Taking a short flight on Thai Airways, we arrived in the Krabi District and took a shuttle southward to Koh Lanta.  After a couple of ferry crossing we arrived at Rawi Warin Resort.  Beautifully landscaped along the hillside and has a large lily pond behind the open air lobby. We staying in one of their sea view villas with lovely dark, wood floors and a lounge next to the big window overlooking the ocean.  At the end of the day, it was wonderful to retire in our sanctuary on the hill.

 

The night skies were clear, at least early in the week before the evening rains came, affording nice night skies to watch the stars above and squid boats on the horizon of the Andaman Sea.

  
One of the reasons we picked Koh Lanta was it was slower, more laid back version of Phuket.  Days were filled with pool time and beach time, fruity cocktails and local cuisine.  Much of Thailand’s beaches don’t have the soft, talc-white sand of Maya Riviera or parts of the Caribbean, but they are beautiful with warm, clear water.  Some areas still show damaged coral from the terrible tsunami of 2004, but you can find good snorkeling and diving offshore and on nearby islands.  Interesting to note that Koh Lanta is about 80% Muslim (the further south you go in the country you see an increased number of muslims).  Surprising for us to see this in what we thought was a predominately Buddhists (95% of Thais are Buddhists) country.

Dinners were on the pool patio facing the ocean or on the sand at the restaurant next to the property which including spectacular shows of fire dancing and traditional Thai dances.  Candlelit dinners with the warm sea air, and delicious food is something I will never get tired of.  Ever.

One of our excursion was taking a boat to Bamboo Island and then Maya Bay on Koh Phi Phi.  Boat rides are always fun, and on the way to Bamboo Island, we stopped first at a snorkeling station for fish viewing amongst the coral.  When we got to uninhabited Bamboo Island we found the sand to be soft but very hot.  As boats came ashore, tourist would disembark only to realize they needed to find shade or get in the water.  We opted for the water.  The calm water of the Andaman Sea is perfect for families that brought young kids or first time ocean adventurers.  No body surfing here.

The piece de resistance was Ko Phi Phi (pronounced Koe Pee Pee).  It’s actually a collection of islands that include Ko Phi Phi Leh and Ko Phi Phi Don.  The larger Ko Phi Phi Don gives you the opportunity for a walk to the top of one of the hills for spectacular views.  The walk should be considered strenuous and sweating is unavoidable, but the view is well worth it.

Returning to the boat it was time for one of the most spectacular sights you will see.  As you approach from the water, the island of Ko Phi Phi Leh looks inpenentrable but as you get closer it opens up to Maya Bay with sheer cliffs all around it.  Our boat slowed, as required, and the water kept getting clearer and clearer.  Once on the beach, we waded around the cliffs, swam, and stared open-mouthed at how gorgeous it was.  It was not crowded when we arrived and we only stayed for an hour, but more boats kept arriving and it did get crowded.  Definitely take the first boat out, and take a high-speed boat as opposed to the more traditional long tail. You want to get there as early as possible with the ideal situation being staying overnight on Ko Phi Phi Don – which we didn’t do.

We decided to walk across the island (a short jungle walk) and saw incredibly beautiful water.  Unaffected by the tsunami, you can see what a treasure this island is.

Back to the resort for dinner and then off to bed.  Tomorrow was with the elephants.

I didn’t know what to expect as we walked across the platform to our elephant that lumbered up next the “loading” area.  We climbed atop what was considered a modest size beast, but from our perch you realized how high you are off the ground.  A young boy, impossibly young, sat behind the elephant’s ears and directed the elephant forward.  We plodded along an immensely wide path through the jungle – at times stopping when the elephant decided.  After our jungle journey ended, I completely understand the reverence for elephants that some cultures have.  They are gentle, and smart, and strong.  They can delicately handle an object with their truck, and when the want to move through something they will do it.  A thrilling ride for me, but my wife wasn’t a big fan.

After that we had a sea food and beer lunch (very refreshing) and then drove to the island side facing the mainland for sea kayaking.  We were assigned a guide that paddled near us while my wife and I paddled our own kayak.  Through calm water estuaries over to the mangroves we went.  Getting closer revealed movement in the trees and near the water.  Sea monkeys!  But in this case, sea monkeys who saw tourist with potential food.  They got close, and one leaped an impressive distance landing on our kayak.  My wife tightened up, but our guide immediately scared it off.  I thought it was great, but my wife was bit rattled.

Question:  what soothes a couple of tourists after a full day?  More food.  Back to the resort we went for a later afternoon nap and then dinner seaside as the sun went down.

As our journey to the islands drew to an end, we were sad to leave this paradise and its warm people, but were also looking forward to heading north to see Chiang Mai.  And so we reluctantly said goodbye to Koh Lanta and kob-khun-krap (Thank you).