Ao Nang, Koh Poda and Koh Tup are my favourite spots in Thailand for Seascapes
While I was in Thailand these two months I had the chance to explore more the Krabi region; I never expected such an amazing location, crystal waters and a lot of beaches to relax, eat fresh seafood and contemplate incredible seascapes. If I will have the possibility to choose where to spend most of the time of the year I would definitely pick Krabi as one of my favorite spots in this country.
Where is Ao Nang and how to reach this paradise
Krabi is a small town in Thailand, located on the west coast of southern Thailand, famous among a lot of tourists, but less crowded than the famous Chiang Mai and Phuket. For my fast escape I decided to don’t stay in Krabi town, but to find the accommodation in Ao Nang, a small village next to the bigger sister town, along the same coast.
It was a good choice because Ao Nang offers different small piers to take a longtail of a fast boat and visit islands such as Phi Phi, Bond Island, Poda, Chicken Island, Tup Island and much more. They also offer daily tours to visit more than one island, but I was not in the mood to share a boat with a horde of tourists and to follow the time schedule they offer (snorkeling, relaxing on a beach for an hour maximum and move again).
The first day I went to visit Railay Beach, a large peninsula between the two cities of Ao Nang and Krabi; despite is located in the coast of Thailand, this place is accessible only by boat due to high cliffs cutting off mainland access, and as far as I understood, it’s a famous spot for climbers from all over the world. I had a good time at this beach and despite was full of tourists, I found my own relaxing space in the shadow.
Sand Bubbler Crabs in Railey Beach
After a refreshing dive in the water, I decided to take some photos, to remember this place, not to create some amazing prints of course! The light was harsh and the time of the day was not ideal for some long exposure shot. I mounted my Tamron 24-70 f2,8 G2 on my Canon 5d Mark IV and I started walking along the beach; I immediately notice a curios nature phenomena just near the seashore: a lot of small sand balls were perfectly aligned in circles, creating patterns and shapes, precise as we sketch them with a drawing compass.
Why??? Well at first I was wondering how they could be so precise and then I started starring at the small holes in the center of these sand ball circles; It did not take long to see a small crab popping out, taking the sand and forming it into an inflated pellet.
Sand Bubbler Crabs Making Sediment Balls on an Australian Beach (From BBC’s Blue Planet) – HD
I was shocked! How they could be so creative? After I noticed the first crab doing this, I kept walking and I started realizing how many crabs were running on their holes as soon as they saw me approaching. it was a funny behavior to see and later, in the room, I looked up on google to find an answer at my curiosity. In fewer terms, they scour the sand for food until the tide is low. We should be so creative too when we eat and we will be shortlisted for the “most satisfying videos on youtube”!
If you want to know more about these curious creatures and their behavior, just look at the video I linked above to understand what I was talking about.
It did not take long to focus and capture some image of the cliffs of this beach; they were shaped by millions of years of winds and water and it was interesting to see how the typical tropical vegetation gained its place on these huge rock formations.
The Helmsman and escape from the Tsunami
The next day I bought a longtail boat ticket for Koh Poda, a small paradise at just 15 minutes ride from Ao Nang; I was lucky enough to be alone in the boat with just my girlfriend and the helmsman; he welcomed us to his boat, he was so humble and kind, with a big smile all over his face; his skin, marked by a life on the sea was not hiding all the experiences he surely had. I’m a really friendly person, who likes to know more people, cultures, and difficulties in a country; I don’t live my trips like a tourist but I always try to find a connection with the local people; this is for me the best way to understand a country, with its qualities and difficulties. Thit is the secret to find the beauty in my work.
After gained some connection with the helmsman he told me about what he did when the Tsunami in 2004 occurred in Thailand; he was in the boat heading to Phi Phi Island and he immediately got a call about what was happening, he ran back to the land and they ordered everyone to find a safe place to escape the big wave. He found a safe spot up in the mountain and assisted at the disaster, waited for the recovery and witnessed the destruction of the coast. He did not explain a lot in detail what really happened, but I read sadness in his eyes when he was speaking about it. I did not ask him questions about it and I tried to distract him from the thoughts he was living again in his mind to recap the moments he faced, alone. It was a moment of sadness for me too because I cannot imagine how much these people suffered.
These stories, these experiences, these lives, always make me wonder about the superficial life of many people that lives in economically stronger countries. They never think about it. Most of the people in richer countries visit Thailand and they live it absorbing only the fun side of it. But beyond sexy bars, huge malls, 5 stars hotels, and the fairly cheap life-cost exists a reality that must be seen and understood, lived and shared to really appreciate all the comforts and advantages we have.
After 15 minutes, we arrived in the paradise. Koh Poda island
The moment I climbed down from the boat to the beach, my face started to show the expression of a kid with the toy he always desired. I was stunned for at least 10 seconds, looking around with my mouth open and my eyes wide open full of joy. I had just arrived in an earthly paradise. I know that now many of you will say that there are certainly better places, such as the Maldives, or Seychelles, but the feeling of freedom that I felt as soon as I turned the other side of the island I found a whole beach, practically empty at complete disposal, it made me feel a bit like Robinson Crusoe when he finds himself on an island lost along the mouths of the Orinoco River.
After finding a small space in the shade of the few shrubs that surrounded the beach, I decided it was time to fly the little monster I had brought; the Mavic Mini! I always avoided using it in Thailand, first of all, because I almost always found myself in too crowded places, and secondly, to avoid losing it forever in a gust of wind.
The Mavic Mini is very light, a concentrate of technology in just 249 grams, and, despite holding well in moderate winds, it must contrast them with the little weight it has. The day was perfect, as we say in Rome “a leaf did not move”, there was a lot of light and the sky was clear. What better occasion to make some videos and photos?
Tamron SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2 and the Black Heron
After completely discharging 3 batteries of the Mavic Mini and feeling satisfied with the shooting, I realize that a black Heron, The black heron (Egretta Ardesiaca) also known as the black egret, was fishing among the rocks that had recently appeared afloat, thanks at low tide. I decided it was time to use the faithful Tamron 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2 again. The most curious thing about this particular Heron is the use of Canopy Feeding. In a nutshell, thanks to the wings, it creates an umbrella shape and, through the shadow, attracts fish and captures them.
I did not expect to find particular birds on Koh Poda at all, and I can say that carrying all the equipment was really useful, at least this time. This lens, never ceases to amaze me, despite its price, manages to bring out, if used correctly, details that can be compared to the older and timeless Canon L series. I will never regret having purchased this lens, in addition to being relatively light, it has a large focal range and can be used for many subjects.
Keep it steady with improved VC (Vibration Compensation)
You can choose between VC Mode 1, VC Mode 2, and VC Mode 3. Mode 1 “strikes a balance” between viewfinder and lens stabilization; Mode 2 is exclusively for panning; and, finally, Mode 3 offers the best stabilization by prioritizing the captured image and ignoring viewfinder stabilization. The last mode guarantees a stabilization of 4.5 stops! I tried it and I can assure you that Tamron really managed to amaze me this time. The only sore point regarding third-party lenses, be it Sigma or Tamron, is the focus calibration. Many times I found myself with very pronounced back and front focus, easily correctable thanks to the option of micro-adjustments in the room. But on Canon lenses, I never needed to go through this step. However, I have to say that many times, many users, take it for granted that the lens they purchased is not sharp enough. Guys, try to check if the focus is correct! After adjusting my 150-600 I gained at least a good 30% more sharpness!
Also, I noticed that when the Tamron was not calibrated, it would bring out noticeable chromatic aberrations in the areas where the focus point was confirmed. It seemed too strange and I decided to buy the Tamron Tap-in console to update the firmware of all the Tamron lenses I have and correct the micro-adjustments to different focal points in more detail. Only with this Tap-in can these micro-adjustments be changed to different focal lengths, otherwise in the camera (in the 5d Mark IV) we can control the micro-adjustments to wide focal or telephoto, losing all the values that are at the central focal length of a telephoto. It seems an unnecessary thing, but after having carefully calibrated the 150-600mm I have to say that the results were seen immediately, and with extreme satisfaction.
The way back to Ao Nang
The return of the day in this beautiful island, I spent it, walking through the beach and trying to catch some interesting glimpse of the nearby Koh Tup and not having the possibility to stay for the sunset, to seize the paradise that I have from different angles he appeared before. Around 4 o’clock in the afternoon, the sky started to change rapidly and rain-laden clouds could be seen on the horizon. Knowing that in Thailand, when it rains, it rains a lot, I decided to go back to the landing beach and look for the sailor to return to Ao Nang an hour before the agreed time.
Unfortunately, I had to wait for other tourists before I could return and as I expected the sea had changed dramatically, the wind had risen and a storm was coming. I had a little fear during the crossing back to Ao Nang, also because the longtails are very small and fragile boats, built-in wood and not very stable. I realized how people who travel abroad take everything very lightly, underestimating risks that should be considered with different attention. This time everything went well, but finding myself at sea swimming with a lifebuoy and with the lost equipment was certainly not a far cry from what could have happened.
I always say to those who travel for pure pleasure to be much less
flexible in the choices to make; sometimes many people think they can
behave as they do in their own country and this often leads to problems
and inconvenient situations.
Although the return was busy, we returned safely and consoled ourselves with a watermelon shake in one of the many restaurants on the Ao Nang coast, contemplating the sunset and watching the few boats return to the shore to prepare for another day of emotions.
