to be suffering from getting too laid back here in Thailand. A quick phone call by the bi-lingual, friendly receptionist and the lost passports were located and arrangements made to bring them over to the mainland the following morning. Joy even took Steve down to the jetty on her motorbike to collect them in the morning.

The cost of a boat to Ko Lantra was 2,000 baht so we decided to give it a miss and cycle to Krabi and get a boat from there to Ko Phi Phi.

In the evening we dined at a local seafood restaurant. The waitress spoke good English. On the next table was a group of four male, Thai teachers who were in the area on some sort of conference. As they spoke only a little English and we spoke zero Thai, the waitress acted as our interpreter. They were drinking local whisky and water and so were already very talkative. We had a good laugh with them and they bought us a beer before we left.

Hat Pak Meng to Krabi – 107km (total 16,457km)

With another long day ahead a 7am start was needed. For breakfast, we only had coconut biscuits and some sort of dried, semi crystallised vegetable. Outside the door of our cabin was this tree frog.

The route was flat but not particularly scenic once the road left the coast. It was one of the hottest days so far and we had to stop frequently for food and drink breaks. There are not so many good roadside cafes in Thailand and tea and coffee are not so commonly available. We stopped at this place by the side of the busy road which seemed to have about 30 years of road grime over everything, but the food was tasty and the smiles were warm.

The road was busy with shiny SUV's, all loaded to capacity and beyond. Their contents were varied – mattresses, leather, furniture, cans of oil, groups of people, young families, even a water buffalo with a terrified look on its face. We were also passed by two separate groups of motorcyclists, one with a completely ineffective, but noisy police escort waving their arms a lot, but the traffic seemed to pay no attention.

After a gruelling six hours we rolled into Krabi, hot, sweaty and road worn, stopping in the first bar that we found that sold beer. Good old LP came up trumps again and we checked into the Chan Cha Lay Guesthouse. The room was tastefully decorated in a blue and white maritime theme, with an external shower open to the stars.

Making Sweet Pancakes

For dinner we walked to the night market by the river and had a lovely Thai feast. 

Later we walked up the hill to another night market with fair rides, side stalls, food stalls and other stalls selling the most fantastic locally made furniture.

 One group of young lads were doing break dancing for a few baht.

Stalls offered all sorts of skewered food. Another stall sold all manner of cooked grubs and insects by the bag load. We didn't partake.

The next day we spent our time trying to decide whether to visit Railay and the island of Ko Phi Phi (pronounced Pee Pee). In the end we talked ourselves into forking out for a trip to both, leaving the bikes at the Guesthouse while we were away.