The minivan passed the car ferry and cruised to the east, while Man gave us the program of the tour in perfect English. On the sides of the uneven tarmac road, small dusty shops sold fruit, vegetables and other commodities to local villagers. It was Friday; a young boy strolled leisurely to the local mosque. Soon after, the tarmac subsided: earthy mud was the terrain being negotiated by our driver. It became clear that speed was not the theme of a minivan trip in Koh Lanta, where even the buffaloes seemed to go slower than usual.

The first stop of the day was in a local cock fighting compound where local villagers train “champion-to-be” chicken fighters. Apparently, locally organized fights are a small thing in Koh Lanta; the big events are held in the city of Trang, on the mainland. We visited the inside of a barrack where cocks are kept in round wicker cages, and then assisted to a gruesome training session. In a roofed terrace, one nervous-looking cock jumped freely on the dusty ground while the trainer held the contender in his hands, releasing him when he felt it necessary. Local villagers sat on benches around the area watching approvingly, praising their favourite fighter. The soundtrack was a constant cock-a-doodle-doo. When the session was over, the trainer posed for some pictures, before walking inside the barrack where he began to groom his trainee cock.

As the minivan followed the bumpy route again, I marvelled at the scenery outside the window: a succession of shrimp farms, marshes, coconut and rubber tree plantations, cows, buffaloes and goats that grazed in green fields surrounded by rice paddies. All natural beauties of the real Lanta.

The village of Thung Yee Peng, a few kilometers away, is home to the Agro Tourism Center, a community-oriented project partly financed by the Thai government, aimed at providing funding for the development of local villages in need. We met Nas, the official guide, who took us to the wood jetty where we boarded a longtail boat for a trip along the backwaters. The tide was low and the thousands of mangroves that colonize the flat islands between Koh Lanta Yai and Koh Lanta Noi showed off their maze of un-submerged roots. We passed a few floating fish farms, stopping near one for a quick look, then headed to Koh Lanta Noi at a slow pace through extremely narrow canals. These were the ancient safe shortcuts that boatmen used to travel between the two Koh Lanta islands when the seas were too rough for a direct crossing.

Despite the noise of the longtail boat engine, the fauna we encountered was plentiful; a baby varan sunbathed in the mud, surrounded by miniature bright blue and yellow crabs; a big monkey showed himself for a few seconds before disappearing in the dense forest. On our approach to Koh Lanta Noi, groups of tiny fish jumped out of the water in small loops, flying fish presented us with short acrobatic shows, and a massive eagle spread its wings, flying away regally. Inside the Lanta Noi canals, big white herons were perched on dead tree branches; a high number of blue and orange winged birds flew all over us. I was speechless.

The longtail approached the shore and we disembarked in a tiny village; sweet Thai music came out of loudspeakers, men and women were busy doing their chores while fish was drying in the scorching sun. I thought of Lanta Yai and its beaches, its activities, its nightlife: so near yet so distant from this world. We followed Man and Nas on a red earth path lined by smelly rubber trees. Half way through the circular walk we stopped to watch how the locals work the rubber, flattening it first with their feet and later rolling wide sheets with hand-operated machines. We got a glimpse of local life in the next village and even bought some exquisite local sweets, before making our way to the pier where our boatman was waiting for us. From there, the view was excellent: to the left the limestone mountains of the mainland, to the right, the mangroves; in front of us, the several lush islands that dot the east sea of Koh Lanta Yai and, in the distance, Lanta Old Town.

On the boat, Nas looked at his young son and reminisced about the times when, as a kid, his father would take him fishing in these waters. Little has changed in the area since. We are told that 32 people of his village take an active part in the project - cleaning the area, planting new mangroves and other trees and running the information center.

We boarded the minibus for the short journey to sleepy Lanta Old Town, where we enjoyed lunch in a restaurant on stilts overlooking the mangroves and the islands. The lane to the deep south is filled with overgrowing vegetation; the minivan sped up and down the hilly roads, dense jungle separated us from both the sea and the Lanta mountain slopes. A few houses on stilts seemed precariously perched in strategic locations, with staggering views over the ocean. The visit to the sea-gypsy village was a real treat. We walked a narrow lane that cuts the village in two, with houses on stilts built right on the sea shore. Children and dogs roamed carelessly in the muddy paths, while an older woman disentangled fishing nets. Villagers smiled at us as we walked trying to absorb everything that went on in such a short time. On the porches, women, dressed in traditional sarongs, rested or cared for newborn babies; men sorted out the catch of the day. Squid is the main fishing industry for these dark-skinned sea people, traditionally known as Chao Ley, who still retain their folk way of life. The longtail boats parked in the shallow waters near a rocky area are used to position iron squid traps in the sea that are emptied on a daily basis. These Chao Ley retain their original dialect and have no fixed religion. They still believe in the supernatural and worshipping of spirits and have yearly festivals in which they ask forgiveness from the sea gods; there are numerous small spirit altars around the village, all adorned with flowers or small offerings.

This tour can be done independently by renting a motorbike and riding the few Lanta roads carefully. It is inexpensive to book a tour on a comfortable air conditioned minivan and have a knowledgeable local guide with you. Local tour companies can run the Koh Lanta Safari tour that includes visits to the elephant camp, view points, caves and waterfalls. The sky was clouding up as we left for our return trip to the resorts. It opened dramatically as I sadly parted from Man and Sayyan. The rain was copious and was going to keep the marvelous Lanta green oasis alive and growing.