the soul of Ko Lanta
The magic of Lanta Old Town is an intangible thing that's extremely hard to describe. If you're looking for a unique holiday or vacation experience, where you can truly step back to a time where life unfolds on a personal level, where fascinating cultural events take place on a day-to-day basis and when fresh seafood becomes a way of life, then Lanta Old Town might be the place for you...
There's not many places in the world where you can find accommodation that is literally 'on the sea'. The sensation of waves lapping beneath your wooden teak-floorboards is strangely comforting and the views from a wooden deck over the water are breathtaking (especially at sunrise). This is a sea-view with a difference!
Everywhere within Lanta Old Town is within walking distance and if you're a seafood lover this is pretty amazing. Local fishermen deliver catches of fresh fish and seafood to the local restaurants daily. Almost all the restaurants in Old Town cater primarily to the locals, so you can expect authentic flavours, the best and freshest of the daily catch and prices that will make you want to stay here forever!
Lanta Old Town lies within a perfect Natural Harbour, which means there are plenty of things to do right on your doorstep. There are several trips and tours that operate from Old Town if you fancy snorkelling, diving, fishing, kayaking or island hopping during your stay. Whether you want to explore the many habited and uninhabited islands that lie within a short distance of Old Town, take a look at the Buddhist Temple or learn Thai cooking, Lanta Old Town has a range of activities to tempt everyone.
The Royal Thai Government has announced that they will continue to issue tourist visas free of charge until at least March 2010. This is part of a continuing effort to attract tourist to the Kingdom and support the ailing tourism sector.
The free visas are available from all Thai embassies and consulates around the world and apply to the 60 day, single entry, visa (extendable for 1 month at 1900 THB).
All other visa types remain unchanged.
New and spacious Traditional Longtail Boat.
Tailor Made Marine Tours, based at Orange House In Lanta Old Town, have announced the arrival of a brand new traditional Longtail boat for their popular cruises to the islands surrounding Ko Lanta. The boat has comfortable seats with back-rests, a gangway between the seats for easier movement around the boat, a reliable new engine with silencer and all the equipment needed for the activities on a cruise. Add to this Tailor Made’s unique tour programme which includes cliff jumping, snorkelling, fishing, caving and beach BBQ’s, and you’ll have a truely memorable day out.
Cliff jumping if you dare!
A Relaxing Beach BBQ
Great food
Prices have been reduced for the low season making this an affordable day out for the whole family. Prices start from as little as 700bt per head (max 1200bt) depending on numbers, all trips start from Lanta Old Town pier.
Contact Tailor Made Marine Tours for booking or further information.
What 'Low' Season?
Whilst some of the resorts and restaurants on Lanta’s west coast have closed for the traditional ‘low’ season, Old Town continues as if nothing has changed. Boat trips are regularly leaving from the town pier en route to the great snorkelling area to the south, or the beautiful secluded islands to the east.
This year’s rainfall has been normal, which is much like the ‘high’ season but with a few showers here and there. This pattern should continue until around September when we normally get a bit more rain but for the next few months you can come and experience the culture of Old Town and enjoy some great day trips to the islands, without ever being in a crowd!
Orange House and Mango House are open for accommodation and tours are available from Tailor Made Marine Tours and Sun Island Tours. Come and enjoy.
The dates for the 2009 Laanta Lanta Festival have been announced as March 7th, 8th and 9th. This annual event is Held in Old Town and is a showcase for the diversity of the Islands inhabitants. Many food and beverage stalls, traditional arts and crafts. 2 large stages are built with nightly shows offering everything from traditional Sea Gypsy song and dance, to Reggae and Jazz!
Laanta Lanta Festival is an evening event that attracts people from all over the island and beyond, creating a party atmosphere throughout the whole town, an absolute ‘must do’.
lanta longtail
Lanta Old Town’s preferred tour operator Lanta Long tail/Sun Island Tours are pleased to announce their brand new 42 hp turbo motor—and muffler for the 2009 high season. They probably have the quietest long tail boat on Ko Lanta. Outfitted with a lovely new canopy and cushions, it’s a very comfortable ride. Well-stocked ice-cold beer, fine Thai cuisine this is 5 STAR LONG TAIL BOATING. Open year around, Lanta Longtail/Sun Island Tours offers authentic longtail boat trips to many Islands off Ko Lanta’s east coast, including Ko BuBu, Ko Talabeng and the famous Four Island Tour. Come see why they are number one!
Call 087-891-6619
Your dining table
Orange House are offering Xmas dinners for private parties of 6-8 guests on their unique, over the sea, private dining deck. In Orange House style, you can expect this to be a huge ‘gut-busting’ meal of the highest quality. The menu includes roast turkey and/or roast beef, stuffing, roast potatoes, boiled potatoes, sausage wraps, 3 veg dishes, and of course ‘Orange House’ famous gravy. For dessert you can choose from Xmas pudding with cream, custard, or brandy butter, or cheese cake with blueberry topping and cream. Tea, coffee, fruit juice, water, soft drinks, and ‘reasonable’ quantities of beer and wine, are also included in the set price of 1250 baht / head.
Advanced booking is essential and a 50% deposit is required at the time of booking. Bookings are taken on a ‘first come first serve’ basis, so early booking is recommended to ensure you get the date you want. There is only 1 sitting per day, in the afternoon, or evening.
To book, call into Orange House or telephone Graeme on 0831043109
The local authorities here in Old Town have just announced a ‘Loy Krathong’ festival. Loy Krathong is an annual event celebrated in the whole of Thailand which allows you to appease the spirits and to get rid of your bad luck all at the same time! To do this you must set adrift a ‘Krathong’ which is an ornately decorated float made from a piece of banana tree (actually it’s not a tree, it’s a plant, hence banana plantation) this is then decorated with flowers, incense, money, bits of hair, fingernails, candles and stuff like that. The idea is that the ‘Krathong’ drifts with the wind or current and disappears along with all your bad luck! It is a very beautiful festival and this year, as a promotion of Thai culture and traditions, the powers that be are making a special event in Old Town, for Thais and tourists alike. On November 12th, starting around 4pm, there will be a parade through old town with displays of magnificent Krathongs and beautiful Thai ladies! this will be followed by a beauty pageant, a competition for the best Krathong, a competition for the best ideas for promotion and preserving this kind of Thai tradition, stage shows and, of course the launching of the krathongs. In true ‘Old Town’ fashion, we expect this to be a really great event and we invite all of you to come along, with your ’krathongs’ (no Styrofoam please!)) and enjoy it with us.
Firewalking in Lanta Old Town
On October 11- 13, 2008 we celebrated the annual Vegetarian Festival with the local Chinese-Thai community. All local residents of Chinese ancestry observed a 3-day strictly vegetarian diet for the purposes of spiritual cleansing and merit making. Vegetarian food was prepared and eaten communally 3 times a day in a tent in front of the Chinese Temple. Everyone was invited to refrain from eating meat and join in the vegetarian meals for three days. On the last day, processions of worshippers paraded down the main road playing their drums and chanting. Later in the evening, worshippers engaged in a spiritual trance and walked barefoot over hot coals in front of the temple.
On the full moon night of Oct 14, 2008 we celebrated Loy Rua or also know as “Setting Adrift of the Chao Lay Boat”. This bi-annual animist festival takes place on Ko Lanta during full moon of the sixth and eleventh month in
Dance floor at Loy Rua
the lunar calendar. This religious rite is performed by the Sea Gypsies (Chao Ley), who gather on the beach near Hua Laem in Lanta Old Town and Saladan. Two main music areas were set up. One with a large PA system featuring popular Thai music for dancing and the second under a “sala” where the Chao Lay men played traditional instruments and sang. We danced with the other partygoers to their famous “rong ngeng” Traditional Chao Ley folk music around the communally built boat to be set adrift at the first break of day.
Ferry timetable Phuket - Phi Phi – Lanta
Ko Lanta - Phi Phi (Price 400. -) Dep. Arr. 08.00 09.00
Phi Phi - Lanta (Price 400. -) Dep. Arr. 11.30 12.30
Phi Phi - Phuket (Price 500.-) Dep. Arr. 09.30 11.30/14.30 16.30
Phuket – Phi Phi (Price 500.-) Dep. Arr. 08.30 10.30/ 13.30 15.30
Reuters - Thailand
Lanta Old Town, Koh Lanta
Barely opened again for business, Koh Lanta, an idyllic island on the Southeast coast of Thailand, found its access roads jam-packed with traffic usually reserved for the high season. Early tourists wanting 
to avoid the crowds were surprised to see that the ferry line-up had already accumulated to unseen lengths and waiting times were still rising. With drivers and passenger seemingly to impatient to respond to any questions, your reporter in question was lucky enough to catch one member of staff on his 3 minute lunch break and get some answers.
“Word is out that Ms Jeab from the Old Town Hammock House, will soon start baking her legendary brownies again” said Mr Sompong, who had never witnessed such a stampede in his 6 year career. With barely enough time left before having to rush back to work, he added: “Rumor goes she also created highly addictive Oatmeal raisin cookies and yummilicious Cinnamon roles this year, which won’t improve the situation here!”
In order to allow Ms Jeab to perfect her skills, Lanta Police has to set up a cordon around the Old Town and is using all it’s man power to fend off the hungry mob that is getting more ecstatic as whiffs of chocolate and cinnamon fill the streets.
Although normally sold at very reasonable prices, one batch of extra fudge cashew nut brownies mysteriously disappeared from Jeab’s kitchen window ledge and is now said to be auctioned of at exuberant prices on the black market.
An official delegation of the Lanta municipality will be visiting Hammock House in a bid to urge Ms Jeab to not wait any longer before baking for the general public, as tension is heating up and first casualties have been admitted to Lanta Hospital.
Despite the fact that one of her fans has already donated a state of the art convection oven and is begging her to go pro, Ms Jeab stays modest as usual and comments: “I’m honored to have customers come from halfway across the globe, but my priorities lie with my hammock shop, as those support a very special hill tribe from North Thailand. My bakery aficionados will simply have to wake up early and will be treated on a first come, first serve basis.” Munchers and sweettooths are warned!
Welcome to Lanta Old Town!
Ko Lanta means ‘dazzling island’ and with its eight long deserted beaches, breathtaking sunsets and laid back feel, Ko Lanta has all the ingredients to charm and delight.
Lanta Old Town captures the most special character or 'soul' of Ko Lanta.
Many houses and shops are built on stilts, rambling out over the sea, and the 100 year old, teak-wood-lined streets remain home to a cosmopolitan mix of Thai-Chinese, Thai-Buddhist, Thai-Muslim, Chao-Lay (Sea Gypsies) and a growing community of western residents.
Lanta Old Town retains the natural charm and friendliness of rural Thailand combined with a cultural richness and diversity not found in many other places.
Experience the magic of Lanta Old Town, on the east coast of Lanta Island - where life goes on, virtually unchanged, much as it has done for the last 100 years.
