Aloha, here's the update for our flying visit to Ko Lanta, a lovely small-ish island just south of Ko Phi Phi...

Just as a bit of background, when I say Ko Lanta, what I actually mean is Ko Lanta Yai - the island where we stayed, and the largest of a group of twelve which together comprise 'Ko Lanta'. Anyways, we hopped on a ferry from Phi Phi to Lanta Yai, and spent the whole trip maintaining a dignified ('we'll find our accommodation when we get there, thankyou very much') silence in the face of the relentless on-ferry touts. We arrived into the bare, dusty port of Ban Sala Dan however, to find that not only had every other passenger capitulated to the persuasive sellers, but that we had also failed to come up with any alternative accommodation. We sheepishly hopped onto the crowded truck, and were whisked away to Blue Andaman Resort.

Our suspicions were unfounded, though, and the resort rewarded us with a large clean room, sea views practically on our doorstep, and a pool! All for 300 baht a night - two pounds each. Lovely. We spent a good deal of our time in Lanta just lounging in the sun, cooling off with alternate dips in the pool and the sea. The place had a really relaxed air, with the pool serving as a nice communal focus for guests to meet and chat. Indeed, who should we bump into but the hungover Northern couple from our snorkelling trip in Phi Phi. Despite being (as far as I could tell) sober this time, their tall tales didn't disappoint; one matter of fact anecdote - 'Oh yeah, we spent 'bout 5,000 baht (100 pounds!) t'other night on booze when we were watchin the League final...(pauses)...'yeah, we like a drink or two, we do' - was especially eyepopping.

The pseudo-familial atmosphere was reinforced when the resort's staff threw a leaving party for a dutch couple and their seven year old daughter who had been staying the past two weeks. Guests gathered at the seafront Soundshack bar, and the girl even gave a mini fire pois demonstration - she had been tutored by the staff during her stay. I'm sure had we visited in the high season, they would have been far less attentive, but as it was, everyone found themselves jumbled into this strange, friendly Lanta family. One particular woman caught our eye at Lanta, a chatty fifty-something traveller, who told us she had been on the road for five and half years, and with the tan to prove it. When we began to ponder the question of her finances, we decided on a hefty divorce settlement as the only feasible explanation. When we naively asked her about her future plans, she breezily waved a hand, muttering something about how her pension would be available in a few years. If not, she mused, she could always sell her house...

Our mode of transport in Lanta was via motorbike-scooters which we nicknamed our hogs. Unfortunately, Emma took a dislike to her bike (or vice versa) and after saying hello to a ditch - face first - decided to get a tuk tuk to our first destination - the Mai Kaeo Caves. The caves were amazing - a guide led us through the jungle to the hillside entrance, and we spent an hour slipping around underground, culminating in a hands-and-knees crawl through a small muddy pool. If you check pics, you'll see me and Emma clambering through, followed by Sarah neatly negotiating the tiny hole...backwards! After the caves, I decided to explore a little more of the island (via hog) and checked out the East-facing viewpoint and Old Lanta town, all the while navigating potholes and speedy locals. The following day, me and Sarah rode down the long road that spans the Western coast of the island, catching some great ocean views, as well as the occasional elephant. Towards the Southern tip of the island however, the road got a bit hairy, and began to resemble an off-road dirt track, so being the hog-novices we were, we decided to turn back.

All too soon, it was time to leave peaceful, lazy Lanta. We packed up, leaving quirky Blue Andaman, our hogs and the Travelling Divorcee in our wake, and headed onwards to Ko Tao.