Day 8 - Koh Lanta

This morning we slept in. When we woke up I commented to Alison how nice it was that we got to sleep in. She thought about it for a minute and realized this was the first day of the trip that we didn’t need to get up for a planned morning activity or flight.

After we were up and ready for the day we went out and relaxed by the pool. It is nice to lay out in this tropical hideaway.

Today we wanted to explore the island. The easiest way to get around is to rent motor bikes. They are so inexpensive. It cost less than $7 to rent a motorbike for 24 hours. Driving a motorbike in Thailand is most definitely outside of my comfort zone. I am not naturally good at driving a new vehicle. I prefer practice and experience. I didn’t really have that in this situation. I knew Alison wasn’t feeling any more confident about driving so it fell to me. Victoria gave me the 30 second run down of the controls. Then there was a nearby side street where I took the bike for a practice run for a couple of minutes. After going up and down the street once I was ready. Alison hopped on the back of my motorbike and I followed Victoria and Hayden to our next destination.

The next stop on the agenda was brunch at the Shanti Shanti Koh Lanta. This restaurant is owned and operated by the French husband of the owner of the restaurant we ate at last night. It was delicious. Alison and I shared a banana/nutella crepe and a giant bowl of muesli overflowing with fresh fruit. The fruit in Thailand is so fresh and tastes divine.

After brunch we got back on the motorbikes and drove to the Mu Ko Lanta National Park. It is at the southern tip of the island. By now I was feeling pretty confident on the motorbike. The only really nerve wracking moments were going down some steep hills. The brakes weren’t great so there were a few times I was holding the brakes down as far as they would go and we were still gaining speed. Fortunately in these situations I never needed to come to a complete stop. Otherwise we would have been in trouble.

The national park was beautiful. There was lots of tropical jungle coming right up to beautiful beaches. Nearby we saw an old light house. We climbed up to the lighthouse to enjoy panoramic views. Then we headed downtown to the beach. It was another hot and humid day so it felt amazing to swim and float in the ocean. We probably spent at least an hour in the water.

When we were done in the water we found a nearby restaurant where we could purchase some drinking water. We were drinking water and applying sunscreen when a monkey headed right for us. He veered off just before reaching us and jumped up on a nearby table and stole another guys soda. A moment later a shopkeeper ran out with a slingshot and hissed at the monkey as she chased him off. The monkey ran away pretty fast.

We decided to do some more exploring so we drove up the east side of the island (we are staying on the west side) to Lanta Old Town. It is a collection of little shops and restaurants. There was lot of construction along the way so we had to navigate some rough and dusty roads. When we arrived at Lanta Old Town, we treated ourselves to some gelato and Alison and I bought some souvenirs for Skylee and Holly. Near old town there is a long pier. We walked down the pier and enjoyed the views of the ocean.

We were getting hungry and started to decide where to eat. Victoria told us she knew about a really good Mexican place somewhat near Lanta Old town. She said it had the best Mexican she has had in Thailand. She was not wrong - it was so good. We got back on our motor bikes and went down this dirt road. When we got to the restaurant we were some of the only people there. It was off the beaten path. The restaurant is down near the ocean so we ordered our food and then went for a little walk along the beach. The beach here was rocky with really unique colors. There were also some interesting trees growing right along the edge of the ocean. We also watched a big group of monkeys playing nearby. The restaurant had a couple of dogs that kept the monkeys away from our food. The food was incredible. We had nachos and tacos and burritos and it was some of the most delicious Mexican I have ever had. Alison and Victoria enjoyed their tacos so much they each ordered another round. This was one of our favorite meals in Thailand.

After dinner we drove our motorbikes back to our hotels. Victoria knew a shortcut across the island so we didn’t have to drive all the way around the island to get back. At this point I was feeling comfortable on the motor bike so driving at night didn’t bother me. The only annoying moment was when a bug flew into my eye. That was painful, but I just blinked my eyes until it was gone and kept going. I didn’t really want to lose Victoria and have to navigate on my own in the dark. Fortunately, that did not happen and we made it back just fine.

Today was quite an adventure. One of the things I love about traveling with Alison is that she pushes me to be more adventurous. Together we try new things and embrace experiences we never ever imagined we would have. My life is so much richer for it.