Koh Lanta is where a traveler comes to kiss the sun goodnight as it falls slowly behind the ocean after a radiant day. It is a place where fire dances in the sky to the music and rhythm of the ocean. It is a place where nature’s magic touches you in the most resonating way. Koh Lanta seems to slow down time so that you can savor all it has to offer…and the sweet promise of another day. It is one of the most beautiful places I have ever had the privilege of visiting.
Just before our journey to Koh Lanta, while renewing our visas during a two night stay in Krabi town, I had an incredible epiphany. It was a personal breakthrough with my mental health. I had been struggling so much with my anxiety, my view of myself and feeling like I was losing a battle I had already overcome years ago. I was still trying to heal from trauma I experienced during the pandemic and a devastating and abusive experience at what I thought was my dream job. My introverted half was exhausted from living a life on the go and being constantly submerged in culture shock. I didn’t know who I was anymore.
I decided while I had some alone time in the hotel I would do a special meditation exercise. It was something I had done years ago on a regular basis when I began changing my life and ritualizing meditation, yoga, and self care. I stared into my own eyes for a long while in silence and focused on my breath. I looked at my face and my body. And after some time this voice rose up inside me. I began to speak from deep down in my soul to myself. I reminded myself who I was. It was powerful and felt almost an out of body experience. I purged and I cried. And then I did yoga outside on our patio in the sun. This epiphany came after a very hard and challenging anxiety episode that lasted several days while we were in Railay. It was the lowest I had been in a long time and I was completely worn down. By the time we got to Koh Lanta I was feeling strong again and I knew this was another transformation period.
To get there we took a van for about 2 hours from the Krabi bus station onto a huge ferry (something I had never experienced before) and then drove another 20 minutes or so to our resort. We stayed at Sleep Inn Lanta Resort which shared some common property and a pool with another resort. It was a really great find by my husband and an excellent value for money. The bungalows had lovely porches, were very spacious, and we were fortunate to get the last one on the corner. It was private, right next to the path to the beach, and even had a swing out front. It felt like we had a home again.
There were plenty of small restaurants a short walk from our place and as usual, the first thing we did was eat! After we filled our bellies we made our way to the beach. The path to the beach was next to a field of palm trees and it was absolutely stunning. They were so tall and glorious! I never lost my sense of wonder each time we passed that field.
As we emerged from the tree line and hit the sand with our bare feet I looked around to see the beach was all ours. There was only one other soul out wading in the water casting his fishing net. A local man was working on catching his dinner. The water was calm and between the beach and the big blue were these flat rock formations that created small pools and streams that were teaming with coral and small fish. Out in the distance, silhouettes of the Phi Phi islands could barely be seen.
I felt so much peace and once again it seemed we had another incredible place in this world all to ourselves. As we watched our first sunset on the island I revelled in the blessing that was our life together.
There was a special pizza place, Bow’s Pizza, just a short walk from our bungalow that is owned by a German Italian man. He made the pizza dough by hand in front of us from his grandmother’s secret recipe. It was by far the most delicious pizza dough either Bradley or I had tasted.
Our second day on the island we tried to enjoy the beach in the cool of the morning but the force of the waves was a little too strong for my tastes. Bradley loves being sloshed about in the waves and had a good time playing for a bit. We cooled off with mango shakes, the pool at the resort, and enjoyed our porch before we went back to the beach to watch another sunset.
We stumbled upon a great beachfront bar called Meeting Point that is family owned and operated. The family was so sweet and absolutely thrilled to see tourists. There were dogs running around enjoying beach life with the children laughing and playing by their sides. It was entertaining to watch them enjoy such a special place and call it home.
The sunset that night was one of the greatest I have ever seen. The sky was filled with warm yellow and deep hues of orange. There were pronounced rays that were coming off the sun even though it had set behind the ocean. The blue of the sky lingered longer than usual until, in the flash of a moment, the sky erupted in the most beautiful shades of pink and purple. It was hard to believe that we were looking at the same sky.
We were the only guests for the evening and sat at the table with the best view of the ocean. We had several drinks and lost count. We ate good food and talked for hours. I made friends with a hermit crab. It was a great time! We stumbled and giggled our way to our bungalow and I couldn’t remember the last time I felt this truly relaxed…deep down to my soul.
The next morning we were visited by a cat that had a coat that reminded us of June, one of our cats back home, and she was feisty but incredibly sweet. Bradley made a makeshift cat toy out of string and a tiny mango and we played with her and loved on her. She claimed us completely. For the duration of our stay she never left our sides so we decided to call her Saas, which means feisty in Thai. She slept on our porch and waited for us whenever we left.
We decided to go to the Meeting Point bar again because we had such a great experience the night before. We got to know the family more, including the dogs, and we played in the sand! During another delicious dinner we watched the sky radiate the prettiest shades of gold and yellow. There were many clouds in the sky this time adding texture to the horizon. Once the sun fell behind the sea the sky turned into a soft pink. It was magical and a completely different sunset than the night before. I was so enchanted by this place!
After a morning of writing (I had finally started writing again after coming out of my episode), relaxing, and playing with our sweet Saas we grabbed some delicious local food and decided to explore another beach on the island that was supposed to be pretty incredible. On our way there we ran into a carnival being put on for the locals. It was full of games, rides, food stalls, and pop up shops.
The beach is called Beautiful Beach, and it really was stunning! There were striking rocks at the shoreline and the sand was soft and fine. We laid out and basked in the afternoon sun and frolicked in the waves. It was the most people we had seen at the beach during our time on the island. While we were laying out and people watching we saw a group of young locals enjoying some snacks and playing on the rocks. After some time they left their spot they abandoned all their trash sitting on the rocks and in the sand waiting to be swept away by the waves. It broke my heart into pieces. I had to refrain from calling to them to come and pick up their trash because it is not culturally appropriate to yell or cause a scene. Had I been home, I would’ve gladly caused a scene. My blood was boiling. Bradley and I were still keeping our promise of filling up a bag of any trash we find when we visit a beach so I stomped over and picked up all their trash, cursing them quietly. Other locals watched me as I threw the bag away in a trash can that the group had passed right by.
I stood at the shoreline and watched the sun set wondering why this beautiful place is taken for granted. They aren’t the only ones who leave their trash behind. I filled up the bag with fishing net, styrofoam, lighters, and plastic on my way to the trash bin. Every place we visit there’s trash littered and left behind by careless and lazy people. I thought about how all of that would’ve ended up in the ocean. Pollution is a crisis that plagues my soul and is always on my mind especially since we have been traveling in Asia. Here it is in your face whereas back at home in Texas it is hidden a little better. As I watched the sun go down and listened to the waves my anger slowly subsided and I tried to focus on what little good I had done there.
Since it was our last night on the island we wanted to have Bow’s pizza again. Walking to Bow’s from Beautiful Beach we were bombarded by swarms of termites that had just hatched. It was a complete frenzy and something out of a horror movie. The walk was only about 7 minutes but it felt like 30! I was flailing my arms and batting away what I could. We found refuge under the hut of Bow’s and the delicious pizza did not disappoint!
After a few Chang beers we took a quick night dip in the pool and I floated on my back and stared at the stars and lost track of time. Brad accidentally locked me out of the bungalow while showering so I spent some time swinging in the cool night air in front of our porch. I closed my eyes and became one with the physical space I was inhabiting. I was so thankful for our time on Koh Lanta. I felt relaxed and confident in myself. I felt renewed. I had been immersed in nature’s beauty on this island and it slowed my mind down. I felt whole and I was ready to tackle the rest of the road we were planning to travel.