Koh Lanta: Thailand’s underrated island paradise near Krabi

When you talk about the coastal side of Thailand, the islands that come up first are Phuket and Krabi. Thanks to Leonardo Di Caprio’s movie ‘The Beach’, everyone wants to check out those islands, especially Maya Bay beach in the Phi Phi Islands.

The movie has made Thailand a dream destination and its popularity particularly has caught up with Indians as the country is just a short flight away. Krabi and Phuket are gorgeous places to visit but have become commercial and crowded over the years.

When tourists visit these islands, the most-visited places are the Phi Phi Islands. The easiest way out for them is to sign up for a package tour that includes a number of activities and spots, including Maya Bay. But these day trips are NOT Cheap.

Maya Bay is a small strip of silky white-sand beach, surrounded by 100-metre-high cliffs on three sides.

Maya Bay is stunning…. But it is NOT secluded.

Thousands of people visit the beach every day. On any given day, there are 30-plus noisy speedboats, big boats and longtail boats on the beach, ferrying snorkelers and visitors in and out.

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After paying a hefty amount, at least we would prefer to go around at our pace and spend some quality quiet time in the spot with few people around.

If you are looking to soak in Thailand’s natural beauty leisurely and uninterrupted, you must straightaway plan a trip to Koh Lanta, a small island near Krabi where life is slow-paced and picturesque at all times. The island is known for pristine beaches, lush green mangrove forests and laid-back vibes.

Koh Lanta is actually an archipelago comprising over 50 islands. Most of these islands are not inhabited; many apparently don’t even have an official name. Two of the main islands are Koh Lanta Yai and Koh Lanta Noi. We visited Koh Lanta Yai, which is around 30 km long and where all the action takes place. Lanta Noi, now a forgotten island by tourists, has rubber plantations, deserted beaches and some fishing villages.

5 reasons why you SHOULD visit Koh Lanta

Easily accessible, yet secluded island

Koh Lanta may be a remote island, but it is easily accessible from mainland Krabi. We stayed in Krabi for a day before taking a minivan to Koh Lanta. Yes, we travelled from one island to another by minivan, crossing the beautiful Andaman Sea. While booking the minivan, opt for the hotel pick-up and drop-off option. If you don’t choose the hotel pick-up option, you’ll have to catch the minivan at Krabi Bus Terminal.

Heading to Koh Lanta directly from Krabi Airport is also a great option, BTW. The minivans take approximately 3-4 hours to reach Lanta depending on the car ferry queues, and the price is around INR 1,000, per person. The beautiful journey includes a short car ferry ride from Koh Klang to Koh Lanta Noi. Then, you take the Lanta Bridge that connects Koh Lanta Noi with Koh Lanta Yai.

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Of course, you may also travel from Krabi to Koh Lanta by ferry or a speedboat, but there are not many options, and they are not as regular as the minivans. Another option is to book a private taxi, but that’s obviously not a budget-friendly option.

Affordable sea-viewing properties

Consider staying on the western side of the island, which is mostly flat and has easily accessible beaches. There are many affordable resorts, hostels, and hotels overlooking the Andaman Sea, with several bars, restaurants, and convenience stores nearby.

Apart from the Old Town, the eastern side of the island is mostly covered with mangrove forests, but it does have a handful of resorts and hotels too.

Plenty of natural beauty

Koh Lanta is not short of natural prettiness. Beach hopping is one of the best things to do on the island. We drove to the tip of Koh Lanta Yai Island and explored the Mu Ko Lanta National Park. It has a beautiful beach, a lighthouse and you can also book a snorkelling tour. On the way to the national park, there are many viewpoints and beaches, but do not miss Bamboo Bay and Khlong Hin Beach. The entire west coast of the island is lined with beaches, making it an ideal place to watch a sunset.

You can also take day trips to the nearby popular spots such as Hong Islands, Phi Phi Islands, etc. Many shops and restaurants on the island have counters where you can book these trips.

Explore on a two-wheeler

The best way to explore Koh Lanta is on a two-wheeler. The roads are more than decent, and unlike touristy Phuket or Krabi, there is no traffic-related issue in Lanta. We covered 10 Km in 20 minutes, which was like WOWWWWW (we are from Bangalore 😛 ).

Almost every resort, hotel and hostel has two-wheelers on rent in Lanta. They do not take your passport or money as a deposit, unlike Phuket or Krabi. At least our resort didn’t. (FYI, in Phuket, we were asked to either give our passport as a deposit or 3,000 TBH. We chose the latter option). Even though Lanta is a small island, you’ll see gasoline being sold in bottles almost everywhere. We got 750 ml gasoline for 40 TBH (INR 93).

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Let you be in the moment

The resort was quiet. The beaches were quiet. The national park was quiet. Our evening walks were quiet. The waves and the breeze were our only background sounds. We did have people around but everybody, just like us, was living in the moment and allowing Lanta to cast its magic on them.

We know the difference because we visited Phuket after spending two days in Lanta. Phuket, we feel, is more of a city than an island. We experienced horrible traffic jams that reminded us of Bangalore. All the tourist spots were super crowded, obviously. We barely found budget-friendly restaurants. If the restaurant is sea-facing, it is going to be expensive.

Had we not visited Phuket, we wouldn’t be able to say this, but now we can – we wouldn’t have missed out on much had we skipped Phuket. However, we wouldn’t have witnessed the untouched beauty of Thailand had we not visited Koh Lanta!