Krabi

The flight from Kuala Lumpur was about an hour and we arrived at the Krabi airport, which was much more substantial than we were expecting.  We got in the customs line (thankful it was the last time we would have to do that until we got back to Tokyo) and the girls had a really fun time joking with some Eastern European ladies behind us in line and playing with their passports.

We got our luggage and the ATM wasn’t working so we had to pay for the cab in Malaysia money since the line for the exchange was really long and we were ready to be on our way.  We paid for a standard car, got out into the cab area and again, some seemingly random person with a big van took us.  We again had no idea if it was legit, but got in and everything turned out to be fine.  It was a 45 minute drive and made it to the hotel around 4pm.  The room wasn’t ready so we walked around the hotel and checked out the two lounges, one near the lobby and one out by the beach.  Kids weren’t allowed in the main lounge so breakfast was provided at the main restaurant.

We knew when we left the Grand Hyatt that any room was going to be a disappointment in comparison, and the room was a big step down.  In addition, the safe wasn’t working, the drain was having problems and the room wasn’t really ready when they finally turned it over to us.  At the end of the day we were being babies and it turned out to be fine, but we were certainly a bit down the first few hours.

We spent a lot of time at the pools and the beaches, which were both very nice.  We also really enjoyed the outdoor beachfront lounge. We could order drinks and snacks while the girls dug around in the sand. In one of her more hilarious moments, Lizzy downed an adult sized Shirley Temple in about 7 seconds and then immediately asked loudly, "Can I get anotha one???"  

Ice cream break

Beach front lounge

Whoops, how did that get in there???

Diet Coke, I've missed you!!! (We only have Coke Zero in Japan)

Over the course of the vacation, I tried taking detailed notes of what we did each day, but as the trip went on they got more and more brief. Krabi notes on my phone basically read: Breakfast, Massage, Pool, Room Service, Nap, Repeat. I should also mention that at no point during our trip did I ever have any idea what day it was.... I think that's a definite sign of a good vacation. :)

Room service: Grilled Vegetable Sandwich and Steak Fries

These girls love cheap Southeast Asian room service, just like their daddy!

Main Lobby 

Maybe I am one of the few people who didn't know this, but massages are insanely cheap in Thailand. There was a massage hut (slash restaurant) on the beach adjacent to our hotel.  Once I discovered that I could get an hour massage for less than $8 US, I became a frequent customer. I felt guilty for how hard these women were working and how little they were getting paid, espcially because the restaurant (where you booked the massages) probably took a majority of the profit.  I made sure to personally give them large tips, which even when added with the cost of the massage was still ridiculously low by US standards.  I think they started to remember me because every time I would walk by they would yell, "What time, Ma'am? What time??" 

It wasn't the most sanitary operation in the world, but I guess what can you expect at those prices? I realized (after I was well into my first massage) that they weren't changing the towels the customers lied on unless the customer asked.  Joe almost threw up when I told him this and couldn't imagine doing that.  It was also just an open air hut with lizards crawling on the walls, but not a bad trade off for the view of the ocean and the sound of the waves.

On our last evening in Krabi, after my 2nd massage of the day, I ordered some Pad Thai from the adjoining restaurant and it was delicious! Actually, it tasted a lot like our favorite Thai place in Burbank, so that must mean it was authentic, right? 

There was a little shopping area steps from the front gate and it was nice to be able to run to 7/11 for snacks.  This was pretty much the extent of our cultural immersion outside the resort.

Drumstick cones taste the same in Thailand. Also, the chip flavors were strange even by Tokyo standards.

                           

                           


I found time to workout most days, either before breakfast or at night after the girls were in bed. Because of our Platinum status with Starwood, I was able to take yoga classes for free. Not that it's something I've done a ton in my life, but beachfront yoga is one of my all time favorite things. In fact, when in labor with both girls, my "happy place" (before epidural) was doing yoga with Joe on our honeymoon in a hut over the Indian Ocean.

Our pretty island girl

Having a blast at the beach right before dinner

Big girl without a swim diaper, because we ran out

It was quickly time to move on to the next destination so we packed up again, but took the girls to the pool first to work off some energy.  In one of the most exciting moments of the trip, something clicked with Annie and she was able to swim around the pool, taking multiple breaths and not drowning.  It was amazing to see her finally get it because she had made very little progress recently.

Things started out a bit rocky in Krabi, but we really loved our three days at the Sheraton.  It was relatively affordable and had one of the better beaches throughout the trip.  Aside from the cramped room, we would be happy to return here at some point in the future.

Sunset in Krabi