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Herald Sun
18-05-2025
- Herald Sun
I spent 48 hours in Ao Nang and found the perfect Thai beach getaway
Don't miss out on the headlines from Lifestyle. Followed categories will be added to My News. There's good reason tourists follow the footsteps of the pirates once present in the Krabi town of Ao Nang. With its hidden coves and camel-shaped limestone rocks jutting hundreds of metres out of emerald waters, this slice of Thailand is an area of ravishing beauty. As well as restaurants with menus that tour the globe, you'll find massage parlours, night markets, clubs and hookah bars flanking powdery beaches as white as coconut meat. Adventures await inland, too, from visiting elephant sanctuaries to hiking mountain crests. DAY 1: Morning Planted amid neatly aligned rubber trees and towering peaks, Into the Forest cafe is a good place to kick off the day. It's surrounded by natural attractions and encapsulates the appeal of this karst region formed by the same tectonic smash-up as the Himalayas. I arrive at 9am and head straight for the terrace for a late Forest Breakfast (omelette, bread and jam – no bacon for me – cherry tomatoes and rosemary-roasted potatoes). After soaking up the chill atmosphere – the sun peeps down from the cliff behind me while a spring fountain bubbles below – I hop on my scooter. Next stop? Sa Kaeo, or 'pool as clear as glass'. This still, turquoise pool is said to be the deepest freshwater basin in Southeast Asia. It looks shallow but a local cave diver confirms it has a 240m-deep, submerged cave. Other on-site caves are home to bats. The entrance fee includes parking, a bottle of water, headlamp, plus a Tarzan jump from a rope above the invigorating pool. The striking emerald pool of Sa Kaeo, the deepest of its kind in Southeast Asia. Lunch Five kilometres away is Khaothong Elephant Camp. These majestic animals are rooted in Thai history. They were instruments of war and used for transport because, unlike horses, tigers didn't attack them. Chained and with ropes attached, they also had to knock old rubber trees down on hills unreachable for machines. I grab some noodles with beef balls, chicken legs and morning glory from Muttoam, a nearby streetside stall, then fuelled up, I meet pachyderms formerly abused for human entertainment. Riding the adorable giants is a big no-no here, but you can let them nab sugarcane off your hands, walk alongside as they blow air from their trunks, or prepare their food using mortar and pestle. Resident elephants at Khaothong Elephant Camp. Afternoon No wonder Leonardo DiCaprio and Jackie Chan have been to Long Klong Srakaew. Framed by thick jungle, the kilometre-long, green-tinted freshwater stream is great for an adrenaline rush. Whether you kayak down the brook or float on an inflatable rubber ring you're almost guaranteed to hear a cuckoo's exotic tak-tak calls. Be sure to add Kuan Nom Saow restaurant to your itinerary. Looking out over a sea of shrubs, palms and rubber trees stretching away over millions of acres of deep green woodland towards limestone monoliths on the horizon, this eatery and viewpoint will knock your socks off. There's also a campsite. View from Kuan Nom Saow restaurant. Evening Back in the town centre, I stroll through the bustling Landmark Night Market for the meats barbecued on skewers, handicrafts and paintings of beautiful Thai scenery. Enjoying live music, I end the day with some fishy crocodile on a stick and watch fire spinners setting the night ablaze. The vibrant Landmark Night Market. DAY 2: Morning I'm up early for a trek to Dragon Crest Mountain, also known as Khao Ngon Nak, after a coconut pie and coffee from a 7-Eleven. The steep, 3.7km nature trail is an effective post-meal workout. You'll crouch beneath fallen tree trunks, pull yourself up on snake-shaped roots, and catch your breath in the Auburn Zone, where trees are fairytale red. Two hours later and I'm breathing fresh cool mountain air atop Dragon Crest, some 560m above sea level. Overlooking jungle-clad limestone rocks that slope to the Krabi coast, the summit is on a frequency of its own, set apart from the fast-paced world. Dragon Crest Mountain (Khao Ngon Nak) nature trail leads to breathtaking views. Lunch Returning to Ao Nang, I stumble across the Thanark Gardens, an Asian fusion restaurant amid hanging plants and ferns in pots. This peaceful retreat serves everything from fried chicken wings to mildly spicy Massaman curry with incredible depth of taste. Inside you're set for a surprise. Angled pendant lights hint at Art Deco, while stained-glass windows radiate an old-world charm not typical in this part of Thailand. It's an inviting setting for a cool drink or lunch. Traditional Thail longtail boat at picturesque Railay Beach. Afternoon Longtail boats anchored at the water's edge, gentle, emerald waves lapping over white sand, bioluminescent plankton and a hippie enclave, all under the watch of a giant rock the shape of a stalagmite. It looks like Maya Bay from the movie The Beach, but it's Railay, south of Ao Nang. There, surrounded by cliffs, I work on my tan and watch rock climbers sweating buckets. While this mesmerising coastline would be a good contender for the world's most beautiful peninsula, the quieter Noppharat Thara Beach further north wins me over for the rest of the lazy afternoon. Noppharat Thara Beach is a quieter alternative to Railay Beach. Evening I've let the hours slip past gently in the shade of casuarinas, missing the chance to book a table at Kodam Kitchen. The roofed, open-sided restaurant is loved for its amazing and affordable Thai cuisine. A good alternative on a Saturday is Klong Haeng Market, which has local prices. If your body needs rest, enjoy an aromatherapy reward at Radarom Spa. This spa sets the standard in the region as it runs its own massage school, issuing certificates recognised by Thailand's Ministry of Public Health. Great for post-dinner drinks, Mr Long Bar boasts a casual rastafari vibe and live music later in the night. How to get to Krabi, Thailand from Australia Thai Airways has direct flights daily from Bangkok to Krabi, as have budget airlines Thai VietJet Air, Thai Lion Air and Thai AirAsia. Minibuses and taxis will take you from the airport to Ao Nang. Direct buses also operate between Krabi and Ao Nang. Where to stay at Ao Nang The modestly priced Blu Monkey Pooltara Krabi Hotel hides in a quiet location close to nature and offers free bicycle rental for guests. Peace and quiet also await at Aonang Hill Krabi, backdropped by towering karst peaks. How to get around Ao Nang Ao Nang itself is delightfully walkable. If you're keen to explore the mountain hideaways, rent a scooter (make sure your travel insurance covers you first) or hop on a tuktuk, a four-wheel mini-truck. Originally published as I spent 48 hours in Ao Nang and found the perfect Thai beach getaway
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Yahoo
Images capturing a starving lion, fighting bison and pit of vipers honored in environmental photography awards
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Jaw-dropping images capturing the natural world, including an aging captive lion as well as an elephant wading through plastic, have been revealed as the winners and runners-up of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation's 2025 Environmental Photography Award. The annual photography competition is split into five categories: Polar Wonders, Into the Forest, Ocean Worlds, Humanity versus Nature, and Change Makers: Reasons for Hope. A shot of marine worms pushing plumes of sand from the tops of their cone-shaped burrows, captured by Angel Fitor in Spain in 2023, won the Ocean Worlds category and the overall grand prize, the foundation announced Tuesday (May 6). "These burrowing worms play a pivotal role in maintaining oxygen and nutrient circulation in the upper layer of sediment on the seabed, an activity that generates an entire ecosystem hidden under the substrate," Fitor said in a statement. "On location, it was impossible to predict when the worms would be active. This photo is the result of two months' work, with twenty dives of five hours each." Image 1 of 3 "Unseen Unsung Heroes," by Angel Fitor, winner of the Overall Grand Prize and winner of the Ocean Worlds category. Image 2 of 3 "The Passenger," by Pietro Formis, runner-up in the Ocean Worlds category. Image 3 of 3 "Portrait of a Leafy Seadragon," by Daniel Sly, runner-up in the Ocean Worlds category. Runners-up in this category included an image of a tiny octopus delicately balanced on top of jellyfish-like animals named salps, snapped in the Philippines in 2024 by Pietro Formis, and an eerie image of a leafy sea dragon off the Australian coast, photographed by Daniel Sly in 2024. The winning image in the Polar Wonders category was a spectacular shot of a lion's mane jellyfish. The photo was taken off the coast of Greenland in 2019 by Galice Hoarau. "Autumn in the East Greenland fjords is teeming with life, especially planktonic species ranging from tiny copepods to large jellyfish such as this lion's mane jellyfish (Cyanea capillata) with its long stinging tentacles drifting elegantly through the water," Hoarau said in the statement. Related: Milky Way gallery: See awe-inspiring images of our galaxy A melting iceberg drifting in the waters off Iceland, taken by Michaël Arzur in 2024, and a battle between two female musk oxen (Ovibos moschatus) in Norway, snapped by Miquel Angel Artús Illana in 2021, were named runners-up in this category. Image 1 of 3 "Jellyfish and Iceberg," by Galice Hoarau, winner in the Polar Wonders category. Image 2 of 3 "Ephemeral," by Michaël Arzur, runner-up in the Polar Wonders category. Image 3 of 3 "Female Fight," by Miquel Angel Artús Illana, runner-up in the Polar Wonders category. A photo capturing a fierce fight between two male stag beetles, taken by Iacopo Nerozzi in Italy in 2022, won the Into the Forest category. "During the mating season, male stag beetles (Lucanus cervus) go into a frenzy, with lively but harmless clashes, in which bigger males often have the advantage over smaller ones due to their impressive mandibles," Nerozzi said in the statement. David Herasimtschuk's image of an adult and several juvenile coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch), taken in the U.S. Pacific Northwest in 2023, and Santiago J. Monroy García's photograph of an Andean bear (Tremarctos ornatus) lurking in the Colombian forest, captured in 2023, were named runners-up. Image 1 of 3 "Clash of Kings," by Iacopo Nerozzi, winner in the Into the Forest category. Image 2 of 3 "Coho Salmon in a Log Structure," by David Herasimtschuk, runner-up in the Into the Forest category. Image 3 of 3 "God in the Shadows," by Santiago J. Monroy García, runner-up in the Into the Forest category. In the Humanity versus Nature category, the winner was a picture taken by Amy Jones in 2023. It shows an elderly female Indo-Chinese tiger (Panthera tigris corbetti) named Salamas on a tiger farm in northern Thailand. "For over 20 years, she was confined in this cage and used as a breeding machine, producing cubs for industries ranging from tiger tourism to the illegal trade in skins, teeth, bones, claws and meat," Jones said in the statement. "Despite her frail and emaciated condition, Salamas survived the 12-hour journey to their 17-acre tiger sanctuary forest, where she was able to roam freely and experience grass beneath her paws and the warmth of the sun on her fur for the first time in two decades. Unfortunately, Salamas died nine months after being rescued." An image of an Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) wading through a soup of plastic waste in Sri Lanka, taken by Lakshitha Karunarathna in 2023, and a photo of rattlesnakes piled up in a pit in Texas, taken by Javier Aznar in 2020, were the runners-up. Image 1 of 3 "Breeding Machine," by Amy Jones, winner in the Humanity versus Nature category. Image 2 of 3 "Camouflaged in the Garbage Dump," by Lakshitha Karunarathna, runner-up in the Humanity versus Nature category. Image 3 of 3 "No Air in the Pit," by Javier Aznar, runner-up in the Humanity versus Nature category. The winner of the Change Makers: Reasons for Hope category was an image of a baby loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) that Fitor took in a recovery center in Spain in 2022. The runners-up were two images of rehabilitated armadillos and anteaters, both by Fernando Faciole. Faciole's image of a South American tapir (Tapirus terrestris) recovering from severe burn injuries in Brazil in 2024 won the Public Award, while the Student's Choice Award winner was Bambang Wirawan's photograph of a Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae) in Indonesia, photographed from inside the bloody rib cage of its prey. Image 1 of 4 "Training Day," by Angel Fitor, winner in the Change Makers: Reasons for Hope category. Image 2 of 4 "Caring for the Unseen Giants, by Fernando Faciole, runner-up in the Change Makers: Reasons for Hope category. Image 3 of 4 "Little Giant's Walk," by Fernando Faciole, runner-up in the Change Makers: Reasons for Hope category. Image 4 of 4 "After the Flames, Hope," by Fernando Faciole, winner of the Public Award. RELATED STORIES —Beginner's guide to wildlife photography —Camouflaged animals are hiding in every one of these photos — can you spot them all? —Amazing photos of nocturnal animals "Images prompt conversation and consideration of how we can protect and value these irreplaceable environments across the planet. They cut through apathy, capture reality, evoke empathy, and ignite action," Ami Vitale, a National Geographic photographer and documentary filmmaker and president of the awards' jury, said in the statement. "Through this visual medium, we reconnect people with nature, highlighting not only the perils but also the promise and the hope that exists all around us."
