"7-Day Family Travel Guide to Thailand" In Krabi, Thailand, everyone I met smiled at me

When people are doing something they enjoy, they will feel the passage of time more strongly and want time to pass slower and slower. This is what happens when you travel. The 7-day trip to Thailand passed by in a hurry. Only by recording it can it be preserved permanently. At the same time, it also brings reference and convenience to others.



This time we are on a family trip, 3 families, 3 mothers, 1 father, and 3 children. Two children are 6 years old and one is 3 years old (3-year-old children need to bring a stroller). Family travel is more suitable for independent travel, because it is relatively more comfortable and fun, but you need to do enough homework in advance, consider your children in everything, and plan your itinerary based on ease. I would like to thank some of my traveling companions for this trip. They helped me do my homework, which made me feel much more relaxed.

During this 7-day trip, we spent 4 days in Krabi, 2 days in Bangkok, and 1 day on the plane. For the Krabi island tour, we rented 2 cars for the convenience of travel. In fact, we can also rent a car, but it will be crowded, and 3 children will be very noisy, so it is more comfortable to sit in 2 cars.

DAY 1 Shanghai → Bangkok → Krabi Island

The reason why I chose Krabi is because I heard that prices here are cheaper than in Phuket and the seafood is also very good. The transportation is also very convenient, which is more suitable for us. Our flight departed at 6:50 in the morning and arrived at Bangkok Don Mueang Airport at 10:15. We booked an AirAsia flight. It is recommended that you search for air ticket information on Agoda first, select the AirAsia flight and book the ticket directly on the AirAsia official website, because AirAsia tickets do not include checked baggage allowance and need to be booked separately. Booking on the official website will give you a discount.

As soon as I arrived at Bangkok Airport, I felt the friendliness of Thai people. Almost everyone we met smiled at us. Maybe it was because we were taking care of children. There were people who helped us move our boxes on the plane to Krabi, and there were also some in the supermarket at the airport. Someone helped my son carry his suitcase. We had lunch at the airport, and our connecting flight to Krabi was at 14:25-15:50. We left enough time in between to avoid delays in catching the next flight.


Airport Restaurant


Lunch at the airport (the salad in the lower right corner is very unpalatable)

After walking around for a while at the airport, we transferred to Krabi. After getting off the plane and completing the car rental procedures, we drove to Krabi Town Weekend Night Market (open only on weekends) for dinner.
  

One of the cars we rented, you can choose the model

To navigate in Krabi, you can use Apple’s own map navigation or Google. We used the first two. Sometimes you need to check the address on both sides.
  


The night market is quite lively, with a stage in the middle and many tables and chairs below (sitting next to the stage would actually be too noisy) for people to enjoy singing and dancing while eating. We also saw a shemale performance on the stage, which was like a talent show, and all of them were tall. It’s beautiful, and after the performance, it also provides the service of taking photos with tourists. The night market is similar to many night markets in China. There are many small stalls with a wide variety of food. Because it is an island, the seafood is very fresh, and the Thai pineapple rice and fruits are also very good. In short, it is always good to try everything when you come here. of.
  

Night Market Snacks

This night market is only open on weekends. When navigating, you can check the opening hours before going. Of course, because it is a free trip, sometimes there is no need to plan particularly rigorously. In some places, cars drive by, so we went there on an impromptu basis. After dinner, we drove to the hotel to check in.

This time from the 12th to the 19th, a total of 7 days, 6 nights, changing hotels every 2 nights, 4 nights in Krabi, 2 nights in Bangkok. On the first and second nights, we stayed at the Welcome Aonang Resort Hotel. This hotel is not located next to the main road, but on a small road that requires going up a steep slope. Navigation can only be found with the map that comes with the Apple phone.



This hotel is a very atmospheric B&B, with many foreigners staying there. Different from the overall colorful house style in Thailand, this store is mainly white. It is located on a square hill, surrounded by a circle of white bungalows (the higher ones around it are the houses of other hotels) and surrounded by a yard. There are tall trees in the yard, as well as swings, hammocks and other outdoor resting areas scattered among them, as well as a green outdoor swimming pool. Each room has only one glass sliding door for entry and exit. The sliding door faces the courtyard in the middle. At night, the curtain must be closed to take a bath and sleep. The room is not big, but it looks clean and comfortable, better than the two hotels behind. There is also a balcony outside the room. Many foreigners sit outside drinking and chatting. Some are wearing swimsuits as if they have just come back from the swimming pool. These foreigners always smile when they see us.



In short, this store has a holiday atmosphere overall. Lying on a lounge chair by the pool to bask in the sun, go for a swim, drink some juice, and play soft music on a small speaker is the ideal vacation life.



The hotel's breakfast room is set up in an open, roofed space next to the lobby. There aren't many things, but they all taste good.
  



The hotel is relatively new, and there is only one review on Agoda. It was hard to tell whether it was good or bad at first, but the photos are indeed very attractive, and the facts prove that it is indeed good. In addition, the hotel rooms are bungalows, so you need to pay attention to mosquitoes and close the door in time. The small shower head in some rooms leaks.
  
DAY 2 Ao Nang Beach, Krabi

On the second day after arriving in Krabi, of course I had to go to the beach first. However, after searching, we found that many beautiful beaches require boating to get out of the island. Because we had heard about the boat capsizing incident, and most trips out of the island were arranged by travel agencies. It took a long time, and we were afraid that the children would be too tired from playing, so we decided to act cautiously and go first. Check out Ao Nang Beach near the hotel.
  


Aonang Beach is indeed not as beautiful as the beaches on Wuzhizhou Island in Sanya, Shanghai, but it is also more beautiful than some beaches I have seen in Xiamen and Qingdao. The children had a lot of fun playing on the beach. Compared with building sandcastles, the two The older children preferred digging for live shells in the sand. (Warm reminder, the sun in Krabi is still very hot, so it is best to buy long-sleeved and long-pants swimsuits for your children.)




This period may be the rainy season in Thailand, and our play on the beach was washed away by a rain. It happened to be lunch time, so we had lunch at a restaurant on the beach. The taste is relatively ordinary, neither good nor bad.
  


After lunch, although the rain stopped, the children had fun playing in the water and wanted to go swimming. However, we adults didn’t change into swimsuits or prepare to swim in the sea (for fear of danger), so we took them back to the hotel and went Pool swim. We spent the afternoon playing in the water in the hotel swimming pool and had a water fight with the water guns we had brought all the way.For dinner, we went to a restaurant recommended in the guide, Burger Bung.



This store has affordable prices and good taste. There are burgers and sandwiches that kids will love. We also ordered some dishes recommended by the guide, including mashed potatoes, prawn rice, chicken wings, etc. A meal costs 695 baht for 4 adults and 3 children, which is really a good deal. Highly recommended!



I won’t mention it until I return to the hotel later. I need to remind you that none of the hotels we stayed in have washing machines. If you don’t bring enough clothes, you have to wash them by hand. I swim and take care of my children during the day, and wash clothes by hand at night. I feel really tired. If you don't like this, it is recommended to bring enough clothes. But raising a child alone can be tiring with too much luggage, so you still have to make some trade-offs, such as deciding to only do laundry in 2 nights.

DAY 3 Krabi Apple Hotel, visit the Emerald Pool

On this day, we have to change hotels. Because there is a car, it is also very convenient. After checking out in the morning, just put your luggage in the car and take it with you. On this day we drove for more than an hour (one way) to visit the Emerald Pool. The Emerald Pond is said to be Thailand's Little Jiuzhaigou. It is a scenic spot built in the mountains with many natural ponds, gentle waterfalls and streams. We took the kids and only went to one of the pools of water.
  


The entrance fee to the scenic spot is 200 baht per person, 100 baht is half the price for children aged 6 years old and 100 baht for children aged 3 years old. Before going in, we had lunch outside. There were many things outside the scenic area that we couldn’t eat, so we all ate instant noodles. It was very hot that day. A very shabby thatched pavilion showed me the power of this traditional building. Staying on the elevated bamboo bed board was indeed much cooler than in an ordinary shed.



Although it is very hot outside, it is much cooler once you enter the scenic area. There are trees on both sides of the gravel and mud road that block the sky. You can occasionally see small lizards scurrying past on the road. However, walking uphill and down was tiring and hot, and the children complained that they were too hot to walk. Fortunately, a pool of clear water rescued them.
  


The water in this pool is actually blue and translucent, and there are small fish in the water. It looks quite deep, but in fact it is very shallow, which is very suitable for swimming. Although the pool is not big, it is really beautiful, with trees, mountains, blue sky and clear water. It is really worth a visit.






However, I regret not bringing a swimsuit with me and not going swimming (because I was tired from doing the laundry in the previous two days and didn’t want to wash my swimsuit...), but there is no place to change into swimsuits here, so girls should put their swimsuits on first and go straight there. The children were having so much fun, and they all had so much fun that they didn’t miss their childhood. After returning from the Emerald Pool, we checked into the second hotel, Apple A Day.



There is a big red apple at the entrance of the Apple Hotel, and even the outdoor swimming pool is made in the corresponding red color. I am used to seeing blue and green swimming pools, but at first glance it seems quite awkward. The Apple Hotel looks more like a hotel, with larger rooms and single recliners and sofas. If you take a shower late at night, the water pressure is unstable and sometimes there is only cold water. But the highlight is that this hotel has prepared a lot of food, including instant noodles, snacks, Coke, Sprite and jelly. What you eat will be replenished the next day, and the most important thing is that it's all free!



This is really great. Therefore, this store is not bad overall, and at a price of more than 200 yuan, it is still very cost-effective. By the way, it is customary for hotels in Thailand to leave a tip. You can leave a 20 baht tip on the bedside before checking out, but it’s okay if you forget. I gave it to the first one, but I forgot to give it to the next two. For dinner, we followed the guide and went to KoDam Kitchen near the hotel. The guide said that if you miss this restaurant, you will miss a hundred million. In practice, it turned out to be the best restaurant in our entire trip.



Not only does this restaurant have a nice environment, the food tastes great, the price is cheap, and the service is first-rate. As soon as we ordered, they immediately brought out 3 portions of fried rice, saying they were for the children. After the meal, watermelon and pineapple were served.



This restaurant is in a very secluded place. The menu is in English and has high reviews online. After we ate, we all said that the aroma of wine is indeed not afraid of the depth of the alley, and there is a reason why business in such a hidden place is so good.As for the price, a seafood platter is 350 baht (small portion, including squid, fish pieces, shrimp and mussels), curry fried crab (2 swimming crabs per plate) is only 350 baht, and the water spinach tastes amazing. We ordered 2 portions of crab curry, 2 portions of water spinach, 2 portions of juice, 2 glasses of beer, and a lot of other vegetables and juices. The total cost was only 2,500 baht.

DAY 4 Krabi Shopping + Massage

On this day, a travel companion originally wanted to go out to the island to take the children snorkeling, but we had to leave at 8:30 in the morning. We were all a little tired and felt that we were almost done with swimming, so we didn’t go. It rained that day, but luckily we didn’t go. So, we went to the Lotus Supermarket and Outlets in the morning, and in the afternoon we went back to the hotel to cook horse and chicken. We bought some souvenirs such as dried durian and durian candies in the supermarket. I need to remind everyone that buying them in the supermarket is much more expensive than buying them in Bangkok later. Just be patient, souvenirs are cheaper in Bangkok. You can check out some sports brands at the outlets. I bought a pair of Adidas shoes for my son, and the 40 baht was not bad. At noon, we stopped at Lotus Supermarket, which is a comprehensive shopping mall. The first floor of the restaurant is more local, and the second floor is similar to chain foods from around the world, including Japanese ramen, sushi, etc. We ate on the second floor.



After lunch, we walked around the outlets and then went back. A father and a mother took their children to swim in the hotel, and another mother and I went to do horse killing chicken. Although there are many massage parlors next to the hotel, I recommend going to a massage shop called Ao Nang Massage Corner Center. This shop is not cheap. A Thai massage is 250 baht, and other shops can do it for 200 baht.



The reason why I recommend it is that it is expensive. This store is large in scale, looks very formal and refreshing, and we felt great after doing it. It felt better than the massage parlor behind, and it is well worth a visit. For dinner, we went to the same restaurant we went to the night before. This time, we didn’t order as hard as the first time, and we spent 1,760 baht. This store is really worth a second visit.



In the upper right corner is the dish sent by the boss

DAY 5 Krabi→Bangkok

On this day, we are going to Bangkok by plane. Flight from 18:00-19:25 pm. Because the mother didn't have a massage the day before, she wanted to make up for it this morning, so we followed suit and did it again. This time I had it done next to the hotel for 200 baht. The children were playing with their mobile phones next to the massage table... (You can imagine how comfortable and relaxed our journey was, but it was actually still a bit tiring... after all... Family trip) After the massage was over, we packed up and went to Krabi town for lunch. I found a seafood restaurant called Poo Kai. Outside the restaurant, a car had a flat tire and was punctured by nails. Because it was the clerk who asked us to park the car on the opposite side before hitting the nail there, everyone felt unhappy. In addition, the menus were all written in Chinese. We remembered what the guide said and looked at the price of the dishes compared with the previous two. The restaurant for dinner was expensive, so I ordered very few things. For seafood, I ordered a piece of sea bass and a portion of conch. I ordered some random items for the rest, and it cost 1,150 baht. (I actually forgot to take photos of the dishes...)



Although it was not a pleasant meal, when we arrived in Bangkok, in retrospect, the meal was actually pretty good. For details, please read on. After lunch, we went to a nearby drugstore. This drugstore sells bottled ready-to-eat bird's nests that we can't miss. A bottle of about 300ml is available for 115 baht and 150 baht. Although the content of bird's nest should not be high, but after that I I have never seen such a big bottle for so little money.



Street art in Krabi town (the middle one is on the ground, the rest are on the wall)

In addition, there is usually a time limit for returning the car. We had to return the car before 4pm. We didn’t know what procedures we should go through when the tire got flat, so we walked around casually in the afternoon and went to the airport early. Later I learned that the tires can be reimbursed by insurance, but you have to pay for them before returning the car. When we arrived in Bangkok, we took a taxi to the hotel. The hotel we stayed in was called Bangkok City Hotel. It was a 30-minute drive from the airport. The taxi cost 400 baht per car, but according to the hotel staff, it cost at least 300 baht to get a seat, but the driver would ask for a price. 500 baht, so it’s best to pay attention to everything when you arrive in Bangkok. I feel that the folk customs are not as simple as Krabi.



This hotel is an express hotel and the worst among the 3 we stayed at. The worst thing is the poor sound insulation. Bangkok is full of roaring motorcycles, which are loud and annoying. But it would be better to have a higher floor, and it would be much better to have a friend who lives on a high floor. Dinner was served at a small restaurant in the alley next to the hotel. It can be said to be a fly restaurant, which makes people unappetizing. But surprisingly, the food tasted good. The children devoured a portion of pig's trotter rice (including pig's trotters, fat intestines, green vegetables, and pickles) (maybe they were starving after eating at 8 pm).



DAY 6 One-day trip to Bangkok (experience of almost being cheated)

Two of our families were visiting Bangkok for the first time and both wanted to visit the Grand Palace. Amidst the roar of motorcycles, taking a tuk-tuk to the Grand Palace is also a unique experience in Thailand.



At the gate of the Grand Palace, we were almost cheated. A tuk-tuk driver (not the one we took) told us that the Grand Palace has local people praying in the morning and foreigners are not allowed to enter. It is only open in the afternoon. Let us take a boat to the Erawan Shrine first. It only cost 10 baht to take a tuk-tuk to the boat dock. He said he could take us there, and specifically informed us that we could not take the 2,000 baht boat but had to take the 800 baht boat. We were shocked when we heard it, and even said it was too expensive. Later, the route he told us was different from the route map we printed out to get to the Erawan Shrine, so we felt something was wrong and didn't listen to him.

Fortunately, we didn't listen to him. The route he told us was false. He probably colluded with the other side of the boat to rip off passengers. Also, it was also false that the Grand Palace was not allowed to enter. We almost believed it. Fortunately, the clever friends gave us all the suggestions. It's at the door, why not go over and take a look first. Then, I realized that not only was it not impossible to enter, but it was still crowded, and it was open in the morning and closed earlier in the afternoon. I really encountered a liar. Fortunately I wasn't fooled. However, this Grand Palace is also a relatively tasteless attraction. Why tasteless? Because there are so many people, it seems that all the tourist groups in Bangkok have gone there. With more people and various golden buildings reflecting the sun, it seems even hotter.



The child was sweating profusely and his face was red as soon as he entered the door. He could only rest in the pavilion after walking a few steps. It was so crowded that we couldn’t see much, so we sat in the pavilion for a while and then went out. The 500 baht ticket (children are free) is almost a waste.



But the architecture of the Grand Palace is really good, and it would be a pity not to go see it. So, it’s really useless. After leaving the Grand Palace, we took a boat and then the subway to the Erawan Shrine. The liar before said that the boat ride cost 800 baht. We spent 60 baht per person on the boat, and it only cost 240 baht for 4 people. We had lunch at a comprehensive shopping mall next to the Erawan Shrine, a relatively high-end place.



Everyone said that the Erawan Buddha is very spiritual, so we went to pay our respects. We also had to spend money to buy incense and candles, some of which were expensive, so we had to compare prices. Because it was too hot today, we had no intention of going anywhere else. Later, I took the subway and went to Siam (Xian) Luo Shopping Mall to browse around, buy some things, and then went to a restaurant that was said to be good, Jianxing Restaurant. Dianping also rated it well, and it also has Southeast Asian flavor.

This restaurant is the most regrettable meal we have ever had. The price is the most expensive, but the taste is almost the worst. The curry crab is blue crab, and green crab is indeed more expensive than swimming crab, but the price has no advantage of the place of origin. The taste of other dishes is also worse than the last. The same seabass is not as good as the one we had when we had a flat tire in Krabi. The rice tastes good, but neither does the water spinach. Moreover, the restaurant does not even have boiled water, but only charges 35 baht (equivalent to about 8 yuan in RMB) for mineral water, so I would like to remind everyone not to go there.



We spent 5,000 baht on meals at this store, which is really expensive in Thailand. Back to the hotel, we took the subway. It is recommended to print out the Bangkok subway route map, check the route and where you want to go, and then ask the station staff how to take it (get a good translation software, it is best to have both Thai and English, some Thai people cannot understand the English they speak) ).



DAY 7 Bangkok Shopping + Return to China

On the last day, we all had shopping tasks, and they all said that L'Oreal from King Power Thailand was the cheapest. So we pretty much spent the day at King Power. We checked out first in the morning, stored our luggage at the hotel, and took the subway to the King Power Duty Free Shop. Royal Power is also very close to our hotel, 2 subway stops away. Before shopping, you must go to the service desk to register the exclusive QR code, which you will use to pay later.



L'Oreal here is really cheap. The essences, eye creams, and lipsticks recommended by Li Jiaqi (more than 60 yuan a piece) are all very well priced, but the eye creams are so popular that they were all sold out when we went there. Except for cosmetics, which are directly tax refundable, items purchased at other counters must go through separate procedures for tax refund, including local cosmetics. Tax refunds need to be processed on the first floor of King Power before going to the airport to stamp and get money (there are two different counters at the airport, Follow the instructions on the order).

When shopping at King Power, you can get 200 baht for free meals. As long as you don’t ask for too much, 200 baht is enough for 2 people (I didn’t take any pictures, maybe I was exhausted...). In addition to cosmetics, you can also buy underwear. Underwear priced at one or two hundred dollars is not easy to buy in China. Shopping is really the most tiring, more tiring than all the previous trips. So, after buying good things, we decided to go on another trip. We went back to the hotel first and had a meal in a nearby canteen-like restaurant. Although the environment of this restaurant was average, the prices were affordable and the taste was not bad. It reminded us of that expensive dinner we had in the mall. We really regretted it. Might as well eat here.




After dinner, we found a hotel near the hotel and had a Thai massage for 200 baht. This is how our trip in Thailand ends. Finally, we take the flight home from 00:10-5:30. It's very cold to sleep on the plane, so it's recommended to prepare something like sun protection clothing or a silk scarf to cover yourself. If you are not used to staying up late and your body is not strong enough for a night flight, it is recommended to prepare early and buy a neck pillow, eye mask and ear plugs like I did, so that you can sleep more and prevent excessive energy exhaustion. Children always sleep better on airplanes than adults. They can lie down and sleep in an adult's arms. Just provide them with clothing to cover them.

However, no matter adults or children, they always don’t get enough sleep when flying at night, and they still need to make up for it the next day. When I return home and see familiar things that I haven't seen for a long time, I really feel like I have been in a cave for a thousand years. Maybe travel is like this, like a dream, both real and illusory, looking back as if it was a lifetime ago.