Areas
Fourteen districts, each with its own character - from Old Town's teak stilt houses to Kantiang Bay's cliffside villas.
Kaw Kwang Peninsula is the rocky cape at Koh Lanta's northernmost tip, just north of Saladan and Klong Dao. Its 2.5km shoreline shifts from gentle sand in the south to rugged, marshy terrain at the point, with no shops or restaurants of its own.
Ban Saladan is Koh Lanta's main town and gateway, at the northern tip around the busy ferry pier. It's a compact harbour town of stilted seafood restaurants, minimarts, bike rentals, and an evening walking-street market.
Klong Dao is Koh Lanta's northernmost and most established beach, a wide, gently sloping crescent of sand just minutes from Saladan pier. Shallow, calm water makes it the island's most family-friendly beach, backed by a full range of restaurants and amenities.
Phra Ae, known as Long Beach, is Koh Lanta's longest and busiest stretch of sand, running along the west coast between Klong Dao and Klong Khong. Deeper water makes it good for swimming, and it's lined with everything from the luxury Layana resort to backpacker-friendly bars, making it one of the island's liveliest areas after dark.
Thung Yee Pheng is a Muslim fishing community on Koh Lanta's inland/east side, surrounded by one of southern Thailand's largest mangrove forests. Known for eco-tourism rather than beach life, it offers longtail boat and kayak tours, wooden boardwalks, and homestays rather than resorts.
Klong Khong, on the west coast between Klong Nin and Long Beach, is Koh Lanta's long-standing 'hippie beach' - a stretch of family-run bungalows, cheap eats, and bars known for full-moon fire shows. The shoreline turns rocky at low tide, so it suits sunset drinks and budget travellers more than swimming.
Lanta Valley is the green, mountainous inland spine running between the west-coast beaches and Old Town on the east coast. Covered in rainforest, rubber plantations, and small villages, it's better known for jungle scooter routes and hidden waterfalls than beachfront living.
Klong Nin sits roughly in the centre of Koh Lanta's west coast, about 25-35 minutes from Saladan. It's known for soft sand, calm swimmable water, and a laid-back mix of beach bars and restaurants under the island's landmark umbrella trees - busier than Klong Hin, quieter than Long Beach.
Lanta Old Town (Ban Si Raya) is the island's historic port on the east coast, built over a century ago by Chinese and Muslim traders. Rows of wooden stilt shophouses now hold cafes, restaurants, and galleries - there's no beach here, but it's Koh Lanta's most characterful, walkable town.
Klong Hin sits on the west coast between Klong Nin and Kantiang Bay, named after the Thai word for rock (hin). It's one of the island's wildest, least developed stretches - a rocky, uneven shoreline rather than powder sand - with just a handful of bungalows and a beachfront cafe.
Kantiang Bay is a dramatic crescent-shaped bay near the south of the island, roughly 45 minutes from Saladan. It's home to the island's top resort, Pimalai, alongside beach bars and restaurants - quieter than the beaches further north, livelier than the coves beyond it.
Koh Lanta's Northeast Coast covers the quiet, east-facing shoreline in the island's south, near Old Town and Mu Ko Lanta National Park. It's home to Ban Sangka U, a traditional Urak Lawoi (sea gypsy) fishing village, along with mangrove channels and mudflats - a largely untouristed side of the island.
The Southern Beaches cover the string of small, secluded coves - including Nui Bay, Khlong Jark, and Bamboo Bay - south of Kantiang Bay towards Mu Ko Lanta National Park. Development here is minimal, with just a few simple bungalows and beach bars serving travellers after Koh Lanta's quietest coastline.