Koh Lanta The Island

Situated near the southern tip of Thailand are the islands of Lanta,  A little bit more remote than some other destinations that the country has to offer but nonetheless just a beautiful.

Regionally the location is Krabi Provence and comprises the area of Amphoe District. Here is where the islands are situated. Koh Lanta Noi and Koh Lanta Yai are the two main islands and generally Koh Lanta Yai is referred to as Lanta for us tourists.

Basking itself in the Andaman sea on the west side of Thailand the islands is mainly covered in tropical forest and with high hills running down its spine. Most of the locals and have set up home around the coast in small fishing villages.

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The first port of call for visitors is usually the small village of Ban Saladan on the north of the island which hosts the car ferry crossings to the mainland and the passenger ferries from islands further afield. Roads lead down the east coast to Lanta old town near the south of the island and on the west coast little settlements and tourist resorts are speckled among the long beaches.

Shops, markets, street stalls are abundant along the roads and you are never really far from the smell of something tasty cooking. Buildings on the island are not high and keep nuzzled below the tops of the trees. The signs of concrete can be found but mostly the island looks natural and untarnished by construction.

The beaches stretching down the coast are long and we found them to be extremely peaceful and quiet. A lot of the resorts sit on their own little bit of beachfront along with lots of restaurants and a few bars. These places are ideal for that lazy afternoon meal or in the evening watching the fabulous sunsets while sipping a cool drink.

The people of the are are mostly Muslim along with a mix of Buddhists, Thai-Chinese and the ocean settlers the sea gypsies. This mixture along with the influx of tourism makes the island very accommodating to everybody. But still everybody should be a little bit aware of customs.

Violence is extremely low and even with it being a destination spot for western tourists. The unwelcome baggage that is generally associated with them is left behind and the island still keeps it ambience of peacefulness.

Day 2 – Krabi Town to Kaw Kwang, Koh Lanta

Weather – Cloudy and wet…

Still Monsoon season in Thailand….

Breakfast was not included in the hotel stay, it was still low season so I guess it was not worth opening the kitchens for only a few guests. So after a quick shower and getting dressed we headed down stairs, checkout was quick.

Last night we spotted the location of our transport to Koh Lanta a few blocks down with departure times around every hour. It was getting near the top of the hour so having a long breakfast would probably mean waiting for the next departure.

Breakfast showed itself before us in the form of a quick cup of coffee, getting a few sips as we walked over to the bus station. Not really a bus station more of a parking spot with a desk. The price from Krabi Town to Koh Lanta was 200 THB each / under US$6 and that included the fares for the two ferries that we would use.

Our hotel could have actually arranges the whole thing for us along with a pickup at the hotel door. If the station was a bit further away we would have probably taken this option.

Coffee half sipped and it was time to go, looking around for a place to dispose of our waste nothing was to be seen. This seems quite normal not to have places to deposit your trash but luckily a nice woman who we had just given 400 THB indicated she would take the cups off our hands.

Bus departed and after a little windy route around Krabi Town to pick up a few more passengers looking for paradise we were on our way.

By the time we got back to the airport to pick up a few more travellers the skies were starting to clear up a little bit and the sun started to beam.

The journey down was not too long or uncomfortable, most of the time we had the shades pulled to keep out the shine of the sun and did not really get much of a look at the scenery. Our view was mainly little glimpses of what was in front between the other passengers heads.

Reached the first ferry terminal and practically drove straight on without much waiting. Here we had a chance to get out and stretch our legs and have a little look around.

Lanta Noi is the first island crossing, the whole area looked like it has not been touched since it was created. A few bits of human developments poked through but mostly it looked quite pristine.

Two or three ferries seemed to be in operation here, back and forth when they have a full load and they seemed to be busy enough with the locals that I was wondering how long a wait would be in the more busy high season.

On our way again and across the top of the island we caught our first glimpse of Lanta Yai, our holiday island. The channel here was not as wide as the first one and the second ferry trip was even quicker. The town of Saladan was spotted half perched in the water and half on land just to the north. This is where the passenger ferries arrive during the months that they operate.

Our resort was on the north of the island and after one stop for dropping off a much needed bit of equipment for one of the hotels we were deposited at the front of our hotel. The other passengers probably had the same treatment but some may have had a longer trip than we had.

The whole trip must have taken less than 3 hours including the slight waits for the ferry and the occasional pickup and drop off for passengers. But it never really seemed so long, I guess if you were doing it every day you might grow to tire from it.

We choose our hotel for the location. It`s not too far from town and may have been a bit quieter than some of the other resorts further down our beach and the other beaches. The theory of this was sound, but only failed by the complete quietness of the whole island. During the coming days we were to realize that this little bit of paradise seems to have been overlooked by the masses and hopefully will continue to be.

Kaw Kwang Beach Resort was the name of the hotel and from what I gather was the first resort established here. Situated at the top of the island on Kaw kwang beach which runs into the longer Khlong Dao beach where there is a slight more mass of resorts each try to grab a little bit of beachfront.

So hotel check in and the normal complementary drinks of fruit juice. In fact it was so quick that the O.H nudged me and said “they are waiting for us”, I was too engrossed in sipping my drink and peering over at the sea trying to catch a glimpse of the waves.

We had a second row room/hut, garden view, the huts were well space out and enough foliage to create the ambience. Inside was clean with just the occasional bit of wear and tear showing through. Just one cockroach was found lurking in the bathroom, as it was the only one found the whole holiday. I could presume it was left behind by the previous guests but I doubt it. The hotel was running really on maintenance during the low season, still open but not running at full capacity. The Kitchens were closed but the staff said that they could source food from other places if we wanted to eat in.

Good sized garden with tall coconut filled trees between the huts and beach all mostly surrounded by untamed jungle. The pool was more than enough for the two of us and frequented often for a refreshing cooling off

Weather – Back to cloudy and some light rain

Day 1 – First Night in Krabi Town, Thailand

We stayed at The City Hotel in Krabi town, right in the center of the town. Situated between two markets, across the road was the night market with looked more food and vegetable style and behind the hotel, a currently empty space, which became bustling with a more fairground type market on our return trip. The room was quite basic, more of a stay over room than a stay in room. But the essentials had to be checked, while the O.H examined in close detail the quality of what was behind the bathroom door, I checked out the important things like the television. Enough south East Asian channels and a few feeds for the Europeans. As for the bathroom, the toilet flushed so I was satisfied.

Showered and then headed out on the town for a look around and something to eat. Night market across the road which we`d think about checking later and 7-11 next door to the hotel (Always a big plus).

“Taxi Sir”, shouts were coming from a little group men standing at their taxis -motorcycle with bolted sidecar type taxis. These calls for custom were regular and often, but not too pushy to be an annoyance. Walking around town, the time might have been about 7.30 to 8pm, the place was still quite busy and the rain was off.

Weather Monsoon…..

The heavens opened and the streets cleared, luckily most of the pavements (sidewalks) are covered, fortunately we had an umbrella for crossing the road. We decided to stick it out for a while at a corner and wait for the rains to ease. We were not the only ones, sometimes it is tempting to try and strike up a conversation with the locals but the tugging on my arm persuaded me that this would not be a good idea.

The rains eased and we headed back to the night market which by now seemed to be closing, either the time was late or the rains had driven them away. Passing by the hotel again and heading in the opposite direction towards the river side hunger was starting to become more important than exploration. We came across a little place, with the front open to the world and what looked like the family living room in the back with mom, dad and the kids sitting watching TV. I can`t remember the restaurant name, but the décor was quite homely – tables, chairs, flower pots, book shelves, pictures, sofas, rugs – it could have really been somebody’s home and they were too polite to tell us to leave.
Well the menu on the table indicated otherwise and we sat down for what was to become a growing trend in the coming days. Great locations, great food, polite, friendly hosts and virtually no other customers.

Well no customers but we were not alone; the little animals of Krabi came to visit on occasions. First up was a mass of ants that appeared out of no place, streamed along the wall to our table, turning around and went back to wherever they originated and completely vanished. The second visitor was a little lizard, he or she was probably hiding there all along, I may have heard it say “taxi sir” but that could have been the beer affecting me.

Tom Yum koong, again, was on order with a bowl of chicken green curry, some kind of vegetables stir fry with chestnuts and beer. It appears that in Thailand plates with rice are usually used and the two of us prefer bowls and sometimes confusion arises. Life would be much easier is we learned to speak some Thai. But the meal was just as we had expected, great tasting and spicy, and finished it off with another beer (just in case we never realized the warmth of the country and were getting a bit dehydrated). In total the price came in around 400 THB / US$10 for the three courses and two beers. For that price we could sit there and eat all night but I don’t think our bellies would manage to take much more…..

To finish off the evening we took a walk down to the water front. Came across another food market and from the style of dress we fathomed that this might be a Muslim orientated area. Despite the fact that we were not Muslim, and why should that stop us from something tasty:), we went over. Spied a stall and ordered our first pancake roti for this trip. I was still quite stuffed from the meal but the O.H jumped at the chance but was not adventurous enough and just went for the banana roti.

Deciding it was late we headed back up the waterfront towards the hotel. The place was dark and quiet then suddenly a voice came out of the darkness “where are you from…”. We replied and have a few more back and forth conversation but talking to the darkness is a bit silly so we preceded a bit closer to find a fisherman sitting on his boat coming ashore to meet us. We had a bit of a talk but he was really hoping we would hire him to take us sightseeing up the river the next morning. Just in case we forget what he looked like he suggested we take a photograph which I did, he and the O.H looked a perfect couple.

So ended the evening with a quiet walk in the darkness and back to the hotel. From the quick look we had Krabi town was nice, clean, extremely quiet and friendly and the trip up the river would have been a nice sightseeing trip, the limestone cliff and the mangrove swamps were promised alone with a look as his cows for some reason.

Tomorrow we head for Koh Lanta and the beach.

Day 1 – Traveling to Krabi, Thailand

The first day arrived with the sound of the alarm going off at 6 am. Some sounds are annoying and some are intolerable to wake up too. A happy “hello kitty” jingle chimed out from the other side of the bed. It`s at these times you wonder if murdering an alarm clock is a crime or justified.

Yawned, showered, dressed and coffee – as a 10 plus cup of coffee a day drinker, I did not realize this might be the last ever taste of the delicious liquid for quite some time to come. Grabbed our bags, two small backpacks full of as little as possible. We were travelling light this time after I manage to convince the O.H. that a full wardrobe with matching handbags and shoes were not really required on a remote island beach.

So last check around the house, door locked, pushed the elevator button while somebody else checked the door was locked again, then held the elevator door open for somebody ( I refuse to mention who) checked the door was locked finally.

Weather a bit cloudy….

First bit of transport, apart our sets of white and yellow legs, was catching the bus to the airport. Quite a long trip especially when you have to stand up but watching the faces of those seated with glum faces going to work and some trying to catch a few more minutes of snooze time broke up the journey. Airport arrived and after a walk to Terminal 2 ( yes we are travelling in the cheap seats), checked in and back to Terminal 1 for breakfast.

The foody places seemed to be more busy than usual and not many places to grab a seat. So we ended up in Burger King, now fast food is not the best food in the world and fast food breakfast is something you wouldn't give your worst enemy. The tomato ketchup and heaps of salt helped disguise the flavour but I only managed half. I was sure that when I accidentally dropped a bit of scrambled egg on the floor it bounced, but maybe I was still half asleep.

Time to board and yes it’s a cheap budget airline, Air Asia, where every little extra costs more and usually the price adds up to more than a traditional fair. No luggage so we saved a few $$s there, no food on the plane, so saved even more $$. Looking at the prices they were actually quite fair, a few 100%`s mark-up compared to buying for the cheapest places ever. Seating was better then I had expected too, enough leg-room for me and it was a short 2 hour-ish flight to Bangkok.

Arrived in Bangkok with a few hours to spare before our next leg of the journey, the flight to Krabi.

Weather even more cloudy, rain……

Had some lunch at the airport food mart. Now it seems handling money is too tempting in Thailand so all the mart used a voucher system. We handed over 100 THB and got our tickets back and after a wander around inside looking at what was on offer we spotted something we just love.

Tom Yum Soup, we are both a bit addicted to this and go out of our way to have it as often as possible. Two large bowls of Tom Yum Fish Noodle soup for a total of 70 THB. Along with 3 bottles of water for the other 30 and our vouchers spent. All spiced up and all for the cost of around US$3, not bad for airport food much better than the breakfast.

Waiting around and doing a bit of people watching, apparently somebody famous was - I have no idea who – in the terminal and I managed to catch a picture through the dirty glass.

It seems we were not the only ones going on holiday, I wonder what retreat this chappie was off too.

I expect it will not be the same destination as this group of people who probably have quite different thoughts on their minds.

Through airport security and a last bite of food. More can’t be trusted with money situation here. This took less than 10 seconds in total

• Order 2 donuts and 2 drinks
• Tried to pay cash but was asked to use electronic money
• Took 2 steps and handed over 500 THB and got an electronic filled tab
• Walked 2 steps and Handed tab to cashier
• Took 2 steps back and returned Tab and got refund
• Grabbed donuts

It’s not a problem but will not be doing that again, the cost was a bit too high, around 400 THB.

Short flight to Krabi, just over an hour and a bit but it was already getting near to dark time (6 pm) and there wouldn't be much to see on our first night of our holiday. Krabi airport was small but smart and this would be really the first contact with the people living there.

Tourist Touting, well it is their business and be prepared for lots of touting for your custom. It was quite light actually, just two booths inside the airport were trying to attract my attention here, one for taxi to Krabi town for around 300THB and next to it mini bus for I think 80 THB each. Needless to say we chose the economical transport. Went outside for a, um smoke, and really unnoticed the attention paid to us. The whole process was taken care off, somebody glanced at our ticket and soon a mini bus arrived without us even attempting to find one. People came and went were picked up and driven off to their locations, it was just two of us in a quite luxurious mini bus and soon we would be off to Krabi, and driven right to the door of our hotel.

It was a nice start, no stress of wondering where to go, wondering about connections or problems with language (English) especially when its your first time at that location.

Check in at the hotel was quick, we had booked one night here and after a quick shower we were going to head out for a look around Krabi town and find some delicious Thai food.

Lanta, Kbrabi – Lead up to the Holiday

It was vacation time again and the Other Half and I getting itchy. The thoughts of previous holiday locations seemed like distant memories even although they were only months ago. In reality I think we just need to justify an excuse to be lazy for a few days.

Where do we go? It`s usually a long process of the O.H. checking flights, hotels and beaches trying to narrow down a location which can last for days and usually ends up with more options than before we started. I just leave Her to it and pretend I have something more important to do, like watching a program on television.

Somehow Koh Lanta in Krabi, Thailand seemed to be at the head of the queue and that is where we decided to go. The big world wide web was full of links but most of them were for hotels and resorts. Information on the actual place was quite limited. So we really never knew what to expect, just that it was full of long sandy beaches, dirt roads and motorcycles.

We knew how to get there but were just not sure on the connection times so we played safe and made bookings for hotels and flights leaving enough time to work out any connection problems as they arrived. This actually turned out to be much easier than we had expected due to the kindness and helpful people of Krabi.

Our search process includes looking for other people holiday snaps on Flickr and Picasso, thinking that will be us soon, along with a delve in to YouTube.

Warning, video may contain strong language and scenes that may distress.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNR5zacQihU

This is where we found a few videos of the Tsunami of 2004, waves rolling into the beach we were going to stay on. The day it happened, I had noticed the report of an earthquake on the BBC news website in the morning before we headed out for the day. When we came back the news was reporting the catastrophe that had just happened. Our daytrip was at sea, but fortunately we were not affected by the wave.

Not put off, we looked forward to the date of departure and tried to ignore the weather reports of Monsoon rain and hoping typhoon Parma would not come close to cause any delays.

In the following blog posts, I will try to describe our trip and the wonderful area of Krabi and the Island of Koh Lanta full of very amateurish photographs that I happen to take. The friendly people we met (and named in our own particular style), the tasty food (which we love) and the beach we walked on (a lot) and a few little unexpected events that took place.

Comments are most welcome if you have been there, planning to go or know of any other similar paradises in South-East Asia.