So I left a piece of my heart in Saladan. Someday, I hope to retrieve it. Everyone I have encountered so far has commented that Lanta is an ending point, not a beginning. Well, perfect! That means I must be doing it right.
The Ferry from Saladan to Ao Nang was……well, it was HELL! It was late, it was hot, it smelled SO BAD like mothballs and…..I don’t know – hopelessness? And as it turns out, my uterus was a bit jet lagged so having white shorts and no bathroom required a bit of creativity! Thanks a lot, mother nature! On the plus side, I’m retaining a lot less water so I fit my clothes again. Haha! I still win!
Ao Nang was a transitional point for me. I was reluctant to go due to it being “touristy” but I had to pass through anyway and felt I would kick myself if I didn’t at least visit. I booked a “boxtel” – a hostel with cubes instead of bunks. It has a rooftop lounge which, according to online reviews, “sucks if you want to meet people” SOLD!!! It was sparkly clean, air conditioned and a stone’s throw from the beach. Perfect! In Hindsight, I should have requested a floor cube as their ladders are precarious and my broken piggy was not a fan of those midnight pee breaks!
There was a a young British lady there that LEAPED at me the moment I asked if her internet was working. She was DYING for some kind of contact. We had a lovely chat – we have a lot in common, actually. She ended up changing hostels for something more social. She was nice and didnt make me feel weird with small talk.
The city of Ao Nang is vibrant and alive. I’ve never had so many people try to force me to eat or get a massage! The main road runs between the resorts and the beach so the beaches are wide open for everyone to use and are not crowded with lounge chairs. The only real downside to Ao Nang is the longtail boats. There are so many and they are running ALL DAY!!! They are very loud and there is no getting away from the noise. But there are many wonderful options for food and entertainment.
My intention of this part of the trip was to visit the famous Railay Beach but after going past it on the ferry, I had to ask myself “WHY?” So instead of doing the typical tourist thing and paying 200B to die in the heat at another beach, I opted to get a happy hour massage for 100B and die in the heat of the beach in front of me. At the far end of the beach, there is the Monkey Trail. Precarious wooden steps that go up and over the rock face to a quiet beach with a fancy resort. There were no other people here (there also were no monkeys!). It was a nice little hike but again, those damn longtail boats!!!!
I rewarded myself with a short nap in my air conditioned cube as I plotted dinner and my next move.
My next move is Koh Phangan. The natural order seems to be Samui, Phangan then Tao but what the hell do I care about natural order? PFFT! After carefully googling each beach, I found “the one”. Haad Chao Phao on the west side which offers a small white sand beach, tranquil emerald water and affordable beach bungalows! The second my finger clicked “confirm booking” I was overwhelmed with relief. This was my big “oh holy shit” moment. I finally felt I was in my groove. Lanta was a nice calm starting point, Ao Nang was the hustle and bustle I needed to perk up and Phangan is where I finally start to relax and enjoy!
After a long day of traveling on the worlds bounciest bus and very choppy seas, I was happily checked into my hut. It is PERFECT! Complete with a mosquito net and a lizard roommate!
Given the amount of hippies and vegetarian restaurants in this area, I was surprised to hear the throbbing bass of deep house music coming from the beach. THere is a pirate bar nestled in the rocks and tonight just happened to be “Pirate’s Night”. At first, there were only a couple other people and an itchy dog. I sat in a little corner looking out at the squid boats and their bright green lights and had myself a little cry. Well it’s about damn time!!!! My lack of emotion until this point was becoming a concern. Glad I finally got that sorted out. Ha!
I wandered off for a bit and when I came back, the party was in full swing. Still, only maybe 60 people but everyone was having a great time. I danced a bit, had a couple of drinks and not a single person tried to talk to me. Perfect! No creepers! And my little toe suffered no damage int he soft sand. So now I am sitting on the beach in front of my hut madly typing my experience and contemplating whether or not I will stay and explore this island more or move on to the next.
This beach is all mine right now. *bliss*