Island Life

Well, I have to say, I can't believe it's been 2 weeks since the last posting.  I guess it is partly because nothing very exciting has been happening, and also because we are just settling in to island life.


After nearly 4 weeks in Vietnam, we arrived back in Thailand 2 weeks ago.  We are really so happy to be back here.  It is difficult to explain, I mean, we enjoyed our time in Vietnam and visited some amazing places, but personally, I will probably not return for anything, other than shopping in Saigon.  Although we only spent 9 days in Northern Thailand in January, we just find Thai people much more welcoming and genuine.  It doesn't hurt that we have arrived in one of the most beautiful places we have ever visited.  


We flew into Krabi, a very quiet, sleepy town which serves primarily as a hub to the islands on the Andaman Sea (Indian Ocean), and spent 2 nights before catching a passenger ferry to Ko Lanta.  The ferry ride was only 2 hours, and the view was endless sea on one side, and coast and beach on the other.

Our first glimpse of the beaches of Lanta from the ferry

Long Boats shuttling passengers from ferry to resorts on secluded beaches on Lanta

Nearing the passenger port in Salada

We rented an apartment on Ao Phrao Beach (Long Beach), the longest beach from center to the southern part of the island...about 5km.  We are staying for 1 month and haven't quite plotted out our itinerary after that.  We still have 2 weeks to worry about that.

We finally have a place equipped with all the necessities to make it feel like home...sort of.  At least we can cook (and we have been) and just hang out when we don't feel like going anywhere.  We have found a small "grocery store" that carries enough to get us by.  Actually, they have plenty of westernized staples and we have enjoyed simple things like white toast with peanut butter.  Seriously, so nice to have simple, bland, white food!!  We have only had dinner out twice in 2 weeks which is a welcome change from eating out every meal of every day for the past 6 weeks.

Our vast beach, unfortunately we have to share it with these people :)

The most people you will ever find in the water at one time...totally acceptable

Taking in one of the tropical thunderstorms from our balcony

Our first day was spent getting our bearings and stocking the cupboards, fridge and liquor cabinet.  Day 2 we decided to go and find the beach.  It is about a 3 minute walk from our door to the sea.  There doesn't seem to be a "main" beach here, just endless sand each way.  There are spots that have secluded resort beach, little beach front restaurants, massage huts, or nothing at all.  There is no crowding and you can be as close or as far from other people as you wish.  The water is perfectly calm, greenish-blue, and you can see the sand on the bottom as far out as you can swim.  And I'm not sure if it's the time of year or if the water is always so warm...but it almost doesn't cool you off after baking in the sun.  This is not a complaint, just an observation and something we have never experienced, a warm sea bath.

Enjoying one of many daily "baths" in the Andaman Sea

So far our days consist of snorkeling, laying on the beach or by the pool and I have joined a yoga class that is first thing in the morning 3 days a week and at sunset 3 days a week.  Certainly after another 2 weeks of island life we will be ready to move on to the next destination.

Dre heading out with mask and snorkel to see what he can find

Our first sunset

We enjoy this every night on the beach, it's perfect facing the sea in the west!