Krabi still hasn't suffered the tourist onslaught that most other resort towns in Thailand have. This quiet and beautiful place is non-commercialised as in you don't have people chasing you for tuk-tuk rides or cab operators coaxing you to join tours where you can 'buy real Thai rubies at best price.' This might be partially attributable to the fact that Krabi has a small airport which only has one direct service from Singapore (Tiger Airways) and about 3 flights from Bangkok (Thai Airways). Most tourists prefer to fly into Phuket, visit Phi Phi / Hong Islands and return. This is gross injustice to Krabi as the town in my opinion is absolutely breathtaking and deserves at least 3 nights in your itinerary. The main Ao Nang beach is absolute paradise and has one of the most scenic sunsets amidst limestone cliffs. The good and bad news is that none of the top resorts are located on this beach stretch which means you have to decide between hotels requiring sea transfer (Rayavadee) or hotels on another beach at some distance away from Ao Nang (Sheraton). I don't like to stay in the most happening part of a beach town since these are invariably too noisy and touristy. I prefer the seclusion and privacy of further located resorts and thats precisely why I chose Sheraton.
Sheraton is about 2 hours by road from Phuket Airport and 40 mins from Krabi airport. We had flown into Krabi airport and our pre-booked airport transfer was awaiting us. The drive is scenic though you don't get to see much of the beach en-route. On pulling into the hotel, I was impressed by the lobby and reception area which is huge and airy. The check-in took some time as there was quite a queue. The reception staff's attitude was quite un-Thai in the sense they barely smiled and went about the check-in process quite mechanically. What is a bit annoying is you have to pay for wifi in the rooms though it is free in the main lobby area.
Being 3 of us, we had booked two adjacent rooms since the Executive suite was unavailable. The rooms are of standard size and come with a large balcony. The bathrooms are decent but show some signs of aging. There is not much point in paying extra for the ocean view rooms since all you'll get to see is a speck of blue in the distance. The resort is laid out in such a way that while the property is huge, the main sea front area is taken up by the 2 swimming pools and restaurants. All the rooms are at the back including those with sea view. The hotel has extensive well maintained gardens and the Klong Muong beach stretch alongside Sheraton is totally private and very clean.
The restaurant and housekeeping staff is polite and friendly. Breakfast is served in Mangosteen. The fare is standard and what you would expect in a 5 star hotel. We had lunch on the first day at The Deck by the poolside. They did not have Singha draught beer which I found strange in a Thai 5 star hotel. Not being too hungry, we had ordered fish and chips which were passable. We walked around the hotel complex to discover that almost all restaurants are located right next to each other and at a fair distance from our hotel room. The hotel has buggy service which can be erratic and you are better off walking if you don't want to wait for one. I recommend a visit to Martini's Bar for their excellent cocktails. Unlike 5 star hotels, this bar has happy hours and a must-try is the Caipirinha. The ambience is relaxed and the seating is very comfortable - ideal for a group of friends to chat over.
On our first evening, we decided to check out the area just outside the hotel which had caught my eye when we drove in from the airport. Numerous restaurants line the road outside Sheraton. A small shopping complex can also be found which has a mini mart, ATM and a money changer. Given how much commission hotels charge for changing money, the money changer was a boon. I saw many tourists getting excited about being able to exchange 'phased out' serial numbers of US Dollars. Unlike US and Europe where these notes are not accepted, Thailand and few other Asian countries have no issues with accepting these notes. It is still valid legal tender after all. The mini mart was always full with guests from neighbouring resorts including Sheraton buying baby food items, beer and cigarettes which are significantly cheaper here. The highlight of the Sheraton resort ironically is The Terrace - a restaurant which is located right outside the hotel but is more popular with guests than the in-house restaurants. We ate one meal there and couldn't help coming back for many of our other meals. The food is simply fantastic and the service is outstanding. It won't be an exaggeration to say one should stay at The Sheraton only to be able to eat at The Terrace ! There is a Nepali restaurant also in the vicinity which is very good and would satiate those with cravings for Indian cuisine. Owing to these two wonderful restaurants, we did not get to try the hotel food at all. But going by the number of Sheraton guests we saw each night at these two places especially The Terrace, I reckon the Sheraton food is nothing to write home about.
We booked a 10 hour tour of the Phi Phi / Hong Islands etc through the hotel. The hotel is only a facilitator and the actual tour is conducted by an external water sports agency. You'll be joined by guests from other hotels and probably it is this mix of people that made the tour exceptional. You can book a private tour also (min 4 pax) but as the hotel staff suggested the islands are best enjoyed with company. The sheer beauty of these islands is mind blowing and they are truly picture postcard perfect. You need to book a separate tour if you want to go to James Bond Island (named after the 1974 Roger Moore movie filmed here) but since we didn't have time, we missed out on that one.
On our final day in Krabi, we made a trip to Ao Nang beach. At a distance of about 8 kms it seemed a saner choice over a trip to the city centre (25 kms). The hotel has a paid shuttle service available to ferry guests to and fro Ao Nang. The service runs at regular intervals and is very convenient. The area is entirely walkable and lined with restaurants, bars, massage centres, Thai silk stores and of course, pirated DVD shops. Make sure you reach in time to see the sunset which is spectacular.
Overall, Sheraton Krabi is a great resort especially for young couples and families. The resort is huge and has every conceivable facility in keeping with its 5 star rating. It is ideally suited for people who love the outdoors and want to undertake activities like hiking, diving, sea kayaking. It may not be the ideal honeymoon hotel and for that you might want to consider the more secluded boutique hotels but they lack the location and private beach that Sheraton offers. Also, it is not suitable for people who like to stay in the hip part of town and be close to the nightlife scene. If your idea of a beach holiday is relaxing on a private beach away from the hustle and bustle with good food and ambience, Sheraton Krabi is for you. I'am definitely going back.
Sheraton is about 2 hours by road from Phuket Airport and 40 mins from Krabi airport. We had flown into Krabi airport and our pre-booked airport transfer was awaiting us. The drive is scenic though you don't get to see much of the beach en-route. On pulling into the hotel, I was impressed by the lobby and reception area which is huge and airy. The check-in took some time as there was quite a queue. The reception staff's attitude was quite un-Thai in the sense they barely smiled and went about the check-in process quite mechanically. What is a bit annoying is you have to pay for wifi in the rooms though it is free in the main lobby area.
Being 3 of us, we had booked two adjacent rooms since the Executive suite was unavailable. The rooms are of standard size and come with a large balcony. The bathrooms are decent but show some signs of aging. There is not much point in paying extra for the ocean view rooms since all you'll get to see is a speck of blue in the distance. The resort is laid out in such a way that while the property is huge, the main sea front area is taken up by the 2 swimming pools and restaurants. All the rooms are at the back including those with sea view. The hotel has extensive well maintained gardens and the Klong Muong beach stretch alongside Sheraton is totally private and very clean.
The restaurant and housekeeping staff is polite and friendly. Breakfast is served in Mangosteen. The fare is standard and what you would expect in a 5 star hotel. We had lunch on the first day at The Deck by the poolside. They did not have Singha draught beer which I found strange in a Thai 5 star hotel. Not being too hungry, we had ordered fish and chips which were passable. We walked around the hotel complex to discover that almost all restaurants are located right next to each other and at a fair distance from our hotel room. The hotel has buggy service which can be erratic and you are better off walking if you don't want to wait for one. I recommend a visit to Martini's Bar for their excellent cocktails. Unlike 5 star hotels, this bar has happy hours and a must-try is the Caipirinha. The ambience is relaxed and the seating is very comfortable - ideal for a group of friends to chat over.
On our first evening, we decided to check out the area just outside the hotel which had caught my eye when we drove in from the airport. Numerous restaurants line the road outside Sheraton. A small shopping complex can also be found which has a mini mart, ATM and a money changer. Given how much commission hotels charge for changing money, the money changer was a boon. I saw many tourists getting excited about being able to exchange 'phased out' serial numbers of US Dollars. Unlike US and Europe where these notes are not accepted, Thailand and few other Asian countries have no issues with accepting these notes. It is still valid legal tender after all. The mini mart was always full with guests from neighbouring resorts including Sheraton buying baby food items, beer and cigarettes which are significantly cheaper here. The highlight of the Sheraton resort ironically is The Terrace - a restaurant which is located right outside the hotel but is more popular with guests than the in-house restaurants. We ate one meal there and couldn't help coming back for many of our other meals. The food is simply fantastic and the service is outstanding. It won't be an exaggeration to say one should stay at The Sheraton only to be able to eat at The Terrace ! There is a Nepali restaurant also in the vicinity which is very good and would satiate those with cravings for Indian cuisine. Owing to these two wonderful restaurants, we did not get to try the hotel food at all. But going by the number of Sheraton guests we saw each night at these two places especially The Terrace, I reckon the Sheraton food is nothing to write home about.
We booked a 10 hour tour of the Phi Phi / Hong Islands etc through the hotel. The hotel is only a facilitator and the actual tour is conducted by an external water sports agency. You'll be joined by guests from other hotels and probably it is this mix of people that made the tour exceptional. You can book a private tour also (min 4 pax) but as the hotel staff suggested the islands are best enjoyed with company. The sheer beauty of these islands is mind blowing and they are truly picture postcard perfect. You need to book a separate tour if you want to go to James Bond Island (named after the 1974 Roger Moore movie filmed here) but since we didn't have time, we missed out on that one.
On our final day in Krabi, we made a trip to Ao Nang beach. At a distance of about 8 kms it seemed a saner choice over a trip to the city centre (25 kms). The hotel has a paid shuttle service available to ferry guests to and fro Ao Nang. The service runs at regular intervals and is very convenient. The area is entirely walkable and lined with restaurants, bars, massage centres, Thai silk stores and of course, pirated DVD shops. Make sure you reach in time to see the sunset which is spectacular.
Overall, Sheraton Krabi is a great resort especially for young couples and families. The resort is huge and has every conceivable facility in keeping with its 5 star rating. It is ideally suited for people who love the outdoors and want to undertake activities like hiking, diving, sea kayaking. It may not be the ideal honeymoon hotel and for that you might want to consider the more secluded boutique hotels but they lack the location and private beach that Sheraton offers. Also, it is not suitable for people who like to stay in the hip part of town and be close to the nightlife scene. If your idea of a beach holiday is relaxing on a private beach away from the hustle and bustle with good food and ambience, Sheraton Krabi is for you. I'am definitely going back.
No comments:
Post a Comment