Koh Lanta is a long, mostly flat island in Krabi province, in the Andaman Sea south of the Krabi mainland. Almost all development lines the west coast, a roughly 25 km run of beaches that grow progressively quieter from the Saladan pier village in the north to the national park at the southern cape.
Reaching it involves a short car-ferry hop from the mainland to Ko Lanta Noi and a bridge onto the main island, Ko Lanta Yai, which keeps it a step removed from the mainstream. It has a reputation as the calmest of the larger Andaman islands, drawing families and long-stay visitors rather than a party crowd.
Getting there
There is no airport on Koh Lanta. The usual route is a flight to Krabi followed by a road transfer with a short vehicle-ferry crossing; in high season, passenger boats also connect the island along the coast.
From Bangkok
Fly to Krabi + van + ferry
4–5h totalFlights from Bangkok to Krabi (1h 20m) connect with shared minivans that drive south, cross the 10-minute car ferry to Ko Lanta Noi, and continue over the bridge to Saladan. Vans meet most flights and take about 2–2.5 hours from airport to island.
Check schedules on 12Go →Minivan from Krabi
2–2.5hVans leave Krabi Town's bus terminal throughout the day on the same route, and overnight bus-plus-van through-tickets run from Bangkok.
Check schedules on 12Go →High-season ferries
1–3hFrom roughly November to April, passenger boats and speedboats link Saladan with Krabi, Koh Phi Phi, Phuket, and the islands south toward Koh Lipe. Most of these routes pause during the monsoon.
Check schedules on 12Go →
The nearest airports are Krabi and Trang, both with limited international traffic; long-haul connections run through Bangkok.
Airport transfer · Arrivals funnel through Saladan at the island's northern tip. Songthaews and motorbike sidecar taxis price by distance down the coast; the far south costs several times the northern beaches.
Weather by season
Koh Lanta runs on the Andaman calendar: dry and calm from November to April, wet from May to October. The car-ferry link runs year-round, but the high-season passenger boats stop in the monsoon, and a fair share of beach businesses close mid-year.
Year-round climate
Jan
Feb
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Apr
May
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Conditions by month
Seasonal averages for the Andaman coast. Tap through to the monthly weather guide for detail.
Dry season
Nov–AprCalm seas and reliable sun, with everything open including the dive boats and national park trips. December to February is peak.
Hot months
Mar–MayThe hottest stretch, with the first storms in late April and May as the monsoon builds.
Green season
May–OctRain in bursts, rough west-coast surf, and deep discounts. Some resorts and restaurants close from roughly June to October; September and October are wettest.
Where to stay
Where to stay
Where to stay on Koh Lanta
One road runs the west coast, and each beach down it is a step quieter. Tap an area to see where it is and a few hotels at each price level.
Saladan & Klong Dao
Arrival village & first beachBest for: Convenience, families, calm swimming
Saladan is the pier village where everything arrives, with banks, clinics, dive shops, and restaurants over the water. Klong Dao, five minutes south, is a wide, flat, safe-swimming bay that has long been the island's family default.
On the map
- Saladan pier village
- Klong Dao Beach
Hotels to shortlist
Costa Lanta Boutique
Minimalist design hotel at the beach's north end.
Southern Lanta Resort Mid-range
Big pool resort mid-beach.
Guesthouses cluster around Saladan village for the cheapest beds.
Agoda · Affiliate link
Getting around
One road runs the length of the west coast with a spur across to Old Town, and traffic is light by Thai standards. Scooters are the default rental, and the terrain only turns hilly in the far south near the national park.
There is no Grab or Bolt. Songthaews and motorbike sidecar taxis wait at Saladan and price by distance, cheap to Klong Dao and several hundred baht to Kantiang; most accommodation arranges transfers, which is the usual way to move after dark.
Things to do
- The west-coast beaches. A dozen named beaches in 25 km, each a step quieter and wilder than the last as the road runs south.
- Mu Ko Lanta National Park. The southern cape holds the park headquarters, a working lighthouse, a short nature trail, and a beach. Entry fees apply, and the resident macaques are bold.
- Lanta Old Town. The east-coast trading port on stilts, good for a half day of pier restaurants, craft shops, and channel views.
- Diving at Koh Haa & Hin Daeng. The Koh Haa lagoon group and the Hin Daeng and Hin Muang walls rank among Thailand's better dive sites, reached on day boats in the dry season.
- Koh Rok & the southern islands. Speedboat day trips run to Koh Rok's twin islands and sandbank lagoon, and to the emerald cave at Koh Mook in the Trang islands.
- The mangrove east side. Kayak tours thread the mangrove channels between Lanta Yai and Lanta Noi at Thung Yee Pheng.
Local character & practical notes
Lanta's population mixes southern Thai Muslims, Thai-Chinese families from the Old Town trading era, and the Urak Lawoi, one of the Andaman's original sea peoples, whose main village sits in the island's southeast. Mosques outnumber temples along the coast road.
The island is markedly calmer than Phi Phi or Phuket: nightlife means beach bars, and families and long-stay winter visitors, many of them Scandinavian, set the tone in high season.
In the green season a substantial share of businesses close from roughly June to October, and those that stay open discount heavily. ATMs and services concentrate at Saladan.
Going deeper
Opinion & first-hand guides to Koh Lanta
This page keeps to the facts. For recommendations and first-hand takes, these blog posts go further.