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 - find out about snorkelling, scuba diving, fishing, mangrove tours, kayaking or island hopping during your stay.
Shopping in Old Town is a unique experience - nearly every house on the main street is also a shop of some kind. If the doors are open, and you can see something of interest, don’t be afraid to enter and take a peek. For souvenir shopping, it is well worth it to visit Susanna's Watercolour and Batik collection at the Lanta Leather shop in the middle of Town. Mango House, Hammock House and the weekly market are not to be missed.
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.
GRAND OPENING LA GALERIE AT CAOUTCHOUC
on LOY KRATONG
FEATURING LOCAL ARTISTS in PHOTOGRAPHY, SILVER, BATIK, FURNITURE and PAINTING:
ROBBIE TREE,
SUSANNA,
SILVER SHOP,
PASCAL GHIELLI,
& PATOU
NOVEMBER 28 TH, 2012 at 6:30 PM
https://www.facebook.com/robbietreephotography
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Silver/407151965999172
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Caoutchouc/125216317555399?fref=ts
Back by popular demand.
Ko Lanta prayer flags 2012 edition.
These beautiful flags are hand designed, hand batiked & hand painted by a local Artist. The dyes and fabric are made of the highest quality, and won’t fade or run in the wash. Each flag captures the scenes and sites of enchanting Ko Lanta.
Available in Lanta Old Town at lanta leather and hammock house.
Take a string of 9 flags home with you and
hang them in the garden, patio or anywhere you have a light filled room.
Every time you see them waving in the wind you’ll remember lovely Ko Lanta.
Ministry of Sound resident DJ 2 Good Souls will pay the final night of the Mango House Festival on Saturday, March 12th from 9am to late at Mango House Bar + Restaurant in Lanta Old Town, Koh Lanta, Krabi, Thailand.
Lovers of funky, soulful house music travelling or living in Southeast Asia are in for a treat at the Mango House Festival 2011, March 7-12, 2011 at Mango House Bar + Restaurant in Lanta Old Town.
Staged on the street of Thailand’s most charming fishing village, located on the southern Thai island of Koh Lanta in Krabi province, the house music festival is a popular event at the island’s annual cultural extravaganza, the Laanta Lanta Festival.
Mango House Festival 2011 is pleased to showcase ‘Six Nights of House’ featuring a few, seriously funked-up lads from overseas – DJ Colin Edwards from Ireland, DJ Nick Power, 2 Good Souls and DJ Steve Bray from England, DJ Tommy T from Canada – plus two of Asia’s most soulful house DJs from the Phuket House Mafia, DJ Taz and DJ NuTrip.
This free event starts nightly at 9:00 PM and will go late. The Thursday and Friday night events will be recorded for future broadcast on the world’s premiere online house music station SSRadio www.ssradio.com.
Colin Edwards is known for his voice and immensely popular Funk It Up radio syndication show and his signature ‘sexy, soulful, dance floor driven’ style. Nick Power is a member of the elite Soul Kandi team and has played at some of the biggest and the best clubs on the globe. 2 Good Souls are resident DJs at London’s famed Ministry of Sound.
The Mango House Festival is dedicated to ‘Funking up Asia’ by promoting real house music events featuring world-class, international and regional DJs. Mango House is also a proud sponsors of the ‘SSRadio Funks Asia Tour’ in Thailand, Mar 10 to 20, 2011.
The Laanta Lanta Festival in Lanta Old Town is an annual cultural event that showcases the town’s cultural diversity. Its three distinct ethnic Thai groups – Chinese, Muslim and Sea Gypsy – have coexisted in harmony for over 200 years. The five-day event features an amazing assortment of traditional food, beverage and entertainment.
MANGO HOUSE FESTIVAL – DJ SCHEDULE
Monday, Mar 7 – DJ Taz + DJ NuTrip
Tuesday, Mar 8 – DJ Taz + DJ NuTrip
Wednesday, Mar 9 – Tommy T + DJ Steve Bray
Thursday, March 10 – Nick Power + Colin Edwards
Friday, March 11 – Nick Power + Colin Edwards
Saturday, March 12 – 2 Good Souls (Ministry of Sound resident DJ)
For more details about the Mango House Festival see www.manghousesessions.com
During Koh Lanta’s annual cultural festival – Lanta Lanta Festival – in Lanta Old Town from Monday, March 7th through Friday, March 11th, lovers of funky and sexy house music are in for a real treat!
Mango House Festival is pleased to announce that two of house music funkiest veterans – DJ Nick Power and DJ Colin Edwards – will help spread the love of house music at Mango House on Thursday, March 11th and Friday, March 12th. The events will also be recorded for future broadcast to the world on SSRadio www.ssradio.com
Other DJ’s are currently being scouted to fill the first three nights… if you know a DJs that may be interested in grooving at the festival please contact duane@mangonation.com
Nick Power is a member of the elite Soul Kandy team and has played at some of the biggest and the best clubs on the globe. You can find him live on the radio across London’s airwaves on 89.4 FM, and worldwide via the internet with his Soul Kandi. www.nickpower.dj
Colin Edwards is known for his voice and immensely popular Funk It Up radio syndication show and his signature ‘sexy, soulful, dance floor driven’ style blending elements of funk, soul and disco, combined with uplifting vocals. His show can be heard in most parts of the world including most of Europe, US, Africa, Venezuela, Canada, Australia and Mexico to name but a few. www.funkitupinternational.com
Stay tuned for more details coming soon.
Bleached Coral in shallow areas at Ko Cheuak
Ko Cheuak, which lies in the Hat Chao Mai National Park in Trang province, has been closed by the Department for National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation in Thailand in response to a coral bleaching episode that occurred during April & May of last year.
Ko Cheuak is best known as a snorkeling site and is often visited as part of the popular 4-Island tour from Ko Lanta. There are rumours that neighbouring snorkel-site, Ko Maa, may also be closed if surveys commissioned and undertaken by Thailand’s Department for National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation reveal extensive coral damage at this site.
All Dive Sites and All Other Snorkeling Sites in the Ko Lanta Area Remain Open and All Regular Diving and Snorkeling Trips are Running as Usual
The more popular sites on the 4-Island Tour including; the Emerald Cave, Ko Mook, Ko Ngai and Ko Kradan, all remain open, as do all islands in the Eastern Islands group and all Lanta’s dive sites.
Loy Krathong is probably the most picturesque and beautiful of all Thai celebrations. ‘Loy’ literally means ‘to float,’ while ‘kratong’ refers to the lotus-shaped receptacle which can float on the water. Originally, the kratong was made of banana leaves or the layers of the trunk of a banana tree or a spider lily plant. A kratong contains food, betel nuts, flowers, joss sticks, candle and coins. The making of a kratong is much more creative these days as many more materials are available.
On November 21st, 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.
Come join us in Lanta Old Town SUNDAY Nov 21st for all the fun!
Relax and enjoy real Lanta living
Click to see Mango House website
Special Old Town Promotion:
Book a week in one of Mango House’s over the sea suites or villas and get two nights for free!
This limited time offer is good for the periods between November 1st – December 14th 2010 and January 16th – May 1st 2011.
For reservations call:
(In Thailand) 086 948 6836
(Abroad) +66 86 948 6836
or visit www.mangohouses.com
sunrise .... setting the boat adrift
Our favorite party in Lanta Old Town!
This Saturday evening, October 23rd is the traditional Chao Ley ceremony “Loy-Rua (Floating Boat Festival)”. The village Chao Ley men will build a symbolic boat and place wooden statues of themselves in it along with nail pairings, hair, popped rice and food. By performing this ritual, they ask for forgiveness from the sea gods and for any offenses they have made to the sea. It is believed that all evil is carried away in the symbolic boat when it is set a drift at dawn.
Traditional Rong-Ngeng Dance & Music and popular Thai music will be played all night. Food, plenty of drink and fun for the kids.
Hua Laem 2 (next to the Ko Lanta Hospital, Lanta Old Town)
The Lanta Old Town Vegetarian festival celebrates the beginning of “Taoist Lent” when devoted Chinese abstain from eating all meat and meat products it involves various processions, temple offerings and cultural performances and culminates with walking barefoot on hot coals.
The final day is Friday Oct 22nd. The coal walking begins at 9pm in front of the Chinese Temple on the Main Waterfront road.
Exercise in style!
As if by magic, this new exercise area recently appeared next to the famous Old Town Light-house, next to the river. 15 colourful, and sturdy exercise machines to help you burn off all that extra energy after a hard day’s sunbathing on the beach!
Many of the town’s local residents can be seen taking full advantage of this great public facility, usually in the early evening, when it’s a little cooler.
Once you’ve had your work-out, you can gently stroll down Old Town’s beautiful main street, or maybe stop at Hammock House for some serious relaxation therapy, or Mango House for much needed re-hydration therapy!
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.
There's plenty of Things To Do, with a variety of Trips & Tours departing directly from Lanta Old Town. Take some time to browse the unique range of Accommodation, Restaurants and Shops & Services that Old Town has to offer.
Take a look at the useful information about Getting Here, along with maps and public transport timetables for the local area.
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.
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