Vietnam 2 021a Hanoi Old Town

Read more in my Hanoi Guide on treasuresofvietnam.blogspot.com/2009/09/hanoi-impressions... (walking tour in the old town, hotels with reviews, delightful food in restaurants, and Hanoi Google Map).

Taken on: 18th November, 2009. Copyright: Attribution-NonCommercial License - See marhas1's page of Flickr

Read more about Old town

The beaches and corals may take centre stage on Ko Lanta, but to the east lies a minor player with no desire to make headlines.

Old Town, or Sang Kha Ou, is a remarkable community that has survived a tsunami and, so far, warded off overdevelopment. As the only real community on Ko Lanta's east coast, it almost revels in its isolation and couldn't be further removed from the beaches and resorts on the west coast.

A mix of Thais, Muslims, Chinese and sea gypsies, the old town has an old world feel thanks to rickety old wooden shops and homes built on stilts that sit out over the sea.

In 2004 the Asian tsunami tore the pier into two pieces, and some of the rubble can still be seen lying next to its replacement. The sea gypsies that lost their boats and therefore livelihoods are still here and now live in new orange bungalows provided by a Christian charity.

On Sundays a lively market is held in one corner of the town, where Muslim women sit and gossip while others sell ... Read our complete Old town travel guide

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