the Sound of Silence

Peace and quiet seems to be the resounding theme of Koh Lanta — equally enjoyed by the monkeys and enterprising visitors

the speedboat skims across the blue-green water, whisking me from the Thai port of Krabi southwards to the lush island of Koh Lanta. As the shores of the mainland blur into the distance there is a growing sense of tranquility. Koh Lanta’s white-sand beaches, backed by hills of deep green jungle, are blissfully quiet. Yet we’re really only a stone’s throw from some of Thailand’s most-visited stretches of coastline.

Sitting 40 nautical miles south-east of the increasingly popular yachting hub of Phuket, Koh Lanta is actually made up of two connecting islands. Lanta Noi to the north is home to a thriving Thai village of brightly painted wooden stilt houses built out over the sea, while Lanta Yai to the south is home to the lion’s share of the best beaches. Set on the eastern edge of the Andaman Sea, the islands have evaded the cumbersome touristic boom seen on other Thai islands, and this is part of the allure for