Koh Lanta has lived up to every expectation and more. It's an absolutely beautiful little island with relatively few visitors compared to the big name beaches in Koh Samui and Phuket. Life is laid back and easy here. We've been enjoying lazy afternoons, reading on the beach, swimming in the ocean, Thai massages and eating our way down the beach. We took a trip with Lanta Longtail Tours which was one of the best value companies we found in Koh Lanta. They took us to 2 pretty decent snorkeling spots, the coral was in pretty poor condition but there were still quite a few fish. They also took us swimming through a super cool cave! As you swim through the entrance the water is a shimmering emerald green (hence the nickname Emerald Cave) and leads to an amazing secret little beach on the other side that feels like it's out a movie. This was definitely a highlight of the day! The buffet lunch served dock side was great and the staff were fun. Overall was a fantastic day! The best way to see this island is definitely by motorbike. The roads are pretty decent and there isn't too much traffic so it was a nice way to get around the Island. For 250 Baht (approx. $10.00) we got a pink automatic scooter and helmets for the day. Tuk Tuks are expensive on the island so it's better to be adventurous and drive yourself. There were only a couple oh-shit moments as we flew over speed bumps hidden by shadows and a couple sketchy passing cars. Once Chris got the hang of driving we felt like locals zooming around the Island. We headed 50 minutes south and ended up at the National Park on the southern most tip of the island. The National Park is fantastic, it's teaming with monkeys eager to steal your snacks and has beautiful beaches! You need to be careful swimming here though because there are painful jelly fish warnings. The park has a well groomed 1.7 km hike, the views were great as you climb up the first portion but the rest of the hike is in the woods. It has interprative signs along the way telling about the forest which helps keep your mind off the freaking humidity. It was a sweaty hike but a lot of fun! It's easy to find some crazy New Years parties in South Thailand but Koh Lanta sticks to it's laid back attitude about life and keep everything low key. We headed down the beach and enjoyed a little too much wine but had a fantastic night watching people set off floating lanterns until midnight hit and the beach lit up with fireworks from one end to the other! My phone was dead by the time midnight came round but I don't think the pictures would have properly captured the beauty of it.
I am a little worse for wear today, a fantastic way to start a new year, laying in bed nursing a hangover, lol. 2016 had it's ups and downs for us. We're just about half way through our trip and Chris and I have talked quite a bit about our goals for when we get back. Everything is pointing to a very exciting 2017 for us and we're looking forward to see what this year brings! Happy New Year! xo
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