More then twenty people converged to the beautiful Island Koh Lanta for a friend’s 40th birthday. And such an International group it was – Americans, English, French, Togolese, South Africans, Danish, Dutch, Lithuanians, Polish and the token Australian (there’s always one – moi).
From London it is a long way to travel and I recommend you go for more then one week. But due to work commitments I decided to make a dash in and out. I flew into Krabi and then took a taxi over to the island – this involves putting the taxi onto a boat.
I flew into the Krabi a few days before the group was to converge. So was happy to be with my own company, exploring the Island. Find some cows (literally) on the beach and test the local restaurants.
The second night though…. well that is a story. I went out with my trusty Kindle to hunt down dinner. There was a storm coming in, you could feel it in the air and see it in the sky. Thunderous black clouds appeared, the temperature dropped and the monsoon season was saying hello.
The Island lost all power. Street lights were out. Sudden lightening strobed and loud thunder roared. To get home I thought it best to walk on the road. It was a total blackout so I could barely make out a couple of feet in front in the torrential rain. Thinking this was the safer option as I wouldn’t see debris on the beach. Probably trip over a branch or stone, body or something worse.
I had no umbrella, so was dripping wet within minutes…. it’s warm so I told myself, it’s ok , it’s ok, you’re not cold. Just keep moving. Becoming soaked through to the bones with each step. And due to the rain, I couldn’t use my phone for navigation or light.
There were no street lights along the road and the rain was torrential. Cars were coming closer and closer to the sidewalk. When I heard a large lorry trundling towards me, I stepped off onto what I thought was the sidewalk, but unfortunately found a ditch.
A deep ditch. I scrambled up the side of the road as quick as I could as it smelt awful – even in the teeming rain, consequently razing my leg to shreds and trashing my handbag in the process.
Luckily I was only twenty metres from my hotel. I hobbled back and found antiseptic cream to apply after a warm shower. All the time consoling myself with the thought: I’m pretty sure I’m up to date on my tetanus shots. Um, I hope. The next day after the seasonal monsoon, I noticed as I walked around the town that there were dead frogs in the street. Definitely need to check my tetanus shots are in order.
The beaches are gorgeous when the tide is in – but not so much when out. We were just south of Long Beach – and the majority of the group staying at the Koh Lanta Riviera resort.
Besides the welcoming hospitality, the food is one of the best things in Thailand. Very fresh seafood and (obviously) authentic fresh Thai food. The people are extremely congenial and humble. Things are very cheap there. Beer is ridiculously cheep but the selection of wine limited – either red or white. No genre is offered besides the colour.
Do get yourself a massage (or two, or even three) from the many vendors along the beach side. They can work away every trouble as you watch the sun set over the ocean which is just gorgeous.
There is no flushing toilet paper down the toilet – which is not a thing Westerners are used to. So be prepared for that little pearl. Also the showers are very weak, expect a mere dribble at best.
The birthday gal arranged a fantastic boat for us all – a luxurious cruiser – this was magic. The crew were very hospitable, took us to a couple of bays where we could snorkel, take a canoe to the beach, swim or just simply enjoy the generous lunch.
A party of us went to a cooking class for a day and that was a tonne of fun. I highly recommend doing this – Cooking with Mon – you can find him on Trip Advisor. The whole experience is easily five stars. We cooked 4 dishes and stuffed ourselves silly. All the food prep is ready for you to just walk in, be instructed, cook and eat fresh food. All allergies and preferences are catered for.
All prepared 
The party in action 
The finished product