ATV in Krabi

I wanted to go to Koh Phi Phi island today - often cited as a must-see location in Krabi.
But… The ferry ride was quite long and I really didn’t feel like being in a boat today in the rain (forecast was dire).

Also, I felt the need for some action. Therefore, I decided to relive my glorious ATV experience in Bali.

Tour booked in the morning (well rated online), suddenly the proclaimed free pickup for the Krabi area didn’t quite exist anymore. I was told that I’m in a location that is an exception to the free pickup. Suuure. I was informed that I can pay for my pick-up, of course. But, as it so happens, it cost quite a bit more than just taking a Grab. So, a Grab I took.

Once there, I expected the usual shebang. Signing waivers, having a briefing about the vehicle, the track, etc.

It went like this: I entered the building, was told to sit down, they took a photo of my passport, then I was told to follow some guy. The guy guided me to the ATVs wordlessly. He gestured at two of the ATVs, saying “Mine, yours.”

He waited for me to sit on mine. He pointed again, saying “Gas… Break…,” and then pointed to a thing directly next to my left leg and said “Don’t touch”.
He proceeded to sit on his ATV and drive away.
Wow. 😄

I do recall that I specifically asked the tour organiser the day before if anything like a poncho would be provided or about more details in general.

All I got was a verbose “Yes.” And nothing had been provided in the slightest.
So, since the 2 second briefing was over quite apparently, I set to follow the loquacious “guide” on my ATV. I will say though, for my auditory processing disorder, that was as easy a list of instructions as it gets. 😄

Let’s have a little trip down memory lane: Bali. ATV through the jungle, through rivers, through caves, up steep inclines, down steep inclines, surrounded by beautiful nature, several guides following a group of people, 2 photographers with quite good cameras strategically situated along the track, stops along the way for refreshments, a shower plus towels provided, complimentary drinks, a long waiver to sign at the beginning, providing details of a person to contact in case of injury, warnings about physical capabilities and their limits, the dangers of the activity and even possible death and a lengthy introduction to and demonstration of the functionality of the vehicle.

Now!

In the case of Krabi ATV, I was actually the only one in my “group” (playing fast and loose with that term here). Communication was non-existent. English was non-existent. Protection, equipment etc. pp. were non-existent.

So I followed my guide through the jungle track for an hour. It was a somewhat challenging off-road track - but only through the same bit of jungle, there was no variety of nature, nothing. To be fair, that’s entirely fine IF it is mentioned on the website. The way they did phrase it sounded far more like the Bali experience.
There were a few inclines and downhill-sections, uneven terrain and a fair amount of puddles with varying depth.

Ah. Another detail comes to mind. In Bali, we were provided with rubber boots. Because your feet/shoes will get absolutely drenched for sure.

Well, they did! I can vouch for that. After I had painstakingly tried to dry them from the muddy layer from the previous day…

While I will say that the activity itself was fun, the whole set-up and lack of things, prominently among them communication, cast a rather large shadow over the activity.
After about 15 minutes, the guide stopped, said “photo” and gestured at my phone. I handed it over and he took a few photos.

Then he kept my phone in his hand, camera still aimed at me, walked back to his ATV, sat down and - drove off, arm outstretched, facing me.

I was rather amused and worried at the same time. It certainly looked funny the way that unfolded. But - not that I necessarily thought he might steal it - he kept my phone stretched out with one arm, recording my skilled driving, while steering his vehicle one-armed, mainly not looking where he was going, but looking at my screen, making sure it was recording. The terrain was bumpy to say the least! Really bumpy! I was indeed worried that he was gonna a) drop my phone entirely or b) that my credit cards would just fall out and possibly land in a ditch or those countless, deep murky puddles we drove through. 😄
Ah. Well. My phone was fine, as well as the cards.

As an aside - the thing next to my leg he told me not to touch, it grew extremely hot while driving. So not touching was the absolute best thing to do. Then why, I wonder, wasn‘t there a protective shield? The way that thing was positioned - you‘d naturally just touch it with your calves. Well, so much for that. 😄

At the end of the hour, we parked the ATV and the guide pointed to a shower head dangling from a wooden board. Ah! Cool. I could use that to spray myself down.
I did what could be done - at least for my arms and legs.

The entire back of my shirt and trousers were batiked in mud.

I tried to rub that away as much as possible (meh), hoping that my Grab driver would even let me into the car.

My shoes were dripping wet. Luckily, I had brought flipflops, too, but the wet shoes are never fun, especially since you kinda need them a lot and drying takes ages. Plus they positively reek!

Upon walking out of the building, I was given a few pieces of watermelon on a plate with gladwrap that just didn’t care to adhere to the paper plate in the slightest and allowed for the watermelon juices to happily drip away into my bag.

Ah, well.

Back at the hostel, I tried to blow-dry my shoes and did a load of laundry — only to find that yesterday’s returned laundry was still very much damp, had started to smell, and carried a second smell that suggested it had been hanging somewhere near someone smoking meat.

The famous Tiger Cave Temple - a lookout point with 1,260 stairs and reportedly stunning views - was out of the question. No dry shoes, heavy rain, and a bone-deep tiredness had collectively made that decision for me. Krabi central it was instead. A modern shopping centre, unexpectedly not entirely roofed. But at least something else to look at but the stained walls in my hostel cell. 😄

Let’s mention something positive: My lunch experience. A place that claims to have an international cuisine, but really it was sushi-dominant Asian fusion with an option of fries and carbonara, oh, and a slice of pizza.

But: It was a buffet, meaning you chose from a meal plan that had a few specific dishes to choose from. You paid for the meal plan, received a barcode that you could scan and order away as many dishes as you could eat. The open kitchen floor plan showed the countless chefs and cooks preparing meals and the numerous waiters always on their feet, bringing your meals to the table.

After plenty of confusion as to how all of that worked, no English, and Google Translate to communicate with the waiters, I received my meals that were very delicious indeed!
Second greatest sushi I’ve had so far. The best one still being the restaurant in Uluwatu, Bali.Read more