Its my place: February 2012

It took me half hour to reach the jetty from Krabi town, a very big passenger ferry jetty, you can go almost every island nearby from this jetty, AoNang jetty is not the only choice.

As i mentioned in the previous post, one way krabi town to jetty mini van transfer + jetty to koh lanta ticket is like rm45.

Alternately, you can take mini van, which cost you around rm120 per way.

You can get your ticket and detail of either one option from your hotel or hostel, or agency on the street, i believe you won't be overcharge (too much), just you have to look for someone that really reliable.

I had very bad experience in this trip on trusted an agent. Cut the story short, i got both ways taxi from and to koh lanta's miami hotel to and from koh lanta's jetty + ferry to AoNang + transfer to Ascot hotel in AoNang packages ticket from an agent that i met in the boat, he told me miami hotel is far from jetty and no buggy service in the jetty, so i better get both way taxi ticket from him, and he will give me extra discount if i get the ferry and AoNanag transfer ticket together, i took the deal and total charge was like 1200bath.

I thought its fine so i got the package and told him what time and date i'm leaving from koh lanta so he could arrange a taxi to pick me up.

But in the day i was leaving, he never come.

I tried to call to the ferry company on the receipt that he gave me, and the officer who answer the call told me no such order, they receive no money so they won't send any taxi to pick me up, even i can pay again because of fully booked.

The worst is, the bastard told me the ferry is leaving to AoNang by 9am, and that is the only ferry of the day.

But the officer told me the other story in the phone call that, that no ferry to AoNang by 9am, the ferry by 9am only to Krabi Town.

I was like.. fuck! i got ripped off! I shouldn't trust agent, i should just get the ticket arrangement from hotel!

I almost miss my ferry and flight because of this, and i couldn't get any other taxi because i'm leaving in the early morning, Miami hotel's staff who is goin to the jetty give me a ride to the jetty, and suggest me to look for the agent there.

I found the ferry company counter in the jetty and show them the receipt that the bastard gave me, while the staff was checking my receipt, i spotted the bastard is on the ferry.

I rushed to him and shouted, he apologize before i slap him that he forgot my order, he let me take the ferry to Krabi town and he will let mini van send me to AoNang with no charge, and he will refund the taxi fare that i had pre-paid.

I got on the ferry, reached krabi town, get on mini van, reached aonang, and he never refund the taxi fare as he promised, he just gone.

This is the first ever bad experience i travel in Thai, i have been in Thai for so many times and i love this country very much because i feel safe and peace here. This experience has ruined the trust.

I understand that even heaven has evil, as long as this incident doesn't ruin my entire travel plan, i take it as one of my travel experience.

But my advice, never ever go to personal agent, let the hotel helps you, many a little bit pricy than agent but your travel ticket arrangement is guarantee because you're staying there.

Alright, back to the photos.

Krabi town passenger jetty

the old ship is the landmark of the jetty

Koh Lanta is bigger and developed island compare to other small island nearby. The advantage of staying in those small island is you got real good quiet vocation, which i though could be found in Koh Lanta.

Obviously i was wrong, i'll explain further below.

If you're staying in small island nearby (which i couldn't remember the name), or luxury resort in Koh Lanta which located in quiet side of the island, the resorts will send you buggy and pick you up in the middle of the sea.

I kid you not.

Resort's buggy picking up passenger in the middle of the sea

and they're leaving to good vocation.

I'm not sure if they take "swim in" customer, but if you have make your booking with those resorts, the ferry will stop and wait in the middle of the sea to let the resort picking up their customer, interesting.

The ferry took me 1 hour plus to reached Koh Lanta.

Koh Lanta is big island, which divide to 2 parts, one is Koh Lanta Noi and the other is Koh Lanta Yai. I choose to stay in Koh Lanta Yai because of more choice of hotels, Koh Lanta Noi is pretty much a woods place, hotels are more expensive too.

The map

The hotel that i booked is Lanta Miami hotel, bout rm100 per night including breakfast, located in the red circle of the above map, and the jetty is in grey circle, the distance between these 2 places is like 45 minutes.

I read from internet that hotels in Lanta provide buggy service, i though Lanta Miami the same so i choose somewhere outskirt like this one (jetty area is happening, clubs, 7-11, western restaurant, luxury hotels everywhere in that area).

But you know what, not every hotels in this island provide buggy service, Lanta Miami is one of those. And that is the reason why i got ripped off by the bastard, he told me the only way is taxi, and he ask me to booked both way.

I'm stupid as i paid him all, i should have only pay half.

Argg, whatever.

What the internet told me was Lanta is quiet and not develop island. Once i reached and passes by all the clubs and 7-11, i shouted in my heart "bullshit".

Lanta is very develop island, pretty much a tourist place, the sea is not clear, pretty much same with Sepang coast in Malaysia, this is great disappointment, i thought Lanta's beach and sea is similar with Lipe.

But the area that i stay is quiet than the town though, i will post the island photo in the next post, below is all about the hotels and the beach.

Lanta Miami is a hotel, i got cheapest private bungalow ensuit with rm100 per day, the hotels with wifi covered (but i received no signal in my bungalow), swimming pool, restaurant, pub, and a quiet beach.

I was in Koh Lanta, but i stay in Miami

Beach restaurant of the hotel

swim in pool

or walk 10 steps to the sea.

I had my breakfast every morning here.

Breeze and breakfast

The environment is better than many other resorts, but it located almost the end of the beach, i like the swimming pool and the beach restaurant, they really serve great and cheap food.

Good thai food.

Lunch of the day i arrived

My birthday dinner on the beach. i ordered 4 dishes for me alone and i cant even finish half. Hahahhahahaahh

I spent my 2 dinners and 1 lunch in the hotel restaurant, just because of the good food and friendly staff, the best part is i dined on the beach in night time, with free fire dancing show, music and breeze.

Beach dinner

Fire show

I guess he is only 10 years old

and he is so professional

The fire show played by 2 kids, which i think not older than 12 years old, it is interesting somehow i feel sorry that they have to spend their childhood like this.

About the room. If i have to answer whether i will be back, my answer will be no.

I like this restaurant and the swimming pool, but the room is haunted.

The first and only thing that i concern when i stay in other place is the natural light of the room, i want the place that i sleep on is bright and clean.

Lanta Miami's room is clean, but the natural light is so weak because its build under the shade of big trees, and the worst is only the room has only one weak yellow bulb, the room start turning really dark and haunted during evening time.

standard bungalow

Water pressure is weak too, but the room is clean with one double bed and one single bed, fridge, 2 bottle of water, tv and cupboard.

If you don't mind bout lighting, this is one of the cheap yet well facilities hotel on the island.

And most importantly is the beach, imagine quiet beach just 30 steps away, you can lay on the beach chair and enjoy the sunset while waiting the hotel's restaurant to set up the table on the beach to have your dinner.

sunset

not very good weather

but i'm bless to see this

Best birthday present from God. Happy Birthday to myself :)

I won't say i enjoyed the stay in Lanta Miami, but if you have higher budget, got for the other hotel nearby and you must dine at least once here, you won't disappointed in their service and food, i promise.

The next post will be the photos of the island, i went to walk on the island for 5 hours the next day i reached instead of join island hopping tour like other tourist do. So stay tuned :-)

Last but not least, the photo of the day.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
20120226, 1044pm
Rach in sleepy mood.

Krabi is my 25th birthday solo trip, i have 5 nights in the land and decided to spend 1 night in Krabi town, 2 nights in Koh Lanta, and 1night in Ao Nang.

To decided the route so was because Krabi town is the transit point to other places, like Phuket or islands like Koh Lanta, Phi Phi and Koh Lipe, and it close with the pier to those island (half hour from the town) which i can easily get mini van to pier to catch passenger ferry to the island.

Ao Nang is pretty much a tourist place, imagine if there is a McDonald outlet there. But it close to airport, which you can take airport transit bus and reach in half hour, so its good if you make Ao Nang the last destination before you fly back home.

Ok, as i mentioned in the earlier post, there are buses to Ao Nang and Krabi Town in the airport. You will see bus ticket counter after check out from custom, walk forward and let them know where to go, they will give you ticket and direct you to the bus.

In case you wanna go to other place like island, you can get package ticket in the counter too, but you have to transit either in Krabi Town or Ao Nang anyway. If you have enough time, my advice is stay a night in Krabi town or Ao Nang before you go to other places, just to see the place and you have much time to prepare although transportation delay is rare in Thai.

So i got the ticket to Krabi Town like RM 10 - 15 (i forgot), and get on the bus like below.

The driver is super friendly although he cant speak English, but he was trying to knows where do i stay in Krabi Town so he could drop me off somewhere nearer.

The bus ride is less than an hour, like other places in Thai, people approach to intro place to stay when you get off the bus in Krabi Town station, just tell them you got a place to stay (if you really do, if don't, they are good to find you a place) and they will be happy to tell you where is your place's direction.

Like i said in the previous post, Pak Up hostel is 5 to 10 minutes walking distance from the station. Done check-in and i ask for the transfer to koh lipe.

I read from the forum that there is passenger ferry in Krabi Town to Koh Lanta, the fare is like 70% lower than the tourist ferry, but the hostel's stuff is unfamiliar with that, so finally i got the mini van + ferry ticket with RM45, which i think a bit pricy.

But the advantage is you don't need to walk all the way to the station, mini van will come and pick you up in the hostel, lead you to the pier and get up to the right ferry.

I will blog in detail about that in next post, before i gone too far, back to Krabi Town.

Krabi town is a very peaceful town with not-too-over develop, few main street but no tall building. There are few temple and a crystal lake nearby but i just wanna chill in the town so i didn't go any of the places.

If you have more than one day stay in Krabi Town, you could ask for tour package in the hostel, i believe that is not too expensive and i heard from my roommate in Pak-up that crystal lake is stunning.