Krabi is a laid back island located in Krabi province in southern Thailand. The island is known for its tranquil beaches and relaxed atmosphere, making it an ideal destination for those seeking a peaceful retreat.
In this article, I will cover the best things to do and see in Koh Lanta. I will show you the best beaches on the island, as well as waterfalls, hiking routes, night markets, and island hopping tours for snorkeling and scuba diving.
The beaches are located on the west coast of the island. Most of them have golden sand with clean water, and a relaxed vibe with fewer crowds. Popular beaches on Koh Lanta are Klong Dao, Long Beach, Klong Khong, Klong Nin, and Kantiang Bay. The beaches are ideal for swimming, sunbathing, and chilling.
From Koh Tao, you can easily take a snorkeling tour or a scuba diving cruise to nearby islands such as Koh Rok and Koh Ha. These islands have crystal-clear waters and vibrant coral reefs.
If you like hiking you can check out the natural trail at Mu Ko Lanta National Park in the southern tip of the island. The trail leads to the lighthouse viewpoint and a sandy beach for swimming. Khlong Chak Waterfall is also another beautiful hiking destination in this national park.
For cultural experience, I recommend visiting the Old Town on the eastern coast of Lanta. You can visit its historic pier, the shrinking boats, and wander through the walking street which is lined with traditional wooden houses, shops, and restaurants.
If you want to experience the night market, head to the Saladan Village, where you can find a lively night market in the heart of the town. It is a great place to eat street food and do some shopping.
If you rent a scooter, I recommend spending a few hours driving to Koh Lanta Noi, which is a small island north of the main Lanta island. They are connected to each other by a bridge. Lanta Noi has a tranquil and local atmosphere with several viewpoints, beaches, and a historic Chinese House to explore.
If you want to know more the detail of my itinerary and how I get around Koh Lanta, you can check these articles:
I traveled around Koh Lanta by a rented motorbike. Most areas have flat roads, except for some small hilly and winding sections in the south and part of Route 4245 (from the west coast to Old Town).
If you don’t plan to rent a motorbike or a car, you can get around by songthaews pickup trucks or tuk tuk or hire a private driver for a few hours. There is no Grab on the island. Songthaews can be found at popular beach towns and at the main pier. You need to bargain the price before heading off.
Here are the main attractions and activities in Koh Lanta:
18 Best Things to Do in Koh Lanta
Beaches
Koh Lanta boasts a diverse array of beaches, stretching from north to south on the west coast. The beaches get more beautiful the further south you go. The beaches are better from Klong Khong Beach down to Mu Koh Lanta national Park.
#1. Klong Dao Beach
Klong Dao is a 3km long crescent-shaped beach located on the north west coast of Koh Lanta Yai. The beach is only a few minutes drive from the main village and Saladan Pier, making it a convenient beach for those staying in Saladan.
The beach is lined with resorts, massage parlors, beach bars, and restaurants. Some bars and restaurants set the table and chairs out on the set around sunset time. It’s a long beach, so even during the most popular time, sunset, it never feels crowded.
Klong Dao Beach is a great place for swimming, taking a walk, and enjoying the sunset. The beach is especially wide at low tide, when the water recedes far out to sea. It is one of the kid-friendly beaches on Koh Lanta with shallow calm water.
You can get to the beach easily by scooter, tuk tuk, and songthaews. It is just 500m from the island’s main road. The road to the beach is lined with resorts, restaurants, and tourist facilities such as travel agencies, massage shops, and convenient stores. If you stay in Klong Dao, you can walk to the beach.
#2. Long Beach (Pra-Ae Beach)
Long Beach is a beautiful 3 km long beach located on the west coast of Koh Lanta, just south of Klong Dao Beach. The beach is packed with resorts, restaurants, bars, massage parlors, and fine trees. The beach has golden sand with clean water, which is suitable for swimming and sunbathing.
The southern end of the beach has lots of big rocks in the water. You can see many of them during low tide. The middle of the beach has almost no stone, and is more ideal for swimming.
Long Beach is easily accessible by scooter, songthaews, and tuk tuk. It is just a 10 minute drive from Saladan, the main village of the island. You can access the beach through restaurants or resorts. I found public access at the Phra Ae Public Health Park.
#3. Klong Khong Beach
Klong Khong is a popular beach town located on the west coast of Koh Lanta. The beach has a cool hippie vibe and is a great place to watch the sunset. The sand is soft sand mixed with some dead coral. There are lots of rocks at the bottom. It is a good place to relax, sunbathe, or have a massage on the beach.
There are restaurants, resorts, bars, and massage shops on the shore of Klong Khong Beach. You can find many other tourist facilities on the main road, located just 200m from the beach.
You can get to the beach by scooter or tuk tuk. It is just a 20 minute drive south of Saladan Pier, the main pier of Koh Lanta.
#4. Klong Nin Beach
Klong Nin Beach is a beautiful beach located at the middle west coast of Koh Lanta. It has white sand and clean water, which is great for swimming, sunbathing, and chilling. It is a kid-friendly beach. It has lots of beach facilities such as sunbeds, umbrellas, restaurants, bars with tables and bars set on the sand.
This road running parallel with Klong Nin Beach is lined with restaurants, bars, mini mart, travel agencies. If your resort is located on this road, you can easily walk to the beach.
You can reach Klong Nin Beach by scooter. It is just 100 m from Horizon Road. From the main town of Koh Lanta, you drive from the main road on 4245 toward south the turn right at Horizon Road to get to the beach.
#5. Nui Bay Beach
Nui Bay is a small bay located between Klong Nin Beach and Kantiang Bay. When driving from Klong Nin Beach toward the south, passing Diamond Cliff Beach Resort, you will see the sign that says “To Nui Bay”. You can park your scooter here and walk down to the beach through the jungle’s trail for 5 minutes.
This is a tranquil beach with golden sand and clean water, ideal for swimming. There is no shade on the beach. There are some temporary bamboo sun shelters on the beach.
#6. Kantiang Bay
Kantiang Bay is a 1 km long bay located on the west coast of Koh Lanta. The beach has white sand, clear water, and is a great place for swimming and sunbathing. There are just several resorts on the bay, and most of them center around the beach’s the northern end.
You can find numerous restaurants and beach bars along the beach, inside the village, and on the road running parallel with the beach. You can find a viewpoint on the road at the southern end of the beach. The viewpoint offers panoramic views of the whole bay.
You can get to Kantiang Bay easily by scooter. There are several entrances to resorts and restaurants along the beach. You can park a scooter near Kantiang Bay View Resort, then walk to the beach where you can find the Statue of Koh Lanta.
#7. Ao Nui Bay
Ao Nui Bay is the next beach to the south after Kantiang Bay. It is a small secluded beach with white sand and crystal turquoise water, ideal for swimming and sunbathing.
There aren’t many shaded areas on the beach. No resorts. You can have one small bar on the beach that has the sun shirt with a leaf-covered roof.
Ao Nui Bay is easily accessible by scooter. The parking is right on the side of the road to Mu Ko Lanta National Park. From the parking area, you will need to walk down to the beach through the jungle for a few minutes.
#8. Relax Bay Beach
Relax Bay is a small bay located on the west coast of Koh Lanta, south of Long Beach. The beach has a tranquil atmosphere which is ideal for relaxing, swimming, and sunbathing. The beach has coarse golden sand and clean water. There are big rocks at two ends of the beach, you can swim in the middle area.
The beach shore is home to several resorts, beach bars, and restaurants. Some of the beach bars provide sun loungers for free if you order drinks from them.
You can get to Relax Bay by scooter or taxi (tuk tuk or songthaews). It is just 350m from the island’s main road 4245.
#9. Khlong Chak Beach
Also spelled Klong Jark Beach, this is another quiet beach on the southwest coast of Koh Lanta. The beach is lined with several ressorts, restaurants, and beach bars. It is one of the best spots to watch the sunset on the island.
When visiting the beach, you can visit Khlong Chak Waterfall, which is located in the same area. The waterfall is a peaceful place to explore, and do some hiking inside the jungle.
#10. Bamboo Beach
Bamboo Beach is a secluded beach on the south western coast of Koh Lanta, close to the national park. It has a relaxing atmosphere with no accommodations on the beach. You only find a small beach bar with bedchairs on the beach.
The beach is ideal for relaxing, and swimming. Be mindful of the monkeys on the jungle behind the beach.They stole bananas from a couple’s scooter. Luckily the monkeys didn’t have any damage or big scratch on the bike. Otherwise, they will have trouble when returning the scooter.
The beach is worth a visit if you want a tranquil atmosphere. You can combine it with a visit to the Mu Koh Lanta National Park within a single trip.
#11. Island Hopping, Snorkeling & Diving Trips
Koh Lanta is surrounded by beautiful islands, and it is a great base to do island hopping tours or snorkeling boat trips. You can consider taking the four island tours, which will take you to Koh Chuek and Koh Ma for snoring, Koh Mook to see Emerald Cave, and Koh Ngai.
If you are into diving, you can also consider taking scuba diving tours or courses to explore the marine life surrounding Koh Lanta. Some famous dive sites are Hin Daeng, Hin Muang, and Koh Haa.
#12. Saladan Night Market
Saladan Night Market, aka Lanta Walking Street, is the only night market on Koh Lanta. It is located in the island’s main town. The market is a great place to eat local street food, and buy some souvenirs to bring home.
Saladan Night Market is easily accessible by scooter, tuk tuk, and songthaews. There are many tuk tuk drivers around the market area.
#13. Koh Lanta Old Town
Koh Lanta Old Town is the historic town located on the central west coast of Koh Lanta. At the old town, you can explore the pier, the walking street, and the shrinking boats. They are all located in a small area, you can easily explore on foot.
I recommend parking your scooter at Lobster Monument, then walking to the old pier. The pier has stunning views of the sea, the lighthouse, and the stilt houses above the water.
From the pier, you can walk toward the light and look at the Shipwreck. It is a great place to take some nice photos. From here, walk back to the Lobster statue, then head to the Walking Street.
The walking street is a 500m street running parallel with the waterfront area. The street is lined with wooden houses, with one side built over the water. You can find several hotels here as well as many bars, restaurants, souvenir shops, and mini marts.
The Chinese Shrine is in the middle of the street and is a great place to look at. It has colorful architecture and great views of the sea.
You can easily access the old town from the Vailoru location on the island. There is a paved road connecting the old town to Saladan in the north and the beaches on the west.
#14. Hiking at Mu Ko Lanta National Park
Mu Ko Lanta National Park is a beautiful place to visit, located at the southern top of the island. At the park, you can explore the natural trail, the sandy beach, and climb to the lighthouse area.
The entrance to Mu Ko Lanta National Park is 200 baht. You can keep this ticket to visit Khlong Chak Waterfall later (ticket is valid within a same day).
From the parking area, you can choose to take the short route to the viewpoint, the rocky beach, and sandy beach. It is just around a 5-10 minute walk. If you like hiking, you can also reach these destinations by hiking to the 2km natural trail.
The trail includes steep sections with both dirt and paved paths, best suited for those who are physically fit. It took me around 1 hour to reach the sandy beach and another 10 minute walk along the beach to reach the lighthouse. From the lighthouse, I used the short trail to get back to the parking area.
#15. Khlong Chak Waterfall
Khlong Chak Waterfall is part of Mu Ko Lanta National Park, located 5 km north of the park’s headquarter. You can take a nice walk inside the jungle, walk on the stream, and visit the waterfall. The hike is around 45 minutes.
Along the way, you can visit several small caves or spot animals. The people at the parking area will tell you that you need the guide, the price is 100 baht per person.
I didn’t use its services and enjoyed taking the trail by myself. The trail is well-marked, and you can download map.me beforehand for some direction if you are unsure where to go.
I visited the waterfall in the dry season. There was little water at the falls and no one was swimming. People just walk around, take photos, and enjoy the peaceful atmosphere.
You can get to the waterfall by rental scooter, taxi, or hire a private driver. The ticket is 200 baht, parking fee is 40 baht, and the waterfall is open everyday from 9am to 4.30.
You pay a parking fee at the parking area, walk for 15 minutes to reach the ticket counter to buy an entrance ticket. If you visited the national park’s headquarters before, you can show the man the ticket. I bought a ticket from here, and kept it to visit the national park’s headquarters in the south later.
#16. Koh Lanta Noi
Koh Lanta Noi is a small island on the north of the main island, Koh Lanta Yai. It is known for its tranquil beaches and local atmosphere. If you rent a scooter, it is worth it to spend a few hours driving around the island. If you are not driving, you can skip this part and explore other beaches on the main island.
I recommend starting from the Siri Lanta Bridge, turning left to Chai Hat Lang Sot Beach, then driving along the east coast, visiting different viewpoints, and fishing piers. You can end the trip at the Chinese House then drive back to the main island.
#17. Local Restaurants
There are many restaurants scattered around Koh Lanta, in the main village and all the beach towns. As Lanta is home to a big Muslim community, you find many halal food options, as well as Thai dishes.
MY favorite restaurant is the Star Restaurant, near the Saladan Pier. The restaurant is located above the water and has delicious dishes. I love their steam fish with lemon sauces. I ate at the restaurant a couple of nights during my stay in Koh Lanta.
#18. Thai Massages
Like many islands and cities in Thailand, massage shops are everywhere. You can relax after a day of exploration by taking a relaxing body or foot massage.
Most of the beaches on the island have massage parlors where you can enjoy the massage on the beach. The price is around 350 baht per hour from traditional Thai massage and more expensive with oil massage, around 450 baht.
So you have it, my list of the best things to do and see on Koh Lanta. The island has laid back atmosphere and beautiful beaches, making it a relaxing beach destination. While on Koh Lanta, you can do beach hopping,enjoy beach activities, take snorkel and scuba diving tours as well as go hiking at Mu Koh Lanta National Park, ride a motorbike around Koh Lanta Noi, and explore Saladan Night market.