One of my favorite things about the islands of Thailand is that they are easy to explore. A cheap scooter and you're on your way to find a quiet beach, beautiful fields, or an unusual shop. During my time on the island of Koh Lanta, I took a day pursuing my favorite activity and stumbled upon what is quite possibly the best shop on the island - The Hammock House.The Hammock House is not unique to Koh Lanta, as the brand of hammocks they sell are available on several other islands including Koh Lipe, Koh Chang, Koh Tao, and Koh Samui. Something about the name of the store just draws you in, and the tiny shack with nearly all walls and surfaces covered with hammocks are sure to keep you there for quite some time, testing out each and every variety.
Little did I know that upon entering the store that I was about to drop 3,000 baht on one of my favorite purchases of all my travels; however, after just a few minutes of looking around I was hooked. Between testing out each of their brightly colored hammocks, and marveling at the ones made especially for cats, I knew I had to leave with one in my possession. Ironically, the store's resident cats did not even prefer their made-to-size hammocks and would lounge in the full-size ones at any chance possible and have been known to scare the owners and unsuspecting visitors that are about to jump in.
The reason these hammocks are special and are priced higher than your everyday hammock is that they are not your typical mass-produced nylon hammocks. These wonderful creations are hand woven by the Mlabri tribe in northern Thailand and, quite literally, saved the tribe. After being displaced from their life in the jungles due to deforestation, the tribe needed a new career to get back to prosperity. They begun making hammocks in 1996 after a chance discovery of their little known weaving souvenir trade. Now with their thriving business expanding to other tribes in the region, there is little concern for prosperity in the future.
You may still be wondering why my specific hammock was so expensive? Well, I bought the jumbo one that can easily support two adults. As these hammocks are hand woven, the size of mine was said to take nearly 10 days to completely, and mine was not even the most intricate available. Other shops in Thailand may sell these hammocks for cheaper than the location in Koh Lanta, but I am not upset. My hammock is now a permanent fixture in our second bedroom and relaxing in it is my favorite activity that instantly transports me back to the islands.
