Hidden Treasures of Thailand: Koh Lanta

Koh Lanta is an island located in the southern Andaman Sea. ThailandOne of the most beautiful hidden gems in America is on the west coast.

No Western chains. No bar girls. The beachfront is still not built, but in five years this may be gone. Plans are in place to build a new bridge to connect Koh Lanta with the mainland. After the bridge is built, it will only take 45 minutes to reach Krabi International Airport. This is a worry that travel writers will have to deal with another day. 

Koh Lanta, in particular, is relatively unknown to Americans. During my second consecutive January visit—November to March are the best months to come to the island in terms of the weather—I didn’t meet another American. Scandinavians have a completely different attitude. There are nonstop flight from Stockholm I met many Swedes and Norwegians at the Krabi International Airport who were anxious to leave winter darkness. Snowbirds were in abundance at both airports. Rawi Warin Resort & SpaThe hotel is a luxury resort for families with children. Pimalai Resort & SpaIt is one of the top properties on the island (it has 2 Michelin Keys)—my wife and I spent a nearly perfect week there this year.

Pimalai was founded in 1992 on 100 acres of pristine land. It boasts over 3,000 feet along the Kantiang coastline. It is a Platonic ideal for a runner. tropical beachThe beach is mostly empty and the water is calm. There are soft sands both inside and outside of the water. Pimalai offers luxury in the best possible way, with more lounge chairs and beach beds than hotel guests. In the morning I saw very few people at Kantiang’s small resorts.

Pimalai is a resort that feels like two separate resorts. Each has an infinity swimming pool and restaurant. The total number of accommodations is only 121. The Deluxe rooms are situated near the beach. Pool villas are nestled into the hillside terraces. All guests get access to round-trip van service to the Krabi Airport and a speedboat transfer to Pimalai’s pier—this cuts 45 minutes off travel time. Again, real luxury.

My wife and I were picked-up at Pimalai one memorable morning to start a daylong excursion. snorkeling charter Koh Haa and Koh Rak. We sat in front next to Jaroon because we were old and clever, while the other passengers had to squeeze into the uncomfortable bench seats of the pickup. After spending 40 years on Thai beaches that were unspoiled, and then slightly spoiled, we have learned that meeting people is what makes travel so enjoyable. Jaroon is a typical Thai man who was warmly friendly and gentle. Jaroon apologized profusely for his English, which was excellent. He laughed when I said my name was Khun Khon-di (roughly translated to “Mister Goodman”)..”

Because Koh Lanta is in the far south of Thailand—near Malaysia—90 percent of its inhabitants are Muslim, including Jaroon. He acknowledged that many of the people he knew drank alcohol. However, he did not, possibly because he had over 500 rubber trees in his yard, which he collected latex from every morning at 3:30am, before going to his job. Jaroon was able to send his daughter Jaroon College in the United States because of his rubber trees. Bangkok, something of which he could be justifiably pleased.

The snorkeling was fantastic on Koh Rak. I saw plenty of healthy soft coral and hard coral. Although I have been diving and swimming in Thai waters for a long time, this was the first time I saw a crown-of-thorns-starfish. It was a mammoth in electric blue, with black thorns all over its surface.

The captain of the boat took a detour to pass a mangrove forest where a large number of fruit-loving monkeys were swimming. I’d never before seen monkeys in water. But I got the impression that these monkeys were eagerly waiting for the boat’s arrival to get their daily treat of pineapple and watermelon.

Jaroon drove us to Old Town (on the east side) of Koh Lanta on a later evening in the week. This coast is located along the traditional trade route from Malaysia to the Straits of Malacca and not the Andaman Sea. On the east coast, there are no upscale resorts or sandy beaches. However, you will find Moken communities (a grouping of Indigenous sea-nomads). The other big attraction of this unique place is the simple restaurants that are built on wooden pilings—we listened to the waves break as we feasted on squid and grouper.

Our stay on Koh Lanta was fantastic. The Pimalai was run incredibly efficiently. Our room was cleaned three times per day, without being intrusive. The international buffet breakfast featured exotic regional dishes, Thai noodle broth, an assortment of tropical fruits and organic drinks. Rak Talay was a popular beachside seafood eatery where we often dined. Not only were the meals delicious, but they were also surprisingly inexpensive for a 5-star restaurant.  Try the soft shell crabs if you’re in town. You will be surprised at the quality and quantity of crabs in one order. 

I can still taste them—and hope to again.