Ko Lanta

This morning we checked out of our guesthouse and got a taxi (really just a man with a trolley to carry our bags!) down to the pier for the boat headed to Ko Lanta. We've had a great time relaxing on Ko Phi Phi's beautiful beaches, but it's time to move on and find somewhere new to explore. We got the 11:30am boat to Ko Lanta which takes just over an hour and costs 300baht (£6) each.

We met some English guys who were staying at our hotel in Phuket, and they recommended Ko Lanta, they said it would be a lot more chilled out and less of a tourist hot spot compared to Ko Phi Phi. It has been exactly that! We were chatting to a woman on the boat who was working for a resort on the island so we bought one night's stay at her bungalows. Doing it this way makes it a lot easier for us because the transfer from the pier was free and we wouldn't have to fight through crowds of locals as we stepped off the boat to find someone selling a place we might like. We're spending the night in a bamboo bungalow, which is pretty basic but is right on the beach and much cheaper than anywhere in Phuket or Ko Phi Phi, 500baht (£10).

We're staying in the Klong Bin area of Ko Lanta which is about 15km south along the west coast. The island isn't very developed, with only four roads, one stretching the west coast, one on the east coast and then two roads connecting them. The area we're staying in is quite quiet, but it has everything we want: a shop, several good value good food restaurants and bars and miles of beaches with only a few tourists to fill them.

Tonight has been a really nice introduction to the island. Firstly, there was one of the most amazing sunsets I have ever seen, which the pictures genuinely do not do justice, then we went to a restaurant we had walked by earlier on in the day. The main reason we came here is for the free wifi so we can check out emails and do a blog post, but the bar is right on the beach. We were sat at a table on the sand just metres from the water. There is so much wildlife here too, they have a tame sea eagle as a pet, but we've also seen hermit crabs, as well as the usual cats, dogs, lizards and other crabs.

Tomorrow we're going to hire a bike and do some exploring!