When It’s Raining In Your Beach Paradise

I can’t tell you how glad I was to get back to Thailand.

My Air Asia flight from Kuala Lumpur touched down in Krabi, and my spirits soared.  “Sawatdee ka!  Khawp koon ka!” I cheerily greeted the customs agent.

Thailand. God, I love this country — the smiles, the relaxation, the food, the incredible lifestyle that you can carve out for yourself.

Then I realized that it was downpouring.

I checked the forecast.  Though it was considered the high season on the Andaman Coast, complete with high season prices, it was scheduled to rain for the next two weeks.

This beach leg was supposed to be about nothing but sun and sand!  Krabi, Ao Nang, Railay and then crossing the peninsula to Ko Phangan for the Full Moon Party!  Getting tan, rock climbing and being a beach bum!

The forecast news was met by me and Backpacking Matt sitting inside, watching the downpour, drinking Chang beers from 7-Eleven and pouting.

It didn’t help that after searching for decent food, the only options in Ao Nang appeared to be touristy, overpriced Thai-Italian hybrids, Thai-Swiss hybrids, or Thai-Dutch hybrids.

Was the trip busted?

No. We had Cody — the guy behind lifestyle design blog Thrilling Heroics .  After living in Thailand for the past few years, Cody has found some good places.  On his recommendation, we ended up at The Massaman restaurant and its tiny attached bar, the Red Balcony , where he later joined us.

Both places: AMAZING.  The three of us have since been at both of them daily.

It was a good wake-up call.  Even if it’s raining in your beach paradise, there are still ways to have fun:

Eat some amazing, delicious, spicy (and cheap!) food.

Get your first bucket.

And hang around singing Wonderwall with locals.  (Apologies for the truly awful singing.)

Friends, fun, authenticity in a Thai beach town. What more could you want?

It was only the beginning.  While the weather hasn’t been the greatest here in Ao Nang, the days and nights have been nothing short of epic.  I’ve met heaps of cool travelers and interesting people who have made Thailand their home.  This leg of the trip has been fantastic, and I couldn’t be happier about postponing Laos to come here instead.

Plus, overcast days lead to wild sunsets.