Getting to Ko Lanta

I arrived in Ko Lanta from the Krabi airport. From the airport I was able to get a shuttle to Krabi town, where I was dropped off at a travel agency. From there I had to purchase a ticket for the ferry. I waited a little while with the other tourists until a pick-up truck came and we all climbed in the back. We made one more stop to pick up more tourists from another travel agency then it was off to the ferry terminal. At the ferry terminal, we just exchanged our receipts for ferry tickets and waited for the ferry.

The seats on the ferry are the bench seats you would find in a minivan. They’re not that comfortable and it may be a little hot but I still think it’s better than sitting outside, in the front of the boat. Every time I’ve taken a ferry in Thailand, the people that sit in the front of the boat end up getting splashed by a big wave and end up coming back in soaking wet. I don’t know why people sit up there. You sit under the hot sun then get splashed by the waves.

The boat ride is only 2 hours so it’s not that bad. About 2/3 of the way through the trip, the ferry stops and a couple long-tail boats come up along the side of the boat. These boats pick up passengers staying in Ko Pu. Their luggage is passed from boat to boat and the passengers just hop off the ferry onto the long-tail boats.

Tourists transferring from Ko Lanta ferry to Ko Pu boat.

Long-tail boat to Ko Pu.

Where to stay in Ko Lanta

I stayed at the Sincere Guesthouse. The guesthouse is located in Saladan, which is the located on the northern end of the island and has the most tourist facilities. I chose to stay in Saladan because it was the busiest part of the island but it still felt a little quiet at times. It’s pretty quiet during the day but more tourists come up here for dinner.

If you’re looking for budget accomodations in Saladan, I can recommend the Lanta House. I switched over and stayed here one night. They have air conditioned rooms but there are no tv’s and only shared bathrooms, where the bathroom turns into a shower stall once you close the door.  You see this all over SE Asia.

There’s a small beach near Saladan but I hardly ever saw people there. The most popular beach in Ko Lanta is Klong Dao in the northwest part of the island. This beach had the most facilities and was never really too crowded. The 2nd most popular beach is Prae Ae Beach (Long Beach) which is right to the south of Klong Dao. As you keep going south, the beaches get more secluded and quiet. I walked all the way from Saladan to the end of Long Beach. It was a long walk and I recommend you take a motorbike taxi or rent a scooter if you stay down at these beaches.

Beach in Saladan

Klong Dao Beach

Prae Ae Beach (Long Beach)

Diving in Ko Lanta

The main reason I went to Ko Lanta was to check out the diving scene. I dove with Blue Planet Divers and I can recommend that shop if anyone is looking to dive in Ko Lanta. I also heard good things about Go Dive Lanta. I spoke with most of the dive shops and it seemed like if you did multiple dives, they would offer discounts.

I dove in Ko Ha, Hin Muang and Hin Daeng. Hin Muang and Hin Daeng are definitely the top diving sites in Ko Lanta. They’re located 70 km from Ko Lanta so it takes a couple hours for the trip. I left early in the morning and it was already dark by the time I returned because the boat had to go slow for the big waves. The dive shops in Ko Lanta take turns going out there on different days and you can either go by a big boat or a speed boat When I went to Hin Muang the current was a little strong . I heard there were whale shark sightings a couple days before I dove but I did not see any on my dive.

Leaving Saladan in the early morning.

Long trip to Hin Daeng.

Hin Daeng and Hin Muang

Hin Daeng Dive Site.

Leaving Hin Daeng.