We’ll remember our island time in Koh Lanta as one where we slowed down and did a really good job of staying present & connecting in the moment.
We knew we wanted some chill beach time during our 7-week stint through Southeast Asia. We plugged in a stop on the Thai island of Koh Lanta. It ticked our boxes in terms of beauty, remoteness and lack of overtourism.
Arrival
We hopped aboard a speedboat from Krabi mainland to Koh Lanta the morning of November 29th. Our “speedboat” left a good 30 minutes late and rolled into our destination a good hour late. I bit my tongue and tried to embrace “island time” :)
We shared an open-air van with a few other travelers, of which one young couple was staying at our same hotel. We chatted with them briefly, and again later in the evening. From LA, they were super nice and fun to chat with.
Lanta Castaway
Our home for the week was Lanta Castaway. Doug had scoured options on the island, and found this super option. Nestled right on the beach, it had darling little bungalows peppered alongside a path with beautiful tropical trees & flowers. We knew from the moment we saw it that we’d love the peaceful, tropical setting.
Time to Chill
Our four days in Koh Lanta were intentionally chill. We’ve been moving at a pretty good pace over the past few months, so it was lovely to release ourselves from any schedules or commitments. I’m the first to admit that kicking back on a beach with nothing to do for days on end is not my favorite thing; I thrive on stimulation and activity, so it’s hard for me to completely unwind. This time, I leaned into the “chill-ness” of Koh Lanta and enjoyed it to the max all together. Our time in Koh Lanta felt like a legit vacation. Probably the only other times that have truly felt like that so far in our travels are Dubai and the Dead Sea in Jordan.
How the Days Went
Our days were filled with a rotation of mostly these things:
Beach Runs/Walks: I got two morning runs in, but Doug ran every morning while me & the girls were still slumbering. The beach is at really low tide in the morning, so it makes for some awesome hard-sand running. Massages: Par for the course, Lanta Castaway had a hut on the beach set up for massages. One-hour Thai with Oil massages cost about $12 USD. 30-minute Child massages cost $8. Time to get our massages on! Much to the girls chagrin, we did not let them indulge in massages every time we did (‘cmon, they’re only 6 & 8 years old!). They got to go twice, and we got massages four times. Glorious to get a massage with the fresh air & ocean breeze around you. Really felt like holiday.
Swimming: The ocean water was really warm and shallow. When we first arrived the four of us jumped right in. Ahhhh. Not sure exactly what was causing it, but the water made our skin a little “stingy”. That turned me & Paige off of swimming much more over the coming days, but it didn’t stop water rats Sadie & Doug :)
Crabs, Castles & Seashells: Lots of walks along the low-tide beaches to hunt for sea shells, make sand castles and chase the small sand crabs. The crabs make these amazing little bubbles in the sand around the holes they burrow into. Beautiful sand art, and the crabs are the artists!
So fun to chase these speedy crabs around the beach! Impressively, Paige caught a few of them!
Paddle Ball: The evening we arrived we saw some people on the beach playing paddle ball. We asked at the front desk if they have any beach toys. They didn’t so Paige & I hustled to a little store up the road and purchased a paddle ball set for about $3 USD. Combinations of the four of us enjoyed countless hours of beach paddle ball and it was the best!
Family Monopoly Games: We gathered around a table each evening before dinner to play a card version of Monopoly. We’ve had the card game since we left the States, but it was only recently that we actually busted it out & actually learned how to play it. Now we’re hooked! It’s a really fun game that all four of us can play, with strategy (not just luck) involved. Playing Monopoly together was good old fashioned, fun bonding time. Evenings we're the only time Monopoly was in session; the girls would often play on their own before breakfast. In the evenings, Doug & I would often get a margarita, and the girls a fruit smoothie. They serve popcorn during Happy Hour. One night our popcorn ran out and I told the girls they could go back up to the bar and ask for a refill. Sadie - ALL.ON.HER.OWN! - bounded over to the bar and asked for more popcorn!! Might not sound like much, but if you know Sadie, this is a big deal! She has blossomed so much in these past months, experiencing a serious confidence boost. The Sadie that left NYC in June would not have had the confidence to ask a stranger for something on her own. The fact that she volunteered, went on her own, asked in English to someone whose dominant language is not English, all while adults were sitting at the bar within earshot of the whole exchange . . . it put a huge, proud smile on her face, as well as the three of us. Go Sadibear!! When we think of our time in Koh Lanta, these Monopoly game sessions - where we were all tuned into nothing but each other & the game - will be a true highlight.
One night it poured rain, but that didn't stop us from Monopoly madness! The rain also did not damper the girls' daily dose of sillies :)
Happy Veggie: Carol & Davida, who we met in Khao Sok National Park, recommended a restaurant called Happy Veggie. It happened to be a short 10 minute walk from our hotel. It was so delicious that we ended up going there for lunch not once, but twice! Hands down our favorite were the samosas and spicy corn salad. I'm hungry even thinking about this place again!
School: Down time = school sessions. Sometime mornings, other times afternoons when the sun was at its hottest. There is some moaning at the first mention of school (and to be fair, it's not always the first thing we want to do either!), but otherwise the girls tend to be very focused as we work through their lessons & practice. Even though they would probably never admit it/agree, the routine of focused learning is really good for them on the road.
Sadie Resurgence in Drawing: One other side perk of the down time in Koh Lanta was that Sadie had a resurgence in drawing. She's always (since itty bity) loved drawing & all things art related. And she's really talented! Her attention to detail makes for the most creative pieces. She'd started our travels strong with drawing, but then fell out of interest the past two months or so. Then out of the blue in Koh Lanta she declared she wanted to draw. And then a few hours later enthusiastically said that she LOVES drawing and that she's going to be drawing alot again! Music to our ears. We love seeing her create and lean into something she enjoys so much. The girls even huddled around a little camping lamp to continue drawing when the sun went down :)
Koh Lanta was a perfect stop at this point in our travels. It helped us slow down, connect, laugh and be present in ways that I know will stay with all of us for a long time to come! Maybe I can chill on a beach for days after all :)
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