Koh Lanta Information

History

The district was established in December 1901. The origin of the name is unclear, but it may originate from the Javanese word lantas, meaning a type of grill for fish. The name of the island was officially changed to "Ko Lanta" in 1917.

From archaeological discoveries, it is believed that the area was one of the oldest communities in Thailand dating back to the prehistoric period. It is believed that this province may have taken its name after the meaning of Krabi, which means sword. This may have stemmed from a legend that an ancient sword was unearthed prior to the city’s founding.

Beaches

Ko Kwang This beach, with its attractively curved shaped has lovely sand and clear aquamarine water.

Klong Dao Over the years, Klong Dao has developed into the most popular beach on the island with a spectacular 3km long beach of fine white sand and shallow clear water. Yet, because of its length, it is never really that busy. It is located just 2km from Saladan Pier. The beach has an abundance of accommodation ranging in cost from just a couple of hundred to a few thousand. It is more than ideal for those who like a quiet beach but prefer to have all the usual tourist mods and cons such as international food, music and bars etc.

Pra Ae (Long Beach) This beach, situated in the north of the island, is a stunning crescent of sand about 4km long. There is a lot of accommodation there but since it is spread out a lot, visitors get the feeling that place is peacefully quiet.

Klong Khong For most of the length of Klong Khong beach there is a klong (small river) running opposite the beach and an old coconut plantation. Towards the southern end is an area where the local fishermen tie up their boats to the shore. A rocky reef runs along the length of the shore making it difficult for swimming but great for admiring the sunset.

Klong Nin This beach is separated by a klong that runs down to the beach at the northern third of the beach dividing it in two. The beach is covered with coconut and pine trees and the back end is tropical rain forest. Like almost all beaches on Koh Lanta, Klong Nin offers a tranquil and peaceful atmosphere and its sand is white and fine. The northern stretch is the best for swimming as it has far fewer rocky paths than the southern part of the beach.

Kan Tiang This small beach is only one kilometer long, so giving visitors more of a feeling of privacy. There are excellent corals for snorkeling as well. Lying 18 kilometers south of Baan Saladan, Kan Tiang beach is one of the most beautiful beaches on the island.

Attractions

Ko Lanta National Park Covering a total area of 152 square kilometres, Mu Ko Lanta National Park is located in Amphoe Ko Lanta and consists of many islands. The two major islands are Ko Lanta Yai (เกาะลันตาใหญ่) and Ko Lanta Noi (เกาะลันตาน้อย)
Lanta Old Town It’s one of the region’s most culturally diverse with Chinese merchants, original Thai fishing families and an ancient Sea Gypsy community. Many years ago, Ko Lanta’s Old Town acted as the port and commercial center for the island and provided a safe harbor for Arabic and Chinese trading vessels sailing between the larger ports of Phuket, Penang and Singapore.
Khao Mai Kaew Caves These Caves, located in the centre of the island, house impressive stalactites and stalagmites, some of the caves are just very large and one contains a pool.
Sea-Gypsy Village Known to the Thais as Chao-Le, sea gypsies have occupied the area for hundreds of years settling along the coast in stilt-built houses erected in the sea. They are unique in that they mix very little with the general population, speak their language and have their very own supernatural and traditional beliefs and rituals.
Orchid Nursery Farm This farm is for those who like flowers. The Orchid Nursery Farm is located at Long Beach (Pra Ae beach).

Activities

Diving & Snorkeling

The diving sites surrounding Ko Lanta are considered by many to be among some of the best the country has to offer. There is an enormous variety of fringing reefs, marine life, caves, rocks and islets.

Hin Daeng and Hin Muang near Ko Lanta are perhaps the best dive sites in Thailand (ranking in the world’s top ten) with more than 200 hard corals and 108 reef fish catalogued in a study underway, but thousands more organisms abound. Hin Daeng has the steepest and deepest in the whole of the country with beautiful marine life. Hin Muang next door is completely underwater and it is covered with delicate violet coral. The sites also have one of the world’s highest incidences of whale shark sightings.

Fishing

Fishers usually catch the likes of marlin, sailfish barracuda, red snapper and tuna during a long tail boat trip having a choice of either day fishing or night fishing.

Kayaking

The east side of Ko Lanta with its rich mangroves is the most suitable for kayaking in peace and quiet while admiring the natural surroundings. Kayaking is also the best way to explore caves. Kayaking can also be done in mangrove swam at Baan Tungyeepeng and Ko Talabaeng, the limestone cliff near Ko Lanta.

Trekking

Ko Lanta’s pristine forests with excellent flora and fauna are suitable for trekking. Elephant riding are usually arranged to take visitors to the top of the hill in Ko Lanta National Park.

Thai Boxing

There is one small boxing stadium on the island which hosts regular fights. The stadium is a popular place with foreigners for learning the art.

Ko Lanta now has its very own mini-boxing stadium which arranges regular fights. These are popular with foreigners interested in this ancient martial art. Tourists can train there if they wish as there is also a training camp.

Thai Cooking

Thai cooking courses on Ko Lanta offer foreign tourists the chance to learn to cook up all their favourite dishes such as tom yum kung, sweet green curry and chicken with cashew nuts.

Spa

Traditional Thai massage, characterized by its holistic approach to health, is aimed at enhancing not only one’s physical and emotional state but also to allow one to grow spiritually. There are many spa places on this island. However, massage on the beach is also possible – you won’t know however, if she is well-trained (otherwise there could be risks involved)

Nightlife

Since it is a small island relatively free of crime and drunkards, the local law-enforcers are more lenient about allowing bars along the beach to stay open until what time they wish, and that is usually when the last customer goes home. Many of the beer bars have hostesses.