Ko Lanta: A Thai Journey
In need of a challenging task? May I recommend trying to choose just one island to visit in Thailand. It’s not easy but find solace in the fact that you can’t go wrong.
Straddling the warm waters of the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, the southern peninsula of Thailand makes the perfect beach escape. And with over 1,000 islands to choose from, it can be daunting to pick which to visit. All the popular contenders offer the quintessential beach experience, though they each vary a bit depending on your interests. For example, you’ve got Ko Phi Phi for party animals, Ko Tao for divers, and Ko Lipe for those with fatter wallets than myself. For those limited on time, Ko Chang is close to the mainland, while those who can’t think of anywhere else to go will likely be on Phuket. If you are choosing an island purely based on how fun its name is to say, then Ko Samui is the clear winner.
After becoming thoroughly acquainted (read: overwhelmed) with our choices, we opted for a calm island with a relaxed atmosphere. May I introduce our winner, Ko Lanta. Check out the run down of our days in paradise below.
About Ko Lanta
Ko Lanta is located in the Krabi province, which is in the Andaman Sea along Thailand’s western coast. It is quiet compared to its nearby neighbors, such as Ko Phi Phi, making it ideal for those seeking a low-key island escape. Here you will find limestone cliffs, unspoiled sandy beaches and a laidback atmosphere - which essentially checked all the boxes on our island checklist.
Day 1
Scooter explorations
As is the case for most of Thailand, the best way to explore Ko Lanta is by scooter. It's a quick ride around the island and we enjoyed stopping as we pleased. On the eastern side we stumbled on Old Town, a shanty little place that I could have easily lived without seeing. On the southern tip is Mu Ko Lanta National Park, which we skipped; rumor has it that the monkeys are vicious round those parts and we were looking for something tamer.
Eventually, we found ourselves at Kantiang Beach on the island’s western side and it is here that we relished on its long, empty shores. As the day wound to an end, we returned to the north, which is the more populated area, and watched sunset from the Pra-Ae Beach.
day 2
LANTA ANIMAL WELFARE
Being the animal lovers that we are, we found it of utmost importance to visit the island’s animal shelter, Lanta Animal Welfare. The shelter is run by a group of international volunteers who take in and care for the island’s many strays, all of whom are adoptable. Amazingly, a great number find their forever homes, mostly by foreigners visiting.
I don’t think my cat, Luna, would approve of a new family member so I dutifully refrained from bringing home a bundle of fuzzy joy, though it did not come without immense restraint. You’re welcome, Luna.
Day 3
4 Island Tour
The 4 Island Tour is easily the most popular activity around the islands. This outing takes you by boat to, you guessed it, four islands. While most tours stick to a well-worn route there are some that go to lesser visited areas. In this way, you can be a little choosy. For 1,000 baht ($30 USD), we opted for the classic tour and had a lovely fruit-filled day island hopping.
Emerald Cove
Our first stop was a neat area where you swim through a dark cave and pop out to a beautiful lagoon on the other side. While it sounds amazing, let us not forget that we are still in Asia and as such, this is a very, very busy spot. Uncomfortably so.
Most tours have guests hop off the boat and swim in a line through the cave by holding on to the person’s life vest in front of you and the tour guide then leads the way with a light. Our group must have been deemed as strong swimmers as we were let us loose and sent to find our way through the cave on our own. It was difficult to lose our way as half of China’s population swam past us in a neat line with their tour guide yelling and blowing a whistle like it was a typical day of drill practice.
Next Stop: Snorkeling
Somewhere along the way, we had the opportunity to snorkel. Despite the water being clear, I still I ninja karate chopped the water in a desperate frenzy whenever a jelly fish was in range, which was often. I learned the hard way that when your guide tells you that the jellyfish don’t sting they are dirty liars. Sure, they aren’t intense stings but it is a little love bite that I can do without.
Final Stop: Ko Kradan
This slice of paradise is home to delightful white sand beaches, swaying palms and some of the most pleasantly warm waters. In between swims, we enjoy lunch, complete with fresh fruit, that was prepared by the crew.
After we said our sad farewells to Ko Kradan, we made the journey back. As we cruised around limestone cliffs, we made a stop to see bats, which was an experience that was equal parts odd and interesting.
Where to stay
If you are looking for a low-key hostel experience, look no further than Hub of Joys, which as the name implies, is a hub of immense joy ($10/ night). They have comfy beds, the sweetest staff, solid breakfast, snacks all day (my goodness how I love snacks) and is only a few minutes from the beach.
We also ate at our hostel for just about every meal because eating on Ko Lanta proved to be a serious struggle. Maybe we can blame it on low season, but many places were closed and the ones that were open were expensive. Also, if there were supposed to be a ton of tourists on the island, they hid very well.