Day 6, Sunday 9 February 2014 - Koh Lanta

Baan Saladan..... This morning I pick up a motorbike as planned and set off immediately first stopping for a snack breakfast then head off up the coast back towards Saladan on essentially a sightseeing trip. From Khlong Nin Beach there are beaches all the way up to Saladan in order; Khlong Khoang Beach, Baan Phu Klom Beach, Long Beach and Khlong Dao Beach. Apart from a swim in the ocean and the usual photo opportunities there is little to report with the pace most leisurely. Just before lunch I reach Saladan and after a wander around the town I have lunch near the jetty looking over to the mangrove forest on Koh Lanta Noi. Lunch is most reasonable and I'm in no hurry to leave the restaurant for the heat outside.
Another Tour..... Still with no sense of urgency I head back down the coast, this time on the eastern side of Koh Lanta. In complete contrast to the western shoreline, much of it is mangrove swampland and there are no accommodation centres apart from at Old Lanta Town at the southern end. However, there are attractions. There is a monkey school, an elephant kraal with rides, a snake show and a butterfly farm, but perhaps the most significant feature is the Mangrove Discovery Nature Trail. It is here that the whole complexion of my Koh Lanta experience changes and not for the better but initially things go well.
From the village here they service the island with various tours from simple kayak rental to sea going adventure programs. It was the kayak experience that first secured my attention. I could have fitted that in, it's just 2 pm, or for a bit more, a tour of the mangrove can be arranged by long-tailed boat. While I wander along the nature trail, I ponder another option. It's an all day tour of the islands but somewhat different to the one off Ao Nang. There will be just a handful of passengers in a long-tailed boat, so it's going to be a lot more expensive but by arriving here I can save the agent's fee and get the best deal by negotiating locally. The tour will include snorkeling, kayaking and tours around the mangrove swampland and islands. Lunch is on Koh Bu Bu. Tomorrow will be my last day so why not? They can collect me, so I don't need the motorbike saving a bit. I pay a deposit and secure the booking but this only sets in motion a chain of events that bring my tour of Koh Lanta to an unfortunate end.
Uping the pace..... I started the day at a trot. It will soon become a gallop. With my last day now booked up I wouldn't have the time, so I thought, to explore Koh Lanta more, especially the southern reaches. I up the pace and head of further down the coast arriving back a Lanta Old Town and pier. From here the road continues south to Sang-Ga-U Sea Gypsy Village and on to the furthest possible point terminating in a rather quirky resort clearly cobbled together with some imagination. Returning to the village I soon realise that the original village is no more. It was swept away in the Asian Tsunami of 2004. Villagers tell of water passing through, a metre high. It could have been a lot worse. This area is largely protected by the reef. Today more substantial concrete buildings have been constructed on higher ground, no doubt with government help. I head back up the coast then across the peninsula to Khlong Nin via Khao Yai viewpoint. Passing Lanta Paradise I now head down the western coast to Kantiang Bay and one of the smaller bays on this increasingly rugged coastline which terminates as part of Mu Koh Lanta National Park. The southern tip of Koh Lanta doesn't allow access around the tip of the island and is protected. It's time for a swim.
The sun is now hanging low in the sky in late afternoon and the heat is intense in Thailand's south. By booking a tour for tomorrow I've turned a potentially relaxing day into a whistle-stop tour as intense as the sun. I head back to Lanta Paradise unaware of effect the day has had on me.
Sunstroke..... Normally I manage Thailand's climate well by avoiding too much exposure to the sun despite some health issues. Today I made a wrong decision. Back in the room I take a hot shower, but already I'm feeling a little weak. In the air-conditioned room I begin to shake. It lasts the best part of an hour. I know my blood pressure is up and sunstroke is causing fever and dehydration. It's not going to be an easy night. I have but one comfort. Chelsea are top of the league.
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