Banyan Tree Krabi’s tailor-made longtail boat The White Pearl explores the mangroves of the Krabi River

Banyan Tree Krabi, a luxury 72-key resort situated on secluded Tubkaek Beach, is encouraging its visitors to immerse themselves in the local Southern Thai culture, by joining weekly excursions to a nearby island renowned for producing beautiful batik fabrics and woodcrafts. The initiative is part of the Banyan Tree Group’s “Stay for Good” programme, launched two months ago, aimed at enticing guests at 5-star hotels worldwide to roll up their sleeves and join neighbouring villagers at work.

At the Balinese property of Buahan, A Banyan Tree Escape, for example, guests spend a day with local farmers, foraging for fruits and edible plants, while at Garrya Nijo Castle Kyoto in Japan, visitors learn how to entwine grass to make traditional thatched roofs for villagers’ homes.

“At Banyan Tree Krabi, we invite our guests to embark on a day’s adventure at the quiet fishing town of Ban Koh Klang on a small island in the middle of the Krabi River,” said Sustainability Manager Ms Thepsuda Loyjiw.

One of Ban Koh Klang’s unique crafts is the making of model longtail boats, carved from locally sourced wood

“It’s a great opportunity to travel by traditional longtail boat along the river where they might spot some rare bird species and wild monkeys among the mangroves. The island itself is a spectacular natural setting and among the hidden gems we visit is a series of majestic limestone caves.”

A lunch, inspired by home-grown fruits, vegetables and recipes passed down from one generation to the next, is served on a floating restaurant among the mangroves, then the guests meet the villagers and interact.

Among the daily pursuits the foreign visitors can experience are: joining the local craftsmen who intricately carve and create wooden models of longtail boats, which are sold in Krabi as souvenirs;

A local villager at Ban Koh Klang teaches visitors the fine art of batik painting

and sitting with the women of Ban Koh Klang who are veterans of batik art, mixing organic dyes and skillfully painting colourful fabrics. Harvesting rice in the fields with a local family is included as a seasonal activity.

Launching the programme in May, Banyan Tree said it hopes the visits will “encourage a deeper connection with each destination while honouring the heritage and traditions and contribute to creating more opportunities for local communities.”

Constantly vying to reduce the hotel’s carbon footprint, in December Banyan Tree Krabi partnered with a local artisan, Souvenirs From the Sea, a project involving beachcombing for refuse and waste products that could be upcycled into sellable items such as tote bags.

Guests to Ban Koh Klang are treated to a lunch of locally sourced delicacies

Banyan Tree Krabi’s other recent sustainability initiatives include an Earth Day beach clean-up, and the introduction of Forest Bathing, a nature-based educational tour for guests, including children, to help raise awareness about environmental conservation and protecting local flora and fauna.

“Of course, many guests come to a serene destination to relax, to enjoy cocktails at sunset, spa treatments, and wining and dining,” said Loyjiw. “However, they also want to see the local customs, and nothing feels better than giving something back to the community.”

For more information, contact Banyan Tree Krabi at: krabi@banyantree.com or tel: +66 75 811 888.

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Located a few km from Krabi Town center, the karst outcrops belonging to the Khao Phanom Bencha mountain range are home to one of the most sacred sites in the South of Thailand. The spectacular Tiger Cave Temple, or

The amazing vegetation surrounding the temple karst

Wat Tham Seua, is so-called because a tiger once lived in the cave that is today the monastery’s main hall.

Although most of the buildings are in a natural forest park accessible by any vehicle, the most stunning construction is at the end of a rather large stairway taking you upwards 1260 steps, so to fully enjoy the marvels of the Wat Tham Seua surroundings, one must be willing to embark in an extra challenge: a climbing journey to the top of its mountain. And this is exactly what Fantasia Asia team and I did on a warm winter morning.

Upon our arrival at the Wat Tham Seua parking lot, at 6 am in the morning, we quickly explored the main temple at ground level before embarking on our trek. 

A red replica of the Emerald Buddha

The steps are 1260, and this is reminded to you right away by banners and post at the bottom of the karst hill. We started our ascent with boosted energy and motivation, and since I have done this trek a number of times, let me warn you straight away about a few important details:

– There is a tendency to climb the first hundreds of steps too fast; you risk overtiring yourself and to find the rest of the climb strenuous

– There are 1260 steps, doubling to over 2500 for the round trip. None of them of the same height or width, so do not assume you have mastered your pace and do not forget about watching out your steps; should you slip or misplace your foot, the fall can have tragic consequences. 

The massive Buddha statue sitting cross-legged and receiving a gentle breeze at Wat Tham Seua

– At every landing, a column is marked with the number of steps climbed so far. Checking on them regularly can be a mistake: they will surely give you a boost of energy at the beginning when the numbers roll fast, but they can turn a bit depressing later on when you seem to be near the top and this number is so painfully slow to increase.

– Families of hungry monkeys populate the starting section of the climb (and the ending), and they are known to be great thieves: they will either try to grab a snack or a water bottle from your hands or rucksack (and they can fight for it) or they may turn naughty and try to steal your camera, your hat or your phone. Do carry a stick and do not show food. Do protect your belonging.

– Trekkers on this track will sweat, and their skin will attract mosquitoes. Either keep on the move or accept a few bites every time you stop for a break. 

Buddha statues waiting for the sun to appear

We tackled this trek with fitness and nature in mind, and we tried to fully admire the marvelous landscape that kept changing around us as we climbed: deep gorges covered by diverse vegetation that changes with the altitude and various species of birds that freely fly in the sky observing us from high above. Having to climb those steps sounds like a very daunting task, but the trick is to take your time to walk and stop along the climb up and admire the view. It is definitely not a race, and the average time needed to reach the top is about 1 hour to 1.5 hours with stops along the way, and about half that time to walk back down.

Reaching the top and seeing the stupa for the first time gives quite a sense of rewarding. We washed our faces in the fountain right at the entrance, took off our shoes in sign of respect for a sacred area, and climbed the few steps to the higher floor, where we admired stunning 360 degrees views of the surrounding countryside, of Krabi Town and of the Andaman Sea.

First sections were average, the hardship came later

We took a stroll around the small area and enjoyed the presence of a massive Buddha statue sitting cross-legged and receiving the gentle breeze that usually blows in the summit. To the West, the town and the coastal area of Krabi province were at our feet. Further, we saw mangrove forests surrounding rivers that mix with the sea, the Saitai Massif of karst mountains, expanses of pineapple fields, and the different greens of palm plantations. 

Walking North, we came across what is known as a ‘Buddha footprint’ embedded in the rock, and past that, a few steps up, a sacred sala, or gazebo, from where we had a clear view of the Khao Phanom Bencha mountain and its range. Time flew as we marveled at all those beauties, and soon it started to feel quite hot, and our bellies claimed some food. It was time to make our way down. 

Statue of hermit Rusee

This is perhaps the worst of the trek. Do not underestimate your way back, which depends on your knees and calves, strained under the weight of your body for 1.260 steps! It is essential to pay attention to where you place your feet, keep your knees flexible, do not go too fast and concentrate on the steps, and all will go well. We did not make too many stops and, with the right time and attention, made it down safely. This trek was indeed a healthful start of the day, and we drove towards a deserved breakfast. 

The enjoyment of this trek will depend on you physical shape, and even if you are in good shape, the heat and humidity may make it a difficult hike. Having said that, I believe everyone should attempt it, kids, adults and aged persons too; this trip is definitely worth the effort and you will experience the many positive emotions this climb has made us feel.

TIPS

I am kissed by the first rays of the sun

Do not attempt the climb without a stock of water bottles. The air is humid, the climb hard and long, and dehydration will soon appear if you do not keep up the drinking. Filtered water is available at the top for drinking and refilling your bottle. 

Every landing is equipped by a rubbish bin geared up with anti-monkeys net: use them!

Leave early in the morning and do the trek up before the heat rises.

Consider a pre-dawn climb to watch the sunrise or a sunset ascent (especially on a full moon), which are becoming popular.

prayers bells

At Wat Tham Seua the feeling is casual but the site is holy and should be respected: dress appropriately. 

HOW TO REACH: take a taxi or motor-taxi from Krabi Town; if self-driving, take the way to the airport and turn left at the Wat Tham Seua traffic light, a few hundred meters before Big C complex. 

To watch our video on the trek, click on this Youtube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KniCVYaGvW8 

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Minimalistic and white

If you are in Krabi, Thailand, and you have never tasted real Korean food, now you have a chance. It was Nina, Social Media Manager at Fantasia Asia who brought me to this restaurant/coffee shop right in the centre of Krabi Town. Seoul Sweet is inspired by Korean food and lifestyle. Its name is a bit of a misnomer since it is not a bakery, as the name may suggest. 

One of their nicely presented dishes

Seoul Sweet sports a minimalistic decor that is quite appealing to the young public, who more and more is on the lookout for new food places. Their menu has classic Korean dishes like Tteokbokki (popular stir-fried rice cakes made from small-sized long, white, cylinder-shaped rice cakes), Gimmari (deep-fried Korean seaweed rolls, Korean street food that goes exceptionally well with spicy Tteokbokki), Kimbap (the most popular on-the-go meal in South Korea, seaweed rice roll filled with a variety of delicious fillings), fried rice with ever-popular Kimchi (a collective term for vegetable dishes that have been salted, seasoned, and fermented) and more. Let me tell you that the food is good and tasty. The portion sizes were big and very well priced, tasty and very light on the pocket.

Nina and I looking at the menu

Their selection of drinks is quite good, with a number of signature shakes and smoothies that will impress you, and their sweets, especially the browny, are delicious.  

Mini stickers giveaways

The place is trendy and they run events and giveaways for lovers of everything South Korea, like complimentary stickers of NCT (acronym for ‘Neo Culture Technology’, a new boy group concept in South Korea). Gentle loudspeakers continuously broadcast Korean hits. Also to note that loudspeakers broadcast… Korean songs!

Korean pop singers on the walls

Seoul Sweet concept is interesting, their menu is simple and dishes are easy to order. Food comes out quickly. Highly recommended!

Maharaj Soi 10, Krabi Town, Krabi 81000

FB: https://www.facebook.com/seoulsweet.kbv/ 

They deliver take-aways via Food Panda

Opening times 11:00 to 19:00

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