Thailand - Pum and Krabi

Pum Cooking School and Restaurant. The reason why we have stopped eating Thai food in India (because it is nowhere close to what we ate here!). It is in Phi Phi island (I think they have outlets in other islands too), yet am writing about it in a separate post so that it catches your eye. So that, when you're there in Thailand next time, you plan your trip around eating at Pum! Food is my biggest weakness, and when I go to a new place, it is pretty much the first thing I read about. The outcome is mostly finger-lickin' good. :)

Pum Restaurant

Very reasonably priced!

Right after we came back from Maya Bay, we headed to Pum. Done in orange, the place is set up with 5-6 tables. And a small kitchen. The cooking school was waitlisted when we had gone. Do reserve in advance if you plan to learn. The menu is a simple one pager, with rates that ensured that we stuffed ourselves to the brim! We ordered Khao Phad Prik (rice dish), Pum's Dear Lesson (noodles topped with a prawn omelette), Gaeng Kheo Wan Gai (green curry) and Tom Kha Gai (white curry). Weird names, I know. But the first spoon, and we were swooning. Everything was just brilliant. Such flavours! This was followed by mango with sticky rice and coconut milk for dessert, which was equally good. This was the perfect finish to Phi Phi island. We took the ferry back to Krabi after all the binging.

White curry and green curry...yum!

Khao phad prik

Mango with sticky rice and coconut milk

There is nothing much in Krabi town. Small place. Not much to do. Lots of beaches around Krabi, which are worth staying in. For us, Krabi was supposed to be just a stopver before heading to Koh Samui. We checked in to the Pak-Up hostel there. Nice place, big rooms, well equipped. But the reception staff were the grumpiest lot I have ever met! Like they all had had many bad days in succession. Quite a let down! There was a bar downstairs with a pool table and a restaurant on the rooftop. All in all, quite good for a stopover.

Our room in Pak-Up

Evening was spent at Ao-Nang beach. Around 45 minutes ride from Krabi town. On hindsight, we should've just stayed here. Much livelier. Much nicer. We walked around the beach. Bought a sky lantern for luck's sake. These are square lanterns made of paper, which when lit at the bottom, blow up thanks to the hot air. Once released in the sky, it is supposed to wash away all misfortune and bad luck. There is some festival called Loy Krathong, when Thai people release thousands of these lanterns.

While walking at Ao-Nang beach

Sky lanterns!

Dinner was at the Last Fisherman Bar. All I remember of it was a lot of meat.  Nothing great. The high point of the day was Pum. The rest was just lazy wandering. Nothing much to write about. Next was a long journey to Koh Samui.