My alarm went off as planned and I had a shower and packed up my stuff just in time to get to the hotel lobby at 6:40 where my airport taxi was already waiting for me – great start!
I handed back my room key and the receptionist quickly shot upstairs to check I hadn’t trashed the room, then when he came back he kindly gave me my deposit back.
The taxi took half an hour to get to the airport, and we pulled up at about 7:20am. All going well so far…!
I’d checked in online anyway, but got to the counter and the lady behind the Nok Aie counter issued me with a boarding pass and put a priority label on my bag as she checked it. I hadn’t paid for priority but didn’t say anything… After my bag went through, I noticed there was an area just beyond the check-in desk where they ask you to wait for 5 minutes in case they need to discuss the contents of your bag. I didn’t think there was anything in there for them to discuss other than my poor taste in clothes, but hung around anyway just in case.
I listened out for a while and watched my bag go through the system, but my name wasn’t called so I proceeded to security and departures. I seemed to have some added extras with my ticket that I didn’t remember paying for, such as priority baggage, lounge access and an in-flight snack package. So I had a little wander around, looked at some shops and then went on a hunt for the Nok Air Lounge, which seemed to be at the other end of the terminal from the boarding gates they use… Interesting placement.
On my way to the lounge, I stumbled upon a cleaning robot doing the rounds. I’m not sure how effective it is, but the place seems fairly clean overall.
Nok Air Lounge
The lounge was nice but pretty basic. They had a coffee machine, water, juices, toast and jams etc, dim sum, biscuits and fresh fruit, and charging points at each seating area, which came in very handy as usual.
I grabbed a table in the corner and tried some dim sum and biscuits. I couldn’t figure out if I liked the dim sum or not, but I ate it anyway, unsure of when my next meal would be.
I soon found out, as it turns out I got a complimentary snack box on the flight. I ate the slice of marble cake but left the raisin pastry because me and raisins don’t get along, and also because I wasn’t convinced the quality of this pastry was going to outweigh the cons of eating it.
But the cake and water were welcome, and not long after I’d finished them we were already beginning our descent into Krabi Airport.
We touched down in Krabi at about 11 and it was quick getting through the airport as it was only a domestic flight, so I was actually very early for my minivan transfer to Koh Lanta, which I’d booked for 12:30 to allow room for delays etc. But now I had the opposite problem of being way too early and no idea who to contact or look for in case I could get an earlier transfer with the same people.
Outside the terminal there are a crowd of people offering transfers to various places in Thailand, so if you really were stuck or disorganised, as many backpackers are, you could just go with one of them and they probably aren’t very expensive.
Eventually my transfer turned up as my attempt to get an earlier one failed due to it being crammed to the rafters.
As it happens the next one was too, and I was one of the last to get on the minibus.
Who needs to breathe anyway? I could barely move my legs and it was pretty uncomfortable. Most of the passengers were dismaying and tutting at the conditions of travel but I’d read the reviews and was mentally prepared for this cattle class experience.
Koh Lanta
We pulled up at my hotel, Lanta Emerald, at 14:22, and Ron the manager came out to help me with my bag as soon as I was out of the bus.
He welcomed me in and gave me the key to my room, which was only about 20 metres away, tops.
The room was spacious and the bathroom was a wet room with a toilet and sink. Basic enough but not too basic. Also, their sewage system doesn’t support toilet paper, so you use a bidet gun to clean up instead, and any toilet paper goes in the bin, not down the toilet. This is quite common, especially on the islands, but takes some getting used to.
I sorted out my things a bit, chucked on a bikini and then made a bee line for the seaside. It was definitely time for a swim, and the sea was at highish tide with hardly anyone on the beach.
I promptly got into the water and enjoyed a very peaceful and comfortable swim. The water is lovely and soft and the waves are gentle, so you can just float there or swim easily along the beach.
I then went for a little walk down the beach to see what else was there, having heard many tales from Ollie and Emma of bars and restaurants and comfy seating. What struck me was the vast selection of places offering happy hour for 5-7pm and at the same prices. You’re spoilt for choice but you probably always end up at your own resort after a while! Cocktails are usually 120 THB/£2.80 for happy hour, or 200 THB/£4.65 during unhappy hours.
Anyway, at 5pm I made sure I was sat at the bar and ready to order a cocktail. By 5:05pm I was sipping a caipirinha.
Life could be worse right now!
The Angel’s Restaurant
The critically acclaimed (by Ollie and Emma) Angel’s Restaurant was my destination for dinner. I was eager to try their highly recommended Khao Soi.
Fortunately, the restaurant was only a 5-minute walk from the hotel, and when I got there at 6:50pm it was empty. The place is run by a husband and wife. The husband does the serving of drinks and front of house stuff, and the wife does all the cooking and brings you the meal herself when it’s ready. There’s a nice vibe to it and they’re ever so friendly and welcoming. I ordered a drink and some food and while I waited for the food he brought out a plate of watermelon slices. The food didn’t actually take too long since I was the only person there, and oh my god, it was great.
Khao soi is a delicious noodle dish in a broth/sauce with crispy noodles on top. Yum!
After dinner, I went back to the hotel to have a cocktail or two before bed and be by the ocean again. There’s great comfortable seating at Lanta Emerald, and the bartender is dangerously quick to serve you and bring you your drink.
After a long day, I hit the hay in what would be my beachside home for five days. I can hear the ocean from my room, even with the window closed (to keep mozzies out). Very relaxing indeed…
Blonde on a Road Trip 
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