Ban Ai Dao

07:45
I’m awake at 06:00. For some reason, my brain just switched on this morning, and wouldn’t let me go back to sleep. This happens quite frequently. It’s rarely something big or scary with which my mind decides to concern itself. Ephemera, usually - and such as it is, it’s enough to keep me awake.

At 07:30, Vicki declares she’s awake. She’s not slept well, bless her. This is such a rare occurrence that it rather takes me aback. Again, no obvious rhyme or reason - just one of those things. Thankfully, our journey is a pretty straightforward one. Koh Lanta is around 40km to the South East of us, and will take around 2 hours by Ferry from Ao Nang. Our pick up is not until 09:30, so we’ve more than enough time to pack, and do some urgent sitting around waiting…

12:30
Massively different ferry experience. The ferry company has offered to pick us up for our onward boat to Koh Lanta. Confirming with them yesterday, they said it would be there between 09:30 and 09:45. As 09:50 rolls around with no sign of our lift, we book a Grab. I suspect the boat guys would have turned up at some point, but it’s not really worth the stress. The pier is a much calmer experience than the Lomprayah ferries we’ve been taking in the Gulf of Thailand. We’re very quickly boarded into a bright, airy cabin that’s deliciously cool. As our 10:30 departure time looms, the cabin is still only about 1/3 full. We depart on time, and cruise serenely along the coast towards Railay Beach, 10-15 minutes away.

On arrival at Railay, we mate with another ferry, and some passengers are transferred. This is a definite first for me. A few more passengers are dropped-off by longtail boat. Even with these extra passengers, the boat is only 1/2 full for the journey down to Sala Dan Pier.

Vicks snoozes. After a rotten night’s sleep, I’m barely surprised. When she wakes up, she has fairly impressive indents from where she’s been resting her face on her rucksack. I visit the little snack shop dude for supplies. I’m stunned/delighted when he asks if I want a beer. Er, yes please. An icy Chang is the piece de resistance. I adore this ferry.

17:00
We arrive into Sala Dan Pier at 13:15, a little later than planned, but not disastrously so. Our guesthouse have sent a driver to pick us up, but we can’t find him. I call them. The chap at the other end says the driver is there - he’ll call the driver to let him know where we are. 5 minutes pass, no driver. I call the guesthouse again. Apparently, the driver is now ‘on his way’ and should be with us in a few minutes. 5 minutes, no driver. I call back for a 3rd time, and a woman answers. She starts to ask who I am, and what I want, and whether we have in fact asked for a transfer from the boat pier. Eventually, we agree that the driver will be there in around 10 minutes. It’s 10 mins from the guesthouse to the pier, so the driver is clearly setting off now. 10 minutes pass, no driver. I’m just about to phone back again and lose my shit, when a driver from our resort turns up. He is NOT expecting us. He’s here to pick some folks up that are arriving on a 14:00 ferry, 10 minutes from now - and assuming the boat is on time… We are beginning to lose our cool - figuratively and literally. The driver sense this, and says we’ll head straight over.

Our room is great. The benefit of booking so many travels this year via one website (booking.com, I don’t receive payments etc etc) is that I get discounts and upgrades at some of the places I’m staying - and Lanta Sands is one. We’re in a family room, with two bedrooms. Crucially, our room has a plunge pool attached which is actually cool and refreshing. I spend a deliriously happy 10 minutes paddling up and down, and cooling off.

We head out, down the beach for some lunch, stopping at a very jaunty place called The Funky Fish. An ice cold beer is quickly followed by another ice cold beer. They bring us some great food. Some weird clay pot contraption contains prawns and glass noodles. They are fantastic. Another dish has some fried yellow (egg) noodles with prawns - also wonderful.

We’ve dumped and run at our room, and need to get ourselves just a little sorted/unpacked for our stay. Back at the hotel, I briefly consider a nap, then decide against it. We want to get out to watch the sunset, and it’s already 17:30. We pad down the beach to a bar appropriately called Sunset Bar. We graze the cocktail menu with mixed success. The views of sunset are (once again) spectacular. Around 19:00, we head up towards the main road where many of the local bars, restaurants and shops are located. It feels a little like a ghost town. Many are simply not open at all, whilst those that are open tend to have a maximum of a handful of customers. We’re at the very tail end of the season, and this is the first island where it’s felt like it. Dinner denied, we head back down to the beach, and walk this time to the North, and find a great little place called Second Home. They have some fresh wild sea-bass, which they grill whole for us with garlic and pepper. Sensational.

It’s getting late (21:00!?) so we wander back up the beach, where the incoming tide is rapidly encroaching, and head back to our room. We chill out with some wine, and a couple of TV episodes, before falling into the deep sleep of the deserving…En savoir plus