Bus times from Khao Lak to Koh Lanta

By bus and car ferry the journey from Khao Lak to Koh Lanta is scheduled to take from 6 to 7 hours depending upon which bus service you take.

Bus Timetable from Khao Lak to Koh Lanta

Click on the Khao Lak – Koh Lanta link below for more information and to buy tickets.

Khao Lak Bus Stop

Bus services from Khao Lak to Koh Lanta either include a hotel pick up or they depart from close to Khao Lak’s only McDonald’s restaurant.

Koh Lanta Bus Stop

Bus services from Khao Lak to Koh Lanta include a transfer to any hotel in Koh Lanta.

About Travel to Koh Lanta

Koh Lanta is a cluster of 52 islands. The largest of these islands, Koh Lanta Yai, is a moderately popular tourist destination attracting around 300,000 visitors a year, compared to nearby Koh Phi Phi which attracts over 10 million visitors a year.

Car Ferry to Koh Lanta

Passengers travelling by road to Koh Lanta, as opposed to arriving by long distance ferry or speedboat, complete a very short sea crossing (1.8 km) by car ferry to Khlong Mak Pier on Koh Lanta Noi. From Koh Lanta Noi bus services continue the journey by road 8 km south to Koh Lanta Yai, via the Siri Lanta Bridge. The main town on Koh Lanta Yai, Saladan Town, is located in the north of the island and it’s the first place where bus services from the mainland normally stop.

Saladan Town

Saladan Town, known locally as Ban Saladan, is a fairly large town with around 10,000 residents, which is about a third of the total population of Koh Lanta District. Saladan Town is a pleasant destination, which has many shops, restaurants and bars, as well as a row of attractive guesthouses built on old fishing piers jutting out over the estuary separating Koh Lanta Noi from Koh Lanta Yai.

Saladan Town is not, however, the most popular place for holiday makers to stay in Koh Lanta. Most leisure visitors prefer to stay near one of the beaches to the south of the main town.

Beaches in Koh Lanta

Nearly all of the beaches in Koh Lanta are located on the west coast of Koh Lanta Yai, with the exception of a beach right on the southern tip of Koh Lanta Yai in the Mu Ko Lanta National Park and the tiny Pirate Beach on the east coast.

The west coast of Koh Lanta Yai has nearly 30 km of beaches, many of which are only separated by short stretches of rocky headland. There are 9 beaches on the west coast, with the busiest beaches being the longer beaches in the north of Koh Lanta Yai close to Saladan Town.

The three busiest beaches are:

• Klong Dao Beach: Only 2.2 km from Saladan Pier, Klong Dao Beach is the most convenient place to stay on the island because of its closeness to the main town and main long distance ferry pier. The beach is 2 km long and has lots of affordable accommodation which is popular with families.
• Phra Ae Beach (Long Beach): 5.3 km from Saladan Pier, the 3 km long Phra Ae Beach is the most developed beach on the island in terms of restaurants, bars, shops and amenities such as gyms.
• Klong Khong Beach: 9.2 km from Saladan Pier, Klong Khong Beach tends to attract more young independent travellers than any of the other beaches on the island. The beach has some inexpensive beach bungalow style accommodation, in addition to more luxurious resorts, and several bars which stay open late into the evening.

Other smaller, but arguably more beautiful beaches, are located further to the south:

• Ao Nui Beach: Located 21.6 km from Saladan Pier and only 260 metres long, Ao Nui Beach is one of the island’s most attractive and underdeveloped beaches. There is no accommodation directly on this beach.
• Bamboo Beach: 24.1 km from Saladan Ferry Pier, Bamboo Beach has two resorts and a very laid back atmosphere.

Travel in Koh Lanta

The only public transport in Koh Lanta are local style tuk-tuks, which consist of a covered metal sidecar where passengers sit which is powered by a motorbike. Compared to Koh Samui or Phuket travel by tuk-tuk in Koh Lanta is not particularly expensive and the Muslim ladies who typically drive these tuk-tuks tend to be very pleasant.

Many visitors, however, will hire a car or a motorbike during their stay on the island. The main roads around the coast, and across the centre of the island, are fairly good and normally not too busy. Driving in Koh Lanta is less dangerous than some of the other islands in Thailand, such as Koh Phangan and Koh Samui, and having your own vehicle allows you to tour the various different beaches and other points of interest in both Koh Lanta Yai and Koh Lanta Noi.

Places to Visit in Koh Lanta

There’s more to Koh Lanta than just beaches. It’s a place with a distinctive culture, history and places of great natural beauty. Among the most popular places to visit in Koh Lanta are:

• Koh Lanta Old Town (coastal town with old wooden shop houses)
• Khlong Chak Waterfall (25 minutes walk from the road)
• Tham Khao Mai Khew (cave system to explore with a guide)
• Baan Tae-Leng (Old Chinese style mansion in a picturesque location on Koh Lanta Noi)
• Mu Ko Lanta National Park (national park with beaches and walking trails)