lantamarineservices.com » Cruising

Laanta Lanta Festival 2010

Steve — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 06:23:19 +0000

In a world where culture and religious differences often divide communities and countries, Ko Lanta in Thailand, provides idyllic proof that people of diverse and varied ethnic groups can live together in peace and harmony for hundreds of years, welcoming foreign visitors with their arms open in welcome.
The Laanta Lanta festival, held every year in Lanta Old Town around March, is a celebration of this harmony and a chance for locals and visitors to enjoy unique cultural facets still prevalent on this unspoiled island today.
Authentic food and traditional entertainment is the mainstay of any Thai celebration and the Laanta Lanta festival doesn’t stray from this successful formula, with an abundant choice of delicious snacks and meals available throughout the three days. You can enjoy traditional local coffee and exotic drinks while sampling a wide variety of local cuisine at over 50 food and beverage booths.
The festival site is very large and runs from the main street to the market area and playing field. The main street is closed to traffic and lined with all manner of stalls, selling everything from food and drink to arts and crafts, cloths and local products. The whole street is beautifully decorated and lit by many Chinese lanterns, creating an atmosphere that lifts the heart.
The rest of the festival site is given over to entertainment with two big stages and many temporary bars built by some of the larger establishments from the west coast. The stages host many different kinds of performances . Rong-Ngen, the traditional music and dance of the ancient Sea Gypsies, can be enjoyed on the main stage, as well as acts presented by groups from all over Thailand. A second beachside stage features contemporary jazz and reggae performances nightly, in a relaxed party atmosphere.

Protection for a safe and happy event is sought by the Sea Gypsy ritual of casting bad spirits out into the sea, at a traditional boat floating ceremony. Side-street cultural booths display and demonstrate the making of traditional arts and crafts including Pa-the, traditional Muslim cloth weaving and Toi-pa-nun, a handicraft made from Toi leaves. Other booths throughout the festival grounds feature organizations and individuals dispersing information about special projects on the island.
Since the festival is an evening and night-time event, sailors will have plenty of time to explore the many beautiful islands surrounding Ko Lanta. There 19 islands within easy day-sailing range, offering excellent snorkeling and diving, beautiful beaches, caves, mangroves and the fantastic ‘Hong’ at Ko Muk. A gentle sail back to Old Town as the festival comes to life, and you have a perfect pleasure cocktail. The good thing is, you can do it all again the next day!
Boats should head mid channel between Ko Po and Ko Lanta and anchor anywhere within range of the Old Town pier. (Pos 07° 32’ N 099° 06’ E)
There will be ferry services from the pier throughout the evening to avoid problems with dinghies. (make arrangements with Lanta Marine Services, +66 (0) 831043109, email admin@lantamarineservices.com )
Dates of the 2010 Laanta Lanta festival have been confirmed as March 7th, 8th and 9th. We look forward to seeing you there!

See Laanta Lanta on You Tube

Free Tourist Visa for Thailand

Steve — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 03:10:47 +0000

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.

Free WiFi for LMS customers at Orange House

Steve — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 06:29:42 +0000

We have recently upgraded our internet speed and added a WiFi router so that our customers can come ashore and relax on our back deck while catching up with emails or website updates.

The Back Deck

If you’re cruising from Langkawi to Phuket, Ko Lanta offers a safe haven while en route. Don’t forget to bring your laptop though as the signal is only strong enough to reach the immediate surroundings of Orange House at the moment, we hope to extend this to cover the anchorage as soon as possible but we would need a range of about 500 metres to cover the anchorage, so if anyone knows how we can do this economically please contact us and let us know.

Bacon comes to Old Town!

Steve — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 10:57:39 +0000

In the last week we have seen the opening of another mini-mart in Old Town, next door to the LMS office. Along with the normal stuff that every shop sells, the owners (Attit & Sue) have added a ‘farang’ corner. Here you will find the shopping delights of Pasta, olive oil, mustard, bacon, sausage, cheese, ham, butter and even salami. If you’re looking to privision your fridge or boat, don’t miss a trip to Khun Attit’s store.

Khun Attit speaks fluent English and like many of the townsfolk, he is a descendant of the original settlers. He was actually born in the LMS office! (before we got here!) Next time you visit, pop in and have a chat with him while you buy some bacon!