Koh Lanta had all the right elements except blue skies

As it turns out, Julie and I have recently developed quite a taste for islands, or so it seems.  There is no master plan at play here but the last couple of trips have been to islands.   So maybe there’s no surprise that on a recent long weekend we decided to visit one of the lesser known islands of Thailand, Koh Lanta.  It didn’t work out exactly as we expected but that’s what makes spontaneous travel so fun.

Koh Lanta doesn’t register to most visitors in Thailand, and fair enough.  There are so many world class places to visit you can’t see them all, even if you live here.  But we had heard a few good things about Koh Lanta from seasoned travelers, especially how it was much quieter and not developed like other islands, so we decided to have a look for ourselves.

Local fishing boats rest between jobs

But Koh Lanta doesn’t come easy.  First there is the flight south to the town of Krabi which is a coastal town bordering the Andaman Sea.  We then caught an old local bus from the airport to a terminal which had mini-van transfers to various places, including Koh Lanta.  But even that wasn’t easy because the so-called two hour drive south turned into something well over three hours and included, amongst other things, stopping along the way to pick up locals and even spare car parts for delivery on the island, and not one but two ferries. 

Ferry to ferry - a constant process of moving people and vehicles

Making the most of the small beach at stormy high tides

The local ferries were mainly a service to those who live on Little Koh Lanta, which we crossed, and Big Koh Lanta, where we were heading.  These drive-on drive-off ferry crossings are only a few minutes in length and run continuously during the day.  The fare for a local motorbike is only a few Baht and the locals get a chance for a cigarette and a chat.  For us it was all part of the unique experience. 

The perfect combination - a cold beer and sunset

We stayed at a nice resort on Klong Dao Beach near the northern tip of the island but the grey clouds, high tide and big surf set the standards for the rest of the weekend.  We found the beaches along the island’s west coast to be beautiful sandy settings with postcard palm trees and little development to spoil the scenes.  But the beaches were not deep and under these stormy conditions the high tide waves frequently crossed the sand and splashed up into the adjoining properties.  So sunburn we did not get.

On Sunday we repeated our favourite trick, hiring a local car, grabbing a dodgy map and heading out for a day of exploration and fun.  Our first target was Koh Lanta National Park which is on the southern tip of the island.  The beautiful drive down the coast gave us ample chances to stop along the way, explore the beaches and get a sense of this mountainous island.

Julie is temporarily trapped in our car when man-eating monkeys attack

The main attractions of the national park was the picturesque lighthouse perched out on the rocky tip and the nearby camping area and sandy beaches.  This would have made for a great weekend setting except for the howling wind and constant threat of rain. 

The lighthouse marking the southern tip of Koh Lanta

Fishing boats moved up to the road's edge during the stormy high tides

We also explored the eastern coast of the island where the roads weren’t as good, the beaches and tourists non-existent and life for the locals slowed down to a perceptible crawl.  Here the little communities, many homes built on stilts over the water, relied on simple hand fishing and scouring the rocks at low tide for their daily food.  Small mosques seemed to outnumber the small Buddhist temples and we sensed a lifestyle that hadn’t really benefited from the boom of Thailand over the last few years.

Local fisherman tending to his nets at low tide in the mangroves

We also crossed over to Little Koh Lanta via the ferry and explored that island.  It had a similar pace to it and no pretenses of attractions for tourists.  We saw people living amongst the mangroves with a battered long boat their only connection to the outside world.  And when we stopped for petrol it was via a hand pump straight from the drum to the tank.

Fill'er up with the hand pump

We used some of Monday down at the beach of our resort, testing our powers of positive thinking about the weather until a sudden rain squall sent us scattering for cover.  But in actual fact it didn’t really matter, we were enjoying a new place, a beautiful place and the sort of place where idle time is the norm.

 Our evenings were spent in the island’s only town of Ban Saladan which is really nothing more than a few shops and a dozen restaurants on the water’s edge.  But we had two great dinners overhanging the water, enjoying the beautiful local fish, spicy salads and cold beer.  Because at the end of a tough day doing very little that’s how you want it to end.

The last of many ferries on our Koh Lanta weekend

The transport back home was somewhat easier than the southbound journey but still included the long mini-van transfer across two ferries and the flight back to Bangkok.  Will Koh Lanta ever see us again?  With so many choices elsewhere of where to go and the longer transfer to the island we might not make it back but it’s an ideal place for people looking for a beautiful setting in a quiet less developed environment who can pick the good weather and enjoy the slower island pace.    Under those conditions Koh Lanta is just the spot.

Not another stormy sunset?!