Destination Ko Lanta - Pearl of the Andaman Sea
Krabi, Southern Thailand

Ko Lanta – Pearl of the Andaman Sea

Ko Lanta is still one of Thailand’s best-kept secrets. It has pristine sandy beaches lapped by a crystal clear sea, a coastline ringed with coral reefs interspersed with mangrove forests and picturesque fishing villages, a lush hilly interior and a host of natural attractions. Best of all, it is not overrun with tourists.

Indeed, mention “Ko Lanta” and chances are not many people will have heard of it. For me, it was refreshing to know that, eight to nine years after my first visit, Ko Lanta is still as unspoilt as ever - despite the changes that the island has undergone.

Where there used to be only dirt tracks to get around the island, there are now asphalt roads. Where there were only simple beach huts to cater to the intermittent flow of travellers passing through, there are now more stylish, but still rustic, bungalows and cottages offering better levels of comfort. There is even a handful of upscale luxury resorts, for it was inevitable that the beauty of Ko Lanta would soon catch the developer’s eye. But thank goodness, these have all been tastefully built to blend in with the environment.

In other words, Ko Lanta remains unsullied. There are still no girlie bars, no discotheques nor shopping malls. Lanta Old Town, the former administrative centre and so-called capital, is still as sleepy as ever.

The charms of Ko Lanta lie in its captivating natural beauty and its simple appeal. It is a wonderful little island with a laid-back atmosphere - you can choose to just loll about on its soft, sandy beaches with an occasional dip in the sea or indulge in the myriad activities that it has to offer. It even has wildlife such as monkeys, squirrels, monitor lizards and hundreds of different bird species while dolphins are regularly spotted off the coast.

Ko Lanta is the largest of 52 islands sprinkled in the turquoise waters of the Andaman Sea. Together, they comprise the Ko Lanta district of Krabi Province. Only twelve of the islands are inhabited; the rest are rocky outcrops of limestone karst and secluded coral-encircled beach-rimmed isles. Ko Lanta island itself is actually made up of two isles separated by a narrow strait: Ko Lanta Yai (Big Lanta) and to its northeast, the smaller, and less developed, mangrove-ringed Ko Lanta Noi (Small Lanta), which now serves as the administrative hub. It is Ko Lanta Yai that is the magnet for tourists and is simply referred to as Ko Lanta.

Getting to Ko Lanta is an adventure in itself and is perhaps one of the reasons why it has escaped the tourist hordes, which flocked to Phuket and Ko Samui, two islands with easier access to the outside world, including international air links. Indeed, Ko Lanta has often been compared to what Phuket or Ko Samui used to be, 15 to 20 years ago, before the tourist invasion and massive hotel development began.

The jumping-off point for most travellers heading out to Ko Lanta is Krabi town, which is served by domestic flights and now has an international air link to Singapore. From Krabi, it is a 50-minute drive to the port of Ban Hua Hin, where boats will ferry you across to Ko Lanta in two stages, over the next two hours – first, to Ko Lanta Noi, followed by a 10-minute drive to another pier to connect to the next vessel for Ko Lanta Yai, arriving at Ban Sala Dan. There is also a ferry service from Ko Phi Phi, which is east of Phuket, to Ko Lanta, a journey of also two hours.

If you have opted to stay at one of the luxury resorts on Ko Lanta, access is quicker as the transfer is by private speedboat, direct from Ban Hua Hin. The 50-minute ride is scenic and offers a glimpse of Ko Lanta’s surroundings - a seascape of dramatic limestone karst formations that is so characteristic of the archipelago.