Koh Lanta — properly Koh Lanta Yai — is a 30 km-long island at the southern end of Krabi province, and the Andaman coast’s answer to anyone who finds Phuket too busy and Phi Phi too small. A single road runs down the west coast past one long beach after another, and the further south you go, the quieter it gets.
The east coast is mangroves and the old Chinese-Malay trading port of Lanta Old Town, with wooden houses on stilts over the water. The southern tip is national park, with a lighthouse on a headland. Offshore lie some of the best snorkelling and diving in the southern Andaman.
Top things to do: Koh Lanta
Pick a beach
Klong Dao is shallow and good for families. Long Beach (Phra Ae) has the most bars and bungalows. Klong Khong is the backpacker stretch, Klong Nin a good all-rounder, and Kantiang Bay and Bamboo Bay in the south are the most scenic and secluded.
Snorkel Koh Rok and Koh Haa
Koh Rok’s twin islands, about an hour offshore by speedboat, have bright sand and reef close to the beach. Koh Haa, a ring of rock stacks around a lagoon, is a favourite dive and snorkel site. Trips run in the dry season.
The Emerald Cave and the 4 Islands
Longtails and speedboats run day trips south to Koh Mook’s Emerald Cave, Koh Ngai, Koh Chueak and Koh Kradan — see the Trang islands.
Old Town and the national park
Have lunch on a pier restaurant in Lanta Old Town, then drive to the southern tip for the lighthouse and short forest trail in Mu Ko Lanta National Park.
How to get to Koh Lanta
- By road: minivans from Krabi airport or town take around 2–2.5 hours, including a short vehicle-ferry crossing; a bridge then links Lanta Noi to Lanta Yai.
- By sea: ferries and speedboats connect Saladan Pier with Phi Phi, Phuket, Ao Nang and Railay, and in the high season with Koh Ngai, Koh Mook, Koh Kradan and Koh Lipe.
Insider tips
- Many west-coast resorts and restaurants close or scale back from about May to October, and most boat services stop. The island stays open, at much lower prices.
- Scooters are the usual way around; the southern road is hilly. Ride carefully and wear a helmet.
- ATMs cluster around Saladan and the northern beaches; take cash south.
Best tours & tickets for Koh Lanta
These well-reviewed experiences are the easiest way to see Koh Lanta:
Speedboat snorkelling trip from €41 Koh Lanta: Koh Rok & Koh Haa Snorkel Tour with Lunch Buffet
Koh Rok’s twin islands sit well offshore inside Mu Ko Lanta National Park, with bright sand and reef close to the beach; Koh Haa adds a lagoon ringed by rock stacks. The top-rated day trip from Lanta.
- Two of the southern Andaman’s clearest snorkelling spots
- Lunch on the beach at Koh Rok
- Small national-park islands with no resorts
Longtail island hopping from €23 Koh Lanta: 4 Islands, Emerald Cave & Koh Kradan by Longtail
The easy way to see the Trang islands without changing hotels. The highlight is the swim through a dark sea tunnel on Koh Mook to a beach enclosed by cliffs. More than a thousand reviews.
- Swim through the tunnel into the Emerald Cave
- Snorkelling off Koh Chueak and Koh Ngai
- Option including Koh Kradan
One-way transfer from €65 From Koh Lanta: Speedboat Transfer to/from Koh Lipe
The long hop down the coast that makes a full island-hopping route possible. It operates in the dry season only, and has no reviews yet on GetYourGuide — check the sailing days before you plan around it.
- Links the central and southern Andaman by sea
- Runs in the high season
- Stops at the Trang islands on some services
