HOW TO GET TO KOH LANTA
How To Get To Koh Lanta
How To Get To Koh Lanta. When making a dream come true there are always practicalities. Depending on where you are in the world, and your experience with Asia, you may think traveling to a small island in the Andaman Sea a formidable task. The reality is there are so many ways to get to Koh Lanta they cannot be covered in the length of this article.
Thus, we will focus on the two main entrances to Koh Lanta, your dream destination: Krabi, and Phuket.
Flying from Bangkok
First, some general information, although there is no airport on Koh Lanta there are three near the island: in Krabi, Phuket and Trang, each with a variety of land/sea connections to Koh Lanta.
Unless you are already in Thailand you will likely need to book a flight to Bangkok where you can purchase a flight to any of the aforementioned airports.
There are several airlines that offer flights to these destinations.
Airlines:
How To Get To Koh Lanta
Fast route to Lanta
Travel from Krabi airport to Koh Lanta can be fast and private; you can book a speed boat, catch a minivan, taxi or rent a car. Via Krabi Airport is the most favored route, and will take anywhere between 2 -3 hours depending on your mode of travel.
You can also make the trip a part of your adventure and travel from Bangkok to Krabi by luxury tour bus or train. Bus trips begin at 6pm and take about twelve hours. As you would everywhere in the world, be careful with your belongings while traveling, especially while sleeping.
Enjoy the ride
The truly epic way to travel from Bangkok to Koh Lanta via Trang is by train. Though it is an overnight journey, it is the quintessential immersion experience, with the countryside whizzing by, a restaurant and bar, and local vendors meandering the aisles selling traditional Thai snacks and more. You can choose third class, a seat only, it’s cheap and you’ll mingle with the locals, but it’s not very comfy for sleeping. Second class is the most popular with both travelers and locals, it includes a bed in a shared carriage, or you can book a first class private cabin, often the choice of those traveling with children.
How To Get To Koh Lanta
Via Phuket?
If you choose to fly into Phuket you have three choices for passage to Koh Lanta.
A passenger ferry leaves three times a day during high season, from Rhachada pier in Phuket town arriving at Ban Saladan pier on the North West tip of Koh Lanta. The journey takes about four hours.
Also, a minivan service runs hourly from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm from the Phuket bus terminal. It arrives in Khlong Dao in 4-5 hours. From there you will need to find local transport (more on this in our next installment) to your accommodation. Often arrangements for pickup can be made by your resort, hotel or rental villa.
There are also two high speed boats that run direct form Phuket to Koh Lanta, the journey takes an hour and a half, but unfortunately the service is only available during the tourist season, roughly November – June.
Due to Koh Lanta being an Island, with any journey by road you will experience the infamous ferries. These are easy to cross as you will most likely remain in your vehicle as it boards the first boat for a 20 minute voyage. After a very quick drive across Koh Lanta Noi, one more short (5 minute) ferry journey and then you have arrived!
Whatever route you choose, high speed, because you just can’t wait to get there, or leisurely, to soak up every nuance of the journey, you will soon be in the incomparable, Koh Lanta.
