Since we have spent most of out time at Koh Lanta in the bliss of massage, good food and sun-baking, we decided to venture a little further from our paradise resort.
Before we left, we had read about Lanta Longtail tours and we decided that this would be a far more authentic way to see the islands than on a noisy speed boat.
Susanna picked us up at 8am and took us to Lanta Old Town – which is pratically untouched by modernity. It’s here that you get a taste for how the islanders live and make a living from fishing or the rubber plantations.
Susanna, a woman originally from the US, told us the story how she originally came to Lanta to teach art six years ago. Now only did she fall in love with the island, but also fell in love with a local fisherman called San (even though who knew how they communicated since neither spoke eachother’s language).
They got married two years ago and now run a very successful Long tail boat tour.
Susanna dropped us off at the pier (she had to go into Krabi) and we clambered on board the large wooden Longtail boat. We met San – who’s slightly broken english was enough to get us understood and the driver.
We munched on fresh watermelon and water as we headed out into the East side of the island towards Ko Muk.
It took about 1 and a half hours to get here and once we docked, the driver got into the water with us and lead us into the Emerald Cave. It was pitch black inside save for the single beam of light from the driver’s headlamp.
Soon we saw sunlight and we were lead onto a pristine beach surrounded by high cliff. We savoured the serenity until the mass of tourists arrived. We decided to head back to our personal boat (btw your own personal boat is the way to go – much better than sharing it with hoards of others).
We then did some snorkelling at Koh Ngai. After we stopped on the beach for a chicken curry and rice lunch and just sunbaked on the sand and lazed in the tourquoise waters.
After eating, we boated to Koh Ma where we did some more snorkelling – the highlight was that I found Nemo (actually there were two of them).
San then took us around the pinnacle of the island back to the West coast. It was a bit of a long treck – it took us about 2 and a half hours. But the scenery was magnificent plus we got to feed cheeky monkeys watermelon in the mangrove forests/
San dropped us off on the beach directly near our hotel. Now this is the way to travel!
Posted by lemonade 
Lemonade's Land 