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What to do in Koh Lanta | Thailand's quietest island
Koh Lanta is a small archipelago located south of Thailand, in the Andaman Sea. Its best-known island is Koh Lanta Yai and although it is a popular destination, tourism is much more familiar and relaxed, an ideal place to spend a few days after a busy route through the country.
The rhythm of Koh Lanta invita a encontrar una sombra en la playa y pasarte la mañana disfrutando del no hacer nada antes de irte a comer algo rico y por supuesto, no faltar a la hora del paseo al atardecer.
However, Koh Lanta has much more to offer than sun and beach so in This guide tells you what other activities to do. on your way through the quietest island in Thailand.
How to get to Koh Lanta
Getting to Koh Lanta from Malaysia
If you are traveling from Malaysia, you will most likely come from Georgetown or Kuala Lumpur; from the latter, you may not have time to make the entire journey in the same day. In both cities There are direct buses to Changlun and direct trains to Kodiang., in any of these two towns near the border you must take a taxi or get someone to drive you to the Sadao border crossingOnce on Thai soil you have to searchcar the minivans heading to Hat Yai which cost 70 baht and are released when they are full. At the Hat Yai bus station you have to take another minivan heading to Trang city for 130 baths. Once In Trang the last step is buscar a minivan that will take you to Koh Lanta, it cost us 350 bahts.
Getting to Koh Lanta from Krabi
Getting to Koh Lanta from Krabi It is very simple since you just need to take a bus. It costs around 300 baht and leaves from the Krabi bus terminal, the journey takes around an hour.
Getting to Koh Lanta from Phi Phi
If you go from Phi Phi you have two options, the ferry or speed boat. The ferry ticket costs if you buy it in front of the Pistachio restaurant but 450 in the rest of the agencies, it leaves at 11:30 a.m. and lasts approximately 2 hours. The speedboat costs 700 baht and takes half an hour.
How to get around Koh Lanta
The easiest way to get around the island is with a scooter rented. There are only a couple of carreteras and the traffic is very calm. You will find quite a few motorcycle rental places, especially near the pier, it is even possible that they will offer you one at your accommodation.
We rented a motorbike for 3 days for 500 baht from Sea Horse Lanta Travel, located on the same street as the pier. When we traveled, neither Grab nor Bolt were operating on the island.
Best months to visit Koh Lanta
El tiempo en koh Lanta es muy parecido al de toda la costa tailandesa del mar de Andamán. La temporada seca va de noviembre a abril y la temporada de lluvias es de mayo a octubre. The best months to visit the island are December, January and February because they are the less hot dry months.
Su temporada alta, cuando el tiempo es más estable y las aguas están con más visibilidad coincide también con las islas cercanas a Trant, la diminuta koh mak and koh kood que yo diría que tiene las mejores playas de Tailandia.
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What to see and do in Koh Lanta
Rest on one of its white sand beaches
- Long beach: This is the longest beach on the island and where most of the accommodation is concentrated. The beach is nothing special, but as it is so close to the hotel zone you can get there on foot and as it is so long it is not difficult to find a quiet spot. It is a very good beach to watch the sunset and then take a walk to see the nightlife of the area or even get a massage in front of the sea.
- Nui Bay: Make sure you type the name correctly into your GPS because on this same island there is also Nui Beach a little further north. Nui Bay is one of the less crowded beaches on the island where you can relax lying on the sand listening only to the waves of the sea. To get to it you must be careful as it is not signposted and it is easy to miss it.
- Katiang Bay: This beach is one of the best known on the island. It is longer and wider than its neighbor Nui Bay but you will find a little more people since it has a resort and some restaurants on the beach.
- Bamboo beach: This is the southernmost free beach on the island and for that reason one of the least visited by people. The beach stands out for being delimited at its ends by cliffs and for having a lot of vegetation next to the sand that can offer pleasant shade.
You may be interested in this article on how reduce plastic traveling to do your bit to ensure that the beaches are as we all like to find them, full of marine life and without garbage.
Visit Following Giants, an ethical elephant sanctuary
Koh Lanta is one of the 5 ethical sanctuaries in Thailand. I mean Following Giants, a company that pursues the maximum well-being of its elephants rescued and tries to adapt them back to the jungle, the place where they really belong.
In this sanctuary a guide accompanies visitors in search of elephants that move freely through the terrain of your property. When they are found, they are observed, keeping their distance. and they are followed to see their behavior in a natural environment. I assure you that you will be amazed watching how they tear off leaves, fruits and roots with their trunks. In no case is there interaction nor is your lifestyle altered.; You don't touch them, you don't feed them and you don't bathe them either.
The elephants in this sanctuary are not wild, they are rescued animals so each one of them has a mahout (caretaker). The mahout does not force them to do anything, its function is similar to that of a shepherd with the aim of preventing these hungry giants from eating the neighbors' plantations, getting too close to visitors or entering a nearby National Park.
You can book your visit to Following Giants, read more about them or even adopt one of their elephants directly from their website.
Tour to the 4 islands
This excursion is the quintessential tour of Koh Lanta, It is a boat route that passes through 4 islands while making stops to snorkel and visiting some beaches. But without any doubt The star stop of this tour is the Emerald Cave on Koh Mook Island. It is a very long and dark cave through which you navigate with flashlights until you reach the other side to an emerald-colored interior beach.
As it is the most popular excursion, you can book it at any agency on the island and surely also at your hotel. The price can vary approximately between 25 and 40 euros depending on the type of boat, the duration, the type of food included and the seller's commission.
➜ Book the tour to the 4 islands online
Diving in Koh Lanta
Another of the most famous activities on this island is diving. There are many different diving centers with trips for all levels. Most dives are done at points near the Phi Phi Islands. If you are also going to visit Phi Phi, diving trips from there may be cheaper because they require fewer boat hours.
Visit Koh Lanta Old Town
This little town of just over two streets It was the first inhabited area of the island and its dock was essential for its inhabitants' fishing and commerce. The first settlers of Koh Lanta were Malay immigrants who introduced Islam to the island, currently the main religion, and Chinese traders. Both cultures still coexist in this town.
Today the area lives mainly from tourism, In the town you will find many souvenir shops and restaurants where to eat typical food or fresh fish literally on the sea. The tour that visits the 4 islands departs from the Lanta Old Town pier so if you plan to take this excursion you can take the opportunity to visit the town.
Route to Khlong Chak waterfall
From the parking lot of the Following Giants sanctuary, a free trail leads to Khlong Chak waterfall. This waterfall isn't very high or very powerful, but it's good for cooling off.carsAnd after a hike through the jungle. Along the way you'll also pass by Khlong Chak Bat Cave, a cave teeming with bats.
Tour Koh Lanta Noi
Koh Lanta Noi is the island where the most local people of the archipelago live and where there are no hotels or restaurants. It is linked by a huge bridge to Koh Lanta Yai (the tourist one).
If you have rented a motorcycle I recommend exploring the carroad that borders this islandYou will pass through several very rural villages unaccustomed to seeing tourists, and many monkeys will cross your path. carYou will reach several viewpoints facing the sea from where you can see the rest of the islands.
Where to sleep in Koh Lanta
During our days around Koh Lanta We stay at the wonderful Coco Cape resort north of the island. This accommodation is made up of different very cute little houses with their own terrace and equipped with air conditioning, a refrigerator and a kettle so you can make tea or coffee. Even some of the houses have direct views of the sea. The staff is very attentive and friendly, making your stay as comfortable as possible.
This resort features an infinity pool and plenty of comfortable sun loungers for relaxing. Next to the pool is the restaurant, where a generous buffet breakfast is served every morning, including freshly made omelets, scrambled eggs, and fried eggs. The same restaurant also serves delicious lunches and dinners; the prawn curry is highly recommended.
In the same facilities They also have a bar with its own pool and direct views of the sea. The price of drinks is not high so I recommend having something there while watching the sunset, it's a really special moment.
Check out other hotels in Koh Lanta here.
We hope our guide on what to do in Koh Lanta has helped you. If you have any questions, leave a comment and we will be happy to solve them for you. If you would like to know more about our trip to Thailand you can read our other articles or see our featured stories on Instagram.
