Ko Lanta

Ko Lanta

Is a little less well-known than nearby Ko Phi Phibut it is hardly undiscovered: the several beaches on the west coast of KoLanta Yai are each strung with an unbroken line of resorts and bungalows.

KoLanta is especially popular with Swedish tourists: although the “touristlanguage” is English as it is in most places in Thailand, and you will find menusand so on are translated into English, expect the poolside language to beSwedish much of the time  KoLanta is situated near Krabi town on the mainland it is around 30km long and 6 wide so its fairly large.

it has over 50 small islands surrounding it, there isextensive jungle and stunning coral reefs make it a divers dream.

Popular withtourists seeking a holiday away from the parties: more walking on the beach andwatching the sunset than drinking and dancing.

The keyword is probably ‘quiet’ Itis also popular with families with young children, and of course, with divers.The two largest islands are Ko Lanta Noi and Ko Lanta Yai.Although Ko Lanta Noi is inhabited, Ko Lanta Yai is the primary touristdestination.

Ko Lanta Getting There

By air

Destination Air Shuttle offer direct seaplane transfers from/to Phuket International Airport and other popular Andaman coast destinations. There are plenty of car taxi and minivan taxiservices from Krabi and the nearby airport. A seat in a ten person minivan fromthe airport to Ko Lanta costs about 250 baht.

These minivans usually don’t havemuch room for luggage (although they can usually find room for one or two largesuitcases together with backpacks for the rest of the passengers) so if you’renot traveling light you might need to get a private taxi. Krabi.com offers private van / taxi transfer fromKrabi Airportor any other departure points.

However you will have to make a deposit payment online of 200 Baht and then they can get you everywhere around Krabi / KohLanta. The link to it is Here .

This is what the dive masters do. A private minivan taxi will usually be quoted as2500 baht. It’s possible to bargain a few hundred baht off this price but notmuch more or the tolls will consume too much of the price. Car taxis cost about the same.

Getting Around

The main road which loops around the island is paved with cement. Some roads are unpaved dirt. Most of the unpaved roads are in very bad condition with deep ruts; some would be very difficult to negotiate in an ordinary sedan car. It’s worth knowing the names of the resorts near yours: both the pickup trucks and motorcycle taxis will often want to pick you up or drop you at a nearby resort with a better road.

Resorts and some of the major tourist services (like the dive shops) own large pickup trucks and transport tourists around in the tray. Very occasionally, they own minibuses instead.

If you come in by ferry your resort will almost certainly meet you at pier with their truck; if you’re traveling with very small children who you don’t want to cling to while you bump along sitting on the side of the truck you might want to warn them in advance that you’ll want to ride in the cab: it’s generally assumed to be the private domain of the driver.

You will find the locals almost exclusively ride motorcycles; you can hirethese in several places for a few hundred baht a day. You can also hire motorcycle taxis with sidecars. These will happily take you on the unpaved roads but the ride can be as slow as walking.

A typical fare for a ride from Saladan toKlong Dao Beach is 40 baht. Jeeps can be hired for 1200 baht per day. Be sure to check insurance, contract terms and the condition of the vehicle.

The “roads” of Ko Lanta combined with the driver operation characteristics of some renters are a serious challenge for any car. The frequently available Suzuki Sporty seems primitive and therefore sturdy, and a replacement should cost around 150000 baht.

The nearest airports are Krabi, Trang and Phuket. Krabi and Tranghave direct road and boat connections to Ko Lanta, and are the best options if you’re only visiting Ko Lanta.

Flying into Phuket is a better option if you’reintending to spend time in Phuket and nearby islands, or, since Phuket has many more international flights, if you don’t want to have organize a domestic flight to Krabi or Trang from Bangkok. As analternative toBangkok, there are daily flightsto Krabi directly to and from Singapore.

By Car

KoLanta does not have roads connecting it directly to the mainland, but is served by car ferries. Take road 4206 off highway 4 about 20km south-east of Krabiairport. Drive to the end of the road, where there is a car ferry from Baan HuaHin to Ko Lanta Noi. From the pier here, turn right and follow the”ferry” signs to the second car ferry to Ko Lanta Yai. Ferries operate07:00-22:00

By Boat

Ferry services run from Krabi, Ao Nang and from Phuket via Ko Phi Phi to Ko Lanta Yai’s Saladan pier. Ferryservices are subject to weather and to demand: many will not run at all duringthe monsoon season and at a reduced frequency during the low season.  Many ferries have limited room for luggage.

Often the ferries dock alongside eachother, meaning that to get on and off passengers must clamber onto and acrossother boats with their luggage. Services from Krabi are run by P.P. Family Co (+66 75 630 165) and depart Krabipier at 10:30 and 13:30, taking 2 hours to reach Ko Lanta (200 baht including free pickup from Krabi hotels). There’s a transit bus from Krabi town centerfor 10 baht.
Services from Ao Nang are run by Ao Nang Travel and Tour (+66 75 637 730) anddepart at 10:30 (280 baht).
Ferriesdepart from Ko Phi-Phi at 11:30 and 14:00, and take 2.5 hours. If travelingfrom Phuket in a single day, you will need to leave Phuket on the 08:00 ferryto transfer to the 11:30 ferry. Tickets to Ko Lanta are 200 baht from Ko Phi-Phiand 450 baht from Phuket.