Lazing on Klong Dao Beach Day 14

This would be our last full day on Koh Lanta. The time passed too quick and we would be leaving tomorrow heading back to Krabi. We still had today to enjoy and the long golden sandy beach was all ours.



At the North end of Klong Dao Beach, near Kaw Kwang, we remembered there was a semi-secret beach from last year. Going there would give us a long walk along the sand along with the occasional splash in the water.



The secret beach was no so secret any more. Last year there was a new resort on top of the hill but they might have missed the beach. Now they seem to have found it and built a set of stone steps leading down to the sand. It was never our beach but we couldn't help feel a bit of sadness finding other people swimming in its waters.



Sanuk Bar offered an opportunity for a cool drink on the way back along Klong Dao before heading down to the south end. Here it was a bit more rocky and there were a few fish trapped in pools but all quite small.  The beach and road nearly join at the south end of the beach so it was an easy cross over.



The Thai Orchid Restaurant provided another nice place to stop off from the heat of the day and a bit of something to eat. Our host was praising his brother the chef and how great he was but were were just looking for a little snack and a cool drink, maybe next time we are in town we could pop in for a meal.

An so it as back to Royal Lanta and the beach for the rest of the afternoon. We did not have the whole resort to ourselves now, another couple had arrived so that made two rooms for the housemaids to tidy in the morning. I wonder how they felt about getting a double workload.

Our time was running out and it seemed the the weather was getting better and hotter. The few showers mostly came at night and did not last long before they were gone and dried up by the next morning. Taking in the last of the beach and watching the last of sun go down we reluctantly left.



Our last meal had to be at Arnee`s. We had become quite comfortable eating here and her Spicy Tom Yum soup was quite excellent.

Back at the resort we packed what we could and got ready for an early morning pick-up to go back to Krabi before heading off to the last resort on our holiday. This would be Kamala Beach on the west coast of Phuket Island. It was another new beach for us and we hoped it would just be as fantastic as the rest.

Koh Lanta an Island to Ourselves Day 12

Our first night in Royal Lanta and the monsoons had brought the rains. There were patches of water still on the ground but the sun was already up and drying things up.


The resort which was situated in its own little tropical forest was not serving breakfast. Low occupancy during the low season means some staff are seasonal. What we soon discovered is that we were the only guest staying here. That came as quite a surprise considering how luxurious the resort was and well the weather was not really a problem.

Our tropical forest cabin, which was said to be a traditional Thai design, had a roof was so high I`m sure we could lie on bed and see stars.

It was just a couple of hundred meters walk up to the road for food and we stopped in at Arnees again. The food was good and the heat was starting be turned up. We relaxed for a while sitting under the shade with a couple of taste servings for breakfast and watched life go past up and down the road.



Having eaten which was one of the main pleasures for us being on holiday it was time to take in the second pleasure. Hitting the beach. Back to the resort to change and as we walked from under out canopy of green the beach came in to view.



I could say there was a scramble for some place to sit down but like the other beaches we had visited this trip the whole length was nearly deserted. It was just as we had remembered it from out last trip but just a little bit more messy. A lot of driftwood had been washed up on the shore and there were a few lines of refuse near the high tide mark.

Royal Lanta has two swimming pools one near the entrance and the other just off the beach. The first one was a bit out of the way and the beach side was getting renovated but we had the sea and that was big enough.



Klong-Dao-Beach stretched into the distance to the north and to the south, we were practically in the middle. In front of us the sand slowly sloped into the sea and that kept the water shallow. No need to say it felt good especially in that heat. There were few clouds in the sky to keep the sunshine at bay so cooling down in the waves felt quite fantastic.

 
Next door was Sanuk Bar which we spent quite a few days watching the sunset while drinking something cool but it looked like nobody was home. Luckily we were wrong and took up position with a cool beer, 2 glasses, and watched the sunset on the horizon. It was paradise again.

With darkness making us reluctantly leave the beach, the evening took us on a short walk around the town. Well that was the idea, the monsoon rains put a stop the that and some how we ended up in Arnee's restaurant again. It was quite a downpour with thunder and lightning illuminating the skies around us.

That would put and end to our day, but we stayed and ate casually for a couple of hours with the storm torrents outside. The whole experience seemed quite exciting in a way.

Kaw Kwang Beach For The Last Time – Day 9

Weather – Brilliantly Hot

The Lanta Holiday is nearly coming to an end with our last full day here on the island. The beaches are still quite deserted which is quite unbelievable, I guess in a few years time the beautiful views of desolation will be hard to capture as the tourism industry becomes more commercial. But for now this seems to be the place to be for anybody that wants a few days of quiet relaxation.

Today the weather was hot, nearly unbearable without a few attempts at cooling off in the sea. The low tide exposes a huge stretch of sand down to the sea and once in the water there is still quite a distance for the coolness to reach a depth over your knees.

It really probably was a day to take cover under some sensible shade, but as it’s all nearly over for us we were out trekking along the sand. Suitable amounts of bottled water along with hat for survival but for me I had already been exposed too much to the rays and my skin was peeling off like paper.

There were more signs of preparedness happening in the resorts. Storm nets were getting removed and a bit maintenance on the grounds, but still relatively few guests around to be seen.

The empty Golden Leaf Restaurant and Royal Lanta Resort sitting empty. Both places, along with all the other resorts and restaurants, looked just as quiet as the beach. It might have just been the heat keeping everybody indoors, probably where we should have been as the temperature was getting too much for some and any cool place was a welcome relief.

Food and shade for a while, then off on our travels again. Getting away from the beach front there are quite a few buildings that are not quite what they used to be. Maybe once the high season picks up these places will be buzzing with life, just maybe.

Late afternoon, it was still just as hot, there was a little bit more life on the beach. It was hard to find but it was there. Time moves slowly here but for us the past 8 days seem to have really been a flash.

Not everybody’s perfect holiday but one of our most enjoyable. Secretly, I think this is because we just took each day as it came without sticking to any schedule. Spending a day on a touristy trip might have felt like a day wasted. Maybe next time we will see the elephants, caves, forest, monkeys, island trip and all those other things that you spend 2 hours getting there , half an hour watching and 2 hours getting back from. If that is your style then it is available here on Koh Lanta if the quietness is too much for you.

Thailand Food and No Lanta Monsoon – Day 8

What do people do on holiday, get herded like sheep on tourist outings or relax and take it easy. We mostly fit in the second category of letting life pass slowly at its own pace which is quite a contrast to normal life being run by the time of the clock. What ever speed we take our holiday at there is one thing we all have in common and that is food. The time to eat gets us moving again across the long deserted beach.

Kaw Kwang was not the best location during the off-season to grab a meal. The resort still running at low capacity can be forgiven for not providing a constantly open restaurant for just a few people. No doubt they could spring in to action if the need arose and source a tasty meal for guests that wanted to feast close to home. For us it was a regular and pleasant walk along the beach even at night to satisfy our hunger.

Where Kaw Kwang beach joins on to Klong Dao there is a length of undeveloped jungle which is completely dark and all we can see is the lights in the distance and the sound of waves lapping on the beach to guide us. Occasionally we came across other life, a family pushing a pram or a local couple just having a bit of together time. There wasn’t much fear of anything horrible happening, maybe we were being too carefree.

Passing a few resorts in semi-darkness, where we might have sampled the food if there were open, it was Sanuk Bar that offered the hospitality of something hot to fill our bellies. It is a regular spot for us, the food is great and the hosts friendly but the main reason was it was the first place after the long walk and the last place before when we were heading home.

Tom Yum, oh how we love that, very spicy – that is very spicy on the non-Thai scale but probably still at the bottom on what the local can tolerate. Along with the customary bottle of beer and two glasses produced a satisfying starter. Sitting practically on the beach with the sound of the softly waves in your ears we thought of family and friends back home. We laughed as we guessed they would be rushing home after a hard days toil. it made us quite happy that we seemed to be in a little paradise, at least for a few days before we joined the other world outside again.

It was still monsoon season, and while a monsoon is really a wind, the rain that it brings is what we normally associate with the word. Far in the distance out in the Andaman Sea someplace a storm was brewing and the occasional large orange glow in the clouds could be seen on the horizon. The lack of thunder sounds made is all so much more beautiful to watch. All through the holiday, the few days we had rain they were short lived and very light showers.

There were a few more places that we thought of trying some food so reluctantly finishing out drinks we left Sanuk and wandered along the sand for a little while before heading inland. As it turns out our tentative plan never worked out, we were passing Arnee’s (mum’s) and the smell of barbecue outside caught our attention. Either we were over powered by the smell of chicken and sausage or Mum talked us into eating, but we were seated and had ordered faster then we could think.

The chicken tasted wonderful, it might have been slowly cooking for hours but it ended up so soft and brittle but still amazingly juicy. Now I`m not sure what was in the sausages and I probably do not want to know but these excelled the chicken. Sweet and juicy made us want a few more, unfortunately there were no more and no time left to get them to the same cooked perfection. Rice and a spicy vegetable stir-fry was the accompaniment along with a range of spicy sauces. A bottle of Ketchup was included for some reason.

A little word of caution here, careful what you eat. The innocent looking bit of green vegetable may just be a super hot chilli in disguise. Waiting for somebody not paying enough attention to give it a big chew. It’s one of those looks you cant help bursting out laughing about, the O.H will never forgive me.

A second good helping of food and the time seemed to fly past, we never made it to where we had initially planned and headed for home.

All the foods we sampled the few days on Koh Lanta were very delicious. Some requests, and particularly fish, were unavailable which is probably due to off-season stocks. The restaurants were extremely quiet and I guess it would be silly to have lots of fresh food hoping customers would arrive. Still there was enough variation and extremely good quality Thailand meals to keep us happy for a long time.

Day 7 – Koh Lanta Thailand Sunsets at Sanuk Bar

Sanuk Bar provides another welcome relief from the heat and refreshments just in time to catch the Koh Lanta sunset over the Andaman Sea. Having lived for many years in a very northerly part of the world, I am used to long slow sunsets that last for hours and it really only goes dark(ish) after 10p.m. Here down in Thailand it comes much earlier and much quicker, not quite blink and you will miss it, but fast enough.

Having the usual nice cool drink, that salt water does make you a bit thirsty, and a little bit of a snack. If I remember correctly and I am ashamed to admit that the O.H had “Toast” , a not very Thai Choice.

The time was around 5.30pm when we sat down to watch the skies and the Islands of Koh Phi Phi can be seen just on the horizon.

I`d like to think that the animals of the jungle came out to watch the sun with us, bit of a Disney moment there.

It was actually a Childs toy, a family was having dinner in Sanuk and the hosts provided something for the kids occupied with in the sand.

I`m really hoping for the best with my photographs. The Canon G10 thankfully takes care of most of the settings automatically but it’s still up to me to frame the shot. I have no idea. Fortunately, snapping 100`s of photographs costs nothing with digital (except battery power) and maybe a few will look good.

Just before 6.10pm and Koh Phi Phi catches the sun.

The beach was not quite empty, a few other diners mingled with the Thai football players on the beach.

This was our destination, Kaw KWang, along the dark beach. By now we had travelled back and forth a few times and could really do it with our eyes shut. In fact it was so dark eye open or closed made no real difference once the sun went down.

6.30pm and it`s gone for another day.

Watching the sunset go down on Koh Lanta along with the atmosphere of the island was just as enjoyable as, if not better, than any all star cast blockbuster movie. Not everybody will enjoy it, but I know many that once it`s been experienced then you will want more.

Day 7 – Hot Day on Klong Dao Beach Koh Lanta

Weather - Like an oven with the door closed, hot

The morning revealed another beautiful day in Koh Lanta, Krabi. Our exertions over the first few days seem to have caught up with us and along with the heat made us a bit more lethargic.

We needed no excuse to spend the morning by the pool again. As usual the crowds were absent and we virtually had all the coolness to ourselves. It was badly needed, today was feeling a lot hotter than the past few days.

The beach was a little bit more active, the regular crabs were there someplace, filtering out the sand and leaving behind lots of tiny little balls. As soon as anybody approached they scurried back in a hole to hide.

A fisherman's longboat had anchored on the beach sometime in the morning and joined by a group of what looked like school kids. The heat was even a bit much for them, a bit of shouting was heard and we noticed one kid flat out on the beach collapsed before being carried under some shade of the trees. They soon recovered after a few minutes but they kept in the cool spots.

Being the sensible people that we are, ignoring the heat we set out along Klong Dao beach for a little bit of a walk. Walking in the water helped to keep us cool until we decided to head off the beach then we felt the heat on us again. Without the cool breeze from the sea any bit of shade was a welcome relief.

Lunch at Arnee restaurant, we had it all to ourselves again. After a minute of chatting “Mum” started to notice that I was starting to get dripping wet in sweat. Kind of noticed it myself, quite scary. Mum quickly got us some drinks with plenty of ice. Guess she has seen it all before with sill foreign people taking too much of the sun. Outside in the heat we never realized how much water we were loosing from out bodies. Probably a good lesson to learn there.

After Lunch it was back to the beach, probably quickly forgetting our lesson. The sea was there to cool off in and the waves not to strong, but still enough to be fun. It was a little bit more busy today, more local and foreigners taking to the sand. Even a group of Thai kids that seemed to make us their adopted parents for a while and jump all over us in the waves. It was a bit of good harmless fun or maybe they just wanted to down the outsiders. The sea was nice today, probably because it was cooling, and I guess we must have spent quite a few hours catching the waves along the beach.

The sun was about to go down and we timed it nicely with reaching Sanuk Bar. We didn’t have time to ask before we were offered 1 beer, large, 2 glasses. A lot of people seemed to remember us in the short time that we were here, I wonder if it would be the same during the busier season. Either way it made the Koh Lanta holiday feel like we were there with a group of friends.