Andaman Sea · nine beaches on one coast

Koh
Lanta

A long island with one road, nine beaches and none of the noise the Andaman coast is famous for.

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Nine beaches
One coastal road
Old town on stilts
National park
Family friendly
Sunset side
Introduction

One road, nine beaches

Koh Lanta is thirty kilometres long and has essentially one road down the west side, with beaches strung along it like beads. Klong Dao at the north end is the family beach, shallow and calm. Long Beach is the backpacker middle. Further south — Klong Nin, Kantiang, Bakantiang — the bays get smaller, prettier and quieter, and the road gets worse.

Klong Nin beach on Koh Lanta

On the east coast, Lanta Old Town is the island's other side: Chinese-Thai shophouses on stilts over the water, sea gypsy villages, and seafood restaurants on the piers. Nothing happens fast here, which is exactly the point.

Transport

Tickets & connections

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Tours

Tours & activities

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Quick facts

Koh Lanta

  • Around 30 km long, reached by two short car ferries or a bridge from the north
  • Season November to April; many places close from June to September
  • Klong Dao and Long Beach for families and budget, the south for quiet
  • Mu Ko Lanta national park at the southern tip, with a lighthouse and a viewpoint
  • Krabi airport is about two hours away including the crossing
The coast in Mu Ko Lanta national park
Getting there

Getting to Koh Lanta

Most people come through Krabi. Minivans run from Krabi town and the airport in about two hours, crossing on the car ferries at the north end — or over the bridge, depending on which route your driver takes.

From the Gulf side, cross the peninsula: bus or train to Surat Thani, then a minivan to Krabi and on to Lanta. It is a full day but a straightforward one, and 12go sells the whole chain as one ticket.

In high season, speedboats connect Lanta with Phi Phi, Koh Jum and Railay, which makes island hopping easy. Those boats stop running in the monsoon.

Good to know

On the island

  • Rent a scooter: the island is long and the songthaews thin out after dark.
  • The far south is worth the bumpy road — Kantiang bay is the prettiest on Lanta.
  • Low season prices drop by half, but so does the number of open restaurants.
  • Sunsets are the west coast's daily event; every beach bar knows it.
Ferry in southern Thailand
Highlights

What to do on Koh Lanta

  • Lanta Old Town — stilt houses, seafood piers and a slower century.
  • Mu Ko Lanta national park — lighthouse, monkeys and a viewpoint over the strait.
  • Kantiang Bay — the southern bay everyone means when they say Lanta is beautiful.
  • Four Islands day trip — snorkelling and the Emerald Cave at Koh Mook.
Where to stay

Which beach to choose

North for convenience, south for beauty. Klong Dao and Long Beach put you close to the ferry, the shops and the widest choice of restaurants; Klong Nin is the sweet spot in the middle; Kantiang and beyond are for people happy to ride twenty minutes for dinner.

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Where next

Nearby islands

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