Koh Lanta
Our routine looks a little different than before we left the states: In the morning- a short run on the beach followed by a swim in the ocean, finding a bite for breakfast, Matt working on his start-up projects while I research our next destinations or write a post and sort through pictures. In the afternoon, we head out to explore and try to stay cool any way we can — renting a motorbike to drive the island or finding a beach to swim. The six o’clock (happy) hour calls for walking down to the beach to catch the sunset. In the evenings, a casual dinner then some cards, Netflix, or reading. The island was pretty quiet, I think that’s its baseline and perhaps even quieter than usual due to us visiting at the start of the low season. There were a few parties happening throughout the week, and we checked out the weekly jungle party and the relatively tame full moon party. Our schedule feels a bit indulgent, but I’m recognizing it won’t last forever. No complaints here. The change of pace is good!
We chose to spend 6 nights in Koh Lanta as it has a reputation for being less developed and touristy than many of the other popular islands. We found a ferry there without problem and arrived about 2 hours later. The island of Koh Lanta is about 6 km wide and 30 km long, with many beaches (and the accompanying hotels/restaurants etc) spread along the west coast. After coming from built-up Ao Nang it was definitely quieter and less developed. The road that stretches along the coast is in good condition and flat without tons of traffic, although only small dusty paths for “sidewalks”. The beaches are lined with single story restaurants and hotels, many of them with bamboo frames. It is quite different from the beachfront with tall resorts/condos that seem so common in places we’ve visited. I loved seeing the relaxed and more natural beach fronts.
The culture on the island is a bit different from our other Thailand stops; there is a noticeably large Muslim population and we were woken up each morning at 5 AM by the call to prayer being blasted from the nearby mosque. And despite Thailand’s strict drug laws, some bars on the island openly advertise selling spliffs and happy (mushroom) shakes — it’s even listed on the menu some places! Quite the contrast.
We found it helpful to rent a motorbike to see more of the island, and access different restaurants and coffee shops along the coast since everything was relatively spread out. A 24 hr motorbike rental was 200 Bhat (less than $6) vs. a one time tuk-tuk ride from about 150 Bhat (~$4). My favorite days were spent riding around on our motorbike, just beach hopping along the southern part of the island.
While in Koh Lanta, we stayed at 2 different beaches (Klong Nin and Klong Khong), both times in basic bungalows near the beach with only a small fan to keep us cool. It definitely was sweatier and more humid than we expected. Even though the high was “only” in the mid-90’s, it often felt warmer than the 105*F we had in Chiang Mai due to the humidity and strong sun. The low at night was around 85*F. Throughout the night our bungalow stayed warm with limited breeze. It was almost like living in a sauna….! I don’t think this is typical year-round though, we were there at the end of the hot/dry season.
Our last day in Koh Lanta was also Matt’s birthday! We started the day with some fresh cut watermelon from a street side vendor, then rode south to Nui Bay and had the entire beach to ourselves. Matt was in heaven when we discovered a fancy hotel bar with a wide Belgian beer selection overlooking a coastal cliff. Birthday cake is a little tough to come by here, and I think he still deserves some when we return home!
