2nd of April, 2024.
Hitchhiking in Thailand: Koh Lanta – Khlong Khong Beach
On the way to the ferry, I feel pretty much like a cow. It is so crowded!
This ferry boat is nothing like the one I came here from Phuket. It is called Chao Koh Ferry, it is very small, there’s nothing for free onboard, apart from AC, and it costs 400 THB. It takes one hour to arrive in Koh Lanta.
During the trip, a guy from a taxi company is asking everyone, passenger by passenger, if they want a taxi. But first he asks in which hotel they are staying. How personal! More surprising is how almost every person in the Ferry takes his deal! Only a family who already had transportation, and some single people who wanted to rent a motorcycle said no to him. Well, and me. Interesting fact is, in the opposite of everybody else, when he came to talk with me, his attitude was completely different, like backing down almost, and not asking where I was staying, or not even slightly insisting when I first said no.
At Saladan Pier, I take my time. I get ready to go under the sun, so I protect myself as much as I can. The main public transport in the island, even more than songthaew, is the sidecar motorcycle tuk-tuk. Laugh. There are plenty of them outside the pier, and while walking to my hitchhiking spot, I had to ignore most of the offers from them. As I told you many times before, nobody walks in Thailand, so when they see someone on the streets, anyone but even more if a foreigner, they will assume you want a taxi.
Many people seem not to understand what I am doing. It’s intriguing to think about – how difficult can be to interpretate someone by the road, with a travelling backpack, holding a sign with a destination ahead of the way, and making a hand signal for the cars to stop. Anyway…
Luckily, soon enough someone stops. A man with a very reasonable English, and a friend driving, stop their pick-up and tell me they can drop me off at Khlong Khong, my first destination in Koh Lanta. It is a very short drive, about 17 minutes, so I climb on the back of the pick-up. They stop at where they say there is a way to the beach, so that’s it.
I walk only a few minutes and, after crossing a resort, I am at the beach. Wow! I think it is the longest beach I have ever seen! The sand line keeps on going until your eyes can see! The sea looks gorgeous, of a bright turquoise; and the vegetation shinning green, with lots of different plants and coconut trees as well. I know most people suggest Long Beach, but it is so crowded, and honestly, overrated. They are both almost the same size, with the difference that, at Khlong Khong you can have peace of mind and the sea mostly for yourself. I loved it! I am so happy that I chose this place to camp for tonight.
I walk a little bit with my backpacks, just to make sure I can find the best place to set up my camping.
I consider doing it under the coconut trees, because the whole picture of it, in contrast with the turquoise sea, looks gorgeous! But then I think about the mosquitoes, and the falling coconuts, so I change my mind.
I choose a nice flat spot, under the shade of another tree, and it is located not so far from the resort, but in the nature, so I am safe and sound(less).
Before going to town to get some lunch, fruits and yogurt for my breakfast tomorrow morning, I hide my backpack in the bushes. It is a nice walk! In the same shop, I buy a yogurt, two local donuts with jam, and a watermelon. I also get a green curry with tofu and some rice for dinner. Back at the beach, I delight myself with my watermelon.
I finish my camping and go for a swim. The sunset is unbelievably beautiful! It is just perfect! I have to take a photo but I also just want to keep looking at! Doing to Koh Lanta’s Geography, I believe that all the beaches in the West side of the island will have this incredible sunset, and that excites me! But funnily enough I was wrong.
These first few days, I was still able to keep my tent opened for a little while after darkness, so I could have more fresh air and a little breeze. But that changed later, and I was attacked by dozens of mosquitos inside my tent.
The curry is delicious! I leave my yogurt and the donuts outside my tent, as it is cooler outside, and I was afraid they would get spoiled inside. I also left the remaining of the watermelon outside, meaning just its skin.
In the morning, both bags are gone. I am disconsolate! I don’t understand! Why somebody would do that? And why that has to happen to me? I was so certain that it was someone who had taken the bag, that I didn’t get up for a long time. I was just lying in my tent and sleeping. Only when the heat became unbearable, is that I start my day. I enjoy the beach a little bit, but I must be careful because there are some huge jellyfish on the sea. Luckily, you can see them easily, but it is a bit annoying having to keep your eyes open for them all the time.
I pack everything and go to the nearest 7-Eleven to get some yogurt and hot water. I forgot my metal cup at home, so in order to be able to prepare my coffee, I bought one small bottle of soy milk a few days ago, it is a glass bottle, so I just kept, and now I can add hot water to it. I must be careful though, while managing it after I fill it with hot water, because it gets really hot, but I just wrap it with my bandana and that’s it!
After having my breakfast, I start hitchhiking to the next beach, Nui Beach.
10 Years Around the World 