Loi Ruea Chao Le Festival is a rare festival on
Koh Lanta of sea gypsies. The festival is held annually, on the full
moon day in the sixth and the eleventh months of the lunar calendar. The sea gypsies on Koh Lanta and from neighbouring
areas will gather at the beach near Ban Sala Dan to float boats in the sea in order to bring good luck. The Rong Ngeng
, a typical southern dance as well as traditional music, will be performed around the boats.
Hoi Chak Teen (Feet-pulling Shells)
Hoi chak teen or wing shell is in the Strombus Canxarium family. It looks like a conch but is smaller and brown in color.
Its special characteristic is its dark brown walking legs which are referred to as "feet" or "teen" (in informal Thai).
It is found in the sea in Krabi and nearby provinces.
To prepare the dish, the wing shell is soaked in salty water for about half an hour. A few crushed chilies are added to
the water to make it spicy. The wing shell then begins to move, pushing its feet out and expelling the mud from inside.
It is rinsed several times and then put in to a pot of cold water. The pot is then put on the stove and when the water
gets warm, the wing shell pushes its feet out. As soon as it is cooked, it is ready to be served.
To eat the wing shell, you pull the feet and the mollusk will come out. It is eaten with a dip made of garlic,
chilies, sugar, lime juice and fish sauce.
Hoi chak teen is a popular savory snack dish. The shells are also made into decorative items for the home or sold as souvenirs.
Som Shogun (Shogun Orange)
The orange is popular because of its sweet taste. It has a thin rind and little pulp and is best eaten fresh.
The orange tree flowers from March to June depending on the climate in the area and takes about one month for the fruit
to set. The fruit can be picked 8 to 9 months later.
The most popular propagation method is by rooting branches. Orange growers usually wait until the tree is three years old
before they start picking the fruit.
Rock climbing
Apart from marine sports,
Krabi is also an ideal place for rock climbing. Lines of sheer limestone cliffs along Tham Phranang
and
Railay beaches have challenged thousands of climbers from all over the world every year. The levels of difficulty of the
various routes vary, so even the most inexperienced climbers can experiment. Equipment, instruction and guides are available
at most lodgings.
