Browsing Tag

budget travel

Fun Places & Things To Do, Travel

3 Day Itinerary at Beyond Krabi Resort

Our first stop in our 2 week visit to Thailand included 3 days in the beautiful scenic area of Krabi. Here is my 3 itinerary for Krabi. If you can spend an entire week lounging on the beach then that is great, but being from Southern California we decided to just stay 3 days and head to other areas of Thailand, But Krabi stayed in our hearts and we loved it!

While in Krabi we decided to stay at a resort located about 3 miles from the Aonong center. We stayed at Beyond Krabi Resort and so glad that we did. The resort is on a beautiful property landscaped perfectly and the rooms well kept and clean. The lobby is spectacular as it overlooks the Adaman Sea and the resort is fully stocked with a gorgeous infinity pool and lounge chairs. Check out this hotel!
20150816_103813

20150816_104458

20150816_103649

Staying here means you are not walking distance to the Aonong downtown if you are into more of a touristic feel then you may want to opt to stay cost to Aonong. The hotels near downtown seem a little more dated and the amenities are not the same. From Beyond Krabi Resort you can easily take a tuk tuk for about 30p bhat or taxi for 409bhat. We decided to rent a scooter for 300bhat all day to go around the beach town. TIP: leave a cash deposit instead of your passport.
scooter

We rode our scooter to Aonong and then for 100 baht took a long tail taxi about a 10 minute ride to Railey Beach. I loved Railey beach! Very calm beautiful warm waters. Walk to the east bay via the main road and then walk through the monkey trail to get to Phrang Nang Bay another gorgeous beach! Here you can eat great food right on the beach from one of these little beach long tail cafe boats. Fully stocked!

11873354_829510320480979_8894015285406688997_n

Enjoying our yummy Thai chicken!!!
11873731_829516497147028_5540373137461315263_n

Second day we reserved a snorkeling tour to Phi Phi Islands which we reserved through a local tour guide located right outside of our hotel. The tour made a stop at Maya Bay where the movie The Beach was filmed and then a stop at Emerald Bay for snorkeling.. Both were breath taking!
Once we finally reached Phi Phi I was greatly disappointed… It was a run down, over crowded tourist trap. It was dirty and there was little to no charm… all the other islands and beaches were much more prettier than Phi Phi Islands.

Our third and final day we spent it at our lovely resort enjoying of Thai massages on the beach, cocktails and complete relaxation!

Happy Travels!

Fun Places & Things To Do, Travel

3 Day Itinerary Barcelona

I recently returned from a trip to Spain where I spent 3  wonderful days in Barcelona or should I say Barthelona. The Spaniards have me lisping everything I sthay….  🙂  It was my first time visiting Spain and starting in Barcelona was a pleasant surprise. I will share with you a few of the highlights ( in my opinion) of the city and a few must do things and places to visit while visiting. One of the first places we went to visit is the beach. Now being a California girl I am a bit jaded with beaches. I expect a lot. If it isn’t beautiful white soft sand, nice waves to ride a surf board or calm bath like waters you find in Mexico or the Caribbean….I think most beaches are so-so…so Barcelona isn’t the type of place you go to hangout at the beach. You go there to explore and enjoy the Spanish lifestyle! So after one too many bites of paella we headed back and walked along La Rambla. It is the most beautiful tree-lined pedestrian friendly street in the city. It is full of street vendors, stores and markets. I suggest a nice walk through this street and do make sure to stop at the central market and try some jamon or cheese selection.

IMG_5292
IMG_5341
One of the things I quickly picked up and understood was why the Spanish eat dinner so late? I have heard that they have dinner around 10pm and it only took one day to understand. The sun doesn’t even set until about 930pm so at 10pm you are catching the sunset. It is such a wonderful experience. We spent most of the first day there in Barcelona’s most eastern area. On day 2 we visited the northern city where you will find many of  famous architect Antoni Gaudí homes whose facades he designed. Here is one of my favorites.

 

IMG_5372 IMG_5370

If you are in the mood for top-notch shopping Avinguda Diagonal or The Portal de l’Àngel,just off Placa de Catalunya, is lined with an endless array of shops selling the most exclusive brands of clothing and accessories. I headed to Spanish companies like ZARA to take advantage of lower prices than in the states. Yes I saved my receipt and so should you if you spend a lot then before exiting Spain you can get reimbursed on your sales taxes. (hit-hint).
Our 3rd day there we dedicated to visiting la Sagrada Família basicilia. I recommend waking up super early to beat the crowds. At first sight this building is so impressive. The scale of it compared to the smaller buildings surrounding it make it look massive! And it is! I highly recommend getting a tour guide to teach you the history and explanations and hidden meanings this building has. Our tour guide was excellent! They are still doing construction to it and it is scheduled to be completed in 2026. I guess I will have to make a return trip there to admire the beauty.

IMG_5406IMG_5471IMG_5461

Afterwards, we spent the later morning at Park Güell is a garden complex with architectural elements situated on the hill of El Carmel in the Gràcia district of Barcelona. The views are spectacular! Again, highly recommend a guide because the park has so much history and meaning behind all of Gaudís’ work. You have to sit at the worlds longest bench. Its agronomic design truly helps your back and feels incredibly comfortable! We finished this day with heading towards the International Expo and Olympic park area.

In general food in Spain is jamon, jamon, jamon, paella, fried foods and umm more fried foods. In my opinion not the best, but my oh my the wine! Loved EVERY wine I tried. I had high end expensive bottles and budget friendly ones and all were tasty and smooth.

 

If you are only there for a few ours as part of a cruise ships stop…good luck being able to experience and view all that Barcelona has to offer. It is impossible! Not even my 3 days there were enough, but better than no days. To live how the Spaniards live. To relax and enjoy lunch for 2 hours. To drink, eat and be marry! That is what Spaniards do best and that is what Barcelona showed me.