Overdose of beach on Koh Kradan

Who isn’t craving for blue skies, white sand and palm trees on a snowy February day? Well I guess, this is the right post for daydreamers then, because Koh Kradan – the tiny island in the Trang archipelago – has it all. Although easily accessible from Koh Lanta, it’s an entirely different story: No village, no entertainment, just beach and jungle (with incredibly loud cicadas which could easily drown out every nightclub!) and lots of colourful fish (and sea urchins…) to discover at the coral reef that encircles the island. Not to mention the more curious type of fish, which bit me and other snorkelers. It’s not dangerous but a little scary.

The beach changes massively between low tide and high tide. While high tide was ideal for swimming and snorkelling, at low tide this was impossible, but great for long beach walks. Our accommodation was a little bit inland, very basic, but with lots of character. Wally, a former sailor from Hawaii, has been on the island for ages and built this jungle compound from scratch. But age left its marks on him – although sick and barely able to walk, he still insists to live on that isolated place. Apart from himself, the lovely home-made Thai food is the main attraction of “Paradise Lost”. And that’s kind of a matching name for Koh Kradan: Yet quiet and beautiful, it gets pretty crowded during noon, when daytrippers swamp over the beach. The island is, among many others, facing a serious trash issue and I’m sure the corals have seen better days… Nevertheless I felt sad to leave and I’d love to revisit one day, hoping it won’t get “lost”.

Wally, R.I.P…

The resort is also known for delicious food and big portions like this Massaman Curry!

Back in the mainland!