Adventures with Jack and Julia

Day 1:

Getting to Koh Lanta was a full day affair. We first took the ferry back to Surat Thani, then bussed to Krabi where we got dropped off and had to wait about 30 minutes for another bus. That bus then drove us to the pier where we waited for the Ferry to Koh Lanta, and then we caught a ride to our accommodation from the pier. Lots of modes of transport, lots of transfers, and boy were we glad to have finally made it! We were excited to check out the island but with it being so late we decided to just have a late dinner at our accommodation. The place we booked was a set of cute little bungalows about a 10 minute walk from the beach with a restaurant and a pool. Not much else you could ask for and as it turned out, the restaurant was so tasty and reasonably priced that we ended up eating there every night. We got to know the restaurant owners Alex and Poo quite well as a result. They were both very kind and expert chefs!

Day 2:

Breakfast was included in our stay this time. It was very basic where you choose tea of coffee and how you want your eggs cooked then you get a plate with eggs, toast and some fruit. Nothing crazy, but a perfect way to start the day. To add to that, we found out the whole property we were at is owned by the same family. Alex’s parents were an elderly couple who were so sweet and welcoming and we appreciated how they always checked in on us as we walked by their door. Thai people are so kind!

To follow up breakfast, we made our way to the gym. We hadn’t gone a single time on Koh Phangan since it was $10-15 for a drop in EACH (more than the cost of a drop in back home). After great workouts at the gym near our hotel, we went to Khlong Noen Beach to soak up some sun where we sat at a vegan restaurant eating a grilled veggies and hummus platter between dunks in the ocean.

Day 3:

Today was pretty tame. In the morning, we had breakfast, went to a nice coffee shop to play some cards, and hung out with the cats at our hotel. Then, we went back to the beach where Julia went for a long walk all the way down before meeting up again with Jack for some fresh coconuts and swimming in the ocean. Dinner at the place as usual before an early night.

Day 4:

One of other things we were excited to do on Koh Lanta was to head to Mu Ko Lanta National Park. We got up early, rented scooters and made our way along the coast enjoying incredible vistas and beaches along the way. Once we arrived, we did a hike through the jungle where we learned about some plants and trees native to the region, saw a few monkeys, until we ended up at a secluded beach covered in tiny crabs. Every time we got close, they would scurry away or hide in their holes on the beach. We learned that they’re called sand bubbler crabs and they build these fascinating patterns of tiny balls of sand as they sift through it for food. The last part of the hike took us to a lighthouse and more amazing views of the Andaman Sea.

Back on the scooter, we went beach hopping to three nearby beaches: Bamboo Beach (lots of garbage and aggressive monkeys so we didn’t stay long), Nui Bay (we stopped at a cute spot on the beach and had smoothies), and Kantiang Bay (we walked around on the beach a bit but this one was very busy so again we didn’t stay long). Nui Bay in particular was really cool because you walk down a steep trail and are met with this beautiful beach with bamboo shacks serving up yummy food and giving massages. Worth checking out if you’re on Koh Lanta!

Day 5:

Back to the gym today. Afterwards, we treated ourselves to some fruit smoothies and went back to the beach one last time. The weather was pretty unpredictable over the course of our time here and most afternoons a tropical storm would quickly roll in. This, however, was nothing compared to how much rain was waiting for us in Koh Jum and Krabi next.

Overall, we had an amazing time in Koh Lanta. The grandparents running the hotel were so kind, Alex and Poo at the restaurant were lovely, and we got lucky with the weather for the most part. The vibes were laid back and chill, not as busy as Koh Phangan and the beaches were beautiful. Lots of cool spots to sit along the beach with nobody else around and much more laid back in a good way.

Day 6:

We went for a walk in sunshine to get ourselves some fancy smoothie bowls and coffee and start our day right. Good thing we did because we were in for quite the harrowing speedboat journey in the torrential downpour later today. Stay tuned to hear about our next Thai Island and one that you may have never heard of before because it’s very small and rather undeveloped: Koh Jum!

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