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Forget Phuket

You've seen the pictures of one of Thailand's main drawcards: shimmering blue water lapping along the shores of the white-sand beaches, limestone outcrops rising out of the ocean.

You may have even seen movies set around the picturesque islands. Think of The Beach, where Leonardo DiCaprio and friends discover their own island 'paradise'.

Then there's Ko Phing Kan, better known as James Bond Island since its feature role in The Man With The Golden Gun in the 1970s.

So where exactly are these postcard-perfect gems in Thailand?

It must be the tourist mecca of Phuket, right? Or Ko Samui?

Try Krabi.

"The crystal clear water and limestone and beautiful clear beaches ... for me personally I thought it was Phuket, because Thailand is always Phuket, Phuket, Phuket," says Edwardo Iswandl, a relatively recent inductee to Krabi's charms.

"But when we came here, they are all Krabi in fact. They are in the Krabi province."

Located about 800 kilometres south of the Thai capital of Bangkok, Krabi is probably best described as a younger version of Phuket.

It's Phuket 10 years ago - less commercial than its more well-known big brother.

It's a good way to be, particularly in these days of heightened environmental awareness, according to Sofitel Phokeethra Krabi Resort & Spa general manager Ove Sandstrom.

"I mean Krabi is now, it's fresh, this is really Thailand like it was in Phuket 10 to 15 years ago.

"I think they can keep it like this. Today you know you have global warming, people are becoming more and more conscious about the environment.

"So now the nature is the biggest attraction. If you want the nightlife, OK you go to Bangkok."

The local government, Sandstrom and Iswandl say, is keen to keep it that way.

"It's not exploited, because the local government had made it stricter than anywhere else," Sandstrom says. "It's the only region in Thailand where you're not allowed to exploit the beach."

Source:http://www.theage.com.au/news/thailand/forget-phuket/2007/11/29/1196037034302.html

This post was written by: beemagnet77

BeeMagnet is a professional graphic designer, web designer and business man with really strong passion that specializes in marketing strategy. Usually hangs out in Twitter has recently launched a blog dedicated to home design inspiration for designers, bride, photographers and artists called HomeBase