It's cool on old Koh Lanta

[Lite Beer]

It's cool on old Koh Lanta
Kitchana Lersakvanitchakul
THE NATION
Koh Lanta, Krabi

The island off the coast of Krabi celebrates the heritage of its old town

LONG POPULAR with foreign and local visitors alike, Lanta Old Town, the cultural heartbeat of the small island in Krabi province, sprung to life last weekend as residents and visitors gathered to enjoy the 2015 edition of the Laanta Lanta Festival on the theme "Muang Kao Ruea Sampao Lao Tamnan" (Tales of Old Town and Junks).

"The historical houses of this one-street town are a little like those in Chiang Khan in Loei," Teerapoch Kasirawat, chairman of Koh Lanta Tourism Association, told The Nation over tea the Ananda Lanta Resort.

"Our initial intention was to transform the old town into the trading area it was a century ago and have the locals dress in traditional costumes. But that would have cost a lot of money and we only have a limited budget."

Instead organisers opted to follow current tourism trends by holding a bicycle rally as part of the opening ceremony.

"Health tourism is becoming increasingly popular and we'd like to see more tourists and residents travelling around the island on two wheels. We are planning to build bike lanes so that people no longer need to ride on the road," says the 40-something chairman.

"This is the first time we've organised a rally from the city to the old town," added Kittipop "Pom" Vachirapong, founder of Lanta Bike Cycle, as he watched some 300 cyclists get into line outside Chumchon Ban Saladan School before the start of the rally.

"The governor wants to turn Krabi into a biking city and is encouraging people all over the province to take up cycling for their health. I'm really surprised to see so many cyclists here today. Many of them have come from Phatthalung and Trang."

"I am thinking about offering a three-day cycling package tour from Bangkok to Krabi that would include airfare, accommodation and of course a bike route. There are several routes around the island, including one that takes riders into the rubber plantations when the weather is good. I am also planning a bike race and maybe a triathlon."

The rally took riders from the school to the Kromluang Chumphon Shrine in the Old Town, a 22-kilometre route with a challenging climb up a steep hill.

But the ride was more than worth the effort and the cyclists were soon winding down by shopping, snacking on local delicacies and taking in the various music and dance folk performances taking place on the stages.

A Chinese-style gate welcomed visitors to the old town. Red lanterns hung from bamboo sticks adding to the atmosphere and the chic hotels, the restaurants, coffee shops and souvenirs stores all appeared to be doing a roaring trade.

Lanta Old Town, also known as Sri Raya, was originally a sea gypsy settlement before morphing into a village influenced by trade. Little has changed over the decades except the demographic make up, as the houses built on stilts sticking out into the sea have also become home to a growing community of Westerner expats as well as a mix of Thai-Chinese folk.

A community museum traces back the life and times of Koh Lanta and portrays the history of its main residents - Thai-Muslims, Chao-Lay (sea gypsies) as well as Chinese fishermen. While the displays are somewhat minimal, it is nonetheless worth a visit.

As darkness fell, the festival kicked off with a special show in three acts - "Sai Nam Haeng Tamnan", "Sueb San Prapaynee" and "Yuen Withee Chao Lanta" - before giving way to going way to local students for performances of traditional arts likay hulu and rong ngeng.

"The main shows at the festival are put on by Muslims and the Aboriginal Malay people known as the Urak Lawoi. The Thai-Muslim folk art performances include likay hulu, ma yong and rong ngeng, all of them important and valuable components of the local and national heritage," Teerapoch said.

One of the most popular performances was by a folk art group from Ban Ramad school.

"We perform at several important events, seminars and meetings though not for money because our religion forbids it," Prasit Satjit, the school's director told The Nation. "Our interests lie in conserving the folk culture of this island."

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Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/life/Its-cool-on-old-Koh-Lanta-30255953.html

-- The Nation 2015-03-14