Top Things To Do In Koh Lanta
Please note this post may contain affiliate links. If you choose to purchase through these links, we may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. By using these links you are directly supporting Two Wander to continue providing you with free content to stoke your curiosity for conscious wandering + holistic well-being. Thank you!
our top things to do in koh lanta, thailand
We initially had a bit of a hard time picking where to go in Thailand because we wanted somewhere that had beautiful beaches but wasn’t too touristy. We thought about Koh Samui but decided it had become a bit too much of a popular party destination and overcrowded. In the end we settled with Koh Lanta because it seemed to have the best of both worlds, as well as it being relatively easy to get to because we also only had 10 days in total. We had a lovely chilled time here and it was everything we wanted from a holiday- relaxation, nice water and sand, delicious places to eat, beautiful nature and wildlife, good vibes, and of course awesome culture (with a healthy dose of tourism still thrown in- it is still Thailand after all). We found just over a week there to be more than enough, bearing in mind that you will most likely be coming from Krabi and so will also want some time to explore Ao Nang and the famous rocks of Railay beach too! You could also come from one of the other islands nearby, such as Ko Phi Phi (or visit them whilst you’re on Koh Lanta), and we will discuss all of these options, and more, below in the breakdown of our top things to do in Koh Lanta for an awesome trip.
Contents in the blog post
The best restaurants in Koh Lanta
getting to koh lanta
First things first, how do you get to Koh Lanta? There are a few different ways but the most popular ones are flying directly into Krabi airport (possibly from Bangkok or Chiang Mai) and then taking a passenger ferry from Krabi or Ao Nang pier. It takes 30mins taxi ride to get to Ao Nang and 15 minutes (about 350baht) from Krabi town to Krabi pier (where you would also get a longtail boat to go to Railay beach). Both are good for different reasons. We decided to go from Ao Nang pier first (Saladan) because we wanted to spend a couple of days in Krabi beforehand but don’t personally think this is really necessary. Then, on the way back we took the ferry straight to Krabi pier instead so we could visit Railay beach before heading to the airport (all easily doable in one day)!
The ferry itself takes about 1-2 hours and costs around 470 baht per person. There are also speedboats you can get that leave at multiple times throughout the day for a higher price, but unless you are on a time restriction (like getting to the airport in time) it doesn’t really make much of a difference. There are also regular ferries from Koh Phi Phi, Koh Samui and other islands. You can check more about transportation information here.
Once you arrive on Koh Lanta, you will most likely be staying at the end or middle of the island so you can just get a taxi directly there (we wouldn’t recommend staying in the “town” by the first beach at the top because it will take longer for you to reach the other parts of the island and it is also more touristy).
the best beaches in koh lanta
There are traditionally 4 main beaches on Koh Lanta but we would say there are more like 5 or 6 good ones! All of them are along the west coast of the island because the other side is just cliffs/rocks (this is where the old town is). The best thing to do is hire a scooter and visit them all to decide your favourite, it only takes about 30 minutes in total to get from top to bottom. Here’s a break down of all of them:
Klong Dao - This beach is very popular for families and older people, it has a lot of resort type accommodation around.
Long Beach/ Phra Ae - This one was our least favourite because the sand is a bit darker and it’s very wide. But there’s a nice colourful restaurant called . The water is nice and clean and not too deep so it’s family friendly. This is also where you can do surfing! Depending on the time of year, you can get some pretty good beginner’s waves here. There’s a really great Thai masseuse at the end of the beach, going towards the south of the island, that’s supposed to be one of the best- and we can confirm! We didn’t actually know what a Thai massage consisted of before having one but we felt like new people afterwards. Plus, he gave me a handmade shell bracelet from the sea gypsies so that’s awesome!
Klong Khong - This is another popular beach that’s highly developed but with “cooler” bars and restaurants and plenty of hostels. We preferred the beach less here because the sand was a it darker, it’s also a bit rocky so you have to be careful when walking/swimming.
Klong Nin - We stayed here and found it ideal because it’s right in the centre of the island. We also loved the beach here because the sand was the nicest for us, it’s almost white and not too widely spread, and the water is really beautiful and blue (but it’s only swimmable in the morning because the tide is too low in the afternoons)! There’s also super cute bars and restaurants here.
Klong Hin -
Kantiang Bay - Often touted as one of the best, and with good reason! It has lovely deep, blue-green water and wide, light yellow sand. There’s a really cool open wooden restaurant on the beach called Same Same But Different and not much else so this is really great to get away form the crowds! On the road parallel to the beach before you get down to it, there are also other restaurants there as well that look cute.
Bamboo Bay - Also called Nui Bay, we were really excited to visit this small, tucked away beach but were a bit disappointed when we got down there because the sand was quite brown, it was pretty crowded for such a small space and there was lots of rubbish around. There’s also nothing to eat/drink so don’t forget to bring something with you if you go! The water is really nice and deep for swimming though.
Klong Jaak - This was another unpopulated beach with light golden sands and lovely deep water. It has really nice palm leaf shacks to shade under and the (only) restaurant on the beach has the ultimate chilled vibes! There’s a great view from the top of the cliff on the way down to this beach so don’t forget to stop before you head down.
You can also take part in a weekly beach cleanup with collective Trash Hero every Sunday between 4-6pm (also available in Ao Nang) as a great way to discover the beaches, check their Facebook page to see which beach will be coming up next.
the best restaurants in koh lanta
Honestly, if you just walk along almost any beachfront you’ll almost be spoiled for choice on where to eat in Koh Lanta! BUT there is also loads of tacky/overpriced/Western crap places as well. We had tons of great food experiences though (and a couple that were just too touristy for us), below is a breakdown of our favourite places to eat:
This is SUCH a beautiful restaurant that’s also really delicious, it is slightly more expensive than normal (about £10 a head) but definitely worth it! We saved it for our last night on Koh Lanta as a nice treat.
Miriam’s - This was by far and large our favourite place to eat- we ate there at least 3 times! It’s so so good but it’s not quite a restaurant, it’s more of a shack where they make delicious homemade, healthy food and smoothies (and giant cookies, which we highly recommend). It’s located at the top of the island just before Phra Ae. As you’re driving up, you’ll see a little sign on the left pointing to , on street. Head down there and it’s just after the bamboo hostel on the left.
- To eat with your feet in the sand, this is a really cool restaurant that grills really great fresh fish straight out in the open at the front of the restaurant (this is how we spotted it scootering by).
- This restaurant is also in the sand, has good Thai food and is really cute because they give you a traditional (biodegradable) lantern to set off after your meal! They also brought us complimentary snacks which is always a bonus.
- This one is cool because they have private little raised huts to eat in, and because it’s on Khlong Nin, you’re really close to the water. They had great Thai seafood and tasty drinks.
- On long beach, colourful
- On the cliffs
- Mexican terrace near Miriam’s
Fisherman’s Cottage - Also located on Khlong Nin, we really liked this place because of its whitewashed decor and swing chairs! And it has by far the best breakfast options! We loved all their smoothies bowls, great pancakes and coffee.
Fat Turtle - This is one of the most famous restaurants on Koh Lanta, although we didn’t personally go to it, people seem to think you can’t leave the island without trying it!
Same Same But Different - As mentioned above, in Kantiang Bay is also really nice restaurant, they do great pancakes and smoothies! It is a little pricey but comes with a lovely view and beautiful bamboo design. Plus, there’s not much else on the beach, even though this is definitely not a bad place to be “stuck” with.
other things to do in and around koh lanta
Apart from relaxing on all the beaches and eating all the food, Koh Lanta also has a few other attractions you can do:
Mu Koh Lanta National Park - At the south of the island, this is a big national park full of monkeys (that we almost got ambushed by haha) and said to have one of the most beautiful beaches too!
Visit the Sea gypsies - This is a native minority group that has situated on the south east of the island that you can visit. We’re not sure if they are exploited as a “tourist attraction” but from the Thai masseuse told us, they are happy to be visited because it brings them money, as long as you remain respectful of course (if this is a topic that interests you, check out our post on how to travel sustainably here).
Get a Thai massage! - Of course, no trip to Thailand would be complete without a traditional Thai massage. When we researched the best ones to go to, we came up with the one on Long Beach most, he has been there for many years but it is also the most popular beach so that could be why too. He definitely didn’t disappoint however! And he’s super friendly too. There are lots of other massages places dotted along most of the beaches though so you can go anywhere really.
Khlong Chak waterfall - This is a lovely, lush waterfall (albeit rather thin on the water front) located in towards the centre of the island in the south. This is great if you’re craving a bit more nature and fancy a bit of a hike or would like to do something other than go to the beach.
Snorkelling/scuba diving - The most popular way to do this is to go on an organised boat tour just off the island because the beaches of Koh Lanta themselves don’t have much to offer in terms of snorkelling. Most likely this will be the 4 islands boat tour which also includes:
The Emerald cave on Koh Muk - Done as a day trip, this is a lusciously green cave where, you guessed it, the water is a bright emerald colour. You walk through a bit of a cave to get there while your guide holds a flashlight and then opens up to the natural pool you can swim in. Legend has it, it was once a hidden hideout for pirates! Make sure to try and get there early because it gets pretty busy after 10am. You can read more about doing this trip here.
Do an island tour to Koh Phi Phi, Koh Rok or even Koh Lipe - Whilst you’re on Koh Lanta, you may as well visit some of the more famous (and busier) islands renowned for their paradisiacal beaches! You can find out about more information here and here. You can also get to Maya Beach from the film The Beach!
Koh Lanta old town - Based on the east coast, we actually didn’t get around to going here but we’ve heard it’s cute and not too touristy. Along with the top of the island, this would be the best spot to pick up any souvenirs (or from Krabi directly).
Krabi Town - I think we were expecting more of Krabi, or maybe it was because it was coming up to low season (we went in March) but it seemed a little run down to us. There were cutish places to stay, eat and drink around but it felt like we couldn’t actually find Krabi the whole time we were there, like we were always just one street away from finding the good stuff. Maybe that was just us though, it does seem to be a pretty popular destination!
Ao Nang - It’s a lot livelier and touristy around here than Krabi even though we didn’t explore too much of it because we just used it to get the ferry. This would also be a good shopping and nightlife spot.
Railay beach- Beware that this has now become extremely touristy, however despite this we still think it was worth it to see those famous sea rock formations, wander around the cute little town and see the infamous penis cave haha. You can also hike to the top of the cliff on the beach which supposedly isn’t too difficult. We think the best thing to do here is stay over the night so that you can beat the crowds in the early morning and evening.
NOTE: the last boat officially leaves at 6pm, and they mean it! It get’s extremely dark after sunset and the longtail boats aren’t really equipped with good lighting systems so it can be a bit sketchy, they are very experienced drivers of course but we still wished we had left earlier with the other tourists! Plus, you have to wait for the boat to fill up with passengers unless you want to pay for the full cost of a boat (about £20), and in low-season this could be quite a long (or impossible) wait!
And don’t forget to stock up for all your Tiger Balm needs before leaving haha I love this stuff so much and wish I had bought more!
where to stay on koh lanta island
As mentioned, we would recommend staying halfway up the island on the west coast so that it’s easier to get to all other parts of the island, but some of the best accommodation isn’t actually found there. These are some of the most famous the island has to offer:
Crown Lanta Resort - Situated right at the top of the island, this is one of the most popular places to stay and is a great option if you’re a bit shorter on time and need to be closer to the ferry. It’s a beautifully luxurious villa set on almost its own bit of island as it separates out a bit from the of Koh Lanta. Surrounded by greenery and with a private beach, you can’t go wrong!
In the national park - If you’re feeling adventurous, you can camp right in the national park so you can bet you’ll have amazing views! If you want to fully immerse yourself in nature, disconnect and simply be present then this will be the a great option for you. There is a private beach here too which is always a plus, all you have to do is call the park ahead of time, or let them know at the entrance, that is what you intend to do (this isn’t available during the wet season during May-October due to safety reasons).
Oasis Yoga Bungalows - This is set in a beautiful green location full of wooden bungalows and lots of yoga, of course. Full of good vibes, they also feature a cafe/restaurant onsite and offer other classes, such as traditional cooking, and day tours too.
So that’s our top things to do in Koh Lanta for the ultimate sit back and relax holiday. We hope our travel tips have been of some use to you, if you end up going to Koh Lanta we’d love to hear about your experience! Let us know in the comments section below :) If you’ve already been to Koh Lanta or anywhere else in Thailand- where else do you recommend? We look forward to exploring more one day and will add it to our list!
