Destination Guide: Koh Lanta Thailand – What to do, see, eat and avoid

There are so many wonderful islands to choose from in Thailand, it can be overwhelming! Koh Lanta is an excellent choice because it’s fairly easily accessible because it is connected to the mainland via road. It also has a fairly large local community living there so its not strictly an island of tourists like some other Thai islands. It has a good mix of resorts, hotels and longer term apartments for those that would like to stay longer. In this detailed guide of Koh Lanta Thailand, discover what to do, see, eat and also avoid in order to have a wonderful stay in paradise!

Overall, we give Koh Lanta a 4 out of 5 stars rating (see our rating legend below). Our accommodation – on an island – was above our expectations. The location was remote in a jungle setting while still being within walkable distance to three beaches, a local farmers market, some grocery stores and restaurants. Groceries and food, in‌ ‌general, were really good besides the fact that some restaurants will use refined oil and MSG as it’s quite common in Thailand. Public transportation is nonexistent which can be a limiting factor if you don’t want to get a bike/scooter like us or don’t have a daily budget to pick up a taxi. Lastly, there isn’t much of an “expat” community on the island, which was fine for us as the goal was to relax. The major drawback for us was the transportation and getting to the island since it can be quite a journey.

Our five stars rating system:

• 1 star: We hated this place and definitely do not plan to come back.
• 2 stars: We did not like this place and do not plan to come back.
• 3 stars: We liked this place but do not plan to come back.
• 4 stars: We really liked this place & we might consider coming back.
• 5 stars: We loved this place and are actually considering coming back. This is a place we could call home someday.  

Where We Traveled Koh Lanta, Thailand (aka Ko Lanta)

Number of Days 1 entire month (from November 13, 2019 to December 7, 2019)

Type of Travel Married Couple, Slow Travel/Nomadic, Price Conscious

Note: Unless specified otherwise, prices are in USD and were converted from the local currency (THB or Thai Baht) to USD using a 1:30 ratio. (so 1 THB = 0.033 USD). 

Introduction to Koh Lanta, Thailand

Koh Lanta (or Ko Lanta) is an island  6km wide and over 30 km long, composed of 9 beaches (from north to south along the east coast). The island offers stunning scenery, fantastic white sandy beaches, beautiful palm & coconut trees and some great underwater life. If you are looking for a very affordable paradise, this can definitely be a solid option!

Koh Lanta Guide: What to do, see and eat

Koh Lanta is a relatively quiet place, especially if you travel before the high-season (which starts in mid-December and lasts until at least February) which is what qualifies it as the perfect place to disconnect and relax by the beach. The island is getting more developed and you have plenty of food options available that we are going to share with you. A good place to learn what is happening on Koh Lanta is on the website Love Lanta.

Now let’s dig into the recommendations for places to eat, shop and get entertained. To help you, we’ve included all the places that we call out below in the following Google Map. 

Recommended Sights and Activities in Koh Lanta

Being a beach location, most of the highlights are around enjoying this little piece of paradise. Koh Lanta has many beautiful beaches to swim, relax and read. It’s not a destination if you want to experience a lot of sights, culture and nightlife. However, it’s a great place if you’re looking for a place that is relaxing, livable and affordable. You will find all of these qualifties in Koh Lanta and enjoy the simple life. An ideal daily routine can consist of going to a beach, going for a swim, reading a book, dining out for meals and then going for a sunset walk on the beach.

Here are the recommended places to check out in Koh Lanta:

• Secret Beach – A gem of a beach on the island. Secret beach is one of the prettiest and most remote beach in Koh Lanta.
  Pro-tip: The secret part of this beach, isn’t the main beach you arrive at. You need to walk to the left of the main beach, go over a few rocks (or swim around them) to access what is really the secret beach. Most people don’t know (or don’t want to get there) which makes this beach the perfect place to relax and truly enjoy the beauty of the island.
  Cost: FREE!

• Long Beach – A much bigger beach, which is perfect for a long stroll in the morning or at sunset as the beach is more than a mile long. If you like to swim, keep in mind that you might get stung by Sea Lice that can be found near that beach, which can be quite annoying. Lanta Castaway Beach Resort is on this beach which provides great massages.
  Cost: FREE!

• Relax Beach – Relax beach is a lovely beach that is great for sunset or to read a book. 
  Cost: FREE!

• Lanta Animal Welfare – This non-profit organization does an amazing job at rescuing cats and dogs on the island and is worth paying a visit to. You can get a tour of the facility (~1 hour) and you can also volunteer to walk the puppies. These pups are up for adoption so if you are looking to get one back home, get in touch with them and they will set you up.

• 4 islands snorkeling tour – If you want to explore areas outside of Koh Lanta, the 4 islands snorkeling tour is great. We recommend Freedom Adventures because they keep their groups small versus other companies that charge less but cram their boats uncomfortably. You will get a longtail boat (or a speedboat if you prefer) that will take you island hopping. Admittedly, it’s not the best snorkeling in this area but the scenery is lovely. The best part was visiting the Emerald cave where you swim through a cave to end up at a gorgeous tiny beach.

Cost: The tour (on a long tail boat) will cost you about 1,000 THB per person and will include pick-up / drop-off from/to your accommodation along with fruits, water and lunch. Tip: make sure to bring ear plugs as the tail boats are quite noisy. 

Recommended Restaurants in Koh Lanta

• Yawee Restaurant – Quite popular for those staying in the area. Great service and affordability. This place serves a wide selection of food (like Pad Thai for 50 THB) and juices (mango/passion fruits/orange/coconut for 50 THB).
  Cost: 220 THB (~7.2 USD) for a generous lunch/dinner (for 2 people)
• Mushroom Restaurant – Some of the best pineapple rice (100 THB) on the island as well as a great steamed fish (for 220 THB).
  Cost: 250 THB (~8.2 USD) for a generous lunch/dinner (for 2 people)
• Happy Veggie – This place is a bit more expensive than the previous ones, but they use higher quality ingredients and have some interesting vegetarian options like the falafel burger (220 THB) or spring rolls (100 THB). Skip the pineapple rice though.
  Cost: 400-600 THB (~11.4-18.9 USD) for lunch/dinner (for 2 people).
• OA Restaurant – Great shakes (40 USD) and thai food
  Cost: 200-300 THB (~6.5-9.8 USD) for lunch/dinner with 2 drinks, 1 appetizer, 2 mains (for 2 people).

Recommended Sweets Spots

• Sugar cane juice @ Thursday’s market – Sugar cane juice at the Thursday market is the perfect thing to cool off. They seem to also sell it at the Sunday market.
  Cost: 20 THB (~0.65 USD) for one large glass (~½ litter).
• Weekly market – This market rotates locations daily in Koh Land and offers a lot of sweet options (crepes, khui, sugar cane, sweet potato balls). All very interesting and cheap. 

Recommended Grocery Stores and Markets

• Weekly market – A local market takes place every day on a different part of the island. These markets are super convenient and really affordable. You can find produce, fruits, sweets but also meat and fish. Similarly priced to Chiang Mai so it’s not marked up with island prices.
  Our pro-tip: The market opens pretty late, so do not show up in the morning or you will be disappointed to see nobody there. 1pm is a good time , the vendors start packing up around 6pm. 
• 7-Eleven – For anything that we could not find at the market, like western products, 7-11 is very reliable. There are a few 7-Elevens throughout the island so you should have one walking distance from your accommodation. 

Our pro-tip: When going to the local market, it is good practice to wash the produce you bring back home before preparing them (you can wash them for a few minutes in a solution of water + baking soda).

Recommended Massage Place

Who doesn’t want to get pampered while being on a beautiful island?
Here are our top recommendations:

• Lanta Castaway Beach Resort Spa – One of the best massage places in Koh Lanta. You get to sit by the beach, with a relaxing view and pay about the same price that you would pay if you would request a massage inland without any view.
  Cost: 300 THB (~ 9.8 USD) for a 1hr oil massage. (+ tip – usually 50 THB)

Koh Lanta Guide: What to avoid

While it’s great to call out what to check out, we think it is as important to also include what NOT to do.

• Be careful if you plan on renting a scooter – Riding a scooter is a popular way to get around Koh Lanta because it’s quite a large island and there’s no public transportation. However in our humble opinion, they can still remain a dangerous activity. You will need to always keep attention to other scooters, driving on the left side and island animals that might be randomly crossing the road. Accidents amongst tourists are not uncommon. Also if you still want to rent a scooter, make sure you have the proper driver’s license and that your insurance will cover you in case of an accident (which isn’t usually the case if you use a US driving license).
• Staying in Saladan Pier – There are a lot of accommodation options here and it may be convenient to shopping, ferries and other conveniences since it’s the biggest town. However, the best part about being on a tropical island is to spend time on a beautiful beach! It’s much more enjoyable and relaxing to stay further south by the beaches and only go to Saladan Pier if you need to run errands.

Tips to Enjoy Koh Lanta Slowly

Slow travel gives us the opportunity to really connect with a place by not having to experience FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) and getting unnecessarily stressed for being on a schedule.

Here are some tips to maximize a nice and enjoyable stay in Koh Lanta:

• Embrace island life. Living on an island with limited options is the best way to enjoy the simple things in life. You won’t encounter decision fatigue and can enjoy the same beaches, restaurants and markets. Try not to be on a schedule and just go with the flow.
• Enjoy the amazing food. With food so good and so affordable, you won’t run out of options of food to try. Buy some tropical fruits at the local markets and take back to your accommodation to enjoy.
• Don’t be afraid of food stalls. You might go to a market and think twice about eating some of the food you will see. It turns out that street food is probably the safest food you can get in Thailand. Use common sense (of course) by going to stalls that are busy and you will enjoy things you’ve probably never had before!
• Don’t forget to tip when applicable. This includes services like Massages (at least 50 THB per person), haircut or tours. Tipping isn’t necessary when taking a taxi, or eating out. 
• Plan your visit during the low season (Oct-Nov or May-June). If you prefer to have the beach for yourself, cheaper cost and – let’s be honest – a much more enjoyable experience, then get on the island in November as you don’t get too much rain, most places are open and you get great discounts.

Cost of a Trip to Koh Lanta

In order to keep the length of this Koh Lanta guide reasonable, the cost details are in a separate post. See part 2 of this Koh Lanta guide where we cover all the juicy details about our budget and how much the two of us spent during our stay in Koh Lanta.

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Planning a trip to other parts of Thailand? Check out our guides for some of the best places in Thailand: Chiang Mai, Mae Hong Son Loop, Koh Samui and Koh Tao. If you need to extend your tourist visa, check out this guide on how to stay in Thailand for 3 months. If you want to explore via motorbike, check out The Ultimate Guide to Obtaining a Thai Motorcycle License in Thailand.

Hopefully you found this Koh Lanta guide useful! Would you be interested in going to Koh Lanta? Does this beach destination appeal to you? Maybe you’ve already been? Feel free to share your experience and ask questions by leaving a comment below.