GREETINGS FROM KRABI
AUGUST 2006 ISSUE
You still get a very good idea why people have been excited about the
scenery of Southern Thailand when you leave Phuket in the early
morning hours, heading towards Krabi. It is almost magic to observe
how the rays of the rising sun touch the countless cliffs, rocks and
mountains and cover the vast fields in their golden light.
The trip used to take what seemed more like days than hours, on
narrow, winding and congested country roads. Now, you can reach
Krabi from Phuket in just over two hours and it takes about as long
from Khao Lak.
There’s heavy construction in progress along the final kilometers into
Krabi. The highway is being extended. This will be a great relieve to
all of us drivers who have frequently risked our life passing slowmoving
trucks whilst trying to avoid oncoming traffic, quite often in
form of cars themselves attempting to pass slow-moving trucks. As
with all such construction projects, there’s no idea when this work is
completed. There’s only hope that we still have a chance to enjoy all
these beautiful old trees along the highway, guiding us into Krabi
Province.
There is also good news for those who prefer to fly to Krabi. The new
airport building is finally open and has been operational for a few
months now. The old building is said to be closed for “upgrades”,
whatever this means. One source said that it may be turned into a
convention center. The new building is presently serving both domestic
as well as regional/international flights. Immigrations and Customs
clearance can be done in Krabi. This is good news for visitors. Passengers
connecting to/fro Star Alliance flights can even have their luggage
checked through to their final destination. That’s a considerable
improvement, wouldn’t you say?
Krabi has done good work to improve its infrastructure in recent
years. A new boat terminal, airport extension and now the road
enlargement - it’ll make all the difference to travelers to any of the
provinces destinations (which include Koh Phi Phi and Koh Lanta).
Krabi is a fast-developing destination. Read here what has been going
on in the various areas in Krabi.
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The Tubkaak Area
I visited the Khlong Muang/Nongtalay/Tubkaak area first. It’s no surprise that the gypsum mountains have grown as
much as the holes in the dirt track leading to the resorts. But I was assured by various sources that all these inconveniences see an end very
soon, for the gypsum movers’ contract is due to expire in 2007. Could we expect the ugly gypsum piers and the dusty dunes to disappear any
time soon? In the meantime, a small road bypassing this unsightly spot is nearing completion and shall allow a trip in comfort and style to/fro
this area’s wonderful resorts. |
On one end of this detour awaits the Phulay. I have been writing quite a lot about this construction site in
the past four years. While there’s still a lot of work going on, one notices that construction has now quite
advanced. The harsh geometrical structure of the concrete buildings stand in contrast with the sloping hills
and the resort’s green environment as well as the fabulous
sea front. The manmade straight lines and sharp
corners nicely fit into the natural shapes and colors. In
case you haven’t known: Phulay is a combination of the
words phu-khao (mountain) and talay (sea).
Apart from loads of workers, not much is visible of the
reception area with its reflecting pool. And I am also told
it may take a few years for us to be able to admire the
expensive Angkor Wat-style spa located in the lobby
building area. But you won’t have to suffer from aches
and tensions, for 6 of the 23 Deluxe Rooms are converted
into Spa rooms. The remaining 12 Deluxe Lagoon Rooms
might be sold in conjunction with the spa, so as to not
confuse the customers, since these rooms clearly don’t
reach the style and class of the villas. The nearby beach
front 3-storey |
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building will have the International restaurant
on the lower level (as had), a 40 seat fine dining
room on mid-level and a bar/lounge with piano on top floor.
The 8 Beachfront Spa Villas (90 sq.m. with outdoor Jacuzzi, outdoor sunken bathtub, garden
and terrace) have been upgraded and I am looking forward to taking some pictures of their
new look. Meanwhile, I had another look at one of the 06 Villa Amor? (350 sq.m.; with
swimming pool, terrace, outdoor Jacuzzi, indoor and outdoor bahtub); and again I have to say
they are a league of their own, sui generis. You can’t stop discovering details like shapes, colors,
features and amenities.
You will certainly read and see more on this exciting property in the next few months. |
Courtesy: Diethelm Travel Asia
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