Aonang Beach - Swordfish Sculpture & A Walk Down Memory Lane @ Krabi [Thailand] #aonangbeach #swordfishsculpture

On the last day of my Krabi trip, i decided to make my way down to Aonang Beach to take some photos. That area held great memories as we stayed at a resort back in 2011 that's literally a stone's throw from the beach!

The road leading to the resort; as you can see, it was just about right for a tuk-tuk! A tour bus would need a darn experienced driver in order to navigate this road.

Left side of the beach; the colossal cliff created a beautiful backdrop and behind it is pretty near Phra Nang Beach, one of our destinations for the 4-island tour we joined in day 2.

Right side would be closer to the commercial street alongside the beach; hence, the flotilla of long-tailed boats awaiting for customers on day tours or just taking a shuttle to the neighboring islands / other local beaches.

One thing i remember clearly from the Aonang beach in 2011 is that the sand was mixed in with broken bits of sea shells. Those with delicate feet should note to put on a pair of beach sandals / slippers.

With such amazing sight in front of us, my visit in 2011 was relaxing and provided me with much bandwidth to recollect my thoughts and decide about my future. It was during this trip that i was giving ample thought to resign from the department i was at in NUS then.

Continuing my walk on the street level.

Golden Beach Resort - the place Alex and i stayed at back in 2011. We didn't feel that service was great then and swore not to return unless the price was dirt-cheap. With so many new hotels and resorts in Aonang now, tourists are now spoilt with choices.

Oh my gosh, Blooming Massage is still around?! I recall having a terrific massage at this non-air-conditioned parlor where our souls were soothed by the therapeutic sound of waves crashing to the shore. And they served bananas and biscuits after the session!

Price list for your reference; surprisingly, their price for traditional Thai massage remained unchanged from 2011! Due to a lack of time, i didn't manage to go in for a massage and wonder if they continue to provide complimentary bananas and biscuits..

After the terrible tsunami arising from the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, signposts were put up to notify visitors of the hazard zone and the evacuation route. From the above map, the assembly point appeared to be beyond BlueSotel which was about 600 meters from the beach.

Sun-tanners - unlike the past, i don't like to suntan nowadays as the powerful UV rays can be real harmful to our skin. Don't know why the Caucasians love it so much. My mom would have brought along an umbrella, worn her shades and ensure she slathered on bottles of lotion to protect her skin from the rays.

Boarding the long tailed boat - as there are a number of exclusive resorts / areas accessible only via the water, you can constantly find customers. Maybe not during this COVID-19 pandemic though as tourism is severely hit.

Price list for your reference, i presume you can still bargain.

Something strange though; please refer to the compensation notice. Do excuse me if i interpret it incorrectly but did it mention that there will not be any compensation if the boat crashes or sinks?! p.s. please also keep in mind that national marine park fee is not inclusive.

More photos for your viewing pleasure!

Time-lapsed of people boarding a speedboat for a day tour. The vessel doesn't look huge but it managed to accommodate about 37-38 persons!

From far, it has the shape of a turtle but the above was a cluster of islands that we visited as part of the 4-island tour on day 2! Click here to check out where we went and what we did!

This wasn't here back in 2011.

The Swordfish Sculpture that's erected in a prominent spot along the beach and widely considered as an iconic landmark in Aonang. Contrary to its popular reference; the bronze sculpture, that cost 5-million baht to build, was not based on swordfish.

Its image was based on sailfish which is smaller than swordfish, and the sculpture "commemorates an incident about 15 years ago, when local fisherman caught an enormous number of the iconic marine animal off of Phi Phi" island.

Many people thought Phi Phi Islands are under Phuket which is incorrect. I guess many people thought so as you get a lot more tourists to Phuket than Krabi and Phi Phi Islands are accessible from both Phuket and Krabi.

Beautiful isn't it? If you are lucky to catch the sunset on a good day, this sailfish sculpture was an incredible backdrop against the setting sun. 

Speedboat from Barracudas Tour; i remember it well as it was the same company we signed up with for the Phi Phi Islands tour nine years ago! 

Towards the tail-end of Aonang beach. 

Another sculpture although i am unsure of its origins and purpose. Oh well, it does provide a 'window' for me to take a photograph of a different, slightly artistic feel. 

I can still walk further down to reach the right-end of Aonang beach but decided not to as i remember the stretch was quite narrow and nothing to see. The structures on the right of the picture are restaurants and you may consider dining there to catch sunset, if weather permits.  

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Click here for the itinerary

of my 4-day visit to Krabi