After breakfast, we were picked up by the shuttle to Krabi’s port. As it rolled up, we both thought; “Not another mini-bus”. But this time we were the last pick-up and got to ride shotgun as a result.

Passenger departure area at Krabi Port Terminal.

Koi Pond next to the departure area.

Thai Navy LST on static-display near terminal.

We boarded the ferry and it left only about 20 minutes late; pretty good for “This is Thailand” (TIT) time.

Karst Rock formations.

Upper passenger cabin.

Along the way, we made two stops off Koh Jum (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ko_Jum) resort beaches to take on and depart passengers.

Dropping off and picking up passengers.

Motoring along the Koh Jum shore.

Longtail boats bringing passengers out to ferry.

Exchanging passengers.

Once loaded the long tail boats zoom away.

After a surprisingly smooth 2 hour ferry ride, we approach the next stop on our journey: Koh Lanta (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ko_Lanta).

Approaching Koh Lanta.

Our vessel’s counterpart leaving Koh Lanta.

Shorefront buildings in Ban Saladan.

Restaurant and guesthouse in Ban Saladan.

Road into the sea, Ban Saladan.

Manoeuvring towards the dock, Ban Saladan.

For the tourists visiting the island, there is a 10 Baht per passenger “Environmental Clean-up Fee” collected at the terminal in Ban Saladan (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ko_Lanta_Yai) on Koh Lanta Yai (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ko_Lanta_Yai). Once outside, we found a tuk-tuk driver, negotiated a price, and onwards we went.

“Racing” through Ban Saladan in a sidecar tuk-tuk.

Rush hour in Ban Saladan?

Koh Lanta’s version of the Wooden Bus.

Approaching our resort.

It was only a few minutes on the tuk-tuk and we were already there; the Lanta Pearl Beach Resort (http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g303905-d1976121-Reviews-Lanta_Pearl_Beach_Resort-Ko_Lanta_Krabi_Province.html#HEADING).

Lanta Pearl Beach Resort

Our bungalow.

Came with a hammock in Desert ACU camo.

And Conch-shell towel-art.

More bungalows to the east.

Bungalows stretch off to the west.

We dropped off our stuff in the bungalow and headed for the beach… a whole 150 yards or so walk… for our first look beach-look at the Andaman Sea (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andaman_Sea) from what is known as Pra Ae or “Long Beach” (http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g303905-d555162-r120035539-Long_Beach-Ko_Lanta_Krabi_Province.html).

Looking south on the beach.

Looking north on the beach.

There’s a little restaurant/bar at just where the road meets the beach. So, we stopped there for lunch. The food was some of the least recommendable we’ve had in Thailand but, we couldn’t beat the view or their choice of tunes… just as we got our drinks, they played a couple of Hank Williams Sr country-songs and followed them with a, “vapour-locked in the 70’s” music-mix.

We’re laughing because they started playing Hank Sr music.

After lunch, we caught a quick tuk-tuk ride to a local housewares store for a couple of chairs. Why did we need chairs you ask? Obviously you don’t know us very well do you. So we could do this of course…

Ass in the water, toes in the sand, cigar in place, and beer in my hand.

And that was about the position I stayed in until after the sun set.

Our first Andaman Sea sunset.

After showering off, we walked back to the beach and found San’s Sunset Bar (just north of where we had our butts planted). The food was “average” but the beach ambiance was very relaxing. My only suggestions to them would be to improve the complexity of flavours in their food and to tone-down the bass on the hip hop they had playing. In fact, just trash the hip hop and play some island-themed tunage. The boomy angry-young-man-stuff may have been okay for the college-crowd but, most of this evening’s patrons were couples or small groups of 30+ types. And they also include a “fire show”. We’re not really sure what part of Koh Lantian culture twirling flaming batons in front of slightly bemused Farang restaurant customers represents, but they had a fire show anyway.

Dinner at San’s Sunset Bar.

The San’s Sunset Bar fire show.