Koh Lanta

Almost all of Koh Lanta's beach life is on the west coast, where one bay after another looks out to the sunset. In the north, Klong Dao has shallow water and easy sand, and Long Beach (Phra Ae) is the longest stretch, lined with casuarina trees. Further south the beaches get smaller and quieter: Klong Nin, Kantiang Bay, and the coves near the national park, where the jungle comes down to the sand.

From November to April the sea is calm, clear and about 29°C, and a beach is easy to reach from anywhere you stay. From May to October the southwest monsoon brings waves and strong currents, and many beachfront places close. Boat trips to the white sand of Koh Kradan and Koh Ngai add more beaches in high season.

Eating on Koh Lanta means fresh seafood grilled on the beach in the evening, simple Thai kitchens along the main road and a few night markets, the busiest around Saladan in the north. Most of the islanders are Muslim, so southern Thai curries, roti and halal cooking are everyday food, and stilt restaurants in the Old Town on the east coast serve fish and crab over the water. The food is honest and cheap, but the range is narrow, many menus repeat the same dishes for visitors, and there is little fine dining or drinks culture.

Heritage is modest here. Lanta Old Town, on the sheltered east coast, is the place to see it: a single street of wooden Chinese shophouses on stilts over the water, once a trading port for boats between Penang and Phuket. Nearby, the Urak Lawoi sea-people village at Sang Ka U keeps its own traditions, and the island's mix of Muslim, Buddhist and Chinese families shows in its mosques and small shrines. That is a half day of looking around, not a reason to come.

Evenings on Koh Lanta are slow. Going out means a beach bar with cushions on the sand, a reggae soundtrack and a fire show, mostly along Long Beach and Klong Dao, with the odd party night in high season. There are no clubs to speak of, and outside the November to April season many bars close. People who want a big night out take the boat to Koh Phi Phi; Lanta is for people who don't.

The southern tip of the island is Mu Ko Lanta National Park, with a lighthouse headland, short jungle trails and monkeys around the rocks. The hilly, forested interior has caves such as Khao Mai Kaew, and the quiet east coast is lined with mangroves to explore by kayak or longtail boat.

The real strength is the sea. From November to April, boats run to the limestone islands of the Trang coast, including the Emerald Cave on Koh Mook, for snorkelling and kayaking, and divers head to Koh Haa and the remote pinnacles of Hin Daeng and Hin Muang, where mantas and whale sharks pass. From May to October the boats mostly stop.

Outings from Koh Lanta are mostly by boat and in high season. Koh Phi Phi is about an hour or so away, with its crowded village and famous bays, and the fishing community on Koh Mook makes a gentler stop. On the mainland, Krabi Town and the resort strip of Ao Nang are reachable in about two hours by road and car ferry or by boat. Beyond that, most trips are island-hopping for scenery rather than places to visit, and in the monsoon months the choice shrinks further.

Koh Lanta is one of the easier Thai islands to bring children to. It is calm, without party crowds, and the northern beaches, Klong Dao above all, have soft sand and shallow water in the dry season. Family bungalows with pools are common, Thai staff are warm with children, and days fall into an easy rhythm of beach, pool and early dinner.

What it lacks is anything built for children: there are no aquariums, zoos or theme parks, and older children may tire of the routine. Monsoon seas from May to October make swimming risky. The island has a small community hospital near the Old Town and clinics in Saladan, but serious or specialist care means going to Krabi, about two hours away by road and car ferry.

There are no buses on Koh Lanta. One road runs down the west coast past the beaches, and visitors get around by motorbike taxi with a sidecar, by hired scooter or by car; the south grows hilly and narrow towards the national park. Little is walkable beyond your own beach. Getting here takes time too: about two to three hours by road and car ferry from Krabi airport, or a boat from Krabi, Ao Nang or Phi Phi in high season.

Shopping is limited to beachwear and souvenir stalls along the main road, small night markets around Saladan, and a few craft and batik shops in the wooden houses of the Old Town. It is fine for a sarong or a gift, and nothing more.

Koh Lanta is gentler on the wallet than the better-known Thai islands. Simple beach bungalows and local guesthouses are easy to find, Thai food from local kitchens and markets is cheap, and massages and boat trips cost little by Western standards. Prices rise with beachfront resorts and restaurants aimed at visitors, especially around Christmas and New Year, and with no public transport the tuk-tuk and transfer fares add up. The quieter south and the east coast are cheaper than the busy beaches of the north.

There is essentially no performing arts scene. The live entertainment is fire twirling on the sand and the occasional acoustic or reggae band in a beach bar during high season, plus Muay Thai bouts at small local rings.

Slowing down is what Koh Lanta does best. The island has no thermal baths or bathing tradition, but Thai massage is offered in simple open-air pavilions on almost every beach, resorts have spas, and yoga studios and retreats gather around Long Beach and the quieter southern bays. The pace does the rest: few crowds, no traffic to speak of, early nights and long hammock afternoons. The southern coves around Kantiang Bay are the calmest place to stay for a restorative trip, and the green monsoon months are quieter still.