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See our detailed post on things to do in Koh Lanta for everything you need to know to plan your trip including restaurants, accommodation, and transport. This post focuses on exploring Koh Lanta by scooter.
Renting a scooter on Koh Lanta is the ideal way to explore the jungle-covered mountains and long empty beaches of this beautiful Thai Island.
We love riding down to the undeveloped south of the island on the back of our scooter, the cooling breeze in our faces, the jungle on one side and the sea on the other. It’s the easiest way to get around Koh Lanta and find a beach to yourself.
Contents
- Learn to Ride a Scooter on Koh Lanta
- Don’t Forget Travel Insurance
- Koh Lanta Scooter Rental
- Fuel
- Scooter Itineraries on Koh Lanta
- More Koh Lanta Tips
Learn to Ride a Scooter on Koh Lanta
In an ideal world you would learn to ride a motorbike in your home country before you get to Thailand.
Before we became digital nomads Simon did his CBT (Compulsory Basic Training) in the UK. On this one-day course he learned all the basics which made him much more confident driving in Southeast Asia. A few years later he got his full licence after four days of training and practical tests.
That said, automatic scooters are fairly easy to drive and many people hire them in Thailand without a licence. Just be careful and realise you are taking a risk (your insurance won’t cover you without a licence).
Simon usually drives us in Thailand, but on our last visit I learned to drive an automatic scooter, something I’d been scared of for years. As traffic is minimal on Koh Lanta (especially the further south you get) it’s a great place to learn.
Accidents are relatively common amongst inexperienced foreigners, so do be careful. Don’t just hop on a bike and drive away or you could end up in a ditch like our friends. Instead get someone to show you the ropes away from traffic.
I practiced for three 20 minute sessions around the quiet roads of our villa complex before heading out on the main road. Simon showed me what to do and made me practice emergency stops and various manoeuvres.
With automatic scooters you don’t have to worry about gears so it’s fairly simple. If you drive slowly and carefully and wear a helmet you should be fine. And of course, never drink and drive. It didn’t take long until I felt confident and really enjoyed scooting around.
Don’t Forget Travel Insurance
If you rent a motorbike make sure your travel insurance covers you as accidents do happen.
We recommend SafetyWing, which is available worldwide and covers riding a motorbike.
It’s affordable (kids are even free for families!) and is ideal if you are on a longer trip as you can pay monthly. You can purchase it outside your home country, so if you forgot to buy insurance before you left home, there’s still time to buy a policy.
True Traveller is another option for UK/EU residents but they will only cover bikes under 125cc and you must have a full motorbike licence.
Koh Lanta Scooter Rental
Many restaurants, hotels, and travel agents rent out scooters on Koh Lanta so they are easy to find.
The best way to rent a motorbike is through your hotel. On our latest trip we rented from Lanta Sky in Long Beach who usually ask for a passport as a deposit. But because we arranged it through our accommodation (Malee Highlands), we didn’t need to leave a deposit.
If your hotel can’t arrange bike rental, just walk down the street and ask a few places to compare prices and deposit policies. Khlong Dao and Long Beach have plenty of options, but you can find them all over the island.
Automatic scooters are usually rented for 250 baht ($8) a day, although I have seen rates as low as 150 baht ($5)—try Lanta Nattapol Travel & Tour in Khlong Dao on the side street down to Oasis Yoga (we haven’t used them ourselves).
You can negotiate rates for longer stays of a week or more. We paid 2500 baht ($81) a month when we rented for three months in low season.
Rental places don’t ask to see a licence. Try to find a place that will accept a copy of your passport as a deposit as it’s not a good idea to be separated from your passport, especially for longer rentals.
If you’re still looking for a place to stay, see our post on the best Koh Lanta hotels for every budget which also includes a comparison of the different beaches and villages on the island.
Fuel
There are a couple of petrol stations near the north of the island on the main road in Khlong Dao and Saladan. These have the cheapest rates, so stock up here when you can.
Elsewhere on the island you’ll find informal petrol stations by the side of the road where petrol is stored in whisky bottles at 40 baht ($1.30) each.
Scooter Itineraries on Koh Lanta
You can explore the entire island in a day by scooter. Here are some of our favourite stops:
- Long Beach – We often stay here as it’s the perfect mix of uncrowded beach and good restaurants. It’s ideal for sunset walks. We love the luxury Layana Resort and the apartments at Sai Naam Residence but there are plenty of accommodation options.
- Old Town – Head across the mountains to the quiet east coast and visit this pretty village with wooden houses on stilts over the water. Just further south you’ll find excellent tacos and kayak rental at Baja Taco.
- Kantiang Bay – Back on the west coast this is a quiet, beautiful beach in the south where the mountains meet the sand. Pimalai Resort is our favourite place to stay here—it’s perfect for a special occasion and has incredible views from the hillside infinity pool.
- Southern Beaches – Explore this beautiful string of empty beaches in the far south including Waterfall Bay (Ao Klong Jark) and Bamboo Bay (Ao Mai Pai).
- Koh Lanta National Park – Trek through the jungle, visit the lighthouse, and relax on the beach at the National Park at the southern tip of the island. There’s a 200 baht ($6.40) entrance fee. Just keep your distance from the monkeys!
More Koh Lanta Tips
See our comprehensive Koh Lanta Guide for more information on things to do, where to stay, the best restaurants (including vegetarian options), and how to get there.
Hi Erin, thanks for all those tips ! I was wondering for the day traveling with a scooter (if we also want to do the hike in the national park), is it a full day leaving in the morning and back for the sunset ? or is it one afternoon ride ?
It depends how long you want to spend on the beaches. It’s doable in an afternoon but a full day gives you more time to relax and swim etc.
Hi Erin,
nice article ! I see you published the article in May. Where you there in May ? I asked because we are slowly planning a trip to Koh Lanta in April-May. I know it is the start of the low season, so I was wondering if you felt it was a great time to be in Koh Lanta. Your feedback will be appreciated !
Have a great day,
Francois
We weren’t there this May but we have visited Koh Lanta a number of times in April-June. I think April is a little better as it’s still quiet (the high season has ended) but businesses are still open and the rainy season hasn’t started properly.
In May it starts to get a bit rainier and some businesses close for the season or a break, but I would still go back at this time.
Note that both months are very hot so I recommend staying somewhere with a/c.
How much is a fried rise with chicken on Koch lanta?
We’re vegetarian so I’m afraid I don’t know.
Great pair of posts, I have saved them to Pocket to be our travel guide when we visit soon. We are going to come from Langkawi via Lipe too (that 5 hour ferry sounds a bit long, but the speed boats which are quicker sound uncomfortable, so I think the longer ferry is best).
Thinking of booking the Krabi to Chiang Mai flight with Air Asia as it is very cheap at the moment. But have a feeling we will regret it (after seeing your photos) if we only allow 4 nights (which is really just 3 full days on the island). What would you say is the bare minimum we need on Koh Lanta, bearing in mind that we will be doing 3 nights on Langkawi and 4 on Lipe before? We are getting a car on Langkawi for 2 days, chilling on Lipe and scooter on Lanta.
I have noticed a lot of boats from Lipe to other islands, so might read up on them too. Could be a good way to break up the journey to Lanta? Have you done any of the smaller, less well known islands in between Lipe and Lanta?
I’d say 4 nights on Koh Lanta would be OK. We like to spend longer but we work part of the time so it’s a different style of travelling.
We haven’t visited any of the islands between Lipe and Lanta but that could be a good option.
My daughter and I are traveling to Koh Lanta for the first time in early December She will be celebrating her birthday while we are there (early 20s). We are both vegetarians. Suggestions for extra special restaurant? Something fun to do-is there ziplining on the island? Is it fairly easy to get around if we do not feel comfortable renting a scooter? How much is it to hire a driver to take us around the island one day? I have heard good things about Time for Lime-feedback from anyone?
Thanks
Hey guys, thanks this is really useful. We (the Kids and me) are planning where to go next (currently in Chiang Mai). They’ve been talking a lot about Koh Lanta so I thought I would do some research of my own. Girl loves yoga so she’s going to like the sound of this. Not sure I’ll let Boy anywhere near a scooter, though, even if it’s a safe place to learn. My question is, are teddy bears as popular in Koh Lanta as in Chiang Mai (I get treated like royalty here!)?
The photos look beautiful :)
Kluk
Your post is great! We are planning a visit the end of this month (June) to Koh Lanta. Unfortunately, online most things say they are closed (National Park, Freedom Adventures..) Do you have other suggestions on things to do aside from enjoying the beautiful beaches (which we can’t wait to see)?
A cooking class would be fun but I’m not sure what will be open. Kwan’s was open in the low season last year so you could try there. Or see if Time for Lime is open. Enjoy!
Really helpful, guys! I’m heading to Koh Lanta on Monday (from Chiang Mai), so thank you. And your Red Snapper meal looks amazing!
My husband and I are travelling to India for we wedding in November, and on our way back (even without much time) we plan on visiting Lanta for a couple of days before we head home. I just have one question, and maybe you can direct me – we really wants to visit with elephants and tigers. Between Bangkok and Lanta where is the best place for us to do this?
There are elephants on Koh Lanta but the only place I’ve heard of to visit Tigers is in Chiang Mai in north Thailand.
Thank you for such a detailed blog post! I’ve been scouring the web finding write-ups on Koh Lanta, as my boyfriend and I are traveling in November of this year for THanksgiving, and we are trying to decide between Koh Lanta or Koh Lipe… Your detailed reviews on the different accommodations available are SO useful. Thank you so much!
I’m glad you found it useful Anna. Koh Lipe is lovely but as it’s so small it felt a bit crowded to us. Have a great trip!
Hi Erin! We have decided on Koh Lanta, and are staying at Ban Kaan Tiang See. Super excited! :)
Daniel (the boyfriend) and I are avid cooks, and were looking into the cooking classes—but we also thought it might be fun to have someone come to our villa and teach us to cook/make us a meal there. Have you run into anything like this? Hire a private chef for the day? And by chef I really mean someone’s grandma who can teach us how to make a mean curry paste. :)
Thanks again!
Yay! Love it there! I haven’t heard of anything like this. I would recommend asking at the hotel or one of the cooking classes. Have fun!
Hi Erin,
How are you doing? That’s a really lovely and insightful website.. My husband and I are planning a trip Lanta between April 18th to 22nd.. I gather that the weather should be ok then [Turquoise beaches, super romantic sunsets haha and calm waters for diving].. yeah?
One thing though, we are a little stuck about where to stay.. Would you be able to give us some suggestions? And perhaps, some things to do in the island.
Thanks so much!
We love April in Koh Lanta. It’s not busy and the weather should still be good. All of our suggestions of places to stay and things to do are in this post and the original guide. Have a lovely time!
We are just coming to the end of a wonderful month in Koh Lanta.
We have stayed in Old Town as it had the right kind of atmosphere for us and has been a magical experience from start to finish …. we are finishing on a real high due to our visit coinciding with the “Lanta Lanta Festival”.
The truth is that we would not have even thought to come here if it wasn’t for your feature on Koh Lanta and how nice the island is. After a month here I have to totally agree with you when you say it has the perfect balance of everything. Thanks :0) PS… we have also had the best wifi service here in over a year in Asia.
I’m so glad you enjoyed your time on Lanta!
Great post! I’m on Koh Lanta now wondering what to do, I’m also vegetarian and struggling with finding meals here so this is such a lifesaver! Thank you!
Enjoy Kwan’s – we miss the food there!
Your posts on Koh Lanta have made my life so much easier when planning my upcoming trip to the island. Can’t wait until we get to see this beautiful place for ourselves!
Good post. We enjoyed it very much. We’ve been in Bangkok for 30-days and already we took advantage of a discounted Air Asia flight from Bangkok to Chiang Mai for the Loy Krathong festival. Now, we plan a few more domestic trips starting with Krabi and Trang sometime next week on Air Asia (USD$80.00 round trip). Maybe, we can squeeze in some time for Koh Lanta. Thanks for the information and great photos too.
Michael and Gina Z
New York City, USA
Do you think I’m trying to pack in too much stuff into 3.5 days? Koh Lanta seems great, I just don’t want to be traveling all the time with no time to enjoy.
We travel really slowly so probably wouldn’t head down there for 3.5 days, but other people with more limited time do. It would be a shame not to see the Thai islands. Have you seen the recommended itineraries on Travelfish? http://www.travelfish.org/trip_planner/ It’s a great website for planning a SE Asia trip.
We have limited time in the islands, about 3.5 days excluding travel from Bangkok. Where would you recommend we stay after a long flight from the US? 28 hours by plane, a short night in Bangkok followed by a plane ride and ferry to Ko Lanta sounds rough but we want to avoid tourist traps and go diving.
If Koh Lanta seems too far for you then Koh Mak or Koh Chang are nearer, although I’m not sure how the diving is there.
Actually now that I look into that, the issue would be I would have no direct flight between Trat airport and Chiangmai, our next stop.
Krabi is the nearest airport to Koh Lanta. They might have direct flights, I’m not sure. Otherwise you’d have to go via Bangkok.
They do have direct flights from Krabi, I was worrying more about the ferry process being too long but I guess if you already made it 29 hours, what’s another 2?
You can get a shared minivan or even a private one from the airport to make it quicker. After that long a journey I’d be tempted to go private but I’m not sure of the prices. You could ask your hotel about it.
Thank you so much, these are some great resources.We’ll look into them and promise to get back to you about what we manage to fix and our experience.
Appreciate your help :)
Frank
Hi! I discovered your blog while looking for resources for slow travel.
Koh Lanta looks gorgeous and we’ve heard good things from some friends in Chiang Mai. I think its great that you cover lodging options in your blog, most bloggers travel quick and the lodging of choice are guesthouses (not putting them down, it used to be the way we travelled). I do notice that your lodging is on the high price side and outside of what we want to pay. In fact I’m a little surprised by pricing this time around in Thailand – bouncing around between a couple of Airbnb apartments in Bangkok we’ve paid about $1400 in October. Next month we’ll be in Hua Hin and I’ve booked a place that’ll come out to $800 for the month which is more in the range we were looking for.
The point is that Thailand just seems so much more expensive than the last time we came here in 2008 (and a shock after Prague where we spent $500/mo on a very comfortable apartment). Just to give you an idea: http://bbqboy.net/apartment-in-prague-the-cost-of-booze-air-transat-and-other-stuff/ . And there don’t seem to be many resources for slow travelers looking to stay somewhere 1-2 months apart from Airbnb.
I’m wondering 1) if you have any tips for finding a 1-2 month apartment in Thailand? 2) Do you have any specific cheaper recommendations for Koh Lanta? We’re not looking for a villa, just a comfortable 1 room bedroom apartment or studio with AC and good wifi within a $600-$900/mo price range. Is that even still possible in Southern Thailand?
Looks gorgeous though and would love to rent a scooter and make it home for a couple of months!
Frank (bbqboy)
The Thai islands are definitely more expensive than Chiang Mai and Airbnb isn’t always the best value in more developing countries. The best rates are usually found by just turning up, renting a guesthouse for a few days, and asking around for places to rent. This could be tricky in high season though.
We didn’t get around to doing this on our last trip to Koh Lanta as our friend offered us her place. These are a few places we found during our research though and it’s always worth enquiring about monthly rates.
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http://www.jojolantarental.com/ (our friends found a place through this agent although ended up cancelling their plans).
Good luck and let us know if you find somewhere as I’m sure we’ll be back.
Thanks again! It looks wonderful and right up our alley, I love the laid-back atmosphere..I’ve never actually ridden a scooter either but I’m sure I’ll figure it out! I’m so looking forward to the food and I am vegetarian so thanks for the tips. Cheers!
Take your time with the scooter and practice off the road first and you should be fine if you are careful. Have a great trip!
Hey, thanks for yet another great, informative post! After a false start last year we are headed to Koh Lanta next April and can’t wait! Your blog is always our go to site and we will also be visiting Cambodia after reading your posts. You seem to travel in a similar fashion to us and we find your posts really helpful. Huge thanks!
Have a fantastic trip guys and we’re always happy to answer any questions.
Love your blog! I would like to ask if Kantiang bay is far from the National Park and other attraction. Thanks!
No, it’s one of the nearest beaches to National Park and the beautiful southern beaches. It’s maybe 30-45 minutes drive form the main town and port, but there’s not a huge amount there.
I really enjoy your blog posts and they have been most useful in helping me plan for my upcoming trip! I will be arriving at Krabi airport end July and would like to make my way to Koh Lanta immediately. Do you know if I get can on the minibus to Koh Lanta at the airport or would I first need to make my way to Krabi town first? My flight lands at 3pm!
I think we just asked around when we got to the airport. Sometimes you might be able to get one direct there and sometimes they go via Krabi, but the minibus company took care of it.
We visited Koh Lanta back in 2004 and fell in love with it. With Thailand developing so quickly and all the tourist complexes it’s nice to hear that Koh Lanta still isn’t too crowded…
Beautiful pictures!
hi guys – planning on renting a place on koh lanta from nov-jan…with a kitchen etc. do you have any pointers as to where we can best find a nice place to rent for this time? this will be the first few monyths of our 10-15 year world tour :-)
It might be difficult at that time of year. I sent out a few emails in November looking for a place for 3 months and the places we looked at were all booked up over Christmas. The prices rise too. You could have a look online and book in advance but your best bet is probably to turn up and ask around as places online are more expensive. The earlier you get there the better. Good luck!
Looks like a beautiful island. I love the amazing sky sunset shots!
Koh Lanta looks so beautiful. We stayed in the gulf side in Koh Tao, but might have to check out Koh Lanta next time! Thanks for all the tips! :)
I was on Koh Lanta back in February … I missed out by not going to Bamboo Bay … such a gorgeous place!
We really miss Thailand and Koh Lanta sounds like a gem, thanks for taking the time to write this up. The great Yoga school is also a major plus. A quick question from one digital nomad to another how did you do for internet? More and more I rely on Skype for client calls although Thailand does have very cheap international mobile calls.
Your photography and processing just gets better and better, love the depth of field on your food shots. Long live the mirrorless!
It looks like paradise, definitely putting it on my radar for my trip there
Wonderful pictures, and wonderful memories. Thank you for giving us a look into something so beautiful and personal!
That looks amazing! I am looking forward to going to Thailand. Thanks for the island suggestion.
my favorite thai island :D Probably the only one I actually want to go back too!
Koh Lanta looks so beautiful. I will try to go there when I go to Thailand.
This is great – thanks for sharing! We’re hoping to get there next year so this is super helpful.
I was really keen on visiting Koh Lanta however was advised that other islands may be less wet during July…However after reading this I might just have to give it a go! Can I ask what months you were there and whether you would recommend visiting in July?
Thanks :)
We have only visited in April and May when it’s not very rainy. I’ve heard that it isn’t until August that the rain gets really bad but I can’t comment from experience. Oasis Yoga open back up again in July so at least there will be a good yoga class to go to! Have a great time if you do decide to go.