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One of the first questions we ask ourselves when we get off the plane in Thailand is “where’s the beach?” We can’t wait to peel off our compression socks and feel sand between our toes. On this particular trip we visited Krabi and wanted to stay in a clean but economical hotel. Safety and comfort were just as important as the distance to the closest beach.
For this formula to work out, we stayed at the Silver Sand Suites Hotel in Ao Nang. We’re just going to refer to this place as SSSH for the remainder of this post. As in, “can we talk about the hotel?” “SSSH. No.”
Just show him your phone
We had to rely on a taxi to whisk us from Krabi International Airport to SSSH, as it was about a 40 minute car ride. We’d typed in 199/16-17 Moo 3 T., Krabi Town and off we went. Sometimes it’s difficult to stay awake in a car, especially after a long day of traveling with luggage. We THINK – but weren’t able to prove – that we literally and figuratively got taken for a ride in Vietnam once. We both fell asleep and the ride ended at a higher fare than we anticipated so we were suspicious, but we should’ve tried harder to stay awake.
Maybe it’s down this road?
If you research SSSH online, you may read that taxi drivers don’t know how to get there. It’s true: it’s at the very end of a very narrow but very busy road. And you can’t easily see it from the road unless you know exactly where it is. Its restaurant, the Coco Locos (translates to Crazy Coconuts, FYI) is visible from the street but when we stayed there, we had a hard time finding the hotel’s sign.
Eventually we found our bearings and walked down the necessary side street in our trusty Tevas and checked in with the lovely receptionist. (Kim’s a diehard Teva supporter and tried her best to wear her beloved pair of Olawahus 24/7. I always appreciated the no-slip grip and cushioned sole of my Pajaro flip-flops.)
The good news is:
That very narrow, very busy road ends up being a relatively short walk to the beach. From the end of the road, you can turn right and hit the sand in about 7 minutes. If you turn left, you’ll get to the beach in about 20 minutes (or longer if you stop for breakfast at a great brunch place like we did once.) There are more street food vendors and souvenir stores on this part of the road too, which make it a fun route to get to the beach.
Save money on the hotel, spend it in town!
SSSH is not a five-star resort, nor does it claim to be. And it sure doesn’t try hard to be. Its no-frills breakfast wasn’t the best we’ve had and you’d have to be a Crazy Coconut to eat at their Mexican restaurant more than once.
(BUT there was a night market in the empty lot next door that had an awesome variety of inexpensive and delicious street food. We had spicy chicken, spring rolls and a big crepe full of bananas and chocolate. I’m sure the famous Thai ice cream rolls were sold there too.) It’d be hard to compete with that variety of culinary delights so I understand why the Coco Locos’ menu was meager.
The rooms were basic but we just needed beds for our weary heads and a closet for our suitcases. Check and check! We do love a good pool to lounge near if we don’t feel like going to the beach and SSSH had posted pictures of an interesting yet well-shaded pool. We were intrigued. Half the fun of a pool day is getting a little sun. Surely the photos we’d seen were taken at the wrong time of day.
You can skip the pool
SSSH’s pool was built in an architectural anomaly where the sun doesn’t shine. Ever. If you’re recovering from any heat-related illness, such as sunburn or heat stroke, this pool is for you. In addition to being completely shaded the entire day, it’s about the size of two average hot tubs put together. You will not get your laps in efficiently here so this chilly little body of water is perfect for resting in. By yourself, since no one will want to spend much time here. And no one else will fit.
SSSH doesn’t need to have a good restaurant or a dazzling pool because that’s what Krabi Town is for! You can enjoy Nature’s silver sands on nearby Ao Nang Beach and soak up the beautiful Andaman Sea water in your own “suite” time.
Save time, save money and book here
At the time this blog went public, SSSH appears to have been reborn as Krabi Residence. You can check it out on booking.com and get your own Thailand adventure underway today!
