Koh Lanta, Thailand – How to Arrive ? Where to Stay ? What to Visit ? – Page 1

Maps – Orientation

Map 1 : Distance from Bangkok

Map 2 : Overview of the Zone – Boat Transport

Map 3 : Koh Lanta

Map 4 : Interactive Map

  1. Points in Red : Transport
  2. Points in Blue : Tourist Attractions
  3. Points in Green :  Beaches

How is Lanta island ?

Look at the Maps above. Koh Lanta is close to Koh Phi-Phi, Phuket and Krabi area.
Koh Lanta is a big island. About 24 Km long. It is close to the mainland, you just need to cross 2 Km of sea with a ferry. There is no airport in Koh Lanta. See later How to arrive to Koh Lanta.
The ambience in Koh Lanta is of a very quiet and humble place. There is not a big mall like in Phuket, there are no Starbucks coffees, there are even no big gazoline stations (there is only 1 which is big).
If you arrive to Koh Lanta after Phuket and Koh Phi Phi, you will feel the contrast. While in Koh Phi Phi many girls are walking in the center of the village dressed with a bikini, in Koh Lanta many women have a scarf on their head, because it is a big Muslim center.

You will see some green Mosques in Koh Lanta.

Koh Lanta is composed of 2 parts. The upper part (above a river) is called “Koh Lanta Noi” (look at Map 3 above) and the south part “Koh Lanta Yai”. The prominent one is the south part. Here most people live and here tourists are staying. It is worth to make a tour (with a motorbike) also in “Koh Lanta Noi”. It is like being on another planet. See  Page 3 : What to Visit and Do in Koh Lanta.

There are beautiful beaches in Koh Lanta. The beaches are located on the left side and it is on the left side where most tourists stay. See Page 2 : Where to Stay in Koh Lanta.
The sea on the right side may look like in the following photo, beautiful but less inviting for swimming (no sand and no facilities).

On the right side of the island there are some tourist attractions, like an interesting Mangrove area and the old town. See  Page 3 : What to Visit and Do in Koh Lanta.

There is a vertical road along the beaches on the left side and there is a vertical road also on the right side.

The roads do not connect in the bottom, because there is a national park with a mountain in the bottom (so drivers need to make a big detour in order to travel between the bottom left and the bottom right).

There are 3 horizontal roads that connect the vertical roads. It is very easy to navigate with a motorbike in Koh Lanta, you cannot get lost.

Koh Lanta doesn’t have a “center”. There is not a very prominent area that is the center of gravity of the island (like Patong in Phuket, for example). See the different prominent areas in Page 2 : Where to Stay in Koh Lanta.

The nightlife in Koh Lanta is : modest. There are bars along the main road and there are bars managed by the resorts on the beaches but it is not a “wild” nightlife. There are no beach parties like in Koh Phi Phi and there is not a night walking street like in Patong (Phuket). There are several night markets. Still, if you insist, I’m sure you will find parties also in Koh Lanta. See later about the Nightlife in Koh Lanta.

The food in Koh Lanta is average. If you like authentic western food, it is limited because there are not too many foreigners who are owners of restaurants. There is not even one authentic french bakery with good croissants for the morning (it could change).  I list some western restaurants later in the section : What to eat in Koh Lanta. Note : Sea food is always available on a Thai island.

There are a lot of monkeys in Koh Lanta, in all the parts, including in Koh Lanta Noi. You will see monkeys on the road and sometimes when you get down to the beach (on the south part of the island). The monkeys in Koh Lanta can be slightly agresive in some situations (they want food). The monkeys sometimes search food in the motorbikes that are parked. It’s not good for the motorbike’s health.

There are a lot of cats in Koh Lanta and less dogs. Probably because of the large Muslim population which prefers cats.

Is it worth to visit Koh Lanta ?

Yes, but…
Koh Lanta is in the same area as Koh Phi Phi, Phuket and Krabi, so it makes sense to visit all these touristic islands. Koh Lanta is a nice contrast to the more active life that exists on the other islands. There are nice beaches in Koh Lanta, a nice mangrove area, and it is pleasant to ride a motorbike and see the scenery.

On the other hand, I will not put Koh Lanta on the top list of the islands in Thailand. An island this size could be more sophisticated : more authentic western restaurants, some coffee chains, a mall and beach parties. A similar island to Koh Lanta in size is Koh Chang. This island is much more sophisticated than Koh Lanta and also quiet in spirit. But Koh Chang is located in a complete other zone (near the border to Cambodia).

How to Arrive to Koh Lanta ?

Option 1 : By Flight (+ Minibus or Boat)

Look at Maps 2 and 4 above. There is an airport near the city of Krabi and there is an airport in Phuket. There is also an airport in Trang (but less popular than the airport in Krabi). If you land at Krabi airport you can take a shared minibus (or a Taxi) till Koh-Lanta (it includes a very short travel with a Ferry). If you land at Phuket airport, you need to arrive to the Pier in Phuket (which is not located near the airport) and take a boat to Koh Lanta. It is better to land at Krabi airport (if you want to arrive fast to Koh-Lanta).

Option 2  : By Bus

There are a lot of buses in Thailand. There are buses from Bangkok and other Thai locations. Some of the buses are night buses with some kind of beds. The bus trajectory includes a very short sail with a Ferry at Khlong Mak Pier, in order to reach the island.

Option 3  : By Boat

If you arrive to Koh Lanta from one of the nearby islands, you need to take a boat. There are a lot of boats from Phuket, Koh Phi Phi and Krabi area.

Location of the Pier in Koh Lanta

The pier in Koh Lanta is located on the north part of the island at the town of Sala Dan (see location on Maps 3 and 4, above).

Don’t get confused with “Khlong Mak Pier” which is located more at the north and serves Ferries to the mainland.

  • You can book Flights, Trains, Buses and Taxis inside Thailand with the site 12GoAsia. Choose the Origin city and Destination city and it will show you All the available Transports to destination.

Option 4  : By Train

Not a great idea.
The train line of Thailand passes near the right coast of the continent and not near the left coast  (Yes, there is more or less only 1 vertical train line in Thailand). The nearest train station to the area of Koh Lanta is in Surat Thani. From Surat Thani, you need to continue to Koh Lanta or Krabi area or Phuket by Bus or Taxi. The road distance between Surat Thani and Krabi area is about 200 Km.

You can buy a train ticket at the train stations, at the travel agencies or online.

Option 5  : By Taxi

Comfortable. If you share the taxi with other people, the price may be reasonable. The Taxi trajectory includes a very short sail with a Ferry at Khlong Mak Pier, in order to reach the island.

Option 6  : By rented Car or Motorbike

It is easy to rent a car in Thailand. It is very easy to rent a motorbike in Thailand (but usually you use a motorbike for short distances). The trajectory includes a very short passage with a Ferry at Khlong Mak Pier, in order to reach the island.

Where to Stay in Koh Lanta ? – Hotels

See this on Page 2.

How to Move in Koh Lanta ?

Option 1 : With a rented Motorbike or Car

A Motorbike is always the best way to move on a Thai island.

It is cheap. About 250 Baht a day for a 125cc motorbike. The gazoline is also cheap.

The roads in Koh Lanta are OK. They are new at the upper, non touristic part (Koh Lanta Noi).

The motorbikes available for rental in Koh Lanta, are usually not new. The reason is probably because of some “dirt road” and some encounters that may occur with monkeys while parking. The monkeys can make drop the motorbike while looking for food in the luggage compartment. So, park the motorbike away from bands of monkeys and don’t leave items exposed.

The gaz stations in Koh-Lanta are quite spectacular. There is only 1 big and normal gaz station near the town of Sala-Dan.

The rest are rudimentary pumps, that are like taken from an old movie

If you cannot drive a motorbike or if you have a family, you can rent one of these funny vehicles, that has place for several people

These vehicles are very popular in Koh Lanta

Option 2 : With a Taxi

You will find Taxis waiting at the beaches.

A taxi in Koh Lanta can be in form of a pick up truck.

Or in other forms

Option 3 : Taxi with a Smartphone App

Grab and similar Apps do not function in Koh Lanta (at the moment of writing). You should check, maybe this service will start.

Option 4 : With an Organized Tour

If you participate in an organized tour, they will transport you.

Option 5 : By Foot

You may choose to stay in the zone of your hotel and not to visit the rest of the island.

How is the Climate in Koh Lanta ?

Note : The climate in Phuket, Koh Phi Phi and Koh-Lanta is quite similar. Also Krabi is very similar.

Temperatures

It is hot in this zone, all year round. At day time around 31 degrees Celsius. At night around 24 degrees celsius. You better have air-conditioning in your room.

Rain

Like in all Thailand, there is also in this zone a rainy season. The rainy season here is from April to December.

  • May to November : around 250 mm rain (the month of September is very rainy, around 400 mm rain).
  • April and November : around 150 mm rain.

What to Eat in Koh Lanta ?

If you like authentic western food, then Koh Lanta is not the best place. The offer is limited. I will mention here a few western places, that I have experienced.
Most of the restaurants in Koh Lanta are located on the main road, in front of Long Beach.
Of course that a lot of sea food is available in Koh Lanta, like in all the islands.

For the morning, if you are used to a French croissant made by a French baker, then forget about it. There is not such bakery at Koh Lanta (at the moment that I am writing).

The best bakery that I could find is called Tida Bakery. They are located on the main road, less than 2 Km from the town (the pier) Sala Dan.

The bread and pastries are OK but not at European level.

El Greco – Greek Taverna is a greek restaurant with an authentic greek owner. I ate here several times a vegetarian Souvlaki.

Le Colibri is an authentic French restaurant. Located on the main road in front of Phra Ae Beach – Long Beach.

I ate here a very good pasta with cheese.

There is another authentic French restaurant that makes Pasta. It is called Le Cosmopolite. They are located on the main road, less than 2 Km from the town (the pier) Sala Dan.
When there are no Italians on an island, so a French owner is the best alternative for eating Pasta.

In the town of Sala Dan (the pier), there are several restaurants with view over the river

One of them is Catfish. They prepare good Thai and western food and they have a separate section on the menu for vegetarians like me.

They sell also books

Diamond Cliff Beach Restaurant has a wonderful view over Nui beach. They offer Thai food and they are popular within non vegetarians (I ate a cake).

The restaurants on the different beaches (belonging to the hotels) may offer good food.

Note that there is a concentration of good restaurants at the intersection of roads at Lanta Klong Nin area.

Among the restaurants in this area : French Bakery Ko Lanta and SweetSoul Lanta (they are Vegan). Here is a Massaman vegetarian curry that I ate.

You can have your meal also on the beach because the restaurants have one side open to the beach.

Note the night market at Sala Dan (the pier). There is a lot of fast food here.

How is the Nightlife in Koh Lanta ?

Koh Lanta is not a place for wild parties. There are bars on the main road and at the resorts on the different beaches.

The Night Market of Sala-Dan

It is a small night market with food. Strangely, this is the most animated place in Koh Lanta at night. You can sit here and eat a Mango Sticky Rice and many other dishes. There is also alcohol.

The restaurants-bars on the beaches

All the resorts that are located on the sand, have a restaurant. In the evening these restaurants become a bar. Of course that it is very nice to drink a cocktail on the beach. Especially nice is the restaurant on the beach of Kantiang Bay.

The Old Town

The old town is located on the right side of the island, the quiet side. The old town can get very animated at night during feasts and special events. During the feasts the town becomes a night market with food stalls, shows and live music.

When it is not a feast, the nights in the old town are moderately animated (the tourists which are staying on the left side of the island prefer not to drive 30 Km in order to drink a beer).

Continue to Page 2 – Where to Stay in Koh Lanta

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