Koh Lanta is the antidote to Thailand's party islands — a long, lazy strip of west-facing beaches where the day's biggest decision is which sunset bar to claim.
The southern beaches are quietest, fringed by national park forest and reached by a coast road that gets gloriously rough toward the end. Rent a scooter and let the day unspool.
Old Town on the east coast is the cultural heart, a row of stilted Chinese-Thai shophouses over the water serving fish so fresh it was swimming at lunch.
Come outside the November-to-April high season and you'll have whole bays to yourself, though some beach bars shutter for the monsoon.
Good to know
- Rent a scooter for the rough southern coast road and the national-park beaches.
- Visit outside the November-to-April high season for near-empty bays.
- Cross to Old Town for stilted seafood served over the water.
