Adventures in Krabi: Island Hopping By Speedboat

and the tour begin

first stop: Top Island

Top Island

Top Island: and this is low season

Top Island

we aren’t supposed to be near the boats but killi doesn’t listen

2nd stop: Chicken Island

Lunch with a wild animal? Sure why not!

not gonna lie when this monkey was angry and was showing his teeth i was a little freaked out…

our lunch beach

icecream break on Poda Island

Poda Island

daddy swim time!

Poda Island

to much fun! napping!

Phra Nang Beach

Phran Nang Cave aka Penis Cave

On our last day in Krabi we scheduled our island hopping trip by speedboat. We made this last adventure a family affair and Killi loved it. We arrived at the first island, Top Island, and were given around 45 minutes to relax and enjoy the white sandy beaches and crystal clear waters. While the tide is out and there was a sand bar that many people were using to explore the other island next door, Chicken Island. Our guide made it very clear that there wasn’t enough time to go there and come back before the tide came back in and one of the couples on our boat found that out the hard way causing us to be 20 minutes late to our next island.

Continue reading →

Adventures in Krabi: Scuba Diving

enjoying my day

coming up after his first dive

you can’t help but look at the world and be amazed at Gods creation

I love the idea of scuba diving but turns out it is much harder than it looks. I guess I should have known that scuba diving would be hard for me. First of all when I watch people underwater on TV or a movie I can’t help but hold my breath and guess what’s the number one rule when you scuba dive? You guessed it, never hold your breath! That should have been clue number one that today would not go the way Chris and I had hoped.

Continue reading →

Quiet Moments with Becky & Chris

having a quiet moment

I am starting a new series on the blog called “Quiet Moments with Becky & Chris”

Being an expat you can’t help but have some questions about life in whatever country you are residing in. Somehow Chris and I come up with the most random questions, some are silly but some are legitimate questions that we would like to know the answers to! So if you read these and it makes you smile- mission accomplished! If you read these and it makes you think-that’s a double whammy! If you read our quiet moments and actually know the answers please enlighten us!

If you are an expat or a traveler with a quiet moment of your own please share! I would love to post it and give you the bragging rights and in return you might make someone smile, think or finally get the answer you were looking for!

Here we go! This is a Becky Quiet Moment:

“If you have a pop singing group full of ladyboys are they a boy band or a girl group?”

Adventures In Krabi: Tiger Cave Temple & Elephant Trekking

We celebrated my sons 2^nd birthday while in Krabi and for a special surprise we decided to take him on a trip elephant trekking through the jungle. Sounds like a great idea doesn’t it!?

Travel Tip: When booking your excursions in Krabi they may say that these events are half day but in all reality, they are not. They are about forty-five minutes to an hour long with an hour or two of travel time. This would have been fine had it been in the description. Instead, they lead you to believe it is a legitimate half-day event…

Continue reading →

Krabi: A Little Slice of Paradise

floating parking lot

checking it all out

our ride to Railay

the result of the crazy long tail boat ride!

night out on the town

playing checkers with the locals

long tail boats

thai pancake with fresh coconut

we like it fried in Ao Nang like the good ole south!

yum?

pink shirt and pink drink to go with the nice sunburn! wear sun screen the sun is brutal here!

Spicy Mango Margarita= best thing ever! made with fresh local mango, imported tequila and Tabasco. the heat doesn’t hit you until after you take the drink! amazing! signature drink at crazy gringo downtown Ao Nang

a painting we bought from Ice Gallery

private beach at the centura resort on the other side of Ao Nang

food cart food for dinner!

beautiful sunset in Ao Nang!

family dinner at sunset

the painting we had made! love Japanese cherry blossoms!

map of Ao Nang

Enjoying the beach!

Part of downtown Ao Nang

We have just made it back from a weeklong vacation in Krabi! Most of you have seen the pictures from the Nikon and to be honest they do not do the beauty of this location justice. The Phi Phi Islands are by far the most beautiful place I have ever seen on this earth (and I thought Belize was beautiful). Phra Nang Beach is home to a five star hotel and has been ranked one of the top ten beaches in the world and it is easy to see why. Ao Nang is a little too touristy with expensive (compared to what I pay in Bangkok but still not as expensive as western prices) tuk tuk rides, massages and dinners. You are always being “hollered” at by the local vendors trying to sell you a suit, a massage, dinner or souvenirs. Although it is touristy, it gives you something to do and see at night. If you stay in Railay Bay you are a little more secluded with not many options on how you will spend your evening but in Ao Nang there are dozens of different restaurant choices, art galleries where you can have a painting commissioned (at an amazing price) and you might even run into a local with a monkey that is trying to take your picture for a touristy price but to be honest it’s all part of the fun! My biggest complaint about this area is the garbage on the beaches. You would not believe the crap that is washing up and no one is there cleaning it up. I think it really detracts from the beauty. Phra Nang beach is spotless but I am told they have people working all day, everyday picking up trash to keep it that way.

Continue reading →

Kid Tested. Mom Approved: Airports

We have traveled a lot in the past 7 months and in doing so we have been to 9 different international airports. Most of them are big and boring for kids but Seoul, Charles de Gaulle and Don Meuang are kid tested and mommy approved!!

Continue reading →

Next Stop: Krabi

photo credit beachthailand.com

The Horace family is off on their next big adventure to Krabi.

For the next week, we will be enjoying crystal clear water and white sandy beaches, don’t worry I will be thinking of you while I sip my adult beverage listening to the ocean waves lap onto the shore. I will be taking the Nikon with me so I can practice (before my photography class in September with Loren), so enjoy the pictures and posts to come in the next week of travel tips, reviews and possible adventures you could enjoy with your family if you ever make it to Krabi!

Thursday Market on Soi 23

cheap fashion that all the ladies love

http://www.toddlejoy.com enjoying the “toy market”

http://www.toddlejoy.com more toy shopping

Thai snacks anyone?

just your run of the mill orchid stall at the market

duck in a pot

yummy

food market. all the fruits, veggies and meat you could ask for!

fresh fruit

In a previous post, I shared with you my awesome finds from the Thursday morning market on Soi 23. This market, also known as the Asoke Market or Japanese Market, has anything you might possibly want or need! Today Killian and I ventured out to the market with our new friends (Loren also writes a blog on her adventures in Bangkok- check it out- great stuff for expats with kids!). Loren and her son were on a mission for toys and we had no other purpose there today but to take pictures with the Nikon so I can flex my photography muscles.

Enjoy!

Special Needs

first time he has intentionally looked at the camera and said cheese!

We all have needs, some more than others. I didn’t really want to write about this but then again I think that it is important to share how we are adjusting with anyone else that might be an expat or a parent going through the same thing, it’s always nice to know you aren’t alone.

As a parent it is extremely hard not to compare your child to the kids you see around. When at different playgroups I think “well Timmy can do this but Killi can’t or Jenny can do that but why can’t Killian…?” Everyone says that children develop at their own speed and on their own time and I know that this is true but as a parent it is hard not to worry and think about if your kid is falling behind. You wonder if your child is actually falling behind or are you blowing it out of proportion. Everyone is eager to give their two cents on when their kid started talking or in an attempt to help you not worry about it down play the situation but in all reality that doesn’t help put a parents mind at ease, nothing will at this point.

Continue reading →

Soi 33

Just a morning stroll down our local brothel street, soi 33. Guess it’s to early to be wooing a lovely lady.

Wanted to give you a look of what I was talking about in a previous post, here you can see “massage parlors” with names like love teen massage and lookie lookie. No brothel would be complete without a Moulin Rouge. Bar fly is the amazing breakfast we had a couple of weeks ago and tenderloins next door is the club house for the Bangkok Bangers Rugby team, a team Chris just joined!

During the day soi 33 is a great spot to get cart food, which smells great, fresh fruit and your local iced coffee (if your brave enough to drink their ice-it about kills my stomach so beware!).