A guide to Koh Lanta, Thailand

Koh Lanta has been my favourite island in South East Asia (so far). There is so much to explore but it’s also an amazing place to just chill out. It really is a beautiful island.

Koh Lanta is located on the west coast of Thailand between the Phi Phi islands and the mainland. It’s part of the Krabi province.

We spent almost two weeks on Koh Lanta in April 2024. It is one of the few places that I would go back to and could easily just go to for a holiday.

It doesn’t feel too touristy and it has a nice quiet vibe to it. It certainly isn’t a party destination, although there are plenty of nice bars to go to for a drink. It’s a very relaxed place that is ideal for couples who like a quieter, more chilled out island experience.

Here is a guide of what we got up to and what I would recommend if you visit Koh Lanta.

How to get there-

We travelled to Koh Lanta from Koh Phi Phi. It cost about £26 for two of us on a speedboat and it only took about an hour. It was a very straightforward journey.

When you arrive in Koh Lanta you have to pay a small fee to enter the island. From memory this was about 20 Baht (about 50p) each. There are then taxis waiting to take you to your accommodation. We did think they were expensive. Initially they tried to charge us 700 Baht (around £15) but we got the price down to 500 Baht (around £10).

A lot of people will travel to Koh Lanta from Krabi mainland or Phuket. The best way is to get on a minivan and then get straight onto a car ferry.

Where we stayed-

Hatzanda Lanta Resort- we spent our first week at this hotel. The room was a great size and had everything we needed. It was very comfortable and the air conditioning was great!

There was a good size pool with a waterfall feature at one end. There were plenty of sun beds and umbrellas around the pool. The pool was very warm though because of the heatwave so it wasn’t as refreshing as we hoped it would be.

The location was great as it was only a short walk to the beach, lots of nice restaurants, and a 7 Eleven. We did use a motorbike to get further around the island.

It cost us around £22 a night to stay here which we thought was great value.

The Lazy Lodge- This is the second place we stayed on Koh Lanta. We were treated to a few nights of luxury here courtesy of Jacob’s parents as they were out visiting us!

The Lazy Lodge is a small hotel set on the beachfront. There are probably only around 15 rooms and the rooms are like individual cabins. The rooms were lovely inside and the bed was so comfortable.

The food and drinks at the hotel were lovely. We had lunch at the hotel a couple of times and it was really tasty. Breakfast was included and this was really good. There were 5 different options to choose from so there was something for everyone. We also had a fair few beers and cocktails during our stay!

There wasn’t a pool (although there was one under construction) but this didn’t matter because you could walk straight into the sea. Just before sunset the staff would set out beanbags on the beach so you would have the best view for the sunset.

Places to eat/drink-

Malina’s Kitchen- we ate here a couple of times and each time we had one of their sandwiches. I had the stir fried veggie sandwich and Jacob had the chicken and bacon sandwich. They were delicious.

The Galaxy– this is a Thai restaurant which I liked because they are able to make pretty much every dish vegetarian if you ask. The tables are outside and there are lots of pretty lanterns all around the restaurant.

Cozy restaurant- this is a restaurant more on the expensive side but the food was delicious. I had a halloumi burger which was amazing. It was the first time I had seen halloumi on a menu in South East Asia so it really was a treat. There are loads of different options from burgers to fish to Thai tapas. There is also a great selection of gin.

Lanta lily Restaurant- the food here was basic but nice. I had a cheese and tomato toastie and Jacob had a chicken baguette. A big plus about this place was it had a pool so it would be a good place to have a drink and a dip in the pool to cool off.

Lay Sod- this is a Thai restaurant that we ate at a few times. It was quite cheap and the food was good. I had the vegetarian pineapple fried rice which was lovely.

Patty’s Secret Garden by the Sea- this restaurant had Khao Soi on the menu which I was excited about because it’s my favourite Thai dish. Khao Soi is a northern Thai speciality. It is egg noodles in a coconut curry broth topped with fried crispy noodles. The Khao Soi at Patty’s was very tasty so definitely check this out. It is also on the beachfront so there’s a great view of the sea.

Dazy Space/Devy Ale Cafe- during the day this place is called Dazy Space but in the evening its name changes to Devy Ale Cafe. This is a beachfront restaurant that serves good food and craft ale. There is also a pool table! The staff are very friendly and will happily make dishes vegetarian.

105 cafe bar & restaurant- this was just next to Hatzanda Lanta Resort where we stayed first. There was a good mix of Thai and western options. I had a delicious, and very spicy, red curry.

Hidden Hut cafe & eatery- this cafe was a bit in the middle of nowhere but it was a nice drive there. There are plenty of seats and in one part there is air conditioning which we welcomed! There is a large variety of drinks to choose from. We tried fruit shakes and a mocha frappe, all of which were very nice. They also serve food but we didn’t try any of this.

Kung Fu bar- this is a beach bar on Khlong Chak beach. We stopped to have a strawberry shake here which is one of the best shakes I’ve ever had. Be warned though, the seats aren’t very comfy!

Things to do-

Pub quiz at the Irish Embassy- every Monday at 8pm there’s a quiz at the Irish Embassy pub. We went twice and won the music round the second time! The winner gets a 500 Baht bar tab.

Lanta Animal Welfare- this is a not for profit charity that looks after injured and ill stray cats and dogs on Koh Lanta. It was established 20 years ago and has done incredible work on the island. It has even branched out to surrounding islands and the mainland.

You can pay around £5 to go on a 1 hour tour where you will be told all about the work they do and get to meet some of the animals. One of their main aims is mass sterilisation of the stray cats and dogs to prevent more animals being born into struggle and suffering.

Following Giants- this is a 100% ethical elephant sanctuary where you simply walk with and watch the elephants. There is no touching, no feeding, no bathing with, and no riding the elephants. It has only been this way for 4 years as prior to this you could ride the elephants. It’s incredible to see how the owner has turned the sanctuary around and now really had the elephants best interests at heart.

We spent 2 hours there walking with and watching the elephants in the jungle. We observed them eating and even got to see two of them get into the water to cool off. It was clear just how happy the elephants were.

Bamboo beach- it’s a lovely, if very hilly, drive to Bamboo beach. You’re very likely to see lots of monkeys on the way there and also some by the beach. There’s a beach bar down one end of the beach where you can have a drink and rent a sun bed if sitting on the sand isn’t your thing.

Rent a bike and explore- Koh Lanta is a great island to just drive around and explore. The scenery is beautiful and there are lots of monkeys in certain parts of the island so this is cool to see.

Watch the sunset on Klong Khong beach- we sat on Klong Khong beach a few times to chill out and watch the sunset. It was so peaceful. I think it’s impossible to get tired of watching the sunset.

Have a traditional Thai massage- I had a traditional Thai massage at The Lazy Lodge as there was a massage service offered. I imagine that you could have a massage even if you weren’t staying there. The massage tables were right on the beachfront so you could hear the sea which was so relaxing. The masseuse was amazing so I would really recommend getting a massage here. It was 350 Baht (£7.50) for 1 hour which I thought was great value.

When to visit-

The best time to visit Koh Lanta is between November and April. December, January, and February are supposed to be the best months weather wise as it starts to become hotter in April. We visited in April during a heatwave and it was incredibly hot. We did struggle with the heat a bit and had to take things very slowly.

How to get around-

The best way to get around Koh Lanta is by motorbike. The roads are pretty quiet and easy to drive on. It is hilly though so make sure you have a decent motorbike. We were given a Scoopy motorbike which was rubbish at getting up hills.

You can get Tuk Tuks but this isn’t an ideal way of getting around the island. The cost of them build up and there weren’t as many compared to other places we have been. There’s no Grab or Bolt on the island.

How long to spend in Koh Lanta-

We spent almost two weeks in Koh Lanta and I honestly could have stayed there for longer. I feel like there is so much to do and see, but it’s also so nice to just chill out there.

If you have the time then set aside at least a week for Koh Lanta. Trust me, it’s worth it.

Why you should visit Koh Lanta-

I fell in love with Koh Lanta. It has been my favourite island that I’ve visited so far on my travels. There is so much to see and do but it’s also so chilled out.

I’m not a big party person and I don’t like really busy touristy places. Koh Lanta couldn’t be further from this but there is enough going on so you’re not bored.

There’s an excellent selection of restaurants and cafes. We didn’t have one bad meal on Koh Lanta which has never happened anywhere else we’ve been.

It’s the ultimate chilled out island experience where there really is something for everyone.