Koh Lanta, Thailand

With hundreds of islands to choose from, it was overwhelming to select an initial beach destination - but we hit the jackpot with our choice of Koh Lanta, an island located off the Andaman Coast known for it’s long white beaches and relaxed vibe.  We found an ideal bungalow on the beach surrounded by banana and papaya trees, run by a cheerful owner named Annie - who didn’t speak much English but nonetheless won our hearts.

Our mornings started with a run on the beach (thanks to Shelley for encouraging the workout regiment); followed by a coffee-toast-fruit breakfast served on our porch; then sun tanning, swimming, and the occasional vespa scooter ride into “town.”  We travelled the island by scooter (my favorite activity - I even nicknamed the scooters Matilda and Max), sampled several massage huts (Ken’s favorite... although we were not fans of the flesh-eating fish pedicures), and lounged on the 3-km long beach (Shelley’s favorite).  On afternoons when the rains came, we escaped to our air conditioned cabin and watched The Biggest Loser on the computer, praying to the sun god to return.  For lunches we devoured spicy Thai food - BBQ’d fish or chicken with noodles or rice - and ate dinners at beachfront restaurants where we admired the ocean waves and discussed important issues of the day: should we or should we not order more mojitos?  We became regulars at two beachfront bars (The Indian’s and Yeah’s Place), where a Shelley vs. Ken flaming-ball-throwing-competition would ultimately ensue ...ok, so not the safest of bar time activities.  

One day we hopped a ferry over to Phi Phi island, one of the most beautiful beaches although unfortunately significantly over-touristed for our tastes (...“you need boat taxi? you need boat taxi?”).  

Back at Lanta, Shelley surprised us with a sky lantern, an airborne paper lantern released over the nighttime ocean for good luck.  Each evening strolling the peaceful beach, breathing the hot salty air, and gazing out on the pink sunset our mantra became, “I can’t believe we’re here, I can’t believe we’re here.”  At the end of our weeklong stay, our reluctancy to leave was intense; however, we look forward to island hopping adventures until our visas run out after 30 days.  We vowed to return to our unrivaled Thai oasis of Koh Lanta, timing unknown.