Why visit Koh Lanta?
People rave about Koh Lanta, and once there, we could see why. We have been visiting Thailand since 1987; Koh Lanta was always in the “too hard, too far” basket. When we finally made it, we wished we’d made the effort sooner. Koh Lanta remains beguilingly traditional. It has largely been protected from mass tourism due to its somewhat remote location in Southern Thailand.
Koh Lanta is green and lush, and it feels like stepping back in time to the Thailand of yesteryear. Am I sounding old now? The people are so friendly, and I know it’s a complete cliche, but it takes you back to those days when you first understood the allure and attraction of the Land of Smiles!
With no airport and only ferry access, the best time to visit is from November to April for calm sea crossings. You may have to work harder to arrive, but when you do, I hope you will be as charmed as we were.
Where is Koh Lanta
Koh Lanta islands are found in the Andaman Sea off the west coast of Southern Thailand. There are two main islands: Koh Lanta Yai, 25 km long and the smaller Koh Lanta Noi. The nearest airport is Krabi International Airport (75 km north)
We chose to drive from Phuket. There is a 10-minute car ferry from Ban Hua Hin Pier, which is 45 minutes south of Krabi Town. This car ferry arrives at Koh Lanta Noi. From here, you can drive across the Siri Lanta Bridge to Koh Lanta Yai. The service generally operates from 06:00 to 22:00 Hours.
The blog post: Your Ultimate Thailand Road Trip from Phuket to Koh Lanta, has all the details.
The Archipelago Koh Lanta
Koh Lanta officially comprises 52 islands found south of Krabi town in Southern Thailand. However, the main tourism and residential hub is Koh Lanta Yai (Big Lanta Island). Little Lanta, Koh Lanta Noi, accessible by bridge from its big-sister island, was not part of our three-night stay.
We let AI plan our Koh Lanta Trip
This Itinerary was the result of a trip largely planned by AI. What follows is the final trip, with our ideas on everything you need for a successful three-night holiday in Koh Lanta. You can find our full thoughts on using AI for travel planning here:
Exploring Koh Lanta
Our four-day itinerary gave us structure but left room for relaxation. Here are the highlights:
Day One: Road trip from Phuket, coffee in Phang Nga, lunch in Krabi Town, Koh Lanta Ferry, Kantiang Beach
Kantiang Beach
An early start from Phuket (7 am) meant we arrived by car ferry around lunchtime. After settling into our hotel, The Houben, we headed to Kantiang Beach for a walk and sundowners. We were taken with this beach, widely regarded as one of the best beaches on the island. Known for its pristine, sandy shoreline and lush, jungle-covered hills, it offers a quieter, more exclusive alternative to the busier beaches further north.
The fact that it is home to one of the smartest hotels on the island, Pimalai Resort & Spa, my pick if I were to return, says a lot. This super swanky beach resort is on a gorgeous beach!
We can recommend two beach bars here at this time. The livelier Why Not Bar, with its duff-duff music (appeals to a younger crowd) and evening fire shows. Same Same But Different at the southern end is quieter and hidden amongst the trees
The difference in Same, Same... was the quirky decorations. Recycled lighters made a floor mosaic at the entrance to their boutique. A mural of washed-up flip-flops shows that someone here has an eye on recycling and the environment. We stayed for drinks, and there are mixed reviews on TripAdvisor, from absolutely brilliant to food poisoning!
We can, however, recommend dinner at The Red Alert Bar in The Houben. We normally avoid hotel restaurant food, as overpriced and, quite frankly, a tad boring. However, we were impressed with both the attentive service and delicious food.
Day Two: Nature, beach and Pool time
Koh Lanta National Park wanders, relaxing afternoon by the pool, sunset at Long Beach, dinner at Yang Garden.
Koh Lanta National Park
Note: A park entrance fee of 200 THB per person is payable upon arrival.
Start early if you want to do the recommended 2km hike, and beware the steep stairs and sometimes slippery conditions. Mr Wren skipped through it, saying there were nice sea views and saw a few monkeys. You can also take an uphill trail to get closer to the lighthouse.
There is not much else here. You’ll find a sleepy National Park Visitors Centre, and an outdoor cafe near the lighthouse, selling drinks at inflated prices!
It felt like some investment in the area was warranted. However, we did appreciate seeing a different side of Koh Lanta, beyond its gorgeous beaches.
Koh Lanta Beach and Pool time
AI suggested lazy hours at Relax Bay and Nui Beach, as being tucked away and quieter than Long Beach.
However, AI didn’t factor in how blinkin’ hot it was, almost too hot for lazy beach days. So instead, we choose to chill by the red Houben hotel pool. However, in hindsight, I’m feeling we should have made the effort to check out these beaches.
Long Beach
We did make it for sundowners and a wander on Phra Ae Beach, otherwise known as Long Beach. This 2km beach on Koh Lanta’s West coast was charmingly undeveloped. If you love your fine golden sand with gorgeous sunsets, this is your place!
We stopped at San Sunset Bar, what a cool bar right on the beach with a relaxed vibe.
Dinner at Yang Garden was absolute perfection. I know this is high praise indeed, but we loved it! Candlelit, romantic, and high-quality food and service. The useful part? We could simply tell AI, “More restaurants like this,” for future dining ideas.
Address: 8/1 Moo 2, Sala Dan, Ko Lanta, Krabi 81150
Website: https://www.yanglanta.com/
Day Three – Beaches, Wellness & Romantic Dining
Koh Lanta Old Town
Koh Lanta Old Town, wellness pampering, chilling at The Houben and sunset dinner at Pimalai Resort Kantiang Beach
The town is known for its rich local cultures: Thai-Chinese, Muslim, and Sea Gypsy. The charming main street has a distinct Chinese influence. You mustn’t miss the Chinese Temple at the Long Pier for some fab photos. The whole place has a very slow, laid-back feel.
Lanta Old Town is surprisingly small, and it can be easily explored in an hour or two. That depends on whether the Koh Lanta Community Museum is open. Housed in the former Sheriff’s Office, it was closed during our early October visit. A sign says it opens daily, but online reviews suggest that is not always the case.
Visit early in the day or during the low season, and the Old Town feels wonderfully authentic. The rustic wooden houses on silts, quirky boutiques and scenic dining are certainly gorgeous
When it comes to dining, you’ll be spoilt for choice — a quick wander or Google search will uncover everything from laid-back cafés to little local gems. But the real joy is to step inside these beautiful old wooden shophouses, where you can truly appreciate their charm and character.
We stopped at Lanta’s Cafe, tempted in by the warm welcome and lovely outdoor seating behind, with fab views across the tiny islands scattered across Koh Lanta. We also loved neighbouring Rareview — their famous swing and sea views make it a fun little stop for sunset drinks or a relaxed coffee break.
Sea Gypsy village
If you thought Koh Lanta Old Town was quaint, try the road beyond the town, which is, in fact, currently a dead end. A left-hand turn off takes you down to an old sea gypsy village, which I loved -talk about peaceful and sleepy!
Spa Time
We always build time to relax into our itineraries, and one of the best ways to do this is to enjoy a Thai massage. For more on how to find a great Spa in Thailand, read: https://www.littlewanderingwren.com/little-wrens-guide-to-finding-great-massage-in-thailand/
We chose Sakinah Thai massage, a local spa on the main road at Kantiang Beach, because it was well rated. For a ‘cheap and cheerful’ massage (well, at 900 THB for 90 mins, it was not a real bargain), but it was good.
Sunset diner at Pimalai Resort
Our sunset dinner at Pimalai was a highlight of our entire time in Koh Lanta – the sunset a real show-stopper and the meal amazing. As mentioned, if I return, I’m staying here, whatever the price!
Day Four: Khlong Chak Waterfall hike, scenic drinks
Early-morning jungle walk to Khlong Chak Waterfall, goodbye drinks at a scenic spot, car ferry back to Krabi Province.
Khlong Chak Waterfall (Klong Jark)
We suggest your waterfall adventure hike is best taken early-morning to avoid the heat of the day, and a big bonus if, like us, you go before brekkie, you might be the only ones on the trail! We found a small undercover parking lot, and there is a ranger’s booth, since the waterfall is inside the National Park, which merits a 200 THB entry fee. Neither was manned when we were there, nor is there any obvious place to leave a donation.
The trail takes about 40 minutes and is a reasonably well-trodden path. You have the option to divert to a nearby cave. It had rained overnight, making it slippery and muddy. The adventure was getting there, listening to the monkeys chattering high above in the canopy, and the unspoiled rainforest walk. The waterfall itself was a tad underwhelming, given we were in the rainy season.
Khao Yai Restaurant
We’d noticed this restaurant was a popular choice when we arrived in Koh Lanta, so we decided to stop by on our return. You can’t miss it, found on the 4245 road that connects the West of the island to the East. Famed for its seafood, great coffee, and lovely views over the mangroves
Getting There – Phuket to Koh Lanta made easy
The easiest way to arrive in Koh Lanta is either to fly into Krabi International Airport (direct flights to Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Koh Samui, Singapore and KL) and ask your hotel to arrange a pickup. Alternatively, you can take a speedboat, which takes 1 hour and 30 minutes from Rassander Pier, Phuket, directly to Koh Lanta.
You will find all the options, from a mini bus and coach transfers, flights between Phuket and Krabi and even a taxi ride here at: 12.go.asia or Rome2Rio, or of course, you can ask AI.
Driving to Koh Lanta
As we have a car in Phuket and are used to Thai roads, it made sense for us to drive. A non-stop route from Phuket town takes about 3 hours and 30 minutes. Our journey from Bang Tao, Phuket, leaving at 7.20 am and including a coffee break and a lunch stop with a detour into Krabi town, had us arriving at the ferry terminal at 12.40, a distance of about 100 miles (155 km).
What worked well:
Having our own car made the trip easy. The AI itinerary suggested the most straightforward route: drive to Krabi and take the car ferry across to Koh Lanta. This proved smooth and easy — no fiddling with multiple transfers or luggage juggling.
Where we Stayed – The Houben
Mr Wren paid extra for a sea view on the third floor. From the car, we walk the equivalent of five stories. Ai hasn’t been told that I would find this exhausting and annoying every time I get to the car and have left my phone on charge in the room I need to return to!!
The design of The Houben is stylish with dashes of bold red around and even an interesting red swimming pool, which is novel. There are only 15 rooms, and we had the place almost to ourselves in October.
The Red Alert Bar serves up good food, and breakfast each day is extensive and lovely. For Mr Wren, this stay ticks all his boxes; he loves waking up to sea views, the quiet pool, and the Red Alert Bar for a sunset cocktail. He declares it a success.
I’m disappointed, I feel it needs a lick of paint, some money spent on tidying up the cracked walls, regrouting around the pool, and some new bathrooms or at least the tiling redone – just call me a fussy Wren! I find the bar proudly proclaiming the February specials and the leftover Christmas decorations show that The Houben is stuck in the past high season. It just needs decent management and budget to bring it back up to the standard that I would rave about!
So this proves how difficult it is for AI to please everyone, even within the same couple!
Final thoughts
Four days, three nights on Koh Lanta gave us the perfect mix of laid-back island life, beach time, local culture and those little unexpected moments that always stay with you long after a trip ends. From early morning treks to the waterfall and National Park wanders to sunset drinks on Kantiang Beach, this corner of southern Thailand feels wonderfully relaxed compared to some of the country’s busier islands.
Whether you’re here for boutique stays, hidden beaches, island-hopping adventures, or simply to switch off for a few days, Koh Lanta has a quiet charm that slowly wins you over. We arrived expecting beautiful scenery — and left already planning our return.
Follow us on Social Media: Find more photos of my travels and stories on Instagram @littlewanderingwren.
