Krabi is a more rural part of Thailand than the other places we visited. It’s known for its beaches and limestone islands. There isn’t a lot to do in town other than go to the beach but we had plenty to keep us entertained right out our front door.

KaiYum, the gibbon, and Joy, our Airbnb host.

We stayed at a really interesting and beautiful Airbnb that was like a small farm. The home used to be owned by a former government leader of the area. We stayed in the upstairs floor and our host Joy and her husband stayed on the downstairs floor of the house. They kept chickens, geese, ducks, dogs, fish and…a gibbon! KaiYum (the gibbon, named after the mountain where he was born) has a sad history of being orphaned after his mom was killed by a poacher. Our hosts committed to giving him the best life possible as he can no longer live in the wild. We were entertained by his gymnastics, howling, and playing. We fed him fruits and, when he let us, we could scratch his back. The wrap around back porch overlooking the limestone mountains was one of our favorite homeschool spots so far on the trip!

Along with all animals, the Airbnb had a sandy-bottom freshwater stream that ran through the property. It was probably our favorite part of the property itself because at the end of a hot, sticky day in Krabi, it felt amazing to jump in the cool, clean creek. There was a rope to pull yourself back after the current carries you away.

In the mornings, the dessert man came by on his motorcycle.

While driving around in our rental car, we saw so many people, animals and things piled on small motorcycles. (H claims he saw 7 people on one motorcycle!)

In Thailand, it seems most people eat out. Restaurants are super affordable and most of the time we didn’t have a house with a full kitchen. One of the restaurants we went to, recommended by our hosts, was right on the water. We watched the sunset and dodged the ginormous bats that swooped all around us while we ate.

While I stayed home one afternoon, the rest of the family went to a swimming hole nearby. There were lots of locals swimming–they were the only tourists there. (They still had to pay the tourist price). The water was clear and refreshing!

One of my favorite activities we did was a guided Thalen sea-kayak tour across the waterway and then through the mangrove forest. We saw monkey families on the beaches and paddled for about 2 hours along the shore and through the massive root systems of the mangroves. We found out a James Bond movie was filmed in one of the clearings we kayaked through! Our guide pointed out a camera stand up on the side of the island that was left there after filming.

The island boat tour is considered a “must do” in Krabi. We agree. It’s a good way to spend the day. We spent the day boating from island to island, laying on beautiful beaches with clear water and caves. We definitely weren’t the only people out that day. Tourists from all over came to enjoy those beaches.

Next week–Bangkok!