The ONLY Koh Lanta Thailand Itinerary You Will EVER Need!

The ONLY Koh Lanta Thailand Itinerary You Will EVER Need!

What if I had told you that there was an island 
off the coast of Thailand that has some of the best beaches in the world and a restaurant 
that makes a Masaman curry so delicious that it deserves a Michelin star. We spent 3 weeks on 
the amazing island of Koh Lanta and we’re ready to share all our insider tips with you. So sit back, 
relax, because we’re about to show you how to spend a perfect 72 hours exploring this gorgeous 
island. Koh Lanta is located right off the Andaman coast of Thailand. The easiest way to get there is 
by flying into Krabi airport. If you’re arriving from outside of Thailand, that will probably 
necessitate a transfer in Bangkok. And then you have to catch a short 1 and 1/2 hour flight 
to Krabi. Once you land in Krabi airport, your best bet is going to be catching a mini bus that 
will take you straight to your hotel. Depending on where your hotel is located, you can be on the 
island relaxing on the beach just one and a half hours after landing in Krabi airport. Let’s start 
your first day with a relaxing day of exploring the beaches and the area closest to your hotel. 
Since there is a lot to explore in Koh Lanta, I really recommend that you rent a scooter during 
your time here. Make sure to watch our scooter rental tips at the end of the video as we’ll share 
how to avoid getting scammed when buying fuel. Depending on how much time or energy you have on 
your first day in Koh Lanta, you could potentially visit all the beaches in the central and northern 
part of the island. But you’re on vacation, so I suggest that you just choose a couple of 
beaches and then take the time to enjoy a stroll and a dip. To help you choose your beaches for 
the first day, here’s a brief overview of the main beaches where the majority of the hotels are going 
to be located. Phra Ae, also called Long Beach, is, as the name suggests, the longest beach on the 
island. There’s lots of hotels along this beach. The sand is soft and the water is clear. If you 
don’t want to drive far, this is a great beach on the northern part of the island to spend the day 
at. And since it’s so long, you should be able to find a spot to yourself. The northern part of 
the beach has lots of hotels and restaurants along with some of the better swimming sections. The 
southern part of Long Beach is quieter, although the water is a bit rocky. The next beach is Klong 
Nin. If you want to drink yourself silly or just listen to live music, watch the fire show and hang 
out with friends, then this is the beach for you. Situated towards the central part of the island, 
Klong Nin is lined with bars and restaurants where you can enjoy a glass of cold beer as you admire 
the beautiful show over the ocean as the sun sets. It’s not my favorite beach to relax on since it’s 
not as peaceful and the sand isn’t as nice as other beaches on the island, but with that being 
said, it’s a great beach for sunset strolls as it’s so close to a lot of hotels. Klong Kong is 
another popular beach on the northern part of the island. Although we didn’t spend much time here 
as we preferred the southern beaches. Overall, it’s not the greatest beach on the island as there 
are lots of rocks in the water. However, there is some shade on the north side. And if you buy a 
drink at some of the bars, you can usually use their sunbeds as well. Another popular beach is 
Klong Dao. If you’re traveling in the high season, this can be a great beach to explore. It’s large, 
deep, and has the soft white sand that we all want for our beach vacation. You’ll also find lots of 
beachside restaurants and bars. The beach does become a bit rough in the low season as a result 
of the rain and wind that washes a lot of debris onto it. But if you’re visiting during the high 
season, it is a beautiful beach. There isn’t a lot of shade to be had though, so you might have to 
spend some money at one of the restaurants or bars if you need a break from the sun. There are so 
many amazing places to explore in Koh Lanta. So, to help you save time planning your trip so that 
you can start exploring as soon as you arrive, we’ve created an interactive Google map and travel 
guide. The map includes over 20 location pins for the best beaches on the island, the best places to 
visit, and our favorite restaurants with delicious and authentic food. This custom map and guide 
will make your trip easier by having all of our recommendations and must visit spots right in your 
pocket whilst traveling. Our personal tips are included in each map pin to help you get the most 
out of each location. You can download the map directly into your Google Maps app. That way, you 
can find the best spots at a click of a button and save yourself hours of research. You’ll find the 
link in the description below. On your second day, I recommend that you explore the more natural 
and secluded beaches. These beaches quickly became our absolute favorites to spend the day 
at. They’re all located towards the southern side of the island. And if you’re staying close 
to Klong Nin Beach, it’s only about a 30 minute drive on a scooter. That might sound like a boring 
drive, but it’s so pretty along the coast that the time will pass quickly. If you’re planning on 
spending the day at the beaches in the south, then I recommend stocking up on some snacks and 
water for the day at the 7-Eleven closest to the southern tip of the island, as there are no 
convenience stores or really anything else close to the beaches. There are three main beaches and a 
national park that you could visit on your second day. Let’s start the day at Bamboo Beach, which 
is situated towards the southernmost tip of the island. It’s a really long, deep with soft white 
sand that is just perfect for digging your toes into. During the high season, the water is calm 
and very clear. If you want to do some snorkeling, the best spots are going to be close to the cliffs 
that flow into the water. Even though it’s a huge beach, it still manages to feel private since 
you’re hidden away from the rest of the world with the jungle behind you and volcanic cliffs on 
each side. There are two entrances to the beach since it’s such a long beach. Both entrances do 
involve driving down a bit of a steep dirt road that can be rough, so make sure you’ve gotten the 
hang of your scooter before attempting it. If you enter by the first entrance, you’ll find a little 
beach shack that sells cold drinks. There isn’t much shade on this beach, so unless you’ve got a 
really high sun tolerance, then you’ll definitely want to bring along some shade. Honestly, even 
just some branches and a serong would do the trick. If you’re visiting in the late afternoon, 
make sure you keep an eye out for the cheeky monkeys. I’ll share our tips later in the video on 
that. Nui Bay ended up being our absolute favorite beach on the whole island. It’s a deep beach with 
lovely soft sand that is just wonderful for your toes to curl around. And because it’s not as huge 
as Bamboo Beach, it feels like you’ve discovered your own private beach. Surrounded by cliffs that 
peep out of the jungle on both sides and jungle that stretches around the back of the beach, this 
is an incredible place to spend a beach day or even many beach days. The water is lovely and it’s 
clear as well without too many rocks, so you can easily just walk out to a comfortable swimming 
depth. If you want to snorkel, you can see a few interesting fish hanging out by the cliffs. When 
I was there, I managed to see a moray eel peeping out off the rocks. The entrance to Nui Bay isn’t 
particularly well marked, but if you’re visiting during the high season, you can follow the Google 
marker and then just look out for all the scooters that are going to be parked on both sides of the 
road. Not to be confused with Nui Bay, Nui Beach is another lovely secluded beach. The sand is not 
as soft as the other two beaches in the south, but it’s a lovely place with lots of big rocks in 
the ocean that are perfect for enjoying a cheeky ice cream from 7-Eleven as you watch the sun set. 
Speaking of sun sets, as soon as the sun sets on this beach, all the crabs that borrow into the 
sand begin to come out to feed. They’re totally harmless and they’re not that big, but the 
concentration of crabs on Nui Beach was really high, so just watch your step. Access to Nui Beach 
is through the clifftop restaurant. Don’t worry, you don’t have to buy anything there, and you can 
just walk right through and down to the beach. The stairs are a bit steep though, especially the last 
set leading down to the beach. You can also park your scooter along the side of the road by the 
restaurant. There is a hidden path through the jungle which makes accessing the beach a little 
bit easier, but it’s quite hard to find unless you know where to look. To help you out, we’ve marked 
the hidden entrance on our Koh Lanta map that you can download below. If you still have energy 
after visiting all the beaches that we just talked about, you can also visit the Mu Ko Lanta 
National Park. It covers most of the southern tip of the island and also has its own private beach 
at along with a lighthouse that you can hike to. The reviews are very mixed on the national park, 
and I probably wouldn’t recommend visiting it outside of the high season, as the trails can get 
extremely slippery when wet. The park also doesn’t seem to be all that well-maintained. However, 
the entrance price is only $6 US per person, plus parking, so it’s not a huge financial loss if 
the national park doesn’t live up to expectations. We personally chose not to spend the money 
to visit it just based on the reviews that we had read. Before we move on to day three, we 
need to talk a little bit about cheeky monkeys, or more accurately, cheeky macaques. But before 
we get into that, make sure you subscribe for nononsense travel tips that will help you plan 
your own grand adventure. When you’re visiting the southern beaches, you’ll get a chance to 
see several families of crab eating long-tailed macaques that thrive in the coastal areas along 
the southern part of the island. During the hottest parts of the day, they tend to stay inside 
the jungle. But as soon as the sun begins to set, they will gradually move onto the beaches in 
order to catch crabs and bathe in the small freshwater streams. Although they are very cute 
to look at, the macaques will happily steal your bag or purse and quickly climb up a tree to take 
stock off their hole. This actually happened to a couple of German girls that were sitting next to 
us on the beach. And it took over an hour before the macaques finally dropped the purse that 
they had stolen, which contained the keys for their scooter and hotel room. The macaques are 
also very comfortable around humans. So even if you’re sitting right next to your bag, they will 
still try and sneak up behind you. Unfortunately, because tourists have been feeding them, some of 
the macaques have become a bit aggressive around humans and they will try to gang up on you. This 
actually happened to my wife when she was sitting on the beach watching our bags. At first, one came 
close, which she just ignored. But suddenly, there were four macaques surrounding her, and they began 
to hiss at her as they gradually moved closer and closer and closer. Don’t worry, she survived, and 
the macaques scattered as soon as she stood up. But if you are visiting these beaches in the late 
afternoon, it’s best to stay away from the forest edge and keep your head on a swivel so you don’t 
get ganged up on by monkeys. You can absolutely enjoy the sunset on these beaches, but just think 
of the macaques as cute security guards telling you that the beach is now closed. For your 
third day, I recommend doing a bit of local sightseeing. This is a great time to go visit the 
old town, which is on the east coast of Koh Lanta. The town mainly consists of one long street with 
lots of shops selling souvenirs, and of course, there are the obligatory seafood restaurants over 
the water. If you’re not a big fan of seafood, you can walk out onto the long pier instead and 
enjoy the views and the fresh breeze. During the high season, there might be a charge of 20 Thai 
Baht, but in the low season, there was nobody manning the booth, so we didn’t have to pay. At 
the beginning of the pier, you’ll also find an old shipwreck. It’s not all that interesting to look 
at, but for the aspiring photographers amongst you, it can make for a fun photo op. If you’re up 
for a longer drive, you can also drive along the east coast and admire the rugged coastline and see 
a different side of the island. I don’t mean that just literally, but also in the sense that more 
locals live on this side since it’s not as popular with tourists due to the lack of beaches. 
Once you’re done exploring the east coast, you can enjoy the beautiful drive over the hills 
and through the jungle as you make your way back to the west coast. For your next activity, I would 
recommend doing a behind-the-scenes tour of Lanta Animal Welfare. This is an animal rescue charity 
that actively seeks to help injured and abandoned pets on the island. The behind-the-scenes tour is 
about an hour long and costs $9 per person. They show you around the shelter and tell you about 
the work that they do on the island. Of course, you also get lots of time to cuddle with all the 
cute doggies and kitties that are waiting to be adopted. If you want to support Lanta Animal 
Welfare in a different way, they also offer a cooking class so that you can learn how to make 
your own delicious Thai food when you return home. This is a full on cooking class that lasts 5 hours 
and it includes a tour of the animal shelter. For more details on Lanta Animal Welfare’s tour or 
cooking class, I strongly recommend that you take a look at their website, which we’ve linked below. 
Last but not least, you can enjoy watching the sunset with a refreshing drink at your favorite 
beach as you watch the sun put on a beautiful show of colors as it slowly sets over the horizon. If 
you have any questions about visiting Koh Lanta, let me know in the comments and I will try and 
answer every single one. Now that you know what the perfect 72 hours could look like, let’s 
get into some of the more nitty-gritty details that you need to know in order to have the best 
experience when visiting Koh Lanta. Let’s start by talking about where to eat on the island. 
Feasting on delicious Thai food is one of the best reasons to visit Thailand. And there are a 
ton of restaurants to choose from on Koh Lanta. Unfortunately, as is to be expected in an area 
with a lot of tourists, not all of them are worth dining at. Even when we visited restaurants 
that were actually well reviewed, the flavors were usually more tourist than local. Luckily, the 
first hotel we stayed at when visiting Koh Lanta told us about two fantastic restaurants that very 
quickly ended up being our absolute favorites. The first restaurant I recommend you visit is Homemade 
Food Restaurant, and it genuinely lives up to the name. It’s run by Mali and ably assisted 
by her son Mawi during school holidays. They are both excellent cooks, but I have to confess 
that her son’s massaman curry is a work of art. They focus on using real ingredients in their 
food, avoiding MSG and other artificial flavors. They also make delicious fresh fruit smoothies 
that are, no joke, the best on the island. Mali is a huge personality, so if you’re looking to 
dine in quiet, this probably isn’t your place. We have so many fond memories of delicious food 
and great company with lots of laughter. It’s not always obvious that they’re open, but just stop 
by and say ‘Sawasdee Khrap’, and if they’re home, they’ll welcome you with a huge smile. The 
other place I strongly recommend is Alex and Poo Kitchen. They have a great variety of Thai food 
that is freshly prepared. It is just the two of them, so if it’s a full house, be prepared to wait 
a little bit. Once again, you’ll find really good food here that just tastes genuine. They also 
feed and care for several stray cats, so don’t be surprised if you end up sharing a bench with 
a cute kitty companion. If you feel inspired to learn how to make your own Thai food, Alex and Poo 
also offer a cooking class during most afternoons. Just ask them about it when you eat there. The 
next place I recommend is most definitely not Thai food, but it is an excellent spot to grab 
a hearty breakfast or brunch and a good cup of coffee. The place is called Near and Far Cafe, and 
it’s essentially an English breakfast cafe. It was founded by an English couple and has now passed 
on to a new British owner who has settled on the island. What I really like is that it’s not a set 
menu. Instead, they have a little card with all the options and the corresponding price. That way, 
you can order exactly what you want. This place quickly became our go-to place for breakfast. As 
a little bonus round, there is a small restaurant right on the road in front of Serene Lanta Resort, 
and they make freshly barbecued chicken and fish everyday. I’m not a big fan of fish, but I 
can tell you that their barbecued chicken is excellent. Now that you know the best places to 
visit on the island, you’re probably wondering how are you going to get to all of these places. 
Well, if you’ve spent time in Bangkok before reaching Koh Lanta, you might be thinking that you 
can just hail a grab or a bolt from your phone at any time or place. Unfortunately, neither of 
those apps will work on Ko Lanta as the local tuk tuk mafia have excluded them. Now, before you 
imagine Al Capone driving around in a tuk tuk, it’s really not that sinister. But there are no 
taxis on the island, just a collection of tuk tuks and pickup trucks with seats in the truck bed. 
There’s no taxi meters and no set pricing. So, if you do need to get a ride, make sure you 
negotiate beforehand. And if it’s a pickup truck, the more people you can fit in, the cheaper it 
will be. Bear in mind, even with haggling, using taxis to get around the island is both expensive 
and very limiting. Luckily, there is a great alternative, and that is to rent a scooter. There 
are a ton of scooter rental places on the island, all with varying degrees of scooter quality and 
maintenance. We chose to ride from Koh Lanta bike rentals on both of our visits to Koh Lanta as 
they provide a pickup and drop off service, which made it really easy to return the scooter 
before leaving. The manager speaks perfect English as she’s married to a Canadian and is always 
available on WhatsApp for whatever questions or problems that you might run into. If you’re 
planning on riding with two people on the scooter, I would spend the extra money and rent a 125cc 
scooter, as you’re going to need the extra power to get up the hills on the southern side of the 
island. If you’re staying for 7 days or longer, you might also be able to get a lower rate, 
especially in the low season. You don’t need to have a motorcycle license to rent a scooter, but 
I would recommend getting comfortable with driving it before you tackle the steep, windy roads in the 
southern part of the island. Lastly, make sure you wear a helmet. Even though it’s very unlikely that 
you’ll get fined, it is still the law and it’s the cheapest insurance that you can get. Speaking of 
insurance, if you don’t have a motorcycle license, a lot of travel insurance companies will deny your 
claim if you get into an accident. So, before you rent a scooter without a license, make sure you 
read the fine print of your insurance policy. We’ve been using Genki travel insurance for the 
last few years and they explicitly state that they will cover you for scooter accidents even if you 
don’t have a motorcycle license. Just make sure that the motor on the scooter is 125cc or less 
and you have to wear a helmet. If you want to know more, then check out our link in the description 
below. When it’s time to fill up the tank on your scooter, I recommend filling up at the only proper 
gas station on the island, which is in Sala Dan. They have the cheapest price and you won’t get 
ripped off. I would definitely avoid using the automated fuel pumps that are dotted around the 
island. They are notorious for taking your money and then not dispensing any fuel. And this goes 
for locals as well as tourists. You’ll also see stores selling fuel in old plastic bottles. 
But unless you’re running on fumes, I really wouldn’t recommend it as both the quality and the 
quantity is highly questionable. And that’s not even to mention that the price is actually a lot 
higher than the gas station. If you really don’t want to drive a scooter, then you can also rent 
a car from Koh Lanta bike rentals. Although it is very expensive and finding parking for some of the 
beaches in the south would be quite difficult. If you’re an exercise junkie or want to spend your 
vacation gaining some muscle, then you can also rent mountain bikes from Koh Lanta Bike Rentals as 
well. Although I didn’t find them to be as good a value as the scooter rental. The next question is, 
of course, where should you stay? Well, you could just look online for the cheapest, well-rated 
hotel, but that would actually be a really bad strategy for Koh Lanta. Before you can start looking 
for a hotel, you need to decide which parts of the island you want to spend the most time in. It’s 
not a massive island, but getting to the southern tip from the northern tip is pushing an hour’s 
drive on a scooter. The best places to stay on the island are on the west coast since the east coast 
just doesn’t have any beaches. On the west coast, the vast majority of the hotels are going to be 
located around the central and northern part of the island. I would recommend sticking to hotels 
in the central area as it gives you the best base for exploring the rest of the island. Do stay 
tuned because I’m also going to tell you where my favorite hotel on the island is. Another popular 
area to stay in is Phra Ae or Long Beach. This beach is, as the name suggests, a really long stretch of 
beach that you can wander to your heart’s content. You’ll find a lot of beachfront hotels along this 
beach as well as plenty of restaurants. Just be aware that it’s a long drive to the beaches 
in the south. Those are all the areas I would stay at. There are also a few areas that I would 
avoid staying at. First of all, I don’t recommend staying in the Old Town. It’s really more of a 
tourist street than an old town. And although it’s worth a day trip, if you stay here, you’ll 
end up spending your whole vacation commuting to the west side of the island where all the beaches 
are. One really popular area that I also wouldn’t recommend staying at is Klong Dao Beach. There 
are a lot of nice hotels around this area, but when we visited the area in the offseason, the 
beach was pretty washed out and dirty. However, photos that I’ve seen from the high season 
do make it look really pretty. If you’re just looking to hang out on the beach and stay close 
to your hotel, then you could probably still be happy with Klong Dao. But if you’re planning to 
explore the island and try lots of different restaurants and visit the beaches in the south, 
then you would quickly become annoyed at how much time you’re spending on the scooter. If you’re 
trying to stretch your budget in order to get a beachfront hotel, I honestly suggest that you 
don’t. One of the best things to do in Koh Lanta is to go beach hopping. So being right on the 
beach just isn’t all that critical. We visited Koh Lanta on two separate occasions and stayed at 
three different hotels and parts of the island. The bungalow style hotels that we stayed at were 
an exceptional value at around 40 bucks a night in the shoulder season. Out of all the hotels 
we stayed at, our absolute favorite was Serene Lanta Resort. It’s only an 8-minute walk to Klong Nin
Beach, and the location is perfect for exploring both the northern and the southern beaches. 
The best restaurants on the island are also all within walking distance of the hotel. The 
rooms were spacious, comfortable, and all had a little terrace that you could relax on with 
the company of the resident kitties. The hotel really doesn’t look like much from the road, but 
once you venture further in, you’ll find modern bungalows spread out in a lush and well-maintained 
garden. For more unique and brutally honest travel tips that will help you save time and 
money, check out our latest video here.

Koh Lanta Thailand is an incredible travel destination with some of the best beaches in the world. Discover how to spend a PERFECT 3 days on this stunning island.

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We spent three weeks on the fantastic island of Koh Lanta, and are ready to share all our insider travel tips with you. So sit back, and relax, because we are about to show you how to spend 72 hours exploring this gorgeous Thai island, so that you can plan your own perfect island adventure. That way you won’t miss out on the natural beaches, and laid back vibes of Koh Lanta, Thailand.

ABOUT KOH LANTA:

Koh Lanta is a tranquil island destination in Thailand’s Krabi Province, situated in the Andaman Sea along the country’s southwestern coastline. The island consists of two main parts: the larger, populated Koh Lanta Yai and smaller Koh Lanta Noi, linked together by a bridge. It attracts visitors looking for a more peaceful Thai island experience compared to busier spots like Phuket, Koh Phi Phi and Koh Samui, offering beautiful stretches of beach, a mellow vibe, and outstanding underwater dive sites. Tourism and development are concentrated along the western shoreline, while the eastern side and interior preserve a more authentic character with local fishing communities and mangrove ecosystems.

L I N K S M E N T I O N E D I N V I D E O :
➡️ We personally use Genki travel insurance: http://www.genki.world/with/hopefulexplorers
➡️ Lanta Animal Welfare Tours: https://lantaanimalwelfare.com/

0:00 Koh Lanta Thailand Itinerary
0:29 Getting to Koh Lanta Thailand
1:00 Day 1: Klong Nin, Klong Kong, Klong Dao
4:30 Day 2: Bamboo Beach, Nui Bay, Mu Ko Lanta National Park
10:59 Day 3 Travel Itinerary
13:09 Food on Koh Lanta
16:04 Getting around Ko Lanta

ABOUT DREAMING OF ADVENTURE:

We make helpful travel videos with tips to save time and money, so you can plan your own grand adventures.

We’re Christian and Sita, a couple currently traveling around the world. You’ll usually find us exploring epic hiking trails, trying local foods & immersing ourselves in new cultures & experiences. We usually cover the following topics in our travel videos:

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🧭 Travel Tips – Get tips for amazing travel destinations that will save you both time and money. Learn how to avoid tourist traps, and get unique world travel tips.

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