Koh Lanta is an island located in the south of Thailand in the Krabi Province. It is a great place to go if you are looking for a more chill and relaxing destination. The island itself is fairly large but most of the hostels, homestays and resorts are located around each other and the restaurants.
HOW TO GET THERE
Getting to Koh Lanta depends a lot on where you are coming from. The closest airport is the Krabi International Airport and you can get there by boat or bus.
THERE ARE 4 MAIN WAYS OF GETTING TO KOH LANTA FROM KRABI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT .
- If you take a boat you will first take a shuttle to the Krabi Pier and then board the speedboat to Koh Lanta which will take around 45-60 minutes. The boat option can cost around 2,000 Baht which is roughly $60 and it is the fastest option
- Another option is to take a private minivan from Krabi International Airport to Koh Lanta. The bus ride takes roughly 3 hours and costs around 3,000 Baht which is approx. $94 USD for one van. The van can hold up to 6 people so if you are a group this is the cheapest option.
- You can also take a public bus. You can buy your ticket at the airport upon arrival. This is the cheapest option but it can take anywhere from 3-6 hours depending on delays and dropoff. It does however drop you off at your hotel once you are on Koh Lanta.
- The last option is to take a Ferry. If you are coming from the Airport you can take a shuttle to the Pier and then take the ferry to Koh Lanta. The Ferry ticket is roughly $15 from the Krabi Bus terminal and $40 from the airport.The ticket includes the shuttle to your hotel as well.
If you are coming from Koh Phi Phi your best option is to take the ferry to Koh Lanta. If you take the local ferry it will take around 1 hour to reach and cost approx. $15. This option does not include a transfer to your accomodation once on the island.
If you take a speed boat the trip will take 30 minutes and cost around $30.
WHERE TO STAY
There are a lot of accomodation options on the island. Depending on your budget you can find exactly what you need. I stayed at Lanta Hostel which you can find on Hostelworld . Lanta Hostel is a new budget hostel that is partnered with a local resort . Because of the partnership you can stay in a budget friendly accommodation but use the pool and facilities of the resort. The hostel is clean, cheap and well managed.
TRANSPORTATION
The best way to truly explore the island is to rent a scooter and use it as your form of transportation.
You can easily walk to the beach and restaurants from your accomodation but to get to the waterfalls, surrounding and better beaches as well as the best street markets you need a scooter.
WHERE TO EAT
There are loads of different restaurants around the island but the best place to eat is at the street market by the pier. From Lanta Hostel it is a 20 minute scooter ride but it is 100% worth it. The food is delicious and cheap. My favorite meal was getting a passion fruit and mango juice with chicken thai soup.
WHAT TO DO IN KOH LANTA
Koh Lanta is famous for the beaches and the laid back chill lifestyle. There are 6 main beaches that are accessible by walking and or by scooter.
- Klong Dao Beach- the closest beach to where the ferry will drop you off on the island. It is a great island for a family vacation.
- Long Beach- This beach is a great walking beach. There are loads of resorts, of all price ranges, massage shops and restaurants to hangout at and enjoy the beautiful sunsets.
- Klong Klong Beach- This is the closest beach to Lanta Hostel and is the most affordable of the beaches. The shops around are reasonably priced and still a lot of fun to hangout at.
- Klong Nin Beach
- Klong Tob Beach- best for privacy
- Kantiang Beach- A great spot to spend a day or if you are looking for the 5-star experience there are some high-end resorts located here as well.
Besides exploring the beaches on Koh Lanta you can take day trips for diving, snorkeling and island hopping. While I was there I went on a day trip to visit Koh Muk, Koh Ngai and Koh Kradan. The must see island is Koh Muk because you can see the emerald cave. To see the cave you have to wade through bat caves and water until you reach the center of the island where the cave opens up and you can see sunlight.
Overall, Koh Lanta is a relaxing, affordable and chill place to stay and explore. It is great for all ages, families and for backpackers.
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