Paradise - Part 3/3

After a short 1.5 hours on the ferry, I arrived on the beautiful Ko Lanta. Much less of a tourist hotspot than Ko Phi Phi, the accommodation was half as pricey and twice as luxurious. I quickly settled into my private bungalow at Green Garden Resort, then headed straight to the beach palapas. A satisfying lunch and some tropical drinks got me back on track for enjoying the beach life. As I meandered the seemingly endless stretch of seashore, the hot sun eventually began to set. Staring in absolute awe, the vivid hues were constantly rearranging themselves in the sky, creating some of the most spectacular patterns I've ever seen.

The night got even better from then on, firstly visiting with a British girl I'd met on the ferry who was coincidentally staying at the same resort. Ko Lanta was her last stop before heading home after traveling for four years! As you can imagine, she had lots of stories. Secondly, our English speaking attracted a nice American who dragged us out to a beach bar with a live band. Some rowdy Swedes were getting up on stage and belting out the lyrics to absolutely every song they recognized... excellent entertainment haha. On our wobbly walk back, we spotted crawling creatures all over the beach and of course, had to get up close and personal.

Having stopped off at another bar to play countless rounds of pool, we weren't desiring to get up to much the next morning except for laze by the pool (don't worry... it was right beside the ocean). After almost perfecting my tan, I decided to cross a few things off my Ko Lanta list. First up, paying a visit to the Lanta Animal Welfare Center to volunteer to walk their dogs. Notifying the others from the night before, they were gung-ho to join me! We took half a dozen to the closest beach, Phra Ae, which killed two birds with one stone by crossing another item off my list. It was so rewarding to see the pups happily out of their enclosures free in the splendor of the island.

That night was supposed to be a full moon, but it delightfully turned out to be an eclipse! Lanta celebrated it the same anyway, hosting a great DJ at a nearby beach bar and putting on the best fire show I saw my whole trip. Setting it out from among the rest was the flaming skipping rope... terrifying. The crowd was hestitant to jump, but eventually a few daring souls threw themselves into the whirling blaze. It was hilarious to see them escape very soon after, frightened but very invigorated.

The next morning was as idle as the one before... I can just imagine what it must have been like on Ko Phangan! I'll find out on New Years! Anyway, a much needed massage was had and then I finally dragged myself to the animal shelter again. I took the sweetheart of the bunch for a long beach walk, then enjoyed the rest of my day frolicking in the warm ocean. As I packed up my bags that evening preparing for an early morning departure, I wrapped my head around the past ten days in paradise. Concluding that my total costs were almost exactly $300, I'd say that's insanely incredible! A little incentive for you to plan your next vacation to The Land of Smiles eh?