Koh Lanta Travel Guide – Visit Koh Lanta – Budget Travel In Thailand

Visit Koh Lanta, Thailand to experience one of the more popular islands in the Andaman Sea region. It is located east of Phi Phi islands, making it an ideal place to come and relax after spending time on Thailand’s party island.

We skipped Phi Phi. I had heard about how beautiful it is but I was also hearing lots of travellers and locals saying it was just too touristy and busy. The islands we had been on so far were stunningly beautiful and the party scene held no interest for me. I much prefer to find a cool bar and enjoy drinks rather than attending all night raves. Instead of Phi Phi, we decided to visit Koh Lanta.

Koh Lanta has a very laid-back vibe. There are beach parties on the island so the parties are there if you need them. A lot of travellers seem happy enough relaxing in any of the many bars and sharing travel stories with new friends.

WHERE TO STAY IN KOH LANTA | FOOD AND DRINK IN KOH LANTA | THINGS TO DO IN KOH LANTA

How To Get To Koh Lanta From Koh Jum

Our transfer from Koh Jum was arranged by the host of our accommodation. It cost 400 Baht per person. This is the same price as it is from Krabi.

We were picked up at a pier near our hotel by a boat which then proceeded to go the wrong way before the driver turned off the engine and started fishing leaving me and Joanna (the only passengers) very confused.

Eventually, we saw a bigger boat approaching and our boat, and others that appeared from nowhere, all made their way to this bigger boat which would then take us to Koh Lanta.

Arriving In Koh Lanta

Our boat arrived at ‘Saladan Pier’ (map). We had to pay a fee of 10 Baht per person to basically walk through the pier. Once through, we immediately walked into the mass of taxi drivers, all desperate for our business.

We walked past the throng and headed for some lunch before we took a taxi to our hotel. We paid 100 baht each to get to our accommodation, which I think was standard (though Joanna thinks we were ripped off).

Where To Stay In Koh Lanta

CLICK HERE FOR ALL ACCOMMODATION IN KOH LANTA!

These are some of the best budget hostels in Koh Lanta, according to user reviews. These are affiliate links to the Agoda web site. I found Agoda to be much better than booking.com in Southeast Asia. I receive a small amount for any bookings made through these links at no extra cost to you.

• Lanta Valom Hideaway
• Lemonade Boutique Inn
• Hub of Joys Hostel
• Lanta Rabbit Rooms
• Best Stay Hostel At Lanta
• Dahla Lanta Hut

Aule Guesthouse & Bar

There are plenty of places in Koh Lanta that are aimed at the lower-budget, backpacker tourist. We chose a place called ‘Aule Guesthouse & Bar’ (map). Reviews mentioned it had a nice community feel to it and a bar on the premises so it seemed a cool place to hang out and meet new people.

The bungalows were probably the most basic accommodation we had stayed in at that point. They were made entirely of bamboo, even the floors and ‘windows’, and some of the flooring was loose and weak. We had to be careful walking around so not to fall through the floor. Even the door lock was made from bamboo. The bathroom walls were made up of random pieces of wood all nailed together, there was no sink and the shower was a weird plastic nozzle that sometimes gave us cold water.

The bed was a mattress on the floor with a mosquito net. The net didn’t provide great protection as I was bitten A LOT during my stay.

Having said all that, the owner seemed friendly and the location is perfect; one minute from the beach and in a great little community with restaurants, bars and even a cannabis bar!

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Food And Drink In Koh Lanta

Most of the tourism in Koh Lanta is on the island’s west side. Along the main road that runs adjacent to the sea, you will find many bars and restaurants. The side roads that lead to the sea also have many choices. Which are the best restaurants in Koh Lante? Which are the best bars in Koh Lante? This guide will give you some recommendations.

Bularn Lanta

We came here for a hung-over breakfast. The coffee was not the greatest and I ordered a very odd breakfast: cheeseburger and fries, and tomato soup. It was a very bizarre choice from me and not the most enjoyable meal on the island. Map.

Cannabis Bar And Restaurant

As you turn on to Traveller Lane, which is where our bungalows were located, you will see Cannabis Bar. It’s a bar with the additional bonus of a special menu, should you be interested. Most of the customers clearly were, if the pungent smell was anything to go by! I enjoyed a few cold beers in here (100 baht for a large beer) whist watching the live fire shows. The music is loud and not that good but it’s a cool bar with friendly staff. Map.

Krua Kritsana

We came here for our evening meal. It appeared that there were many people a little frustrated as the food was taking forever to arrive. It was very busy as a lot of other restaurants had lost their power. Eventually, our food did arrive just before a massive thunderstorm meant we had to stay there for a while. Luckily, they were well stocked with beer! Map.

Laanta@Lanta

Reviews raved about the coffee from this small cafe. It was decent but I think the reviews were a little over the top! Coffees come with free water and they can use soya milk if requested. Map.

Lanta Clayzy House

A chilled-out, hippy vibe and lots of cool art in the area to the back of this restaurant where they have many very basic bungalows to rent. I had an ‘Indian-style curry’ which was very nice. Map.

Lanta Panda Bungalows & Restaurant

Staying local to our bungalow, we decided to visit this restaurant. We also had our laundry done here. It took them an age to bring me my beer after I’d ordered it, but the food was delicious. I had chicken satay and the sauce was wonderful! Map.

N and N Restaurant

We came here for our last evening meal and I finally tried the local dish ‘fish in three sauce’ that I had seen advertised in most restaurants. It was a sweet and sour type dish and great value for the money. The service was quick and the food was good. Map.

Not A Toy Cafe

Located near the Saladan Pier, we came here for breakfast and coffee. It’s a very nice cafe on a street filled with many food options. The coffee was good but unfortunately the french toast was terrible: part french toast, part egg sandwich. Map.

Sunee Place

Located in the old town on the east coast, this is a very welcoming cafe with friendly staff. It seems very popular and we noticed they are trying to do their bit to help with local environmental issues (no straws). I had a chicken massaman which contained no potato and way too many peanuts for my taste. Map.

Things To Do In Koh Lanta

Koh Lanta has a very laid-back vibe and most people seem happy to chill on the beaches, enjoy the many bars and restaurants and soak up the island life.

Cycling To Koh Lanta Old Town

We decided we wanted to go and visit Koh Lanta old town which was on the west side of the island. We hired our bikes from ‘Num’s Motorbike & Bicycle Rental’ (map). Rental of two bikes cost 350 baht for 24 hours and we had to leave a passport with them. We could choose the bike we wanted and we had no problems with either the bikes or the service.

We had decided to cycle across the island to the island then return by cycling north and around the perimeter, hoping not to hit too many hills.

Luckily, the journey to the old town was mostly flat or slightly downhill. It would have been harder coming the other way.

We arrived at Koh Lanta Old Town after about an hour of pretty easy cycling. We parked up our bikes and visited a small museum demonstrating local life, history and culture (map). It was free admission and a little run down but still worth a quick visit.

We then walked through the old town. It is basically one street and most of the shops are aimed at tourists. It is a nice place though and the shops do sell better quality than the average market. I ended up buying some trousers, a t-shirt and a bag whilst I was there!

We had lunch at ‘Sunee Place’ (see above) then got back on our bikes and cycled the perimeter of the island until it brought us back to where we were staying. Well over 30 km. The cycling around the perimeter of the island was totally flat.

Long Beach

We were located a minute’s walk from Long Beach and there really was no need to go anywhere else. It was a great beach for lazing, reading a book and taking a dip in the clear warm waters. There are many bars and restaurants lining the beach and it is a great place to watch the Koh Lanta sunset.

Is Koh Lanta Worth Visiting?

Whilst Koh Lanta was certainly busier than the previous island we visited (Koh Jum), it will probably be seen as a much more relaxed island for those arriving from Phi Phi. There are beach parties and plenty of bars, but the vibe here is very laid back. We enjoyed beers whilst sharing stories with other travellers, some of whom had been here many times.

Our location had a real community feel. As one traveller put it, “People will look out for you around here and every night there is a party.”

I would definitely recommend adding ‘Koh Lanta’ to your itinerary.