After pleasant Phuket I headed to the quieter Ko Lanta, my first journey alone after Alec’s departure.

I learned of Ko Lanta a few days earlier from some travelers, who praised it for its calm vibes and serene nature. This turned out to be true – the island was super relaxed!

Ko Lanta attracts an older tourist crowd than the nearby party haven of Ko Phi Phi (referred to as “pee-pee island”). While lacking in rowdy nightlife, Ko Lanta offers ample family-friendly fun, making it a popular destination for parents with young children. The beaches are almost never crowded and the atmosphere is extremely peaceful. Perfect place for young Mikhail!

Arrival

My journey started bright and early; I took a shuttle to the Phuket pier where I boarded a very very bumpy speedboat to Ko Lanta.

The Ko Lanta pier was small and not crowded at all – a welcome change of pace. My Airbnb sent a taxi, and after some language/communication hiccups, I found the right driver.

The “taxi” was actually a tuk tuk, and my first-ever tuk tuk experience didn’t disappoint.

Driving around, the first thing I noticed was the lack of streetlights. It felt like a sleepy country town with its small roadside businesses and a complete absence of traffic.

My Airbnb was a private bungalow very clearly meant for couples: upon walking in I was greeted by a romantically placed heart-shaped towel on the bed. Only a few days too late..

I got settled in, grabbed some Thai lunch at a nearby American-themed cafe, and headed to Hidden Beach which was a 20-min walk away.

Hidden Beach

On the way I stopped at a nearby tour agency and booked the “4-Island Boat Tour” for the next day. The guy at the front desk highly recommended this tour, despite it being run by his ex-girlfriend (“heartbreak, very sad”).

Eventually I made it to the beach (as expected, not without a bit of trouble locating the entrance) and was greeted by some beautiful local cows.

The beach indeed felt like a secret scenic hideaway and the water temperature was perfect.

After some quality alone time I walked back, showered, and headed to my first-ever Thai massage. The hour-long session was $10, a bargain for how strong the lady’s hands were. My entire body (especially my calves) was super sore afterwards. Definitely worth it for the experience, though I’m not sure I would get one again.

Interestingly, most local businesses seemed to have a no-shoe policy; customers were told to leave their shoes by the door. This made sense as the roads here were super dusty. After a few hours of walking around my black shoes were completely gray.

Boat Tour

The next day I woke up at 7:30am to get ready for the boat tour. A tuk tuk came by to pick up a group of us who were staying in the same resort (me and some rowdy Brits). We drove around collecting more passengers and in the end had 11 people tightly squeezed in the back (one of the Brits had to sit on the floor, to everyone’s amusement).

After assembling our group we waited outside some house for a good 30 mins. Eventually a guy wearing a sarong and a hat came out to talk to the driver. His outfit make him look a bit like a wizard so of course the Brits started making Harry Potter jokes. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, our tour guide (the wizard’s friend/brother/roommate) – who must have just woken up – ran out of the house yelling “let’s go!”

The first stop was snorkeling on a remote island, which turned out to be more of an adventure than I was hoping for.

Things started off well. Life jackets were optional but I grabbed one, which was a good call. The island had no beach so everyone jumped from the boat straight into the water. I saw some colorful fish, and, feeling adventurous, decided to swim further away to explore. I followed the current behind some cliffs, which left me around the corner and out of sight of the boat.

Unfortunately at this point my snorkel stopped working. I tried to stay above water but the big waves kept splashing in my face. I had little luck fighting the current: I would make progress but then, pausing to catch my breath, would just get pushed back to where I started.

By this point everyone on my tour had disappeared behind the corner, oblivious to my struggles. It was a dire situation, made even worse by my subpar swimming skills.

Just as I was giving up hope I caught a lucky break: another tour group had just emerged on their kayaks from the depths of the island. I called to them and they quickly pulled me out. I was saved!

The older family whose kayak I temporarily occupied delivered me back to the boat, where everyone was already waiting to go. The guide was relieved to see me, not because he was worried sick, but because he wanted to get on with the day.

I sat down, shaken up and out of breath, and we headed to our next destination as if nothing had happened. I was happy to be alive and from then on determined to never again underestimate the current. What a close call!

Our next stop was Morakot Cave (also known as Emerald Cave) – a huge cave with an enclosed beach and lagoon, surrounded by tall limestone cliffs. To get in we had to swim through a low-hanging 20m tunnel, which was unsettling after my earlier experience but turned out OK (thank goodness for the life jacket). The beach was really nice, despite being crowded with a bunch of rival tour groups.

This secluded cave was discovered only a few decades ago by locals looking for edible birds’ nests. Rumor has it that back in the day pirates hid their treasure here!

Next was our final stop, Ko Ngai. Here we had a delicious lunch of white rice with curry, made by the tour guide’s brother, and then relaxed on the aptly-named Paradise Beach.

After a lovely afternoon in Paradise we headed back and again boarded the crowded tuk tuk, this time with everyone sweaty and exhausted after almost drowning.

The next day I headed to my next stop: Krabi. After an awesome 2 days relaxing in Ko Lanta I was fed up with the lonely bungalow life, so for my next accommodation I booked the opposite: a spot at Slumber Party Hostel. Stay tuned for details of my rowdy adventure there!