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February 15, 2005

From Ao Nang to Koh Lanta

Well, we finally tore ourselves away from Ao Nang. The slow-pace lifestyle and wonderful island hopping was terrific, but (as is the case on trips like this) it's easy to get stuck somewhere and waste your precious travel time. We were itching to leave and check out Koh Lanta, which we've heard about from friends and online postings.

Unlike Krabi, Phuket, and Koh Phi Phi, Koh Lanta still has some of the low-key features that attracts alot of backpackers. There are also some terrific high-dollar resorts, with more popping up all along the beach. Koh Lanta also experienced some terrible destruction from the tsunami, but it appears that most of the damage was cleaned up quickly in an unsuccessful effort to bring the tourists back.

Before leaving Ao Nang, I spent a few hours in an internet cafe uploading all of our pictures so far (link to come later this week). While my computer was coasting along, I had a great discussion with the staff at the cafe. I was astonished to discover that although it is technically the "high season" right now, tourism is currently slower than the normal "slow season". This explains the quiet streets, empty restaurants, and lazy vibe around Ao Nang.

As a result of this slower-than-slow season, I've really fallen in love with Ao Nang. I'm not sure how I'd feel about it if tourism was back to normal. There are tons of pubs and restaurants that cater to homesick tourists, and the amount of farang traps are plenty. But without tourists around, the place is pretty damn cool.

I also learned a little bit more about the destruction on the Andaman Coast. There is a beach further north called Khao Lak that is particularly popular with tourists. From Khao Lak you can easily take boat rides to the Similan Islands and Surin Islands, which are huge destinations for scuba divers. Khao Lak, apparently, saw even more destruction than Koh Phi Phi and Phuket. A few thousand tourists (mostly German and Swiss) are still missing, and the death count was pretty high. Nearly all of the hotels and bungalow operations were wiped out. If you do a search, you can find lists of destroyed businesses in this area. It's very sad.

The dude behind the counter told me a story about one guy who is 65 years old and owned three hotels. He lost his wife, his three children, and all of their children. He also lost all three of his businesses and had to file for bankruptcy. That was just one of the many tsunami stories we've heard.

When I told this guy about the fund-raising events and organizations back in the states, he said they were thankful - but also added that the money goes to poor people who lost their homes. The middle class in Thailand and Indonesia got nothing, even though their businesses are gone and families are lost. He was not angry or judgemental about this... just merely stating a fact. To the Thai people, the most important aid contribution is from tourists, who have all disappeared.

Naturally, I was totally fascinated by this discussion. The tsunami is fresh on everyone's mind here. It was less than two months ago, and the financial recovery has yet to begin....

After spending four hours in the precious A/C uploading pictures and talking to the staff, I had to leave and get ready for our departure to Koh Lanta.

We left Ao Nang at 10:30am on the morning of Valentine's Day. A minivan delivered us to an office in Krabi town where we were greeted by touts trying to get our business. They were associated with the travel agency taking us to Koh Lanta, and they inquired about our destination....

Did we have a reservation at a resort? Did we know how long we were staying? Did we pay already? Did we know about this little place called such-and-such that was a "real nice hotel"? Did we know that the Moonlight Bay Resort (where we had the reservation) was only a bungalow operation? Did we want to switch? Did we need a ticket back to Krabi? Etc etc...

I batted down the questions like annoying little flies. I've been warned over and over how these guys work, so it was a mere inconvenience.

After sitting and waiting for ten minutes, another minivan pulled up and gathered the five tourists heading to Koh Lanta. It drove us about two blocks away and asked us to get out to meet another set of touts. These people asked only a couple questions, but they gave us the necessary tickets to pass the ferries onto Koh Lanta.

After another grueling twenty minutes (and after three drivers), we finally headed to the island. The drive took about an hour and a half. The AC in the minivan was less than par, so we sat and sweated like beasts until we reached the first ferry. Once we arrived, we rolled out of the van and soaked in the fresh air.

On the island, we drove down dusty dirt roads into the so-called "big town" of Ban Sala Dan. It consists of two worn-out roads with a few strips of once-thriving stores. On this occasion, almost everything was closed. We were dropped-off in front of a travel agency (obviously associated with the others in Krabi), and we were approached by (yep) more touts.

When they asked where we were staying, I told them we had reservations at the Moonlight Bay Resort. They raised their eyebrows and quickly moved on to the next group of people. This Euro couple(that joined us on the ride) hadn't bothered to find reservations, so they were subjected to some high-pressure negotiating by the touts, who had found some real suckers.

We waited for 15 minutes in the dusty heat and watched empty tuk-tuks drive by. Shaunna played with a skinny kitten whose whiskers had been completely cut off. I snapped pictures and read brochures on some of the other resorts in the area. I asked the fat, hairy Thai tout behind the desk about the destruction on the island. He showed me on a map that the bungalows on the beaches in Kaw Kwang and along the north were totally destroyed. As a result, he said, "tourism is slow".

We were eventually rescued by a driver from our resort and taken for a ten minute ride through dirty streets. Ever so often a group of white people on scooters would pass by, but the streets were dead for the most part.

The Moonlight Bay Resort is heavenly. The people who greeted us were excited to see us, and they escorted us from the main gate into lush pathways that were surrounded by dense vegetation. The facilities were gorgeous. The lady who took us to our bungalow explained that it's very quiet right now after dark. We passed by an empty swimming pool which sat next to a massive open restaurant. The waiters and cooks sat around a large TV and barely noticed us as we passed.

The path ended on a small beach that is surrounded by scenic rocks and a small line of beautiful bungalows on stilts. Ours faced directly towards the ocean and overlooked the beach.

After dropping our bags, we headed to the restaurant for lunch. The place was dead. We saw one couple sitting under a tree next to the pool, but I have yet to see them again. A German family popped in for a bit, but they have since left the resort. Service is slow, but warm, and the staff here seem kinda bored. Even during dinner, only two other couples emerged - but they are nonexistent today.

After looking at the drink prices, I knew a trip to the store was in order. Shaunna stayed at the bungalow and started a new book. I took my backpack and walked out of the resort, heading South along the dusty road.

I passed a couple of mosques (the majority of Southern Thailand is Muslim), and a few of the locals stared at me from their huts. I walked into one minimart and inquired about Beer Chang, but she gently reminded me of her Muslim beliefs.

"No alcohol," she giggled. "Muslim."

She pointed down the road and said, "7-11, one kilo."

Awesome. You can always expect 7-11 to have cheap beer and cold AC. I journeyed further down the road and watched packs of men working on new construction efforts in the area. It is clear that Koh Lanta will soon be over run with high-dollar resorts, which is a boon to the local people. Other than tourism, this island is pretty desolate except for a few plantations and fishing operations.

At 7-11, I saw a few other tourists stocking up on the necessities: tampons, toilet paper (cuz the locals are stingy with the stuff), beer and candy. The prices for large Beer Changs are cheaper here than in Ao Nang, so I grabbed three along with a bottle of Green Tea.

I casually walked back to the resort and took in the scenery. Alot of locals stared at me, possibly wondering why I wasn't riding a scooter like the rest of the tourists. I waved, they smiled, and a few greeted me with "Hallo!". It was pretty cool.

Back at the resort, Shaunna and I enjoyed the last few moments of sunlight at an awesome spot called the "Rocky Bar". It hosts a series of decks that overlook the beach. As we approached it, I recognized some old downtempo tunes from the late 90's... the bass was rumbling, and it was clear that the bartender was a fan of dance music. We were stoked!

We recieved a warm greeting from a young Thai man who showed us to a little area next to the beach. The view was stunning, and we were all alone. We ordered some Mai Tai's (which were served in tall glasses shaped like naked women), and we talked to our friendly bartender.

He explained that he used to own a bar just a few kilos down the beach. Every full moon he would host big dance parties with deejays and fire dancers. When Shaunna told him I was a deejay, he got excited. I said I played "house music", and he asked: "Funky House???"

It was a funny, ironic experience all around. He told us about his huge CD collection and his bar, all of which were lost during the tsunami. He started his job at the resort just nine days before our arrival. Of his collection, only three CD's remained, including the one we were listening to. As a music-lover and former nightclub employee, I felt aweful for the guy. He shrugged it off and seemed pretty happy regardless.

We went to the quiet restaurant, ate, and quickly returned to the bungalow. We stayed up late just talking about random things and appreciating the sound of the waves crashing below our bungalow. We came to Koh Lanta to get away and relax, and it pretty evident that is what will happen. And all in all, it was a great Valentine's Day. I wanted Shaunna and I to have a quiet, romantic evening close to the beach, and we certainly got it.

Sorry I don't have pictures of any of this just yet. I plan on updating again soon. The internet prices made me cough when I saw them... 3 baht a minute! I'm definitely spoiled from Ao Nang (1 baht/minute) and Chiang Mai (20 baht/hour)... but we've negotiated some cut-throat prices for our stay here, so we can afford to do a larger update later this week.

Prices at the Moonlight Bay Resort are normally 2500 baht a night, which includes breakfast. Since tourism is slow, and since we're staying a few nights, we are paying 1300 baht a night with breakfast.

The current exchange rate, for those that have been wondering, is around 37.5 baht to the dollar. Do the math. The tsunami, while tragic and terrible for the Thai people, has really helped us stick to our budget and still get first class treatment.

Posted by coywest on February 15, 2005 12:02 PM
Category: Stumbling
Comments

Hey sCoy,

Wow! Glad to read you have adventured to experience the amazing. I hope you write a best-selling book about your travels. I've always enjoyed your writing.

Just returned from a drive along the coast to Big Sur and Pismo Beach to witness the mating behaviors of the elephant seals and monarch butterflies.

Cheers to you, old friend.

Posted by: Leslie Kathryn on February 16, 2005 12:43 AM

What a wonderful trip you have had? Thanks for your posts. I am planning a similar trip to Thailand in May and have a couple of questions:
If you have to pick between the Phi Phi Le (Maya bay) tour and the Phang Nga Bay (5 island) tour which one would you pick? Also between Krabi and Koh Lanta, which one you will recommend? We don't have many days and can't go to all the places you went, therefore I will appreciate any recommendations that you may have. Thanks!

Posted by: Johana Vargas on February 17, 2005 03:23 AM

Hey Johana -

I would definitely opt for the Phi Phi trip over the 5 island tour. It was a bit more exciting, and Phi Phi Ley is heavenly.

As for Krabi and Koh Lanta, it really depends. If you like the luxuries of most beach towns, I'd opt for Ao Nang in Krabi. If you want peace and quiet, then head to Koh Lanta. The views are beautiful from both, and you can still do all the same tours and trips from both.

Thanks for reading... I hope that helps.

Posted by: Coy on February 17, 2005 09:26 AM

Thanks for your reply. Your travelogue is awesome and very helpful. I was thinking to go to Chiang Dao and doing the trek that you did. Now I am convinced that we should do it. Thanks for your reply! I can't wait to go to Thailand. Are you going to Khao Sok !!?

Posted by: Johana on February 17, 2005 11:03 AM

Get the address of the guy that owns the bar and send him some funky CDs when you return. Spread the word worldwide son! ;)

Posted by: toy on February 17, 2005 11:19 AM
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