Shalala on lanta island krabi

Shalala….. On Lanta Island

Small islands, more often than not, are filled with wonders and challenge. So for this trip, we took a four-hour drive from Phuket to Krabi, heading for Lanta Island.

Lanta island

Mr. Oh, Thirapoj Kasirawat, the honorary guide and host was there to welcome and show us around. Among the range of things to do here, taking a tour on foot around the mangrove forest at Baan Thung Yee Peng was not-to-be-missed.

Along the way, we saw some small and colorful crabs poking about to take a peek at us. And if you prefer to view the mangrove forest from the sea, there are chauffeured kayaks for hire.

In the afternoon, it was time to explore the old parts of Lanta town which still showed signs of the prosperous past. Old wooden houses built over the water were especially popular with visitors.

Some of the old shop-houses with unique designs of the bygone era were transformed into fancy restaurants. With romantic and chill-out atmosphere, they are ideal places to have a nice meal with friends and loved ones.

Further along the tour, we came upon Baan Sanka-U fishing village where the “Urak-lawoy” aboriginal sea people live. They were busy going about their chores of mending boats and fishing nets, the ladies were busy chatting away while the kids were giggling and chasing each other about. It was a simple but happy way of life.

Also a highlight was the view at Noon Restaurant on Bakantiang Beach. The best part was the mellow sunset which kept us transfixed for several minutes.

We also enjoyed the evening at Laem Tanode located at the south of the island, the center of Lanta Marine National Park. On one side is a white, sandy beach while the other is filled with different kinds of rocks and fossils.

The sunset here is just amazing. We walked uphill to the lighthouse with 360-degree views and took in deep breaths of fresh air and gorgeous views of the prolific Lanta Island.

Overnight accommodation is abundant here and our choice for this trip was the Costa Lanta Hotel on Klongdao Beach. The hotel is minimalist yet stylish and oozes with a genuine sense of relaxation.

Klongdao Beach offers a long stretch of golden sand and marvelous views of the ocean. Before leaving, we were greeted by a whip of fresh morning breeze that seemed to say “Don’t forget to come back and visit us again”.