Koh Lanta, Thailand: Top 4 Things to Do and More
*Deep Breath*. This is where we felt like we could finally relax after the insanity of Bangkok. Koh Lanta is one of Thailand’s many paradise islands south of Bangkok. It can be overwhelming to figure out which of Thailand’s numerous islands to visit. We narrowed down our list to five: Koh Phi Phi (this might be familiar to you if you’ve seen The Beach), Koh Lanta, Koh Lipe, Railay Beach, or Koh Tao (on the eastern side). We decided to skip Koh Phi Phi this trip because of its party atmosphere and went straight to Koh Lanta from Bangkok. Flights are cheap – we snagged two one-way tickets for $120 from Bangkok to Krabi. Flights are even cheaper if you book in advance. You then have to book a shuttle from Krabi airport to get to Koh Lanta. It’s extremely easy to book a shuttle at the airport – there are multiple companies near the airport exit and there is no need to book in advance. The shuttle is cheap and drops you off at your hotel (in case you’re wondering, the shuttle boards the ferry that takes you from Krabi’s port to Koh Lanta’s port). The shuttle journey took about an hour and a half.
Koh Lanta is a good mix between laidback and social. If you want to just chill and hit up the beach, you can do that. There is also a bit of nightlife most nights of the week, with different bars taking turns hosting events on different nights. What was interesting about Koh Lanta was the majority Muslim population. You’ll notice some restaurants advertising Halal meat and women wearing hijabs and even full burqas while driving a tuk-tuk or scooter (it’s a sight to see). The juxtaposition of barely clad tourists next to women in head coverings was amusing, to say the least. Don’t worry though – the two worlds live in perfect, ironic harmony on this island.
Accommodations
We booked three-nights at Pinky Bungalows on Khlong Khong Beach, which is roughly on the middle of the coast. The room was modern, clean, and equipped with a balcony that afforded us front seat tickets to amazing sunsets. Pinky Bungalow had two pools, free breakfast, and also offered booking services for the many adventure tours the island has. Mama Nong and her sister, Mems, were the highlight – they were full of energy and humor, which added to the character of the place. After four days in Koh Lanta, we decided to extend our stay since we loved the island so much and we did need to take some “down time” to set up our blog site, Facebook page, and Instagram account and curate content for Brown Flip Flops. We moved to Popular Lanta Resort since it was a cheaper option and a bit closer to the beach. It was a newer spot that had a modern bungalow aesthetic. The staff were very helpful and accommodating, but it lacked the charm and character of Pinky Bungalows. One advantage of Popular Lanta Resort was that you could use the nearby beachfront properties pools, of which we took full advantage.
We used Booking.com for our accommodation – use our referral link so that you can get a $25 reward! https://www.booking.com/s/43_8/roxyba87
Top Four Things to Do in Koh Lanta
1. Four-Island Tour
We booked the popular Four-Island Tour through Pinky Bungalows. Many, if not all, hotels on this island offer booking services for this tour. If not, there are plenty of companies along the main strip that offer this service. You can shop around for price (since the service is ‘same, same but different’), but it’s most convenient to just book through your accommodation. The four islands include: Koh Mook, Koh Cheuk, Koh Kradan, and Koh Ngai. Plan to set aside nine hours for the excursion and pay around 1,500THB per adult ($45).
We booked through Sinthong Chai Tours via Pinky Bungalows. They take care of everything for you – the boat to get to the islands (obviously), snorkel equipment, beach towel, buffet lunch, plenty of bottled water, after lunch fruit, and event Dramamine for those prone to sea sickness (like me). All you need to bring is sunblock, a pair of sunnies, and a swimsuit. The great thing about booking through Pinky Bungalow is that they provided door-to-door service from the hotel to the boat pick-up point, which was super convenient.
As we set off, we were taken aback by the beauty of everything around us. It was like nothing we had ever seen – tiny little islands jutting out of the green and blue water with little coves to discover.
The tour started at Koh Cheuk and Koh Kradan where we were allowed to snorkel for 30 minutes at each place. If you know me well, you know about my fear of open water. Well, it was time to face my fear head-on and take the plunge. Pun intended. Evidently my fear of FOMO (fear of missing out) was greater, because only after a few minutes of hesitation, I jumped in the water with the rest of the group. We saw a few colorful fishes, but the visibility wasn’t the greatest.
Next, we stopped at Koh Kradan’s beach where we had lunch and a leisurely break of about an hour to explore the beach and take a dip. The lunch consisted of rice, a delicious stir fry dish with chicken, and refreshing watermelon. The beach at this island was the most stunning we had seen on the Koh Lanta trip. It was the ideal beach with white sand and crystal clear, blue water.
We then ventured to Koh Mook to see the famous Emerald Cave. Unfortunately, there were quite a few other boats of tourists visiting the Cave so it was a zoo. To get to the beach on the other side, you have to swim through the dark cave about 50 meters. It was a bit scary at first since it’s pitch black at parts, but it’s a short swim of only 5 minutes. Some of the tour companies string a rope from a rock outside the cave to the other side so that those who can’t swim can hang on to the rope instead. When we emerged from the cave, we swam up to a beach that was surrounded by greenery as high as the sky. It was a sight. The feeling of sheer wonder only lasted a minute until you realized you were being kept company by about 100 half-naked tourists. *Sigh*.
The last island we visited was Kho Ngai (I think. The names run together) where we were given 30 minutes to snorkel again. At about this time, we were “snorkeled out” and ready to head back to the main island. The boat ride back was about 40 minutes, and our ride was conveniently waiting to pick us up by the time we arrived at Koh Lanta.
The Four-Island Tour was well worth the trip and money, and I encourage you to check it out when you come to Koh Lanta. If you don’t want to spend a full day touring the surrounding islands, there are two-island tour options as well.
2. Party on the Beach
There are plenty of bars on this island, but the hottest spots appeared to be on Khlong Khong beach. You’ll notice advertisements for parties at these places throughout the week. Be prepared for neon body painting – Mike had his arm painted with pineapples to match his shirt (cue photo).
There are also fire dancers who provide jaw-dropping entertainment on the beach while you sip on a beer or cocktail. As for drinks, our verdict was: skip the cocktails and stick to the beer – there didn’t seem to be much alcohol in any of the cocktails we had on the island. The beer is cheaper anyway. If you want to pregame you can always grab a bottle from the local, ubiquitous 7-11, try a bottle of Sangsom and coke to drink like the locals do. After some fire dancing shows, you can decompress and stargaze on the beach.
3. Rent a Scooter to Explore and Go to the National Park
Since we’re budget savvy (*pat on the back*), we only rented a scooter for one day during our week-long stay. They are cheap, but we opted to use our own two feet to get places most of the time. You can rent a scooter from your hotel or from a shop on the main strip. The cost is around 250THB ($8), and you can get cheaper deals for longer rentals. It’s a popular mode of transportation for everyone – tourists and locals alike. We took advantage of the one-time rental and decided to explore the entire island. We first drove up to the north of the island and explored Saladan, Koh Lanta’s downtown. There are a lot of restaurants and shops on this side of the island. We then drove down the coast to the southeastern part of the island, stopping at a sea-side restaurant (believe it was called Panorama) for a cup of coffee and a papaya smoothie. It was an off-the-beaten-path spot that was tranquil and bordered the national park.
Next, we traveled to a spot close to the national park to tour a cave and see some elephants. Unfortunately, we didn’t make it into the national park on this trip because it was starting to get dark. I’ve heard great things about the park and you can hang out with the monkeys, because who doesn’t want that!? On our way back up north to our hotel, we stopped at a beach-side café called Rasta Baby. Mike and I sipped on a (watered down) cocktail, or two, while watching the sunset and took a dip in the ocean to cool off.
We highly recommend renting a scooter at least once during your trip, if not the whole time, to explore and experience all that the island has to offer.
4. Chill on the Beach
There’s plenty of beach on this island so the no-brainer option is to go to the beach. Stake out some real estate on a stretch of sand and spend an afternoon chilling. Stay until the sunset – it’s a stunning sight. The beach is decent anywhere you go on the island, but if you want something a little more secluded, go to the eastern part of the island near the Old City or Bamboo Beach near the national park.
Food
There were a few noteworthy spots to eat. We like good grub, so finding something tasty was important. While we love Thai food, it does get repetitive eating it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day, so we looked for options that offered some variety.
- Lanta Rivera Resort – great Thai food and beach-side views. We went there four times for lunch and dinner.
- Ohana – mouth-watering burgers and pizza. The burgers are SO DELICIOUS and are as big as your head, so you may want to split it with someone. The burger comes with wedge fries (the best) and a garlic sauce that is superb.
- Coco Resort – pizza, beach-side view, and wine. The pizza was pretty good and pairing it with their decent, house red made for an excellent meal.
- Greek Taverna – yummy souvlaki, pita, tzatziki and wine.
- The Living Room Café – fantastic breakfast. It offered the best coffee we’ve had since arriving from the States. Surprisingly, they had avocado toast and many other tasty options including omelets, pancakes, eggs, etc.
Pampering
There are plenty of places to get a massage on this island. We got one at Coco Resort, which is right on the beach so you can hear the crashing of the waves as you relax. They did a great job of working out the knots. For one hour, it’s 400THB ($12). You can also get a gel manicure for 400THB. The manicurist was super talented and can paint fun designs – I decided to get watermelons to match the beach vibe.
Our Key Takeaways and Tips
Koh Lanta is one of our favorite places. The people are friendly, the vibe is chill, and the island is the perfect balance between party and relaxation. We would go back in a heartbeat. Here are just a few tips for your visit:
- Rent a scooter to tour the entire island
- See the surrounding islands by booking a tour
- Check out the monkeys in the national park
- Skip the cocktails and stick to the beer
- Party on Khlong Khong beach