Ko Lanta Yai-The Island that Rocks

The whole west coast of Ko Lanta Yai is a long (around 30km) sandy beach. The island is banana shaped, and the west coast is where most of the accommodation is found. The best beaches and least pricy accommodation is on the southern tip of the island, whereas Ban Sala Dan, on the northern end, is the largest settlement on the island, with banks; dive shops; cafeterias and restaurants; plenty of tourist, souvenir, and gift shops; and the piers to move farther away.

Quick Tips:

Ko Lanta is an excellent base to organise excursions and explore the 50 odd small islands of the Andaman Sea at a very reasonable cost. An interesting excursion in the interior of the island is the Tham Khao Mai Kaew caves. There are shops at Ban Sala Dan that sell excursions, but the very same ones can be arranged via your accommodation. It is worth shopping and bargaining hard. A very interesting one involves a combination of going around the islands with longtail boats and using kayaks as well.

Best Way To Get Around:

Taxis are probably your best way to go around, as well as tricycles. Also, hitchhiking is another method, as large, open pick-ups stop and you can negotiate to become a spare passenger for a small price

This is a cluster of bungalows like the one shown on the first photo. It has to be said that the whole west coast is full of similar accommodation. These bungalows are incredibly inexpensive (approximately 300-500 Bhat per bungalow), depending on choices of air-conditioning or fan, bamboo structure (cheaper) or not. Inside, they are quite spacious, with a double bed, wardrobe, bedside cabinets, and WC with shower and hot water.

They are located only 20-50 yards from the sea (see second photo), and they come complete with a bar (see photo 3) for evening entertainment and a restaurant for breakfast and delicious Thai meals. 50 Bhat will buy you a fullfilling portion of Pad Thai.

The owners (usually a family) will help you with excursions and any other requirements you may have. The longer you stay and the larger the size of your party, the better your negotiating power.

This is probably the best seafood we had in Thailand and almost definitely the least expensive. The restaurant is built on stilts, almost like a pier above the sea. The food is locally caught seafood, only few hours old. Service is excellent, and as can be seen in one of the photos below, the fish dishes are served on metal plates designed in fish shapes that keep the dishes warm, with a small candle fitted underneath.

On the other photo Chris is holding a barracuda which we all shared later. The cost per person, including a drink, rice, and salads, was about $2 per person, and the flavours of the chef were second to none. The location of the restaurant is on the northern end of Ban Sala Dan, facing the sea.

As one approaches the sea, coming from the south on the main road, he reaches a T junction, and the Reuan Mai is 100-200 yards on the left. The owner is the Thai gentleman next to Chris in the photo, and the boat with the fresh catch of the day is quite characteristic.

Ko Bu Bu is a round slither of sand approximately 3 to 4 nautical miles from the eastern coast of Ko Lanta Yai. It is a Robinson Crusoe island with thick vegetation in the middle, some 10-20 bungalows with restaurant and bar, sugar-fine sand, helpful locals, and foreign visitors that can be counted on the fingers of two hands (and that is at the peak of the season). It's the sort of "get-away-from-it-all-and-lie-in-a-hammock" type of concept.

Waters around the island are crystal-clear, with good opportunities for snorkelling. The few local workers are friendly, helpful, and discreet, and the bungalows have been constructed and decorated by someone with a very artistic eye and mind.

I have to admit that as my visit was pre-tsunami, I am not sure of the state of this place at the moment, which must have been overpowered by the waves. Perhaps, because of its small size and flat surface, the water came and went with less damage than elsewhere.

The cost of the bungalows was only few 100 Bhats per night, and food was very inexpensive and fresh, but on the minus side is the fact that you are "trapped" on the island until the next boat comes. This can be both a "minus" and a "plus", however.

You are picked up in the morning with 4x4 from your accommodation, and you are driven inland on the eastern side, where is the end of the Mangrove River. There is a base on stilts (see pic 1), and next to it are the longtail boats sitting on the mud and the kayaks loaded on the bows.

You will have to wait for 30 minutes to 1 hour until the tide will allow the longtail boats to float and cross the mangrove river (see pic 2) to the open sea.

Then the real fun starts, when your longtail boat will take you near small, uninhabited islands and you can kayak around them and enjoy yourselves. Break for a meal in totally deserted beaches and back at your base in the evening.

A MUST excursion

This is not dissimilar to Ko Bu Bu, which I described above, only the size of Ko Hai is larger. Again, you have the standard combination of a large piece of sand, surrounded by calm turquoise blue waters, thick vegetation in the middle, and a few bungalows complete with bar and restaurant, altogether with friendly locals willing to make your stay more enjoyable.

At the time we visited the beach (shown on the photographs below), there was a large "For Sale" sign with a quoted figure of USD$15,000. A quick inquiry in the bar suggested that the price included the beach, the restaurant and bar, and 15 bungalows.

Thai law does not allow straightforward ownership of real estate by foreigners, so things must have been a bit more complex. In addition, my visit to Ko Hai was pre-tsunami, so God knows what happened to these flimsy structures. But the natural beauty of the place must have eventually prevailed, and I am pretty certain that its touristic/commercial future is secure.