Koh Lanta Old Town is a charming place to visit on the eastern coast of Koh Lanta Yai. It’s a unique place to visit for shopping and dining and take a break from the beaches on the western coast of the island.
I rented a scooter to explore Koh Lanta Yai and Koh Lanta Noi. I enjoyed my driving around the two islands, visiting popular beaches, historic towns, and the national park.
In this article, I will share with you some information about Lanta Old Town, which includes its location, best things to do, and where to stay. If you have a short time on the island, you can visit the old town within a couple of hours.
If you have a long holiday, you can consider staying a couple of nights in this town. The town has several small, cozy budget and mid-range guest houses and hotels overlooking the ocean.
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Where is Koh Lanta Old Town?
Koh Lanta Old Town is located on the eastern coast of Koh Lanta Yai, around 25 minutes drive south of the island’s main village and Saladan Pier.
The Old Town is also connected with the beaches on the west coast via the island’s main road, 4245. It’s around 20 minutes drive from Klong Nin, Klong Khong, and Long Beach. The road from the west coast to the east coast has some curves and hilly sections, so make sure to be careful when riding a scooter.
How to get to Koh Lanta Old Town?
I rented a scooter to travel around the island and visited the Old Town. I think renting a scooter is the most popular way to get to the old town. The rent is just 250-300 baht per day.
The road to Lanta Old Town is paved with good condition, just be mindful of the hilly section at the last bit when traveling on Road 4225 from the west coast to the old town.
I drove to the Old Town after exploring Koh Lanta National Park around sunset time. It’s good to see the old town at sunset but I ended up driving back to my hotel in Sala Dan Village in the dark.
The road was very quiet, with farms and rubber plantations and just a few houses along the road. I was so happy reaching my hotel safely. I recommend planning the visit to the Old Town in advance, allow extra time to visit, and try to drive back to your hotel before dark.
If you don’t ride a scooter, you can hire a private driver or use a local taxi called songthaews to get to the old town. Keep in mind that the price for local songthaews is relatively expensive on Koh Lanta, and there are no riding shares services such as Grab on the island.
History of Lanta Old Town
The Old Town was originally settled by Sea Gypsies (Chao Lay people), which were semi-nomadic seafaring people who lived from fishing. They built simple wooden houses along the shore and maintained strong spiritual traditions that are still present on Lanta today.
Later, Muslims from Malaysia settled here. In the 19th century, Koh Lanta Old Town became an important trading port in the Andaman Sea, attracting Chinese merchants settled here.
The town developed into a unique blend of Thai-Chinese, Thai-Muslim, and Sea Gypsy communities. This mix shaped the architecture, food, and religious sites of the Old Town.
In the early-mid 20th century, roads improved on the west side of the island. Saladan became the main ferry and transport hub. Trade shifted away from Old Town. The village became quieter and more focused on fishing rather than commerce.
Tourism began growing on Koh Lanta in the late 20th century, but the development focused mainly on the west-coast beaches. Old Town remained relatively untouched, which helped preserve its Traditional wooden houses, and laidback fishing village atmosphere.
What’s in Koh Lanta Old Town?
The Old Town Main Street
The main street of Lanta Old Town is a 1km long street running parallel with the sea, north of Koh Lanta Old Town Pier and the Busy Roundabout. The street is lined with hundred years old wooden houses dating to the period when the town was a developed trading pot.
The street is also decorated with red lanterns, making me feel like I’m in Chinatown. The Chinese shrine can be found at the middle section of the main street, among the wooden stilt houses.
There are dozens of shops selling clothes, souvenirs, and convenience stores. It’s a good destination to do shopping and dining at a traditional house with views of the sea.
Koh Lanta Old Town Pier
Koh Lanta Old Town Pier is a 350 m long pier located south of The Old town main street. It’s a popular stop to take a leisure walk, enjoy the sea breeze and the views of the ocean and surrounding islands.
At the starting point of the port, you can take a photo with the first Lobster statue. Within a few minutes walk south of the pier, you can check out the Ship wreck, which is another great spot for taking photos.
What to do in Koh Lanta Old Town?
Wandering around the old town
I recommend parking your scooter in the area near the roundabout and the pier, then walking around the old town. You can start from the pier area then walk to the main street.
You can check out the Lobster Monument, walk to the end of the pier, visit the ship wreck, the light house, and children playground sound the pier area. At the middle of the busy roundtable, you can take a look at the small shrine.
The roundabout is the starting point of the main street of Old Town. It’ll probably take 20 minutes to walk from onside to another part of the central area of the main street. It can stop for smoothies, browse shops, and have a look at the Chinese shrine along the way.
Shopping
The main street is lined with cool shops and boutiques selling clothes, accessories, and souvenirs. You’ll find some cool souvenirs with reasonable prices. Make sure to bargain and look at different shops to have the best prices as most shops sell similar items.
Check out the seafront restaurants
The main street of Lanta Old Town is lined with restaurants, cafes, and bars on two sides of the street. For the best experience, I recommend choosing a meal at a sea-side restaurant where you can sit on the deck with ocean views.
You can easily find delicious traditional Thai meals such as mango sticky rice, pad Thai, pineapple fried rice, as well as fresh seafood dishes. Some popular restaurants are Pinto restaurant, Khrua Lanta Yai, Lantas Cafe, or Big Tree Beer Garden.
Koh Lanta Community Museum
Lanta Old Town has a rich history, so if you are interested in learning the history of the island, you can check out the Old Town Lanta Community Museum. It is located right at the roundabout at the entrance to the Old Town’s main road.
The museum is free to visit, you can leave a donation if you want. The museum is located in the old building that was built during the reign of King Rama V.
There is not much information in English, but you can view the artifacts and the lives of three main groups of people in the old town, which include Thai, Muslim, Chinese and Sea Gypsies.
Take boats to nearby islands
Koh Lanta Old Town Pier is popular starting off island tours to nearby Koh Por, Koh Ngai, Koh Muk, and Koh Kradan. You can easily take a day trip to Koh Por island with several ferries running daily.
Where to stay in Koh Lanta Old Town?
Koh Lanta Old Town has cozy guest houses and hotels, so if you consider staying in this area a couple of nights, don’t mind being further away from the beaches, or you’re already visiting the beaches and want a different experience in the old town.
If you stay in the Old Town, it’s best to rent a scooter to explore the island. It’s a quiet distance from the island’s main beaches on the west coast and the main village and the pier on the north coast.
Best Hotels in Koh Lanta Old Town:
Baan Purada
This is a great guest house in the prime location of Lanta Old Town, right middle of the walking street. The hotel is on the sea side of the main street, featuring a nice wooden deck overlooking the sea. The common area has comfortable chairs, swings, and hammocks for relaxing.
You will be walking distance to dozens of shops, restaurants, and cafes on the main streets. The convenience store 7/11 is also close to the hotel. They can help with tax arrangements and scooter rentals.
Tonmai Suite II
This 3-star accommodation is located in the central area of Lanta Old Town, easy walking distance to many delicious restaurants, and shops. It’s a quiet place to stay and also close to the Lanta Old Town pier for island hopping tours. It has rooms with sea views. Rooms are spacious and the staff are friendly.
Verona Lanta Resort
This is lovely accommodation located in Old Town Lanta, offering well maintained ground and outdoor swimming pool. It is in a quiet area and has modern and clean bungalows. Like all other hotels in Old Town, it’s a bit far from beaches on the west coast, so it’s best to rent a scooter or just chill for a couple or nights in the hotel and the old town area.
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I hope by now you know how to get to Lanta Old Town, what to do there, and some of the best places to stay in the area. It is a must-see while visiting Lanta where you can see historic wooden stilt houses, laid-back vibe, nice boutique and seafood restaurants with ocean views.