Why Koh Lanta?
Deciding on which island to stay at during our Thailand trip was probably the hardest decision we had to make. In the end, we chose Koh Lanta. Why? There’s not a lot happening in Koh Lanta. It’s not a party island. No all night raves on the beach.  No crazy loud bars.  Just a quaint, cozy little fishing town with some beautiful, uncrowded beaches. And that’s exactly why we chose to come to this island – for some straight-up chillaxing!

Where is Koh Lanta?
Koh Lanta is in the Andaman Sea off the west coast of Thailand, next door to the popular and stunning Koh Phi Phi Islands. It is part of Krabi Province, which is part of the mainland and the port from where you will catch the ferry to get to the islands.

A Quaint & Sleepy Island
 Though more and more tourists have steadily been coming to the island over the past decade, Koh Lanta remains for the most part relatively wild, unspoiled and undeveloped. There are some 7-11s but there no McDonalds or Burger Kings – yay! Ko Lanta Yai is the main tourist island. On the west coast are all of the beaches and resorts. Old Lanta Town is located on the south east side of Koh Lanta Yai and used to be the main village and hub. The east coast, where the locals live, is mostly mangrove forests. To the north, and across the Lanta Bridge is Koh Lanta Noi made up of rustic fishing villages, and still generally untouched by tourism. You will pass through Koh Lanta Noi to get Koh Lanta Yai or to Krabi via minivan.

Muslim Women Run the Island!
What surprised us most is the huge muslim population on the island, and the fact that it is the muslim women who are running most of the tu-tuks as well as fruit smoothie stands. We were definitely no longer in Bangkok! Other members of the population include Thai, Chinese, and the Chao Ley, or Sea Gypsies (Indo-Malay origins)—who actually dominated, way back in the day. All of these diverse groups seem to live in harmony, doing their own thing. The Sea Gypsies continue to make their living fishing while the others tend to their rubber and coconut plantations. But like most of Thailand, tourism is a huge part of the economy, and the muslim ladies are on it!

Getting To Koh Lanta from Bangkok
The fastest way to get from Bangkok to the Koh Lanta is to fly in to Krabi Airport. Domestic airlines like Air Asia and Bangkok Air make this possible by offering some very inexpensive flights. We paid around $80. The flight was about an hour – easy!

You can also catch an overnight bus from Bangkok to Krabi. It takes about twelve hours and costs around $30. Buses can be caught at  the Southern Bus Terminal.

Krabi Airport to Koh Lanta
Once you arrive at the tiny airport at Krabi, you have the choice of taking a taxi, a shared minivan or a speedboat to the Saladan Pier on Ko Lanta.


Shared Minivan & Car Ferry
We opted for the shared minivan experience, for 400 baht each (about $15). While the minivan was air conditioned, I would hardly call this a comfortable ride! By the time Wendy and I got picked up from the bus stop, we were the last two on, as such we got the seats in back crammed up with extra backpacks and suitcases. It really wouldn’t have been that bad, if the journey didn’t take 3-hours! Luckily we were cozied up next to a fun and chatty French couple and their young, polite son. We passed some time by swapping stories from the Bangkok leg of our trips.  The longest part of the trek was the car ferry crossing to Koh Lanta Noi and then passing through to Koh Lanta Yai (Where the beaches are).  Though it was raining, some drivers got out of cars to take a cigarette break.

Saladan Pier
 Once we reached Saladan Pier, the driver began dropping off packages at various businesses. This was actually just fine, as it gave us a chance to scope out the main drag. German bakery, French bakery, and of course a 7-11! And then came the resorts. We were like stop number two – Lanta Mermaid Boutique House. We chose this hotel because it is directly across the street from Klong Dao Beach, known for powdery soft sand, and calm waters allowing easy swimming for miles. Perfect! Purrfect. Meow.