Koh Lanta

We spent a night in a real hotel, which was strangely discomforting, in Surat Thani before heading further west to Koh Lanta, which was personally recommended to me by Tenzin. I told him that I was looking for the more remote areas of southern Thailand (at the peak of the tourist season) and he told me that he stood alone on one beach for days on Koh Lanta with the exception of naked Thai children running around playing. The naked children stood as an indicator of the quality and tranquility of the beach, so I intended to search for the same thing (the beach, not the naked children).

The first place we found was straight out of the Lonely Planet guide. Using the guide is too easy and usually results in sub-standard results, in my opinion, but Nemo’s consultation with Lonely Planet referred us to a beach at the southern end of the island called Kan Tiang. We ended up staying at the Kan Tiang resort, even though the bungalows had all been booked to capacity. All they had left were tents, which were 200baht a night and right on the beach. I was excited by the opportunity to try something different, be closer to the nature of the island, and save money all at the same time, but Nemo recoiled at the thought of sleeping in a tent. He flatly refused to submit himself to such outlandish conditions as a tent and looked at me and bitterly remarked “you can sleep in a tent if you want to” as if I suggested we play Russian roulette.¬† So this was our divide, me being happy to have found such a place, and Nemo refusing to consider sleeping in a tent. He searched several other nearby places for vacant accommodations but everything was either full or out of his price range, so he returned to the resort pouty and bitter, silently agreeing that the tent was in fact the only option.

The resort wasn’t actually a resort in the normal definition, which I believe includes various amenities like pool, tennis courts, gymnasium, and so on, but only had bungalows and a bar & restaurant on the beach. The beach there was gorgeous, and the vibe of the place was pleasant, although too much like an actual resort. There were only foreigners there, mostly from Europe (especially a lot of Scandinavians), and the music included hit Thai bands as Pearl Jam, The Foo Fighters, Third Eye Blind, and The Goo Goo Dolls. I can’t tell you how incredibly lame it is to hear 90’s alternative rock music on a beach in Thailand. Thankfully, I made the perfect exit.

January 11, 2007|

Koh Phagnan

We arrived in Koh Phagnan after taking a ferry for several hours straight from Koh Tao. The ferry was very large and carried several hundred people between the two islands, mostly young foreigners, but some Thai people as well. This was the first indication of what Koh Phagnan would be like. Although there are countless islands, big and small, dotting both east and west coast of southern Thailand, most of them are known for something. Koh Tao for diving and Koh Phagnan for the monthly full moon party. The port at Koh Phagnan looks like Khao San road. For anyone who hasn’t been to the tourist backpacker wasteland of Thailand’s capitol, let me paint a picture: you’re surrounded by faces hid behind fake Gucci sunglasses, tribal tattoos, white guys with dreadlocks, and cheap guesthouses, banana pancakes, and Thai food for farang (tourists). It sucks immensely. Fortunately we didn’t come for the pier, and this was just a prelude.

The goal was to get as far from where we were as possible. The most secluded area of the island. The place where no one goes. We made a compromise when a Thai songthaew (a taxi where passengers sit on two rows in the bed of a pickup truck) driver who had lived in America recommended that we stay near a small beach in the quiet northeast region of the island, directly on the opposite side of Hat Rin, the bustling tourist development on the southern coast which attracts the majority of Koh Phagnan’s visitors. His recommendation turned out to be excellent, as we paid 200baht and stepped off the pickup truck after stretching out after the jostling 45 minute drive over dirt and mud roads which looked like they were from a war zone.

We quickly meet a Thai man named Romeo (he must be very romantic?) who leads us to his settlement, a collection of humble bungalows about 200 meters from the beach. Upon entering the grounds I noticed the comfortable atmosphere, drawn largely by a large grassy area between¬† the bungalows which had children’s toys littered around it. No sir, this was no resort. And so we became friends with Nicola and Romeo and their child Adam who lived there, and the group of five Swedes who were all staying there for a month – part of their annual winter Koh Phagnan trip together. We spent several days enjoying the tranquil side of the island¬† before even going to see Hat Rin, the tourist area. It was terrible. We quickly left. A day later, we decided to leave the island and return to the mainland, cross that, and take another ferry to an island on the opposite coast of Thailand; the Andaman Coast.

January 8, 2007|
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