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We first discovered Ko Lanta in 2016, when we spent 3 weeks traveling in Asia. It was our first time in Thailand, so I spent months researching. One of the most important things I was looking for in a destination was peace and quiet. In some ways I’m like a 65-year-old woman, and even more so when I travel with my boyfriend. We both need 8 hours of sleep, go to bed before midnight and avoid parties and crowds. Before my trip, I heard horror stories about beaches overrun with tourists and littered with garbage. In addition to peace and quiet, we were also looking for a location with options for day trips, water activities and a good selection of food.
Not only does Ko Lanta meet all our requirements, it exceeded all our expectations and is now one of our favourite islands in the world. The island itself is not over developed and doesn’t feel like a tourist trap. The beaches are clean and spacious, and the people are very friendly. Ko Lanta is very laid back, but there are a good variety of activities, restaurants and neighbouring islands for day trips. Keep reading for my personal guide to Ko Lanta with some of my favourite spots and activities on the island.
GETTING THERE
There are several different ways to get to Ko Lanta. Because my boyfriend has dealt with reoccurring back problems, we usually opt for the most comfortable and efficient way. We usually fly from Vancouver to Bangkok, then Bangkok to Krabi. From Krabi we take a private van (arranged through our hotel) that drives us onto the ferry and directly to the hotel on Lanta Island. The entire trip takes about 2.5-3 hours depending on traffic, with around a 2 hour drive from the airport to the ferry terminal, and a 30 minute ferry ride. There may be a wait to board the ferry during peak seasons as well. For a one-way trip, the cost is 2,500 Thai Baht or $108.89 CAD. This may sound pricy, but considering the length and comfort of the trip, we were happy to pay. Also keep in mind that once you’re on the island, prices are very reasonable.
A much cheaper and less comfortable alternative is arranging a shuttle van, for approximately 400-600 ThB per person (around $20 CA). We’ve done this option before and decided it wasn’t for us. If you’re unlucky like we were, you may have a long ride in a van with no air conditioning. On top of ridesharing with other passengers from different hotels which made the drive much longer, we were also at the mercy of the driver’s other “unscheduled stops”. It seems that the transportation company wanted to kill two birds with one stone and were delivering packages in between the drop-off locations. After that uncomfortable experience, we have always opted for the private van, but I’ve heard of others having a decent trip with shuttle vans.
GETTING AROUND
Most hotels and resorts have scooter rentals available for their guests. Typically the cost is 200 baht per day to rent a scooter, not including gasoline. Gasoline is sold in glass bottles for 40 baht a pop at various shops around the island. We found the scooter was the best mode of transportation, just make sure you are provided with a helmet. We felt very comfortable driving around with the scooter as there isn’t too much traffic on the island and ample parking. Another option is hailing tuk tuks, but we had heard that some drivers try to over charge for rides (of course you can always negotiate).
ACCOMMODATION
If you’re staying on Ko Lanta, there are lots of different types of accommodation you can book, from inexpensive hostels to AirBnbs, to luxury resorts. We typically book mid-range hotels, which are usually $75-$100 a night depending on the season.
LANTA MERMAID BOUTIQUE HOUSE
We picked the Lanta Mermaid Boutique House for our first stay on Ko Lanta. It is located more towards the Northern tip of the island closer to the pier, and just a 5 minute scooter ride from Long Beach. We really enjoyed our time here and it felt like we were staying in a friend’s house. The property was homey and very clean, plus we paid a bit more to have breakfast included every morning. Breakfast was buffet style, with a good selection of fruit and savoury food. There were also two restaurants within walking distance that we both loved, the Kitchen and Krua Dan Thai Restaurant. However, if you’re staying here don’t expect any great views. The Boutique House is overlooking one of the main roads in Ko Lanta, but we didn’t mind as we spent most of our time out and about.
KEEREELAY LANTA RESORT
Keereelay Lanta Resort has a more central location, and the property is hidden away off the side of the road. There are several bungalows overlooking grassy hills with an outdoor dining and lounge area, where we ate breakfast every day. The rooms in our bungalow were basic, but comfortable and clean. Keereelay is a short scooter ride to several restaurants, including two vegetarian/vegan restaurants we frequented. It’s also within walking distance to the Lanta Muay Thai Academy, where I took private lessons.
The main highlight of our stay at Keereelay was the amazing husband & wife duo, Bea & Manoon, who own the resort. They went above and beyond every day to make sure we had a great stay. Bea made us breakfast every morning, catering to my boyfriend’s vegetarian diet. Bea also helped us book all our day trips and tours, plus she personally called restaurants to make reservations for us. One day after spending the afternoon at a beach, we discovered that the battery of the scooter we rented had died. Manoon quickly brought us a replacement scooter, no questions asked.
ACTIVITIES
BEACH HOPPING
Ko Lanta has many beaches to choose from, most easily accessible by scooter. What we enjoyed most about Ko Lanata’s beaches are that they’re clean and not overcrowded. We enjoyed Klong Nin Beach, which was recommended to us by locals as it’s not as busy as the main beaches. Another beach we frequented is the more popular Prae-ae, also known as Long Beach. Although Long Beach is more popular, we still found it uncrowded with lots of space for us to lay out our beach towel with privacy. Long Beach is also located right beside our favourite massage place (see below).
MANEELANTA MASSAGE
You can’t leave Thailand without experiencing a traditional Thai massage. Unfortunately our first Thai massage experience in Bangkok left my boyfriend with a sprained and very swollen ankle. We were told by some locals after that not all masseuses go through proper training and may even take their cues from online videos. After this awful experience, we made sure to do our research before getting a massage on Ko Lanta. Online reviews led us to Maneelanta Massage, a family-run business with Manee, as the owner and head masseuse. We also had massages from her sister Nit, plus we saw her mother and niece working in the salon. The massages we had at Maneelanta are without a doubt the best (but also most painful) we’ve had in our entire lives. These massages alone make the trip from Canada down to Ko Lanta worth it. We came here almost every other day for both visits. Depending on the masseuse and treatment you select, the massages range from 300-600+ baht per hour, which is more expensive than other spots on the island, but the masseuses have all underwent extensive training. Manee has had training around the world, including chiropractic practices, and she’s passed this knowledge to her family members and staff members. Normally we wouldn’t trust just anyone off the street to crack our backs, but we have the most faith in Manee and her team.
Location: 47 หมู่ 3 Sala Dan, Ko Lanta District, Krabi, Thailand. Click here for the map.
SCUBA DIVING
Since I received my diving certification from SSI and my boyfriend is an advanced PADI diver, we try to schedule at least one dive on every vacation. We researched the dive shops on the island and found very positive reviews for Flip Flop Divers. We went to the dive shop and met the owner Adi, who was very helpful and gave us all the information we needed to select our Koh Haa as our dive site. He also let us try on our wet suits in advance to ensure that they fit well for our dive.
The trip out to Koh Haa took about two hours (faster if you take a speedboat). The Flip Flop divers team drove us to Saladan Pier where our boat awaited us, and from there we embarked on our journey. Breakfast and lunch were provided on the boat, along with sea sickness medication. There were about 15 tourists on the boat with us, plus the dive crew. We appreciated that for the dives we had a designated dive master who led the way and made sure we were safe. Other than the abundant sea life, one of the standouts from our dive was the Cathedral, dark large caverns that we swam through. More highlights can be found in the video below.
Location: 362 Moo2 Phra Ae, Saladan, Koh Lanta, Krabi 81150, Thailand. Click here for map.
HALF-DAY KAYAKING TRIP AT TALABENG CAVES & MANGROVE FOREST
I think it’s clear from my blog’s name that I love monkeys. A tourist we met on the island told us about the half day trip where we’d be able to feed monkeys and I was sold. We booked the tour through our resort, which included pick-up and drop-off. These tours can also be booked online or through tourist centers at Saladan Pier.
The journey starts on a longtail boat, which took us to a beach to pick up the kayaks. From there, we followed our guide, kayaking through beautiful natural scenery to make our way to the Talabeng Caves. We were actually able to paddle into the caves and walk around inside to admire the impressive rock formations. After kayaking, we boarded the longtail boat again for what I had been waiting for all day…. THE MONKEYS! The monkeys that inhabit the Mangrove Forest come running when they hear the longtail boat engines as they know there is food in store for them. I was delighted to see monkeys swimming through the water and hanging from the trees. A couple monkeys even boarded our boat and we were able to hand feed them! This was definitely one of the most memorable moments of my trip.
MUAY THAI
Having trained in Muay Thai for a few years in Vancouver, I was super excited to take private lessons in Thailand. I trained at Lanta Muay Thai Academy, where private lessons were 600 baht per person for an hour, or $25 CAD (typically private lessons in Vancouver are $100 for an hour). The trainers at Lanta Muay Thai Academy were great, offering lots of guidance and challenging me at the same time. The training grounds are outdoors, which can be tough in Thailand’s humid 30+ degree Celsius weather. If you’ve never done Muay Thai, just be aware that it’s a very high impact sport which could lead to injuries if you aren’t careful. I usually recommend that people learn the basics of proper technique before going all out. During one of my private sessions, I witnessed a tourist who was a beginner suffer a knee injury.
Location: 245 M.2 T.Saladan,, A, Ko Lanta District, Krabi 81150, Thailand. Click here for the map.
LANTA ANIMAL WELFARE
If you are looking for volunteer opportunities while on Ko Lanta, I’d recommend visiting Lanta Animal Welfare. It is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to helping homeless and injured animals on the island. They rely on volunteers and donations from tourists, and even have an international adoption program. When we volunteered at Lanta Animal Welfare, we helped out by taking the dogs for a walk, including a disabled dog that needed a special harness. It was a great experience and the animals seemed very happy and well cared for.
Location: 629 Moo 2, Saladan, Koh Lanta, Krabi, Thailand. Click here for the map.
FOOD
Ko Lanta has a great selection of dining options. All of the restaurants I’ve listed below have vegan and vegetarian friendly options!
THE KITCHEN
The Kitchen is just a short walk away from the Lanta Mermaid Boutique House. It’s definitely one of our favourite dining spots on the island. The staff are very friendly with a great sense of humour. The first time we dined here, the staff played a prank on me and presented me with a tiny cup when I ordered a mango smoothie (photo above). The restaurant has all outdoor seating, so make sure you put on mosquito repellent before dining here. We enjoyed the deep-fried bananas and mango smoothies.
Location: 541 Sala Dan, Ko Lanta District, Krabi 81150, Thailand. Click here for the map.
KINDEE RESTAURANT
Kindee Restaurant is a slightly more “refined” and fusion-style restaurant on Ko Lanta, which I’d recommend for special occasions or date nights. It still has a homey and laid-back atmosphere, but the prices are a bit higher than some other spots on the island. Once the food arrives though, you can see why as the food is beautifully executed. The dishes we tried had a mix of Thai and European flavours, with the standout of the night being the gnocchi (pictured above). The restaurant is very busy and guests are required to make reservations in advance. We enjoyed our meal so much that we tried to return for a second visit, but the restaurant was fully booked.
Location: 226 moo2, Long Beach, Saladan, Koh Lanta, Krabi 81150, Thailand. Click here for the map.
MAY’S KITCHEN
Another favourite of ours which we dined at several times! May’s Kitchen is a very lively and busy restaurant, especially at night time. We ate here on Christmas Eve and they were grilling up a storm. I chose a fresh fish for dinner and it was grilled to perfection. We loved the deep-fried bananas from May’s Kitchen, and we often took an extra order to-go for a late-night snack.
Location: Sala Dan, Ko Lanta District, Krabi 81150, Thailand. Click here for the map.
KAYA VEGAN VEGGIE RESTAURANT
The second time we visited Ko Lanta, my boyfriend was on a strict vegetarian diet so we sought out various vegan spots on the island. We visited Kaya Vegan Veggie Restaurant multiple times to cool down from the heat with their delicious smoothie bowls. The prices are quite reasonable and the menu had a great selection of dishes. The staff were very friendly, and on one occasion when service was slower the owner/chef came out to check on us and apologize. The outdoor seating area can get quite steamy at this restaurant, so wear breezy clothing 😉
Location: 8 Sala Dan, Ko Lanta District, อำนาจเจริญ 81150, Thailand. Click here for the map.
NA KORAT NOODLE SHOP
Hole-in-the-wall restaurants are my favourite because they usually have the best food. Na Korat Noodle Shop fits that bill. If not for Adi from Flip Flop Divers recommending Na Korat Noodle Shop, we would’ve driven right past it. It’s easy to miss as the storefront is small and unassuming, but we were told that these are the best noodles on the island. I’ve seen some reviews questioning the sanitation of this little noodle shop and I can understand why if you’re not used to eating street food in Asian countries. As far as I could see, there was no kitchen and the noodles were made off of a cart. However, this didn’t dissuade me from giving it a try, and I’m glad I did. The food is unpretentious, just simple broth and noodles with vegetable and protein. At 140 baht for two bowls of noodles (around $7 CAD), this was definitely one of the cheapest meals we had on the island. It was also one of my favourite meals on Ko Lanta, but I may be biased since I’m obsessed with noodles.
Location: 4245, Sala Dan, Ko Lanta District, Krabi 81150, Thailand. Click here for map.
KRUA DAN THAI RESTAURANT
We dined at Krua Dan Thai Restaurant based on the recommendations of some locals. The restaurant looked like a bit of a hole in the wall, but as I mentioned earlier those kinds of restaurants usually have the best food. This was no exception, we were very impressed by the all of the authentic Thai dishes. I tried larb moo (pictured above) for the first time and it was packed with flavour and spice. It is now one of my favourite Thai dishes.
Location: 4245, Sala Dan, Ko Lanta District, Krabi 81150, Thailand. Click here for the map.
Ko Lanta is one of my favourite vacation destinations and I would go every year if I had time. It is the perfect island for getting away from the hustle and bustle. Let me know if you have any questions in the comments below!
