Next stop: Koh Lanta — another beach destination, but much more relaxed. As Joey mentioned in his last post, we’re spending over three weeks in the south of Thailand, where the main attraction is… you guessed it… the beach.
Why would someone who does not really like the beach plan that? Honestly, he is still unclear on that decision. 😂
I think the issue is that we had way too many islands we wanted to see and absolutely refused to rush. Our rule is a minimum of four nights per place, so here we are: accidentally beaching ourselves for weeks. After bouncing through busy cities, though, this slower pace has actually been really nice. Yes, I spend a lot of time at the beach. Joey, meanwhile, enjoys some quality “me time” at the apartment or explores the island on his scooter, living his best soft-retirement life.
And the kids?
Teddy is easy — go with the flow, beach = happiness. Emma is enjoying it too, but also needs solo recharge time, usually inside, reading, blasting the AC like a true comfort queen. We make sure everyone gets what they need (or at least doesn’t melt).
Back to Koh Lanta itself. It’s a laid-back, 30-km-long island south of Krabi, surrounded by uncrowded white sand beaches, gorgeous sunsets, and clear, coral-fringed water. A very welcome slowdown after the surprisingly over-touristic Ao Nang.
Getting there was… an experience. Taxi to the pier, then a much longer boat ride than expected on a small, crowded, overheated, bumpy ferry. No vomit bags in sight, so honestly? Huge win. Once we arrived, we discovered that taxis on Koh Lanta mean sitting in the trunk of a pickup truck. No Grab here — just vibes.
We rented an Airbnb, which felt luxurious thanks to a kitchenette and extra space. Even better: the owner also has a resort, so we got access to the pool, beach, and a mini gym. Big win.
Our days mostly look like this: Morning school + workouts, then beach walks, sunbathing, reading, swimming, snorkeling, and random beach games. Repeat until sunset.
We explored Old Town, which is basically one simple street with shops, cafés, and restaurants. The kids were thrilled when they spotted a playground in the distance. They sprinted toward it… only to discover it was the sad remains of a playground, missing crucial components like swings, see-saws, and slides. Dreams were crushed. Core memories were made anyway.
We also did a boat trip to Ko Rok and Ko Haa for snorkeling. Once again, the ride was much longer than anticipated (clearly, we need to research transportation better 😅). We sat at the back — cooler, yes — but right next to the engines. Joey spent most of the ride questioning his life choices and wondering if this was how he’d lose his hearing forever.
BUT.
After that uncomfortable (Joey would say dreadful) ride, we experienced the best snorkeling and most beautiful beach in Thailand so far. Parrotfish, multicolored fish, starfish, lobsters, sea cucumbers, clams — and yes, we spotted Nemo. It does not beat snorkeling in French Polynesia tho.
I’m ridiculously proud of the kids. They swam in deep water for over two hours, without fins and without life jackets (they hate them because they can’t dive deep). At this point, they’re diving deeper than Joey, and it’s only a matter of time before they outperform me too. We stopped at a stunning white sand beach where Emma built a sandman (because she misses snow), and we snorkeled even more. No sharks this time — although a couple from Winnipeg on our tour did see some, which feels very on-brand for Canadians. So yes, minus the loud boat ride and the extremely modest lunch (once AGAIN two chicken wings and curry, for the record), it was an amazing day.
Beach life continues. 🏝️😄
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