Mu Ko Lanta National Park is a beautiful area located in the Andaman Sea, south of Krabi Town. Covering an area of 134 km2, the national park consists of several islands, with the two largest islands being Ko Lanta Yai and Koh Lanta Noi.
The headquarters of Mu Ko Lanta National Park is located at the southern top of Koh Lanta Yai. When staying in Koh Lanta Yai, you can visit this part of the national park to explore its waterfalls, jungle trails, beaches (sandy and rocky), and the light house viewpoint.
When I was on Koh Lanta Yai, I rented a scooter to explore the island and visit the National park. I checked out the caves, the Klong Chak Waterfalls, the natural trail, the beaches, and the light house viewpoint at the National Park.
In this article, I will show you the location of Mu Ko Lanta National Park, how to get there, things to do, and where to stay near My Koh Lanta National Park.
Where is Mu Koh Lanta National Park?
Mu Ko Lanta National Park consists of dozens of islands with 4 clusters: Lanta Islands, Ha Islands, Rok Islands, and Ngai Island. These islands are known for their quiet atmosphere and crystal clear water. They are great destinations for snorkeling and scuba diving.
On Google Maps, “Mu Ko Lanta National Park” appears at the southern tip of Koh Lanta Yai. This is the park’s headquarters and is the location most people recognize as Mu Ko Lanta National Park.
Mu Ko Lanta National Park is located around 50 minutes drive from Sala Dan village and pier, 40 minutes from Long Beach, 20 minutes drive from Klong Nin, 15 minutes drive from Kantiang Bay, and 40 minutes from Lanta Old Town.
At Mu Ko Lanta National Park on south Koh Lanta Yai, you can explore the Natural Trail/ Visitor Center, the Sandy Beach, The Rocky Beach, the Light House, caves, and Klong Chak Waterfall.
The Klong Chak Waterfall and the Natural Trail/ Visitor Center are located in two different areas, around 15 minutes drive apart. As both locations are part of the same national park, a single ticket allows access to both places within the same day. Just remember to keep it with you to show the pack’s staff.
How to get to Mu Koh Lanta National Park?
Most people visit Mu Koh Lanta National Park when they already stay on Koh Lanta Yai, which is the main island of the group.
To get to Mu Koh Lanta National Park from various locations on Koh Lanta Yai, you can rent a scooter, take a guided tour, and hire a private driver.
Renting a scooter is the most economical way to get to the park, and other options are quite expensive. The rent is usually only 200-300 baht per day.
Opening Hours and Entrance tickets
Mu Koh Lanta National Park is open daily from 8.30 am to 5.30pm. The entrance ticket is 200 baht. The scooter parking at the visitor center is 20 baht, the packing at the entrance to Klong Chak Waterfall is 40 baht.
When you buy the entrance ticket, either at the visitor center or Klong Chak Waterfall, make sure to keep the ticket, as users can use it in another place within the same day.
At the Klong Chak Waterfall, the locals often offer guided tours for 100 baht per person. You can skip this one if you want to explore the area at your own pace. It’s a safe and easy place to explore by yourself. I did it as solo female travelers and have no problem with it.
The entrance ticket booth in the Visitor Center area is located right at the parking area. You pay the ticket then drive down the road to the parking lot within 2 minutes.
The entrance ticket booth in the Klong Chak Waterfall side is located around 10 minutes walk from the parking area. You pay a parking ticket at the entrance, then follow the trail to the waterfall and pay the entrance ticket on the way.
Facilities at Mu Koh Lanta National Park
The headquarters of Mu Koh Lanta National Park is home to a visitor center, camping ground, accommodations, a restaurant, a souvenir shop, spacious parking areas, and toilets. Make sure to carry toilet paper with you, as you would anywhere else in Southeast Asia.
Things to do at Mu Koh Lanta National Park
1. Khlong Chak Waterfall and Cave
When I traveled from Sala Dan village, along the west coast to the southern tip of Koh Lanta, I visited the Khlong Chak Waterfall first because it’s located north of the park’s visitor center.
Khlong Chak Waterfall is a must-see for those who want a refreshing jungle atmosphere, and a leisure hike along the waterfall’s stream.
I followed the directions to Khlong Chak Waterfall from Google Maps, and then reached the parking area. There are signs that say “parking” and “Khlong Chak Waterfall and cave 1.8km”. I pay the parking fee for 40 baht.
I saw locals approach foreigners for selling their tours at the parking area, but no one approached me because I was a solo Asian girl. However, along the way, after the ticket checkpoint, a girl approached me to offer the guided tour and tell me to be careful of snakes. I said thank you and continued walking.
At the parking, you only have to pay a 40 baht parking ticket and additional money (around 200 baht) if you take “their guided tour”. I did it alone as a solo traveler, and I enjoyed doing it. It was safe with a well-market trail. I also used Map.me for directions to the cave.
The real ticket checkpoint is around 10 minutes walk from the parking area, you pay an entrance ticket 200 baht here and get the stamped ticket. I kept the ticket and used it to visit the main part of the National park in the Southern Tip of the island later.
From the ticket check point, I followed the trail running parallel to the stream. Sometimes I could walk along and across the stream because it was shallow when I visited in the dry season in January.
I didn’t encounter any snakes, but waterfall proof shoes or sandals are recommended. After a 15 minute walk, I saw the Khlong Chak Bat Cave. It’s a big cave and I spent around 10 minutes walking around the cave. It’s very dark, you can use your phone’s flash light to see inside.
The waterfall is around 20 minutes walk from the Khlong Chak Bat Cave. As I have been traveling around Thailand, visiting many stunning waterfalls around the country, this one was not impressive for me. It might be because I visited in the dry season, when the stream was low.
I spent 20 minutes at the waterfall to rest and enjoy the atmosphere. It took me 40 minutes to walk back to the parking area. I really enjoyed the hike to the waterfall even though the waterfall itself is just another normal waterfall that I visited in Thailand.
There is a cool Rasta cafe between the ticket checkpoint and the parking area. You can stop to have a drink or smoothies here. The owner seems nice. They also have live music.
I think 2 hours is generally enough to explore the waterfall. The hike is easy with mostly flat trails. It’ll take 40 minutes to walk each way and you can spend some time resting at the falls at the end of the trail.
2. Tanod Natural trail
Tanod Natural trail trail is the must do for hiking enthusiastics. Its circular trail includes a 2km long jungle trail, and a 300m long sandy beach.
The first 400m jungle trail is very steep with rope and tree roots along the way to help hikes. The next 1.6km trail is moderate trail including paved trail and stairs at some sections. The last part is the sandy beach.
There are wild life such as monkeys and birds along the way but I didn’t encounter any of those during my hiking. The jungle hike is around 1 hour. When you reach the sandy beach, you can swim and relax at the beach, or continue walking for 15 minutes to the light house viewpoint.
Lighthouse Koh Lanta has great views of the ocean, the sandy beach and the rocket beach. It’s located on the cliffs, so make sure to be careful when walking around.
3. Swim at the sandy Laem Tanod beach
Laem Tanod beach is the last sandy beach on the south of Koh Lanta Yai. This 300m long beach is a good spot for swimming, sunbathing, walking along the beach, and chilling. There are lifeguards on the beach.
Behind the beach is a camping ground, and you can have nice views of the whole beach at the two ends of the beaches at the light house and at the last bit of the national park trail.
4. Hike to the Light House Viewpoint
Light House Viewpoint is located at the southern end of Laem Tanod beach. It’s a good spot to photograph and see stunning views of the beaches and nearby islands such as Koh Mo.
From the visitor center and the parking area, you can choose an easy route (around 5 minutes walk) to get to the Light House. Or you can take the harder options, which is hiking the natural trail and visit the light house at the end of the trail.
5. Take photos with the Rocky Hin Ngam Beach
Rocky Ngam Beach is a rocky beach located between the visitors center and the light house. It’s a good spot for taking photos. No swimming allowed at this beach.
Where to stay near Mu Koh Lanta National Park
The park has camping ground and accommodation, so if you stay inside the park. You can rent a tent at the park or if you want to book accommodation, you need to book in advance directly from the National Park website and only inside Thailand.
You can stay at the camping area at Ko Lanta National Park near the visitor center in Laem Tanod. You can book the stay online, only via contact directly with the park via their phone number 075 6607 112. It’s best to have a Thai person to help you contact them.
To make it easy, you can stay in nearby areas at Khlong Chak Beach or Kantiang Bay. These places are only 5-15 minutes drive from the My Koh Lanta National Park and have some food hotels and resorts right on the beautiful sandy beaches.
Best Hotels near near Mu Koh Lanta National Park:
- Luxury: Pimalai Resort & Spa
- Mid-range: Kantiang Bay View Resort
- Budget: Klong Jark Bungalows
I hope you have a nice visit to Mu Koh Lanta National Park. It’s a must-see on the island, where you can take a break from the beaches and enjoy the jungle atmosphere with good hiking trails, caves, and waterfalls. You can rent a scooter to explore the island and the national park.