Koh Lanta is a beautiful island located in the South of Thailand near Krabi. Apart from Chiang Mai and Bangkok, it is one of Thailand’s hot spots for digital nomads and famous for one of Asia’s best-rated coworking spaces: KoHub.
Koh Lanta is not yet as run over by tourists as other islands in Thailand. You are still able to find almost empty beaches, great snorkeling, and scuba diving spots and it is perfect if you are looking for a place with a laid-back vibe. Don’t expect to see a lot of Buddhist temples though, because in contrast to most of Thailand the majority of people on Koh Lanta are Muslims.
Pros
- Great community spirit at KoHub and easy to meet fellow digital nomads,
- Amazing landscapes and awesome for people, who love scuba diving and snorkeling.
Cons
- Overall there is not much to do on the island, so it can easily get boring, especially, if you aren’t a beach enthusiast.
When to go?
You can travel to Koh Lanta all year round, but there is a noticeable difference between the high season (November-March) and the low season (April-October).
High season
It is the dry season. Tourism on the island is in full flow, all restaurant, bars, and hotels are open, all tours are available and ferries are running. There are more people at the coworking space and there are events every day organized by KoHub. During this time of the year, the island is more crowded and the prices for accommodation and coworking are higher.
Low season
During low season there is heavy tropical rain for about 30 minutes up to an hour each day. There are hotels, restaurants, and shops that close during this time of the year, so it gets quieter, which can be perfect for some, while it’s too quiet for others. Prices for accommodations drop and there are deals at KoHub, which will save you a good amount of money in comparison to the high season. There are fewer people at the coworking space, which can be an advantage. April and October tend to transition months. The weather can be mixed, there doesn’t have to rain every day and most shops are still open or open up again.
Where to stay?
If you want to be close to the coworking space and the area where most digital nomad events take place, you should stay near Long Beach. If you are looking for a place with a bigger variety of shops, restaurants, etc. Baan Saladan (North of Long Beach) will be the right choice for you. The further you go down South from Long Beach, the less busy it gets.
Accommodation for digital nomads
KoHub apartments
The coworking space KoHub also has its own apartments, which you can check out here.
Other options
There are hotels and guest houses in every price range all around the island and also the option to book a place with Airbnb. Most Airbnb options are located in Lanta Old Town. A beautiful village, quite far away from Long Beach though. A good place to stay at Long beach is Dreamy Casa.
Coworking spaces and good places to work
KoHub was often listed as one of the best coworking spaces in Asia and is even famous outside of Thailand. Why? Because of its thriving community!
KoHub organizes events each week, from communal lunch to dinners at the beach or trips to one of the surrounding islands. The coworking space is located at Long Beach and has its own restaurant which offers delicious Thai and Western food.
When working at KoHub you get access to a private Facebook group to connect with the other Kohubbers.
On Koh Lanta, there are no typical cafés people tend to work from, but most places offer free wifi, so there are many options. For example Fruit tree coffee shop at Long Beach.
Where to meet nomads?
The easiest way is to meet fellow nomads at one of the events organized by KoHub, but there is also a general facebook group for digital nomads on the island.
Money (ATM info)
You pay in Thai Baht.
An ATM can be found at different spots all around the island, but since it is a small island, there is not a bank everywhere. You find banks only in bigger towns like Baan Saladan, but those are usually not globally recognized banks.
Wifi speed
The internet speed on the island varies depending on where you stay. At the coworking space KoHub they have a total bandwidth over 1,000Mb/s download and 500 Mb/s upload. Speed: 200 Mp/s down and 200 Mb/s up
Getting around
Rent a scooter
Motorbike rental costs about 2500 Bath for 2 weeks.
Tuk-Tuk
When you go by tuk-tuk there are no fixed prices, so haggling is the way to go if you don’t want to be taken advantage of.
Taxi/Pickup-Truck
When talking about “Taxis” on Koh Lanta, we are talking about pickup-trucks with seats on the back. They tend to be slightly more expensive than tuk-tuks, but as usual, you have to haggle.
Travel Requirements
Koh Lanta is part of Thailand, so the visa rules for Thailand apply to nomads entering the country.
Sim card use
The easiest way is to buy a SIM card at the airport when you arrive in Thailand. There are packages that offer unlimited data. You can buy packages from 7 days (around 220 THB) up to 30 days (around 800 THB).
Where to eat
Cafés
The living room (Long Beach)
They offer a great variety of delicious breakfast options + you shouldn’t miss out on their cakes. If you don’t feel like working from home or the coworking space, this café is an alternative. It doesn’t have air condition though.
Fruit tree coffee shop (Long Beach)
Another excellent place for breakfast or a snack during the day. Pancakes with fresh fruits or delicious bread with scrambled eggs, they have it all, including air-conditioning.
Restaurants
Funky Fish (Long Beach)
They serve one of the best massaman curry on the island, which you need to try! Their chicken saté is also really good, only pad thai is not recommendable here.
The Table (Klong Doa)
This restaurant has literally just one table, so you will be sitting together with other guests and enjoy authentic home-cooked Thai food while making new friends.
Non-Thai food
If you feel like having something else than Thai food, there are many options, here are a few good ones.
Greek Taverna (Klong Dao Beach)
When you enter the restaurant, you could think you are in Greece. Everything is decorated in white and blue and the Greek food is amazing.
Patty’s Garden (Long Beach)
If you like burgers, Patty’s Garden is your place to be.
Red Snapper (Long Beach)
This is the place to go if you are looking for something fancier and like Pasta and Seafood
How to spend your free time on Koh Lanta
Snorkeling, scuba diving or a day at the beach
Imagine a clear turquoise blue ocean and a colorful underwater life: welcome to Koh Lanta and its surrounding islands! If you have explored all the snorkeling spots on Koh Lanta, there are also many tour companies, who offer snorkeling/diving trips to the smaller islands around Koh Lanta.
If you just want to spend a day on the beach, there are many options. The beach closest to the coworking space is Long Beach. It’s a beach with lots of bars and restaurants so it tends to be quite busy. If you are looking for something quieter, Relax Bay, Secret Beach or Bamboo Bay is a good choice.
Yoga
There is a variety of places that offer yoga classes, just to name a few: Oasis, Lanta Yoga, Sanctuary). One class usually costs between 300-500 THB.
Muay Thai/Thai boxing
Muay Thai is for example offered at Lanta Sport Resort at the end of Long Beach.
Wellness & Massages
There are tons of places and spas that offer Thai massages for a relatively cheap price.
Short trips
Trip to Old Town
Scenic route from the West coast to Lanta Old Town, which is located at the other side of the island. Spend an afternoon exploring the charming old fisher village. Admire the traditional wooden houses on stills, stroll through the shops and have dinner at one of the many restaurants.
Getting to Koh Lanta
The best way to reach Koh Lanta is from Krabi. Once you are in Krabi, you have options to get to the island. Either you go by ferry or minivan.
Ferry
You need to get to Krabi Pier, which is located outside of town. From here ferries run regularly and it will approximately take two hours to Koh Lanta. Once you got to the island you can reach your accommodation by tuk-tuk or pickup-truck.
There is also the option to go by speed boat, which will get you to Koh Lanta in about one hour.
Note: During low season passenger ferry-companies normally stop operating and the only way to reach the island is by minivan or taxi.
Minivan
This can be a good alternative if you are not a fan of ferry rides. Keep an eye out for package deals which include pick-up at your hotel in Krabi and drop-off at your accommodation on Koh Lanta. Prices start at around 300 THB