My final stopover chosen in Thailand was Koh Lanta. Unlike Samui - Lanta is in the Andaman Sea to the west of the mainland strip - the Malacca coast.
To get there was effectively a days travel but in the main an enjoyable one. Tuk Tuk to Nathon coach park and then immediately on the big old ferry to Surit Thani on the mainland. The weather was overcast on the ferry ride of a couple of hours - but I found a great bench outside. The clunking boat engine noise was heavy so I put on my iPod. Immediately I am transformed. It almost becomes surreal. In the mist I am looking at the chain of Islands known as Ang Thong. They form a protected national park area. I think of my youngest son Richard. He has been to the top of one of the Ang Thong islands and he described the view as probably the most beautiful he had ever seen. I feel so pleased and a touch emotional thinking Richard has been there and imagine him stood on the top. I have Keane playing loud. I think of everyone dear to me. I feel so lucky and fortunate as often happens on occasion of these quiet reflective emotional moments. I recall briefly some of my other journeys - I think about my brothers and particularly our late parents. Great stuff. Totally memorable for the rest of my life I am sure. (I couldn't arrange to go to Ang Thong because it was out of season being a protected area.)
Soon it is into a large modern minibus for the drive to Krabi to catch the ferry to Koh Lanta. This is a longish drive again. The drive to Krabi is on good roads and largely uneventful. I remember the incredible number of tall coconut palms, banana and pineapple trees. I am definitely in a foreign land!
I think Krabi is the crossing point. Krabi is a hub from where travelers are dispersed to many Islands. There was a bit of frustrating messing around with shuttle taxis. The drive to the roll on roll off short ferry crossing point must have taken another hour and a half and was unexpected. But I get to Lanta in good heart but in the middle of a huge warm downpour - an incredible amount of water comes down in a few minutes. Then the hot sun is out.
I am staying at a unique hostel at Long Beach. It is called the Chill Out House. When I am dropped at the top of the road I walk down through and it all looks ramshackle to say the least. There are puddles everywhere on the unmade road. I feel negative. I get to the Chill House. It is very chilled. It is very ramshackle. But it is friendly and busy and I am allocated a single room called Ellen - after Ellen de Generes.
Gradually I see what it is all about. I relax and start to grin. This is mad. My room only has half constructed walls - am effectively sleeping outdoors. The mosquito net over the bed is a must use. The light is beginning to fail but I make for the beach and in two minutes I am in a different world. I punch the air in pleasure. Yes yes another good decision. This is going to be great for a couple of days. The wide clean soft sandy beach stretches miles away in both directions ( ok not miles but huge ). All along the back of the beach are low slung wooden buildings - bars - restaurants - massage - travel but it doesn't feel too commercial and it is not. There are people around - a few swimming but not many. And as usual all the Thai people are laughing friendly.
I decide tomorrow I am going to chill. An early jog on the beach - a swim - actually lots of swims. The bars have loungers. So this is what I did. Wonderful for the day.
At the Chill Out there are plenty of people who want to chat - almost entirely under 35 and some very hardened travellers. But for quite a number their travelling especially the ones working their passage at the hostel, there is an underlying issue. They believe and possibly rightly, there is not much future for them at home. The main issue is cost of renting and no realistic prospect of getting on the housing ladder. Rather sad but they are making the best of it I guess - but somehow I feel they are not solving the problem either - but just running from it. Without going into any detail and because Brexit and Trump are so topical I find myself being caught up in earnest discussion. I am initially a sole Brexiteer - not cool to be Brexit at the Chill Out - but eventually my positive spin and optimism is considered properly. Most of the youngsters are incredibly naive and shockingly badly informed. They are full of conspiracy theories too. I encourage them to engage in the ballot box It is all great fun!
For the final day I signed up for the " 4 island snorkeling trip - including the emerald cave and a Thai lunch. It was touristy but a really full and special day. Just 10 of us in our longtail including 3 UK students from Chill Out who were very nice to me. We visited Ko Kradan, Ma, Chuck and Look. The boat anchored off each island ( Ko) in turn and we snorkeled for a half hour or so off each. It literally was like being in a tropical fish tank - as least as good as the Red Sea. The drum roll was to swim through an 80 metre tunnel to the centre of a collapsed limestone cave (I think) called the emerald cave or cove. It was fun and spectacular - but somewhat diminished by the orange lifejackets we were each required to wear and by shrieks in the dark as we followed the leaders torch.
While I think about it. The islands are limestone. Their incredible shapes are because limestone is a relatively soft rock which erodes easily and creates wonderful shapes. Add to that limestone is sedimentary - formed on the sea bed - and has been pushed up by clashing tectonic plates in this highly unstable region. As I understand it what we are seeing as islands are in fact the tip of limestone cliffs that run all the way to the sea bed.
Ko Lanta is a lovely place. I did not see much of it but I am assured that further south it is even less developed. I consider myself fortunate indeed to have spent even just a short time in such an exotic and different place. A chill out indeed.
Below are some relevant photos.
To get there was effectively a days travel but in the main an enjoyable one. Tuk Tuk to Nathon coach park and then immediately on the big old ferry to Surit Thani on the mainland. The weather was overcast on the ferry ride of a couple of hours - but I found a great bench outside. The clunking boat engine noise was heavy so I put on my iPod. Immediately I am transformed. It almost becomes surreal. In the mist I am looking at the chain of Islands known as Ang Thong. They form a protected national park area. I think of my youngest son Richard. He has been to the top of one of the Ang Thong islands and he described the view as probably the most beautiful he had ever seen. I feel so pleased and a touch emotional thinking Richard has been there and imagine him stood on the top. I have Keane playing loud. I think of everyone dear to me. I feel so lucky and fortunate as often happens on occasion of these quiet reflective emotional moments. I recall briefly some of my other journeys - I think about my brothers and particularly our late parents. Great stuff. Totally memorable for the rest of my life I am sure. (I couldn't arrange to go to Ang Thong because it was out of season being a protected area.)
Soon it is into a large modern minibus for the drive to Krabi to catch the ferry to Koh Lanta. This is a longish drive again. The drive to Krabi is on good roads and largely uneventful. I remember the incredible number of tall coconut palms, banana and pineapple trees. I am definitely in a foreign land!
I think Krabi is the crossing point. Krabi is a hub from where travelers are dispersed to many Islands. There was a bit of frustrating messing around with shuttle taxis. The drive to the roll on roll off short ferry crossing point must have taken another hour and a half and was unexpected. But I get to Lanta in good heart but in the middle of a huge warm downpour - an incredible amount of water comes down in a few minutes. Then the hot sun is out.
I am staying at a unique hostel at Long Beach. It is called the Chill Out House. When I am dropped at the top of the road I walk down through and it all looks ramshackle to say the least. There are puddles everywhere on the unmade road. I feel negative. I get to the Chill House. It is very chilled. It is very ramshackle. But it is friendly and busy and I am allocated a single room called Ellen - after Ellen de Generes.
Gradually I see what it is all about. I relax and start to grin. This is mad. My room only has half constructed walls - am effectively sleeping outdoors. The mosquito net over the bed is a must use. The light is beginning to fail but I make for the beach and in two minutes I am in a different world. I punch the air in pleasure. Yes yes another good decision. This is going to be great for a couple of days. The wide clean soft sandy beach stretches miles away in both directions ( ok not miles but huge ). All along the back of the beach are low slung wooden buildings - bars - restaurants - massage - travel but it doesn't feel too commercial and it is not. There are people around - a few swimming but not many. And as usual all the Thai people are laughing friendly.
I decide tomorrow I am going to chill. An early jog on the beach - a swim - actually lots of swims. The bars have loungers. So this is what I did. Wonderful for the day.
At the Chill Out there are plenty of people who want to chat - almost entirely under 35 and some very hardened travellers. But for quite a number their travelling especially the ones working their passage at the hostel, there is an underlying issue. They believe and possibly rightly, there is not much future for them at home. The main issue is cost of renting and no realistic prospect of getting on the housing ladder. Rather sad but they are making the best of it I guess - but somehow I feel they are not solving the problem either - but just running from it. Without going into any detail and because Brexit and Trump are so topical I find myself being caught up in earnest discussion. I am initially a sole Brexiteer - not cool to be Brexit at the Chill Out - but eventually my positive spin and optimism is considered properly. Most of the youngsters are incredibly naive and shockingly badly informed. They are full of conspiracy theories too. I encourage them to engage in the ballot box It is all great fun!
For the final day I signed up for the " 4 island snorkeling trip - including the emerald cave and a Thai lunch. It was touristy but a really full and special day. Just 10 of us in our longtail including 3 UK students from Chill Out who were very nice to me. We visited Ko Kradan, Ma, Chuck and Look. The boat anchored off each island ( Ko) in turn and we snorkeled for a half hour or so off each. It literally was like being in a tropical fish tank - as least as good as the Red Sea. The drum roll was to swim through an 80 metre tunnel to the centre of a collapsed limestone cave (I think) called the emerald cave or cove. It was fun and spectacular - but somewhat diminished by the orange lifejackets we were each required to wear and by shrieks in the dark as we followed the leaders torch.
While I think about it. The islands are limestone. Their incredible shapes are because limestone is a relatively soft rock which erodes easily and creates wonderful shapes. Add to that limestone is sedimentary - formed on the sea bed - and has been pushed up by clashing tectonic plates in this highly unstable region. As I understand it what we are seeing as islands are in fact the tip of limestone cliffs that run all the way to the sea bed.
Ko Lanta is a lovely place. I did not see much of it but I am assured that further south it is even less developed. I consider myself fortunate indeed to have spent even just a short time in such an exotic and different place. A chill out indeed.
Below are some relevant photos.
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| Angtong early in the morning. Emotional indeed. |
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| My room at the Chill Out House. |
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