Koh Lanta

Koh Lanta (formally Ko Lanta Yai) is a 30-kilometre-long island in Krabi Province, accessible by passenger ferry from Krabi Town or by a combination of car ferry and road from the Ao Nang/Krabi Lanta Bridge causeway. The island's western coast holds a sequence of beaches each with a distinct character: Long Beach (Hat Khlong Dao) near the northern ferry pier is the longest and busiest, lined with mid-range guesthouses and restaurants; Klong Nin, further south, is narrower and quieter with a local café scene; Kantiang Bay, near the southern tip, is a wide curved bay with calm water and a cluster of well-regarded mid-range resorts; Ao Kantiang's beach is considered by many the island's best for swimming. The southern third of Koh Lanta falls within the Mu Ko Lanta National Park, protecting limestone karst, mangrove channels, and a cave system. The park entrance fee (200 baht for foreigners) covers the coastal mangrove boardwalk and beach on the park side. Koh Lanta Old Town (Ban Koh Lanta) on the eastern coast near the car-ferry pier is a small settlement of wooden houses on stilts over the water, populated by an original Muslim Malay-Thai community. The shophouses and waterfront mosque reflect the island's pre-tourism history. Day-trip snorkelling and diving tours operate from Saladan pier to the Four Islands (Koh Rok, Koh Haa), which offer some of the clearest water and most intact coral in the Andaman.