Ko Lanta Mangrove Eco Excursion: A Longtail Boat Review

If you are after a slower pace, then, well, Ko Lanta, that lovely island off the Thai coast, it could be just your spot. There’s that sense of relaxation which hangs in the air. While Ko Lanta is really famous for those beaches, like your postcard-perfect stretches of sand, there’s a whole other side of the island too, that just screams quiet adventure: the mangrove forests. Getting out there in a longtail boat? Seriously, it’s an experience. I recently gave it a go, that From Ko Lanta Mangrove Eco Excursion By Longtail Boat thing, so I’ll let you know how it went. It might assist your travel plans.

Setting off into the Green: The Longtail Boat Adventure

First up, there’s that longtail boat, which is more or less a classic Thai boat, right? You will spot them all over the place. Turns out, these wooden boats are not exactly luxury yachts. Instead, they’re somewhat charming in a rustic, Thai-kinda way. Think that sounds pretty accurate. Our captain, oh he seemed as relaxed as the island itself, he got us settled into the boat and then steered us off into one of the main mangrove rivers on the island. Now that was when things started to feel, maybe a tiny bit special.

The air starts to shift, you will see. Leave behind the sun-soaked beaches and slip into this world where the trees, those mangroves, get to stand tall out of the water. Their roots? All twisted and tangled, doing an amazing job of holding onto the earth. So, anyway, it’s like going into a spot where everything feels shaded and cooler, very sheltered by all of those big roots.

Very, very quickly everything quiets down, pretty much. You move gently further into the waterway. The noisy beach just disappears and you trade it in for what turns out to be this hush where the mangrove forest kind of gets to speak for itself. At least the boat engine becomes almost background noise after a little bit.

Spotting Wildlife: Nature’s Hidden Wonders

Okay, seeing wildlife, which can be hit-or-miss depending on the season, too it’s about keeping a keen eye out. The first thing that I did see, it was a group of mudskippers, like those little fish that hop around on land! They really do love clinging to those mangrove roots. At least they made me chuckle. I will say. They tend to look quite goofy.

I think bird watchers, they can find themselves in something similar to a small paradise here. With our boat ride we were spotting kingfishers sitting on branches and herons looking patient, those are all hoping to snag their next meals, anyway. That, really, it was pretty impressive.

Keep your eyes peeled too. Seriously, you might just catch glimpses of animals up there in the trees. Very possibly little monkeys moving around or even a big lizard just getting to soak up the sun on a branch. Of course, you have to be a bit lucky, yet just scanning around does pay off.

The Guide’s Story: Cultural Insights and Local Lore

One of those better parts regarding this tour, which is worth shouting about, I will say, so, that’s getting to listen to the guide tell his tales, naturally. So, the dude we had on our longtail, oh, he really did seem to have spent his entire life out on those waters. Every root system and bird and funny noise of an animal had a story that matched up to it, literally.

These guides do not exactly give you some dull ecology lesson. Instead they get to weave a bit of local folklore through everything. That could be about local fisherman. Even old tales regarding mangrove spirits. Pretty much every bit, anyway, does tend to add some extra flavour to everything, and the trip will stick longer with you. Seriously, I thought this was great!

What the guide told us about? Very often, things such as that importance that the mangroves tend to have for communities around. Those mangroves? It turns out, they are pretty vital nurseries that shelter juvenile fish, but that they are, in reality, doing the serious work in the coastal protection that is shielding shores. In other words: the planet really benefits!

What to Bring and Expect: Practical Tips

Okay, if you are heading out to do one of these eco tours, well here is what you might need to pack. The Thailand sun can really blaze. Because of this, make sure to pile on the sunscreen and perhaps use a shirt offering decent coverage, pretty much.

Yeah, it turns out you are under cover, yet sometimes it gets a bit buggy when getting a long way into the forest. That could happen especially near dusk so consider taking some insect repellent. Very, very quickly you’re gonna be happier that you packed it! I promise you. If you take your camera (or just a phone), consider having one of those waterproof bags or a decent cover. Sometimes these boats cause splashes.

Now you may worry: what you must really anticipate on an eco tour? In a nutshell, be expecting relaxation blended along with that dash of exploration. These excursions? Usually, they don’t get that physically intense. Instead it’s all rather relaxed and about getting to see as you get gently guided across the water.

Is It Worth It?: The Final Verdict

Doing the mangrove eco tour in a longtail? It might well turn out to be more of that chill activity that I always tend to hope for when heading anywhere out to Ko Lanta. Getting out of the sun? Very often that really has more depth than just seeing somewhere pretty or checking anything off of some list, anyway. Getting an insight, just a bit, regarding how those local people may well live? Being aware just a little bit more about one crucial, oh so delicate, ecosystem? Very much worth it. So yeah, go and do it.

One thing which seems fair to make clear: so it might be far from your white knuckle ride. No problem. Yet if just drifting softly by trees does sound fun. Plus if you, similarly to me, often do get your kicks via finding hidden stuff? Just small encounters which you never would experience generally? If that’s so, make it happen and do your tour. Actually, it could be a high point of a trip, certainly!