Krabi 19/2 to 24/2 (Joseph, Alvin and Sean)

19/2/07
Arrived at Krabi airport at 1750hrs. We stay at Wanna's Place Hotel facing the Ao Nang beach (2390baht per night. Expensive! Airport transfer at 500baht) Yummy! That night, we had seafood dinner (1530baht) and whisky too. Opps! Diving tomorrow, so we only drank a little. After that, we had foot and body massage.
20/2/07
Aqua-vision dive centre is just right next to Wanna's Place where we were going to do our dives with. Our first dive was Koh Doc Mai, followed by Shark Point (2900baht). Sean and I had only our rash vest and swimming trunk cos I checked the internet that the water temperature was between 28 and 30 degree C. Shiok right? No leh, we met with 26 degree C for both dive site. Very cold!!! Alvin wore his new 0.5mm scubapro wetsuit he bought from HongKong. Stylo lar!
Koh Doc Mai offer sheer wall dive. At first the visibility was poor and in my mind was like diving in Singapore. We descent to 30m and the visibility became better. I was greeted with longfin bannerfish, moorish idol, scorpionfish, red firefish, boxer shrimp, white collar butterflyfish, grouper, sea slug, yellow tube coral etc.
Shark Point was the dive site we look forward. Without disappointment, we had our very close encounter with Leopard Shark. Cuttlefish, map puffer, school of giant snapper, moray, spotted box fish, beautiful sea fan were among the marine life here.
And... we had our DVD in this two sites but cost us 1800baht!
We had local food for dinner and later shopping for dry bag.
21/2/07
There were 10 of us on this dive trip to Hin Daeng and Hin Muang (5300baht). We travelled there by speed boat which is around 2.5 hrs.
Hin Daeng (red rock) is the deepest wall dive in Thailand. Guess what? Water temperature was 25 degree C. Freezing cold! Met with a group of redtooth triggerfish followed by giant moray. Lots of moorish idol, firefish, bluespotted grouper, bluelined grouper, rabbitfish, banded boxer shrimp(usually found in pair), durban dancing shrimp here. Scorpionfish are common too. Emperor angelfish among the beautiful one. And I get to breath nitrox from the DM due to low air at 50 bars.
Hin Muang (purple rock) is also another nice dive site just few hundred meters north of Hin Daeng. Nice purple soft coral everywhere. I had a close encounter with a huge titan triggerfish at the cleaning station. School of bigeye snapper swam by. Flutefish, small lobster, tasseled scorpionfish, spotfin lionfish and best is a 5' - 6' marbled stingray laying on the sand with a leopard shark. Sean also get to breath nitrox from the DM due to high nitrogen level resulting 8 mins safety stop and low air. Why leh? Angry with Alvin and me disturbing him from taking photograph, he dive deeper to chase the leopard shark away so we cannot take picture of it. Aiya... play play dun angry lar.
Back to Ao Nang beach, we showered and head for Krabi town for more local food by public bus. We also had swensen ice-cream. Yummy! Yummy!
22/2/07
We are doing two local dive at Ko Si and Ko Ya Wa Bon (2500baht). We travelled there by long tail boat and there's only 3 of us with a DM. Ko Si visibility is fair. On this site, we saw cleaner pipefish, lots of nudibranch, razorfish, ornate ghost pipefish, seahorse and swimming among thousands of yellow tail baby barracuda. Ko Ya Wa Bon is a cave dive where the channel is 60m from east to west. There is also a large air filled chamber where we ascend and had a good look at it (with our regulator on). Inside the cave was pitch black, we found huge lobster, large blue-ringed angelfish and decorated crab.
After the dive, we went to Wat Tham Seua (Tiger Cave Temple) where we had to climb up 1237 steps to the top of the mountain. A huge sitting Buddha, golden pagoda and a 360 degree view of Krabi. Our dinner at the Krabi river side. Hiya, so hungry after the climb. Foot massage again back in Ao Nang beach.
23/2/07
Sightseeing at Ao Thalan by kayaking. (full day 1100baht) Main attraction were the canyon, mangrove forest, limestone cave and lagoon. Too tired due to kayaking.
At night, we ate at a very nice restaurant called Blue Mango and had a 3hrs full package spa (steam, body scrub, massage and fascial) at one of the resort (3070baht). Shiok! Shiok!
24/2/07
Half day elephant trekking with sea cave, fish farm and pineapple plantation visiting. (1300baht) Boring! Boring! Back to Singapore at night followed by a midnight movie - Hannibal Rising. And and... I gained additional 2 kg lei! Faint...

- Joseph