This past weekend was my final adventure outside of Singapore and my destination was Koh Lanta, Thailand. Where do I even begin? I cannot explain how right this place felt. Everything about my trip kept confirming that this was a place I needed to be for much longer than I originally planned.
Let’s start at the very beginning, a very good place to start. (I hope you all hear Julie Andrews voice singing that in your head).
Thursday I took an Air Asia flight from Singapore to Krabi. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous flying the carrier who just had a terrible crash last month. However, I had booked this long before the crash and just had to take a deep breath, put my trust in God, and hope that I’d get to Thailand in one piece. And I did! Krabi airport is teeeeny tiny which made for a fairly easy time getting through immigration to meet our driver. We had a private van set up through our accomodations and boy did we ride in style! The van was huge and had comfy leather seats, making the 2.5 hour drive to our resort very comfortable. Along the way we took two car ferries which helped break the drive up and allowed me to get some nice pictures.
View from the ferry
Finally it was Time for Lime! This was a little “resort” I stumbled upon through reviews and was very happy with my choice from the second I stepped out of the van.
Let me explain what Time for Lime is to give you all a better idea. The owner, Junie, has a love for Thai cooking and animals. She set up the Lanta Animal Welfare as the islands only place to help the dogs and cats on the island. They care for these animals who are hurt (sometimes purposefully) or are abandoned, provide vaccines, and work to get them into permanent homes. Then Time for Lime came about as a means to support LAW (Lanta Animal Welfare). It is a thai cooking school/restaurant/bar/resort that uses its profits to support LAW. In essence, by staying in a bungalow on the beach, drinking wonderful drinks, eating amazing authentic Thai food, and learning to cook Thai food you are directly supporting the animals! How cool is that?!
The path to relaxation (notice the kitty in the bottom right corner)
The resort (ok that’s not the right word for it, more like home away from home/cozy bungalow/chill friend’s house kinda place) is tucked back from the main road making it quiet except for the occasional motorbike passing by. When I arrived, I walked past all the cute bungalows, a common patio with hammocks, lots of kitties, and then made my way to the reception/school/bar. Everyone was extremely welcoming from the start and helped us get situated in our private bungalow. Inside there were two single beds (much wider than a twin and longer too), a mini fridge with water bottles we could refill for free, aircon, and a bathroom. Outside each bungalow has a little patio with a hammock and lines to hang your towels/clothes/bathing suits. The bungalows are clean and contain all the amenities you need to be comfortable while maintaining its eco-friendliness and charm that make it feel more like a stay in someone’s home rather than a lavish resort.
Inside and outside of the bungalow
After checking in and petting some of the kitties lounging around it was time for a complimentary welcome drink, a mojito! With a name like Time for Lime it’s only right that they put tons of fresh lime in the drink making it perfectly refreshing after the long drive and helping me to get into the island vibe. Of course a view like this also helps speed up the “I’m on vacation in paradise” feeling.
The beach was calling me so it was time to talk a walk and check out the other sites along the beach. While there are plenty of resorts and villas along Klong Dao Beach, they are all still a bit hidden in the trees and are none of the multi-level massive resorts like I saw in Bali.
Long boats just outside of Time for Lime
Did I mention the sunset? Oh my, talk about a PERFECT sunset! I’ll let the pictures talk for themselves.
Finally it was time for our first Thai meal and pad thai was on my mind. We decided on Phet Restaurant and it sure delivered! I enjoyed pad thai with prawn and a big Chang beer. The restaurant is big and has a wonderful view of the beach. I personally liked the décor and the seashell mobiles that just sounded like the beach when the breeze came.
And to end the first, well half, day in this wonderful paradise it was time for more cocktails at Time for Lime! I went out on a limb and tried out the chili margarita. I’d call it sweet with enough spicy to warm you up.
Look out for more of wonderful Koh Lanta posts coming soon…
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