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LAST UPDATE: Thursday October 23, 2003

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Koh Lanta: new Andaman destination
 

Backpackers’ latest tropical island discovery in southern Thailand
 
Little changed, but change is coming fast as bungalows – most still very cheap

Koh Lanta, off the coast of Krabi province, is the latest back-packers destination in southern Thailand, and bungalows are sprouting along the many beaches there like seasonal mushrooms. Most of the accommodation is simple and cheap, though a few more up-market resorts are putting down roots.  

The island is long and thin, running North-South for about 20 kilometres as the crow flies. The West coast faces the open Andaman Sea which creates the beaches, while the East faces a shallow bay lined by mangrove swamps, and thus has virtually no accommodation at all. A high mountain spine runs the length of the island, climbing as it reaches south. Villages and rice paddies are found on both sides of this mountain backbone, but only in the north. The south is just too rugged.
 

The largest concentration of bungalows runs along the top of the island’s West coast, close to the car ferry from the mainland and the small town of Saladan (a big village, perhaps). The first beach from here is now virtually packed side-by-side with small bungalow resorts.

 

" During the monsoon season (May - October) the Southwest wind and waves
ash the entire coast, and the languid, sunny atmosphere changes
dramatically. Most of the bungalows close for the season, leaving vines
and weeds to overrun many till the owners return"
 

Moving south, as the island becomes more rugged, the coastline is sliced into a string of bays by headlands. The beaches in these bays are generally more attractive than the long, straight ones in the North. The more mountainous terrain also makes the road and the journey here much rougher. This writer thinks the more beautiful beaches at the bottom end of the island worth the discomfort of the ride.

A number of small fishing villages now sharing their beaches with bungalows and backpack tourists. Fishermen can be seen bringing their catch ashore, some of which is now sold fresh to the new resorts. Typical of Thais, the locals are friendly to outsiders, and seem quite happy with the new foreign invasion, from which many benefit financially.

Prices of bungalows vary from as low as 100 Baht a night during the monsoon season (about US$2) to about 3000 Baht in one of the new up-market establishments offering air-con, swimming pool and other resort facilities. But in this backpackers’ market the middle range is by far the biggest, with average bungalows going for 500 Baht (US$12) to about 2000 Baht ($50) per night.

On the third beach from the bottom of the island a new 5-star resort, the first on Lanta, opened in 2001. The Pimalai Resort occupies one of the most beautiful beaches here, nestled into a bay protected by headlands at each end. It is blended into a stretch of rich forest, with the whole scene backed by a high, forested mountain. It is quite a spectacular resort. See: www.pimalai.com

Lanta’s East coast has more flat land, and more villages and people, along with the biggest town on the island, called Lanta. This village-cum-town is just two or three rows of houses stretched along the coast, with the front houses resting on stilts in the water. Most of these belong to fishermen, who ties their longtail boats right to their front porches. The whole scene is very quaint, and very Thai. A couple of nice sea-side restaurants take advantage of the views here, and are worth visiting if one has opportunity to cross to this side of the island.

There is a long sea gypsy village to the south of this town, though we suggest outsiders not use this place as a human zoo, and leave them to themselves. In fact, there is almost nothing (aside from language) to distinguish them from other fishing folk living on the island.