Thailand (Lonely Planet, 13th Edition) - China Williams [596]
If Ko Lanta’s western coastline is a bit too touristy for your taste, inject a dose of culture into your beach vacation with a homestay on Ko Por (08 7474 3247; sanae.yamae@yahoo.com). The small islet, within eyeshot of Ko Lanta, is home to a tiny Muslim fishing village. Guests on the island will stay with one of the local families and participate in the daily chores – cutting rubber and fishing for crab. The homestays cost 350B per day and visitors are politely asked not to bring booze or bikinis to the island. A long-tail picks up (and drops off) homestayers at the pier in Old Town.
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Eating
Ko Lanta’s many markets are a great choice for cheap eats. The island’s Sunday day market is held in Ban Sala Dan, the Sunday evening/Monday morning market can be found in Old Town, the Tuesday/Wednesday market is in Jae Lee, and you’ll find the Saturday market near Khlong Nin. Every resort in Ko Lanta has an on-site restaurant – many of them are excellent. If you can muster up the energy to leave the beach, the following options are worth the trip.
Bar Kantiang (dishes 50-150B; dinner) Excellent Thai food comes out of this ramshackle kitchen near Ao Kantiang. It’s exceptionally popular with the local expat crowd, who secretly come for the karaoke.
Red Snapper (0 7885 6965; dishes 90-240B; dinner) Excellent fusion tapas fare is served in open-air pavilions dipped in red paint.
Drunken Sailors (0 7566 5076; dishes 100-200B; breakfast, lunch & dinner) This hip, ultra-relaxed, octagonal pad is smothered with beanbags. The coffee drinks are top-notch and go well with interesting bites like the chicken green curry sandwich.
La Laanta (0 7566 5066; dishes 100-290B; breakfast, lunch & dinner) The owners of La Laanta, located at the like-named resort, are from all over Southeast Asia, and their fusion cuisine is a blend of secret family recipes. The wonton soup is out of this world, as are the spring rolls and smoothies. If you call ahead, they’ll pick you up at your hotel free of charge.
Drinking & Entertainment
If you’re looking for roaring discotheques, pick another island. If you want a more low-key bar scene with music wafting well into the night, then head to Ao Phra Ae, where you’ll find a cluster of fun spots like Opium, Earth Bar and Reggae House.
Getting There & Away
Most people come to Ko Lanta by boat or air-con minivan. If you’re coming under your own steam, you’ll need to use the vehicle ferries between Ban Hua Hin and Ban Khlong Mak (Ko Lanta Noi) and on to Ko Lanta Yai. These run frequently between 7am and 8pm daily (motorcycle/car 20/70B).
BOAT
There are two piers at Ban Sala Dan. The passenger jetty is about 300m from the main strip of shops; vehicle ferries leave from a second jetty that’s several kilometres further east.
Passenger boats between Krabi’s Khlong Chilat passenger pier and Ko Lanta run when there are enough passengers and supplies to go through, and take 1½ hours. Boats depart from Ko Lanta at 8am and 1pm (450B). In the reverse direction boats leave at 10.30am and 1.30pm.
Boats between Ko Lanta and Ko Phi-Phi run as long as there are enough passengers, which means that services peter out in the low season. Boats usually leave Ko Lanta at 8am and 1pm (450B, 1½ hours); in the opposite direction boats leave Ko Phi-Phi at 11.30am and 2pm.
Two high-speed ferries connect Ko Lanta and Ko Lipe ( Click here; 1800B). One service stops at Ko Ngai (600B), Ko Muk (1200B) and Ko Bulon Leh (1600B); the other stops at Hat Yao in Trang Province. Daily boats run during high season and leave at 1pm. If business is slow, the boats will run every other day.
MINIVAN
This is the main way of getting to/from Ko Lanta, and vans run year-round. Daily minivans to Krabi operate between 7am and 8am (350B, 1½ hours). Check for afternoon services at 1pm and 3.30pm. From Krabi, vans depart at 9am, 11am, 1pm and 4pm. There are also daily air-con vans to Trang (250B, two hours).
Getting Around
Most resorts send vehicles to meet the ferries and you’ll get a free ride to your resort. In the opposite direction,