Koh Lanta sights
Top Things to Do in Koh Lanta
Koh Lanta's must-visit beaches, reefs, and laid-back sights — with locations and tips for each
Beaches
Long Beach (Phra Ae)
Koh Lanta's longest beach, a wide several-kilometre stretch of pale sand on the northwest coast, backed by relaxed bars, restaurants, and resorts. Good for long sunset walks and swimming, with a more sociable vibe than the quiet south.
Kantiang Bay
Often called Koh Lanta's most beautiful beach — a curving southern cove of soft sand and vivid blue-green water framed by jungle-clad headlands. Quieter and more scenic than the northern beaches, with good swimming and snorkelling at the rocky ends.
Klong Nin Beach
A relaxed, palm-lined beach in the centre-south, a favourite for its laid-back village, golden sand, and great sunsets. Calm swimming in the dry season and a string of low-key beach bars make it a popular base away from the busier north.
Klong Khong Beach
Koh Lanta's bohemian, backpacker-favourite beach, known for its rustic reggae beach bars, fire shows, and rocky shore that's good for snorkelling at low tide. Less about powdery sand and more about the easygoing, sociable sunset scene.
Nature & Adventure
Mu Ko Lanta National Park
The protected southern tip of the island, crowned by the white Koh Lanta lighthouse on its clifftop. A short trail and a nature loop give sweeping sea views, a small beach, and resident long-tailed macaques among the headland forest.
Koh Rok & Koh Haa
The headline snorkelling and diving day trips from Koh Lanta — Koh Rok's twin islands with white sand and clear shallow reefs, and Koh Haa's caverns, walls, and famous visibility. Reached by speedboat, with the best conditions in the dry season.
Khlong Chak Waterfall
A jungle waterfall in the island's forested interior, reached by a scenic walk through the trees that can be combined with a nearby bat cave. Best during and just after the rainy season, when the falls and the green forest are at their fullest.
Mangrove Kayaking (Tung Yee Peng)
Paddling the calm tidal channels of the mangrove forest on Koh Lanta's east coast, around the village of Tung Yee Peng. A gentle, shaded half-day in the company of crabs, mudskippers, and birds, often run by community ecotourism guides.
Sights & Culture
Lanta Old Town
The island's historic east-coast port (Baan Si Raya), a row of weathered teak shophouses on stilts over the sea where Chinese traders, Muslim fishers, and Urak Lawoi sea gypsies have long mixed. Now home to seafood restaurants, cafés, and craft shops.
Lanta Animal Welfare
A respected non-profit sanctuary caring for the island's stray dogs and cats through rescue, sterilisation, and rehoming. Visitors can take a free guided tour, walk a dog on the beach, or volunteer — a feel-good, ethical stop popular with animal lovers.
Khao Mai Kaeo Caves
A cave system in the jungle of the island's interior, explored on a guided adventure that involves a muddy jungle trek, scrambling, and a squeeze through tight passages past stalactites, chambers, and bats. An adventurous half-day for the active.
Sangka-U Sea Gypsy Village
A traditional village of the Urak Lawoi 'sea gypsies', the indigenous seafaring people of the Andaman, near the island's southern tip. A window onto Koh Lanta's older culture, its fishing life, and the annual boat-floating ceremonies.
Plan your Koh Lanta trip
Browse where to stay, what to eat, and the best areas of Koh Lanta to base yourself.