Koh Lanta

Why go

Koh Lanta is where people go from Krabi when they want an island to stay on rather than visit: beaches on the west coast, an old town on the east, and the departure point for Koh Rok and Koh Haa.

What you will find

Two islands joined by a bridge: Lanta Noi, closer to the mainland, and Lanta Yai, the long one where most people stay. The beaches face west, Long Beach among them.

On the east coast, Lanta Old Town, Ban Si Raya, was the island's port and trading centre before activity moved to Saladan; the stilt houses of its merchants still stand. The Urak Lawoi, a sea people, are the island's first known inhabitants.

At the southern tip, Laem Tanod, with its white lighthouse, is the headquarters of the Mu Ko Lanta national park.

Getting there

All year, by road: a van or your own vehicle to the pier at Hua Hin on the mainland (not the beach resort of the same name, far to the north), a car ferry across to Lanta Noi, then the bridge to Lanta Yai.

From November to April, boats also run from Klong Jilad pier near Krabi Town and from Ao Nang to Saladan, at the north of the island.

The contract for a bridge from the mainland to Lanta Noi was signed in August 2026, and the bridge is expected to open around 2029. Until then, the crossing is by ferry.

Before you go

The car ferry from Hua Hin pier has no fixed timetable: allow for waiting at the pier.

If you read about a Lanta bridge, check which one: the bridge between Lanta Noi and Lanta Yai has been open since 2016; the one from the mainland does not exist yet.