Whats Up, Ko Lanta?!

The day I landed by ferry boat on Ko Lanta Yai (Big Lanta Island), I was greeted, or accosted rather, by dozens of hotel employees looking to rent their bungalows to me or my fellow shipmates - ranging from low end backpacker spots to four-star luxury resorts. I noticed two heavily tattooed Thai hipsters holding a sign for Kantiang Bay Resort, which both versions of the guidebook had recommended. The advantage of meeting these salesmen at the pier is the free ride to the resort, at no obligation to stay. Kantiang Bay is a delightful half moon shaped beach at the southern end of the island – much quieter than the busier long beach at the northern end. The bay is lined with large, lush trees, two of which are the centerpieces for Kantiang Bay's restaurant and their free love themed “Why Not” bar. The same two Thai hipsters that picked me up at the pier, also run the bar, and play in a cover band there performing kitschy Thai renditions of American top 40 songs from the last thirty years. I lit up the first night when they played Four Non Blondes' “Whats Up,” one of my favorites flashbacks from the 90's, one that my friend Tommy recently reminded me is now in the “adult contemporary” category, which I refute, adamantly.

By day two, I realized that if I wanted peace and quiet, I better head to the next beach where there were no live bands playing till 1am and fewer cold Euro's scowling at me over breakfast. After riding my rented motorbike to every single resort on Klong Nin beach to compare their price, availability, and room condition, I chose Amantra Resort and Spa. This beautifully brand new, mid-range resort had opened only two weeks prior and was virtually empty, which meant it would be perfectly quiet. The owner, Zack, was renting new beach front bungalows with A/C and a stellar sunset view over the Andaman Sea for just 1500 baht per night, or about $40 - a steal considering most bungalows this close to the ocean go for at least 2,000-3,000 baht or more. I was sold when he threw in a motorbike at 30% less than I was paying at Kantiang Bay. It pays to travel close to low season!

Flash forward one week later, I'm still here, have done virtually nothing, and could not be loving the experience more. I've ridden around most of the island on the motorbike, visiting Lanta Old Town, a waterfall that was barely a trickle, and some spectacular mountain top view points. On my ride back to Klong Nin from Old Town, I noticed a sign for Mae Hau Cave. Following the arrows, I drove about 2 or 3 Km through vast fields of tall trees with a small metal tap and bucket in the side of each. The cave was closed for the day, but on my way back I stopped to take some photos and a woman on the roadside explained these were rubber trees, which I had never seen before. Upon realizing I was American, she informed me that the island's most famous exports were actually the Obamas, claiming that our new president's relatives had once lived here. This claim remains unsubstantiated.

Two new friends I met on the pickup truck ride out to Kantiang Bay invited me to join them for a cheap snorkeling and cave tour to the surrounding islands the following day. The trip was pleasant, but the visibility was not so great for snorkeling. However, the guide redeemed himself when we entered the Emerald Cave. I was aware that we would be swimming through this island cave, but I had no idea that once we turned a corner in the dark waters, we would swim into an open air chimney with a hidden beach, surrounded by steep limestone cliffs forming a cylinder with sand and trees at the bottom. The perspective from inside feels like we are standing inside an inactive volcano. Many years ago, pirates from the Andaman sea would hide their loot in this spot, which can only be reached by swimming through the pitch black, daunting, cave. For the last stop on this day trip, we spent an hour on the beach at Ko Hai – a spectacular tiny island, complete with white-sand beach and crystal clear water. So stunning, that at the end of my week in Ko Lanta, I decided to spend my last two nights in Southern Thailand here on Ko Hai, next update coming soon.