Cruise Control

From Koh Lippy we got the morning speedboat to Koh Lanta.

The speedboat journey took ~2.5hrs and was a pretty rough ride. It would have been longer but we were the first stop that day as nobody got off at the nearer islands.

The engines were very loud and earplugs or noise cancelling headphones are essential. You can move nearer the front of the boat but then you feel more of the waves. Similarly, long-tail boats are loud but if you sit at the front then you are in the sun.

The speedboat motion is pretty jarring and not for the faint-heated or those with bad backs. Obviously there is no mention of this beforehand. You will be on this small boat for 3hrs or more if you go further to Phi Phi or Phuket.

The spare barrels of petrol are stored in the bilge of the boat. We had to refuel midway, which involved taking the deck up. The crew were at times smoking, although not right next to the fuel thankfully.

It was an interesting experience but I can’t help thinking that the afternoon ferry would have been a better choice, despite being slower and more expensive. It may have been a more relaxing experience with more shade and air-conditioning. The speedboat was not conducive to writing, unless you have a waterproof laptop.