Koh Lanta: The (Travel) Love of My Life

What’s your favourite place you’ve travelled to?

This question always drives me nuts. In general, I avoid choosing favourites – favourite countries, favourite food, favourite friends, favourite books – as I think everything should be appreciated in its own way. There’s no need to compare and contrast everything. 

Every country, city, village, and patch of moorland I visit touches me in a different way. Each destination has its own quirks and gives me memories that are wholly unique and offer something incomparable to the last. Where there are benefits there are also minuses and part of the appeal of living in different locations is seeing it in all its different guises. 

However, there are certainly places that have made a lasting impression on me. New Zealand and Georgia have a special place in my heart as these are the countries that I have called home the longest: one and two years respectively.

Another place is the Thai island, Koh Lanta.

Koh Lanta: The Love of my (Travel) Life

Long-term travel has taught me that that the longer I spend in the place, the more special it feels to me.

The same sentiment applies when I have the privilege of visiting a place more than once. One of the greatest appeals of being location independent is that I can choose to stay in a place for as long as I like (visas permitting) and return to those that resonate.  

After spending three weeks alone on Koh Lanta, it was somewhere that I knew I’d return in the near future. And indeed, I did!

18 months later I returned for a week, this time with my boyfriend. In the future I hope to return and stay for a couple of months.

Until then, this post explains why Koh Lanta stole a piece of my heart and what to expect when you visit the island. 

What’s Koh Lanta like?

Koh Lanta, part of Thailand’s Krabi province, consists of the two islands Koh Lanta Yai and Koh Lanta Noi.

The yin and yang of isles are connected by the Siri Lanta Bridge which makes it as easy as pie to visit both. However, Yai is the island that you’re most likely to stay on.

Koh Lanta Yai

Koh Lanta Yai is the main hub of activity for Lanta residents and travellers.

Towns are dotted all around the periphery of the island, with plenty of amenities, eateries, beach bars, and guest houses. The island is blessed with sandy beaches, verdant rainforest (including the Mu Koh Lanta national park), and waterfalls (best viewed during the green season). 

While staying on the “big” island, you can book snorkelling trips, diving excursions, and scenic tours to smaller islands nearby. 

Koh Lanta Noi

By comparison, Koh Lanta Noi is far quieter and rugged (although Koh Lanta Yai does also have its wild side).

Inhabited entirely by Thai residents, the island attracts virtually no tourism. It mainly comprises small fishing villages, a couple of masks, and swathes of agricultural land.

To my knowledge, there aren’t any official guesthouses on the island although there might be the odd homestay. There are no supermarkets, only a handful of small convenience stores and roadside stalls selling essentials: coca cola and bananas. 

Once you hire a scooter on Koh Lanta Yai (essential as the island lacks public transport), you can zip over and take a ride over to the “forgotten” island.

Scootering around Noi is easily one of my favourite things to do on Koh Lanta.

And don’t worry, one thing that you can find on Koh Lanta Noi is petrol. In true Lanta style, you’ll find whiskey and vodka bottles filled with scooter juice by the side of the road.

Koh Lanta in Green Season

Both of my stays on Koh Lanta fell during the green season (May – October). These months are subject to frequent and heavy rainfall and turbulent seas. Hello, Thai winter!

During this time, the island is quiet with lower numbers of tourists. In fact, many of the restaurants and guest houses close up for these months.

Those that remain open tend to slash their rates, which means that food and accommodation are really affordable. Keep your eyes peeled for chalkboards outside restaurants advertising “green” prices. 

This is how I, a solo budget traveller, ended up staying in a posh(ish) resort for my entire stay and eating pad Thai every day (yum). 

In fairness, I don’t think Koh Lanta ever gets rammed with hoards of tourists like other Thai islands are prone to. From what I’ve heard, it seems to have escaped mass tourism. But, next time – maybe I’ll visit in high season and see how it compares.

10 Reasons Why I Love Koh Lanta

With high expectations of the island, I pre-booked ten nights on the island the first time I visited. Agoda lured me with a tempting green season “winter” deal.

In the end, I stayed for three weeks and would have extended if possible. But my 30-day visa-free stay was ticking down and I wanted to visit Koh Lipe before taking the boat to Langkawi. 

Here are only a handful of reasons why Koh Lanta is so special to me. Maybe they’ll inspire you to want to visit for yourself.

1. Koh Lanta’s natural beauty

Koh Lanta has it all. On the west coast, you’ve got sandy beaches that are a perfect base for a swimming session. At the heart of the island there are jungle and mountains while down at the southern tip you’ll find the national park. 

As I mentioned, some parts of Koh Lanta Yai are fairly rugged. Particularly the northwest tip (off of Saladan Village) and the entire eastern coastline. I loved hopping from beach to beach and seeing how the landscape changed around the island. 

When it comes to beaches, some of my favourites are:  

• Klong Dao: This long beach was my favourite spot for catching the sunset. It’s quieter than Koh Lanta’s most popular beach, Pra Ae (Long Beach).
• Nui Bay: Peaceful, quiet, and perfect swimming conditions.
• Kantiang Bay: Great for a walk and picnic. Although swimming conditions are choppy especially in the green season. 

Most of my free time was spent cruising around the two islands, experiencing rain flurries, torrential downpours, as well as lovely sunshine. Motorbike rental costs as little as 150-200 THB (£4-5). 

For a small fee of 200 THB (£5), you can explore the Mu Koh Lanta national park. Alternatively, you can splash out on a kayak tour of the mangroves for around 1,000 THB (£25) or book a diving or snorkelling trip.

2. The sea

I’m never happier than when I’m near the ocean. So, it doesn’t take a genius to work out that an island is my happiness haven. A lot of my time on Koh Lanta was spent in (or at least gazing at) the Andaman Sea. 

As it was the Thai winter during my stay, and the water gradually became choppier and rougher. Some days the water was far too strong for swimming safely.

Even then, it was always beautiful to wander along the beach and listen to the waves, whatever time of day it was.

3. Epic sunsets

Every single night.

Koh Lanta has been the setting of some of the most beautiful sunsets I’ve ever seen. Even on cloudy evenings (of which there are many during green season), the sky puts on a show. You can choose a different beach (or beach bar) for each evening of your stay and check out different views. 

If you rent a space at the co-working office, Kohub, there’s usually a few sunset get-togethers each week.

This is a great place to make new friends if you’re planning on working remotely from the island.

4. New (furry) friends

My favourite island is home to Lanta Animal Welfare. This non-profit rehabilitates stray cats and dogs from the island and has them rehomed.

Most mornings I would take a dog for a walk through the forest or down to the beach. Afterwards, I would hang out with the 50+ cats in “Kitty City” who were waiting for their forever home. 

Animal lovers, add a visit to Animal Welfare to your Koh Lanta itinerary. They welcome dog walkers every morning and afternoon (not during the hot part of the day, mind!). There’s no cost to volunteer as a dog walker and you can do this solo or with your travel buddy.

Meanwhile, the rescue cats welcome a fuss and a cuddle. 

There are a nice cafe and gift shop on the premises where you any purchase benefits the animals, and the centre welcomes donations. 

Check out the Lanta Animal Welfare website to see other ways you can support them. 

5. Sketchy snorkelling

As I mentioned, there are excellent snorkelling and diving spots surrounding Koh Lanta.

However, the day I went snorkelling, the sea was wild so it wasn’t technically the most excellent snorkelling. It definitely snags first place for the roughest snorkelling experience I’d ever had. For every wave our speedboat crashed its way through, I inhaled a lungful of seawater. 

Sadly, the tide was too high for us to snorkel through the famous Emerald Cave. Obviously, disappointing, but these things happen when you travel. 

Later, several people in my group got speared by sea urchins at the shallowest snorkelling site I’d ever been to. Those of us who were spared hastily pulled on lifejackets and bobbed around in knee-high waters to avoid the same fate.

Rainstorms and sea urchins aside, the day itself was a lot of fun. It’s always great to visit the smaller, uninhabited Thai islands and see what places can look like if we humans don’t destroy them with waste and mass commercialism. 

Definitely check out snorkel or diving packages with the likes of Lanta Diver and Raya Divers.

6. Perfect for motorbiking

Without a doubt, one of the best things to do on Koh Lanta is to hire a motorbike. This way you can explore the island on your own and find quieter areas. Note that there isn’t any public transport on the island (besides from tuk-tuk taxis).

Actually, Koh Lanta is where I taught myself to ride a motorbike. Something I was excited and nervous about in equal measure. But, within 15 minutes of getting my head around the basics (which really are, very basic), all the worries were long gone. 

Unfortunately, the bike I learned to drive on didn’t have a speedometer. So, I switched to one that did.  

Bike no. 2 didn’t have a working fuel gauge. That meant that, on many occasions, I’d be driving up a hill somewhere when my bike would sputter and die.

Fortunately, you will find old bottles of spirits dotted all over the island at the roadside. Once the booze is slurped, islanders fill the empties up with petrol and sell them for around 30 THB. That did lead to a lot of time spent on Koh Lanta wandering around with an empty bottle and a funnel (often late at night) feeling like I had an alcohol problem.

7. My first tattoo

After years of dithering over my design, I finally got my first tattoo on Koh Lanta. I opted for a bamboo tattoo on my finger, which I got at the Lady Luck Tattoo Parlour.

Bamboo tattoos are also known as “stick and poke” tattoos as the method uses a piece of bamboo to pierce the skin. It’s gentler on the skin than a gun and means that the design is less likely to “bleed”.

The artist was totally professional and the parlour was clean; I highly recommend them if you’re looking to get inked on the island.

Whenever I look down and see my tattoo, I think of happy days on Koh Lanta.

8. Day trip

I took one of those day trips on Koh Lanta. You’ll get that or you won’t.

9. Laid-back beach bars

I’m all about the après and the après scene on Koh Lanta gets a big thumbs up from me. The coastline is flanked by laid-back beach bars where you can grab a sundowner. By night, there’s body paint and giant Changs waiting for you in the classic Thailand backpacker style. 

I enjoyed sitting with a cocktail or beer at sunset alone and watching golden hour. 

That being said, although there is a party scene on Koh Lanta, it is far calmer in comparison with the likes of Koh Phangan and Koh Phi Phi.

The atmosphere is less about getting mindlessly drunk and more about lingering over a drink while chatting and enjoying the sound of the sea. This is why Koh Lanta is perfect for digital nomads and travellers who aren’t eager to spend their mornings nursing hangovers. 

The island bars rotate their party nights throughout the week so there is always something going on. Friday at Fusion, Saturday at Freedom, Sunday at Ozone, and so on. The bars support each other so if you rock up to one and it’s quiet, they’ll tell you where to go next.

10. Koh Lanta food

I ate a Pad Thai (almost) every day while on Koh Lanta. Waistlines are overrated. 

Most of the restaurants on Koh Lanta specialise in Thai dishes. However, you can find a few western restaurants for a burger, souvlaki, or pizza fix. Year-round, you can find barbecues sizzling up fresh seafood and there are heaps of options for vegetarians as well. 

When it comes to eating on Koh Lanta, I recommend revving up your motorbike and letting your nose guide you.

P.S. I love you, Koh Lanta

And that’s just a handful of the reasons Koh Lanta stole my heart (I could go on). Returning with my boyfriend over a year later, the island hadn’t changed all that much. It’s one of the places I really hope doesn’t succumb to overtourism. 

The great thing about visiting Koh Lanta during the green season is that it feels you have the island to yourself. There are fewer tourists, and you might only see a handful of other swimmers on the beach. 

Koh Lanta, I’ll be back…again!