Attraction
in Koh Lanta
There are many more interesting
things Koh Lanta has to offer, so take a break from the seas and
come to explore other faces of Lanta.
Sea-Gypsy Village: The
large community of sea-gypsies is settled in the Village of Ban
Sangkha-Ou on the southern tip of the island. Sea gypsies are
called in Thai as Chao Le or Chao Nam, and are known as the
minority group of "Thai Mai", meaning new Thai People.
Originally, the sea gypsies of former centuries were living in
their boats and were feared as pirates. Nowadays, as being
considered eligible for citizenship in Thailand, they began to
settle along the coast in their stilt-built houses erected between
the water level of high and low tide. They earn their living on
fishing, catching lobster, and other sea foods as well as
collecting bird's nest for the Chinese cuisine. Despite the close
relation to other villages, the sea gypsies do not integrate into
Thai population. They still retain their own language, traditions
and ceremonies. Their belief in supernatural and traditional
spiritual worship is still influential in the community as seen in
their traditional ceremony "Loy-Rua (Floating Boat)".The
village men will build a symbolic boat and place wooden statues of
themselves in it along with nail pairings, hair and popped rice.
By performing this ritual, they ask for forgiveness from the sea
gods and for any offences they have made to the sea. It is
believed that all evil is carried away in the symbolic boat.
Visiting their village is thus a worthwhile experience.
Cock-fighting arena: Most
Muslims on the island enjoy cock-fighting as their hobby; and in
this hobby, gambling is also involved. You can experience the
exciting fight of the well-trained cocks. The skilled fighting
cock is considered as the apple of its owner's eye and also costs
much.
Khao Mai Kaew Cave: A
couple of caves are located in the center of the island, offering
a wonder of rocks and caverns and housing the spectacular
stalactites and stalagmites. Some sections in the cave create a
cavern pool that you can swim in. To explore the cave, a guide is
needed; a Muslim family who lives near the trailhead to the cave
offers guide service for 50 Baht per person. The cave is located
off the lower of two cross-island roads, down a narrow 1.5
kilometer-dirt path through the rubber plantation that ends up at
the Muslim home.
Lanta Old Town: This is a
good place for experiencing the living of local people. Situated
on the southeastern coast of the island, the district capital
locally called the Old Town offers the rustic atmosphere of the
town of the past years. Wooden houses, post office, police station
and hospital represent well its existence as a center of the
island.
Orchid nursery farm: It is
a must for flower lovers. The orchid farm is located on Long Beach
or Pra Ae beach. It is easily accessible by bike or motorbike. The
entry fee is 30 Baht per person.
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