Culture of Ko Lanta. Places to visit - old town, temples, theaters, museums and palaces

The town was called the same as the island – Lanta for a long time. The origin of this name is unknown. Presumably, it is associated with a special device for drying fish, which the locals call Lantus. Sea Gypsies still use it in everyday life despite the archaic nature of this type of utensils. Perhaps the name refers to the Arabic language. The island was indicated as "Janub Lanta" on ancient maps of the East. This translates to Northern Lanta. Unfortunately, the Arabs did not tell their descendants why it was "Lanta". There are suggestions that this is somehow related to the Malaysian Pulau Lun-Tuk. This translates as "land with a mountain in the middle".

Today, it is impossible to say exactly how long the island was inhabited. Sea Gypsies don't keep their own calendar. They can hardly tell when their ancestors first appeared on this earth. The nomadic people did not build strong houses. So nature has long destroyed all the ancient buildings on the island. It is known that the name "Lanta" was officially assigned to the island by King Rama the Fifth century ago. The port of Lanta was the only major island settlement at that time.

Traders from the Middle East and China have used the port as "transshipment point" for many years. Today, the local architecture is similar to Thai and differs from it a lot at the same time. Many compare the Old Town of Lanta with Hoi An in Vietnam. The island's capital was located here until 1994. After the construction of the new port in Ban Saladan, which was larger in size, all administrative services and many trading firms moved there. It was then that the settlement was named "Old Town". It is firmly entrenched in this small Thai port. Mostly native Thais and some representatives of the sea Gypsy people live here. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

The port is one of the most interesting places in the Old Town today. You can see local fishermen for their hard work here. There are many small boats in the harbor. They almost do not differ from those that the ancestors of local residents used. Life rarely stops here. Someone goes fishing, someone returns with a catch, someone cuts up the fish or sells seafood on the waterfront. If you want to experience the atmosphere of a small fishing village far from civilization, then spend at least a few hours watching everything that happens in the port of the Old Town.

There is a small lighthouse nearby. It still works. There are dangers for sailors in the small bay of the Old Town. This can be seen if you look at the sea surface: the masts of a recently sunken ship stick out not far from the shore. Be sure to take a walk through the streets of the settlement. It is better to do this at sunset or at dawn. Small one-and two-story houses, unusual for a European outline of "homes for spirits", a lot of greenery and decor in the Thai style – all this is fascinating despite the fact that the Old Town is small and there are no known architectural attractions here.

If you have time, you can visit a local Buddhist Temple. The small structure is decorated with several statues of Buddha. There are also two small mosques in the town. But only devout Muslims can get inside. However, the buildings deserve attention. You can see a small brightly decorated Buddhist altar while walking around the town. There is a bust of one of the local naval military captains and a rather massive plaque in Thai on it.

Be sure to visit the local market. The day and evening market of the Old Town is not much different from any other market in any country in the world. The only distinctive feature is that the product is often placed directly on the ground here. Everything is transfigured at night. Lanta night market is not only a place where you can buy or sell something but also a platform for artisans who are ready to work right in front of you. Traditional music groups and performers of folk Thai dances perform here. If you have time, you can spend half a day or all day on a tour of the sea Gypsy settlement. It is built on stilts according to the old tradition.