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

Diver´s Inn Steak House @ Aonang [Krabi, Thailand]

I had already heard of Diver´s Inn Steak House when i visited Krabi in 2011 but it was a bit of a walk from the Golden Beach Resort that we stayed at. This time, we were a lot nearer at BlueSotel; according to Google Map, it's only 120 meters away.

Therefore, we decided to have our last meal in Krabi at Diver´s Inn Steak House; although tagged as "the first German Restaurant in Ao Nang", we went in without any expectation on what to have as the eatery commanded a high 4.5 rating among 696 reviewers on Google.

Beef was what i craved for and my eyes were set on the 300 grams Australian Black Angus Grain Fed Ribeye Steak; priced at 790 baht, my initial thought was that the price was comparable to Singapore.

Until i was given an empty bowl. Heck, why do i need an empty bowl for? Apparently, i wasn't paying enough attention to the wordy menu.

My steak came with a salad buffet! Granted it wasn't much of a selection but it did take me by surprise as i wasn't expecting more than just a slab of steak with the usual sides.

Fresh, leafy vegetables with onions, corns and hard-boiled egg; i was telling myself i would go for a second serving after i am done with the steak.

My steak with French fries as a side (you can also choose fried potatoes, mashed potatoes, baked potato, potato wedges or noodle) and a separate serving of the mushroom cream sauce (other options include garlic butter, pepper cream or sauce bearnaise) that reminded me of fine dining!

The waitress wasn't done when she put the plate on the table; instead, she asked me to slice the steak and check if it was of medium done-ness as per my request. That, to me, was the right service at the core of operations!

Needless to say, i very much enjoyed the ribeye steak; it was buttery and juicy and i had to clean it up all alone as Alex doesn't enjoy beef. The sad thing was that i didn't manage to get a second helping from the salad buffet!

English Breakfast - it was almost lunch but our little boy insisted on having his English breakfast which included 2 fried eggs, 2 fried toasts, 2 more toasts (yes, you read that right), grilled mushrooms and tomato, bacon, cumberland sausage, baked beans and potato patties. Filling and Alex loved it so much; he almost licked it clean!

Costing 240 baht (about S$10), it even included coffee or tea, with biscuits served on the side. I guess i would have to dine at Diver´s Inn Steak House more often the next time i am in Krabi.

Especially when i didn't manage to have any desserts this round! 

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Address

27 / 9 Moo 2 Ao Nang, Ao Nang, 

Krabi 81000, Thailand

Map

As above.

Website

https://www.krabi-divers-inn.com/

Pricing

Australian Black Angus Grain Fed Ribeye Steak - 790 baht

English Breakfast - 240 baht

Click here for the itinerary of 

my 4-day visit to Krabi

Day Three in Krabi - Full Day Krabi Tour (Hot Spring Waterfall, Emerald Pool and Tiger Cave Temple), Sunset, Dinner at Kodam Kitchen #krabi

<<< Day Two

1. Full Day Krabi Tour with Aonang Safari
2. Klong Thom Thermal Hot Spring Waterfall
3. The Emerald Pool (Sa Morakot)
4. Tiger Cave Temple (Wat Tham Seua)
5. Unsuccessful Climb at Tiger Cave Temple
6. A Chance Visit to An Elephant Trekking Site
7. Sunset at Ao Nang Beach
8. Dinner at Kodam Kitchen

I am wondering how best to blog about day three as it wouldn't differ that much from my summary here, at least not much for most part of the day! Whatever the case, here's a photo taken when we were on our way to our first destination of the Full Day Krabi Tour! 

The Hot Spring Waterfall it shall be; pretty nice place. I was glad i knew it beforehand as hot spring instead of waterfall since the latter would have conjured much imagination but in reality; it's not much of a majestic waterfall. Click here for more photos! 

One of two pathways leading to our next stop; The Emerald Pool. 

Absolutely enjoyed swimming in this natural pool right in the middle of a forest! Please be assured that it wasn't that deep and the bottom of the pool was mainly sand with the occasional pebbles. For more details of the emerald pool, visit my detailed posting here.  

Unwelcoming hut spotted on our way out of emerald pool. There's a sense of eeriness surrounding the hut even in broad daylight! Maybe also because no one dares to rest there given the numerous signs telling people to be wary of snakes in the area. 

Thai lunch at Ruen Morakot restaurant which was located right outside emerald pool. There's no need to pay extra as it's already covered as part of the full day krabi tour.

Officially last destination for the day tour; the visit to Tiger Cave Temple, Krabi's most famous temple. As the name suggests, it has an interesting story behind its origins although my purpose of visit was more physically rather than religiously inclined. 

It was to climb up the 278-meter high hill within the compound of tiger cave temple! Rumors told of a strenuous climb which i brushed aside as an excuse of the weaklings. Guess i am a weakling too as i had to stop halfway (click here for details of the unsuccessful attempt). I would have to wait for another time to tick off this item from my bucket list! 

Officially last destination indicated was tiger cave temple as unofficially, we were brought to a site for elephant trekking! We didn't sign up for it but others in the same tour did; hence, we were just brought along and told to wait for our transfer vehicle back to our hotel. 

Some pictures were taken (you can view them here) as i had nothing to do anyway in the ten or twenty minutes of wait. Saw this pretty, little chicken too! 

On our way back to BlueSotel Krabi AoNang Beach; anyone knows the name of this spectacular cliff near the hotel? Many hotels in the area actually have the word "cliff" in their name and it's all thanks to the cliff! 

After a quick shower, we immediately chiong down 600 meters to the Aonang Beach! The timing was just about right for us to partake in nature's very own performance.

The amazing sunset! To be honest, i am keen to catch the sunrise too but the lazy bum in me can't pull myself out of bed. In addition, i would need company and Alex is the kind who would prefer to sleep till the sun is up and glaring at his butt. 

Beautiful ladyboys from the Bluedragon Cabaret Show; they were frequently spotted along the retail stretch alongside Aonang beach in the evening and if you are male, they would encourage you to take photos with them as it's free!

Just a play of word as they would ask for tips after you take a picture with them! Frankly, they were not rude and didn't demand further for tips when i deleted the photos on the spot. Their main objective is still to publicize their daily cabaret show and i might actually catch it the next time i am in Krabi. 

Venturing into the quieter part of the town. 

Because it's dinnertime at Kodam Kitchen; ranked number 2 out of 336 restaurants in Aonang, i was so delighted with the food i had! Business was good for such an obscure location! Click here for my review! 

After a filling meal, it's beneficial to walk to digest the food and nothing's better than to walk 1.8 kilometres back to BlueSotel Krabi AoNang Beach. Please be assured that the stretch wouldn't be boring as it's the most crowded section of Aonang town with souvenir stores, restaurants, massage parlours etc.

I don't understand tourists some times; i don't go for Singapore food when i am overseas despite missing them as i think it's essential to check out their local cuisines. Having said that, it's conflicting i don't reject fast food like McDonald's even though that's usually because it's Alex who wants it. 

If these come in pig-form, i might buy.

Pictorial menu on display was tempting but i honestly couldn't take in another morsel of food. Price wasn't that cheap for a street stall although still cheaper than what we normally paid for Thai food in Singapore. 

Like many places in Thailand, it's common to find Chinese translation of food and restaurants in order to pander to the huge influx of Chinese tourists to the country. 

Street view. 

Display of the Thai King - coming from a non-monarchy based country, i have always been amazed by the high level of reverence the Thais have towards the monarchy and this can be shown by the many displays like the above in the country.  

Tourist information; this doesn't mean they fall under an official governmental office like the tourism authority of Thailand. It's just a way that tour agencies are being packaged in the country that attracts 38.3 million tourists (as on year 2018).

Burger King! This is what we usually have when we were at the departure hall of Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok as Thai restaurants in the airport are insanely expensive and taste wise, not as great for the price we pay for. 

Last two photographs; following which i had a massage at Ruen Sukhothai Massage! The massage on Day 1 was fantastic but this one on Day 3, by a young chap, was so bad; i think i would request specifically for female masseur the next time i have Thai massages. 

>>> Last Day

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Click here for the itinerary 

of my 4-day visit to Krabi