Secluded Paradise - Koh Lanta and Railay

In April last year, we were looking in to planning a week long getaway. We wanted somewhere with beaches to relax, somewhere quiet and not full tourists, but also somewhere easy to get to from Singapore. We concluded that we would need to go a little off the beaten path. We settled on Thailand, infamous for it's breathtaking islands, but instead of heading to the usual, more popular islands, we headed to Koh Lanta and Railay Beach, both just off of Krabi. I wasn't disappointed, and I was pleasantly surprised that they were both relatively easy to get to from Singapore.

Details

Where did I go: Koh Lanta and Railay Beach, Thailand

How long did I go for: Saturday – Sunday (8 days)

We flew to Krabi with AirAsia taking the 3:00pm flight on Saturday from Changi, arriving at 4:00pm in Krabi

We flew back from Krabi with Air Asia the following Sunday at 11:30am, arriving in Changi at 2:25pm.

For flights to Krabi from Singapore, check here

For flights from Krabi to Singapore, check here

Travel time: Various

Krabi to Koh Lanta: 6 - 7 hours

The flight time from Changi to Krabi was just under 2 hours, and we were through immigration at Krabi quickly as it’s a small airport and we didn’t need visas.

Because of our flight timing, public ferry to Koh Lanta wasn't an option so we opted for taking the public mini bus instead, and this took around 3 hours in total. The price was THB300 per person. There are lots of mini bus operators at the airport and they are all basically the same. We went for the option nearest the exit (no advanced booking required). Once we’d purchased our ticket, we were told which bus stop to go to (a 5 minute walk from the airport). The mini bus came and collected us and we were on our way. It took about an hour to get to the pier, after which, the buses and passengers hopped on board a big boat/ferry (large enough for the mini buses too obviously) and we were taken across to Koh Lanta. You're told to get off the mini bus whilst on the ferry and you can take in the view. The photo below is one I captured of the sunset. Once we arrived in Koh Lanta, the mini bus then dropped us directly to our hotel.

Koh Lanta to Railay (2 hours)

We opted to take the Ao Nang Princess Ferry for THB550 from Koh Lanta to Railay. There is only 1 ferry a day and it leaves Koh Lanta at 1:30pm. We purchased the ticket from a local tour operator in Koh Lanta town, the day before we were going to Railay, and included in the price was collection from our hotel to the pier. We arrived in Railay at 3:15pm and made our own way to our hotel (it was walking distance).

Railay Beach to Krabi (15-30 minutes)

It’s a quick long tail boat from Railay to Ao Nang (Krabi) and costs only THB100. Given our flight was at 11:30am, we took the first ferry at 8am to Ao Nang and then hopped in to a taxi at the pier to the airport. We were lucky enough that the pier for Railay was literally outside our hotel. However, even if you’re not that lucky, the island is so small that all hotels will be walking distance anyway! We also actually got on a private long tail boat by mistake, instead of the public one. We were pretty panicked for a minute when we got to Ao Nang, because there were no taxis in sight. Turns out that private long tail boats have a separate 'private pier' and all the cars at this pier were already pre-hired private transfer vehicles. However after a little muddle talking to the guards on the pier, we finally got a normal taxi and made it with ample time to the airport.

Note: The ferrys only operate from November to April during the high season. In low season, they stop due to the weather and also tourism is significantly lower, so the boats may not be full. If you are travelling during this period, you’ll need to think about arranging your own private transfers.

Visa Requirements: No (for British Passport holders)

Not sure if you need a visa? Use the link below in the "Useful Information" section to check

Where did I stay: Lanta Resort and Spa (Lanta) and Bhu Nga Thani Resort and Spa

Lanta Resort

We were in Koh Lanta for 4 days and this hotel was a great find. It was far enough from the town that you got an opportunity for some peace and quiet, but close enough to get easily in to the town (about 10 mins by tuk tuk at a flat rate of THB50). The hotel was around SG$60 per night (and when researching for this post, I found that it's actually gone further down to SG$47!) and the price included breakfast every morning. The room was a little dated, but was clean and comfortable. We were diving most days, so as long as the room was kept clean, we were happy. The hotel is a proper resort, with a huge pool and access to a private section of beach as well. Whilst the beach wasn’t very well maintained, you can easily get to other beaches, so it isn’t too much of an issue, and the pool more than makes up for it!

Bhu Nga Thani Resort and Spa

The remainder of our time was spent in Railay Beach and we actually extended our stay by 1 night because this hotel was SO FANTASTIC (we were initially supposed to only stay until the Saturday). We stayed in a deluxe grand room, for SG$120 a night, and the room was in a villa style, except with 1 neighbour sharing your terrace. The room was kept pristine our entire stay and the bathroom was huge, with a rain shower that also had great pressure (a must!). Whilst the price may be a little steep, Railay is so popular that we found all hotel prices were around the same price point. This includes hotels which are a little on the rubbish side. With the Bhu Nga Thani, at least you know that you're paying for a hotel that comes highly recommended!

Tip: Bhu Nga Thani also rents out DVDs (for free) and every room is kitted out with a DVD player. On evenings that you fancy just having a chilled one, this is a great option.

Itinerary

Koh Lanta

Car Rental

We rented a car directly from our hotel in Koh Lanta, and it was around $15 a day. It was a small car, which was just what we need given parking in the town was occasionally bit of a squeeze. We used the car to drive all around Koh Lanta, being able to even go to the opposite side from where we were staying. Given the price, I would definitely recommend doing this, the road are open and essentially empty so it’s good for nervous drivers too!

Diving

Diving was the main reason we came to Koh Lanta, as we heard that visibility was excellent and the range of marine life was huge. There are loads of diving companies in Koh Lanta, however we chose to go with was Lanta Diver as it was incredibly popular and well rated on all the review sites and it also turned out that it was really close to our hotel which was an added benefit! We did no pre-booking, choosing to go in to the shop when we arrived in Lanta and get a feel for it before making a decision. Lanta Diver is owned by Europeans, and we met one of the owners briefly when we first went in to enquire. He was extremely friendly and helpful, giving us tips for diving and explaining in detail the dive trips.

As we hadn’t dived for a while, we also wanted to do a refresher course which the company happily accommodated for us and it was THB4,000 per person. In fact, they ensured for the rest of our dive time that 1 instructor was dedicated for the 2 of us. This helped us a lot since we then got an opportunity to practice skills even when the refresher was over. There wasn’t much opportunity to negotiate as prices are set depending on the number of days of diving you do. We did 3 days of diving, and based on 2 dives per day, it worked out THB2,800 per dive. The price included full equipment rental, hotel transfers, breakfast, lunch and soft drinks on the boat. There was also a 3rd dive option, which you can decided to do whilst you’re on the boat and it is a flat THB800.

Spas

As they say, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. There are spas all over the island, and they are really cheap. We stumbled upon ours, which didn’t have a name, and at the time, this blog didn’t exist (nor had I even thought I would be blogging) so I didn’t think to ask the name unfortunately. But like I mentioned, there are spas alllll over the place, so you'll have no issues finding one. Just make sure you definitely get a massage whilst out there!

Railay

Since we only had a few days in Railay, and our time in Koh Lanta was rather physically strenuous with the 3 days of diving, we decided to use the time in Railay just to relax and have little to no itinerary. The spa in our hotel was pretty expensive, but it was easy to find cheap massages around the island for around USD10-15. This may sound a little steep, but remember that Railay gets a lot of traveller traffic, so the prices have increased accordingly. Nonetheless, it's significantly cheaper than Singapore, so we weren't complaining. There is also a Muay Thai Bar, where they have live fights. We didn’t watch one, but we heard from others that they were good.

As mentioned before, we spent most of our time soaking up the atmosphere at the restaurants, local bars and relaxing in the hotel pool, so there isn’t much I can add in terms of itinerary. However, like I mentioned below, as the island is so small, it’s easy just to walk around to find out what’s going on.

food highlights

Koh Lanta

Bai Fern Thai Restaurant

The food at this restaurant was AMAZING. We went on our first night and were blown away. We ordered a big Tom Yum Soup (with rice) and a Green Thai Curry. With drinks, the price was under SG$15 including drinks. The restaurant overlooks the water, so if you go during the day you can get the view as well. We were there for dinner, so unfortunately didn’t get to see much of the view, however you could hear the waves crashing, which made for a very peaceful dinner.We actually tried to go again to this restaurant before leaving Koh Lanta, but unfortunately it had just closed THAT DAY for the end of the season.

Similar to Bai Fern, because we arrived when the season was almost over, unfortunately a lot of restaurants we wanted to go to were closed for the end of the season. We ended up roaming around the island and finding small places which aren’t necessarily worth mentioning. I’ve included the TripAdvisor link to top restaurants in Koh Lanta here, and if you rent a car, you can essentially get to any of these restaurants (I know this, because this is what we did!).

Railay Beach

Kohinoor Indian Restaurant

I generally don't like eating food which isn’t of the country when travelling, however at my boyfriend’s insistence we tried out this Indian restaurant. And honestly, I’m so glad we did because the food was sensational. We ordered Butter Chicken, Naan and a Black Dhal and the food was absolutely amazing. We managed to speak with the owner, and it turned out he was from Delhi, India, had set up shop on Railay Beach and was bringing all the authenticity of North Indian cooking with him. Our families are both from Delhi, so we can honestly vouch for the food. Again, it was a very reasonably priced lunch with food and drinks coming in under SG$20.

Bang Bang Bar

On one of the evenings we decided to have a few drinks and soak up the night life. When we did our research, Bang Bang Bar looked to be pretty promising so we decided to check it out. It’s a little place next door to some tattoo parlours (careful now!) and is essentially one guy (also conveniently named Bang Bang) making stonking strong and unique cocktails. Bang Bang goes out of his way to make all his customers feel welcome, so it’s understandable that the bar is rated really high. However given that Bang Bang is a one man band, service was a little slow.

The bar is traveller-friendly, so all the customers who were coming in, were starting up conversation with each other. If you want to make new friends, this is definitely the place for you. And customers came in all age groups, there was even an older couple in the corner playing chess, and enjoying the general atmosphere. Drinks are really cheap ranging from THB50 – THB200 so it’s definitely a must go!

I’ve also included the TripAdvisor link here for Railay restaurants and bars.