Day 43 / Tag 43, Mon. April 24 Koh Lanta to Ao Nang

Must get closer to Krabi Airport, my flight to Borneo goes at 8am, allow 2 hours for check in on international flight, that's 6am, travel time from Koh Lanta 3 hours, that would make it 3am. And there is a ferry connection from Koh Lanta Noi to the mainland, which doesn't operate during the night hours. So I'll have to go to the mainland before anyway. I decide to go to Krabi for two days, Ao Nang, to be precise. Have never been there, so why not take a look

Short chat with the swedish lady, warm goodbye from and to the thai family at Bee Garden. Of course we will all see each other again next season...

and I want to recommend it:

contact@lantabeegarden.com (for any questions)

reservation@lantabeegarden.com (For booking and room available information)
Or you try your luck at booking.com: https://www.booking.com/hotel/th/lanta-bee-garden.de.html

Bye bye, Lanta Bee Garden, see you again

I leave Koh Lanta on a minivan,

Minivan

cross the new bridge that was finally finished last year, pass three road accidents (it has started to rain), and finally change bus at Kong Ka Pier

Change bus at Matcha Tours, Kong Ka Pier

The second van takes me directly to my place for the next two days, Me Mee Place, not on the beach, but downtown Ao Nang, in the middle of everything.
Cultural shock! Four-lane-roads, McDonald's, 7Eleven, Starbucks, walking street with bars, bars, bars, big resorts, and lots of traffic. After many days on boats and a week of rural, quiet, laid back Koh Lanta, this is like another planet to me. I drop my bags in the room and stroll down the street, looking for a cold Chang (Muslim hotel, no beer). I am lucky to find a back street with a small shop run by a deaf youngster, and have a cold Chang at the back of a noisy hotel kitchen on the steps at the shop. When I finish the can, it starts to rain heavily, no way to get back to the hotel somehow dry or close to dry. Take chances, I move one shop further and have a good noodle soup with chicken drumstick for 50 Baht and a second Chang, waiting out the rain.

Waiting for the rain to stop

Back to the hotel through the rest of the rain, I rent a scooter for two days, and start looking for the Kon-Tiki dive center. I ride much too far, but that gives me a nice view on the setting sun from the sea promenade.

Some sunset pictures should be allowed, please

I find the Kon Tiki shop, not clear, if there is a space available on the boat.

Bookings close at 7:30pm, I leave my email adress. One hour later I get the confirmation, drive back and pay a two tank trip to Koh Phi Phi tomorrow.
10% discount from my Kon Tiki diving on Koh Lanta still applies, discount for bringing my own equipment, too. It starts to pay off carrying all that stuff around ;-)

Set for tomorrow, I have a nice warm shower and sleep like a baby.

See you under water