The Wall of Tonsai
It’s easy to get away from Krabi, buses, boats and planes leave and arrive daily and a new International runway has opened at the Krabi International Airportso more flights will be headed there in the future. I got off the ferry from Koh Phi Phi and took a minivan to Ao Nang, the beach community closest to Krabi. Ao Nang is a bit too commercial for my tastes and prices are almost double what they are in Krabi and even more than double compared to Tonsai.
I bought a ticket for 100 Baht/one-way. The long tail takes about half an hour and you are on a beach with bungalows off in the jungle with Gibbons howling in the trees and Long tail Macaques that are unfortunately becoming comfortable with people and rummaging through the garbage bins for an easier meal when the fruit trees have been depleted.
I’ve been coming to Tonsai since 1996 and have seen many changes over time. The one constant with Tonsai is climbing with over 1000 routes and climbing classes always available. Originally restaurants and bars lined the beach and evening Frisbee, slack liners, and sunset viewers all hung out on the beach while base jumpers bounced off the monolith limestone columns between Railay West and Tonsai. After the 2004 Tsunami the bars were all washed out and they moved and rebuilt them on each side of the large landowners claimed property and built them in a more orderly fashion and bigger.
The beach massage shops moved up the hill when a shop opened to be rented. The bars and restaurants all flourished along the beach as people walked from one end of the beach to the other with restaurants, WiFi, and live music available. Many curious tourists climb over the hill or beach trail daily to see what Tonsai is all about. Two years ago the main landowner on Tonsai separated from the locals and cleared all the bars out. I didn’t come last year for fear that Tonsai was going to be over run by a big conglomerate hotel construction. I got a phone call that stated they aren’t building for another 5 years but they have separated by putting in a 6’ tall concrete wall and given Tonsai a concrete road that was only a partially paved road before. Torrential rains continually gouged out the road and left a trough for the few motorcycle transports to cope.
The bars and restaurants were torn down and rebuilt up the jungle trail heading for Railay East and Pranang Beach. In a sense the move brought the Tonsai community closer together behind the wall. The wall, the wall separates the community from a coconut grove and a beautiful view of the beach through the trees now that the company cleared all the debris and underbrush out of their property. But the wall is what I’m talking about here. The Tonsai community is slowly using the creative talents of its visitors to paint the wall in murals and is a creative outlet. Bring your spray-cans and paint brushes, there are still many open spots for creative art.
I returned to he Andaman Nature Resort where I have stayed over the years and they haven’t changed their prices. 300 Baht/night with discounts on longer stays. From Andaman I used to walk straight down to the beach through the company property but that is no longer an option.
I dropped my gear and took a walk through the jungle over the mountain to East Railay and along the walkway to Pranang Beach. Pranang Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches in Thailand and unfortunately boats come from Koh Phi Phi and from Krabi with day tourists so it’s best to go in the mourning before 10 am when all the boats begin arriving. Don’t worry they leave around 4 pm so the beach is also great for sunsets. Some long tail boats are set up as a restaurant so you can get Pad Thai or other basic foods and beverages so you don’t have to go all the way back to Railay East. Pranang is also home of a fertility temple where many women hoping to have a child go and pay homage tying a scarf or ribbon around one of the numerous phallic stalagmites in a shallow cave.
Tonsai is one of those places where I like to stop for longer than other places just because it has a certain vibe that is hard to find anywhere in the world. It’s a great place to write, read, take a deep breath and recollect before heading back out for another round of adventures. I only have a few weeks left in Thailand and will be heading south for a spell hopefully finding some diving off Tioman Island this time. I’ve been going there since 1988 and not much has changed as I mentioned in a previous blog at the end of 2015. I will be dropping into Singapore for a brief visit with friends and then back to Kuala Lumpur for a flight to Papua New Guinea. Stay tuned for some more fun and photos.
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