When I think about Thailand, my mind is filled with vivid images of sunny skies, clear waters, divine food markets(a sensory experience heightened by memories of gorgeously fragrant aromas of spicy curries and Pad Thais) and the smiling faces of locals. I’m beginning to feel that the Thais must be some of the happiest people on the planet! I’ve visited Thailand on two occasions and in both experiences I was left with fond memories and a happy heart. Thailand is one of those countries I could return to multiple times and never get bored of its charm.
The Thai Islands are on everyone’s bucket list, especially if you’re in your GAP year and/or backpacking…or have read The Beach!. Renowned as relaxation and partying spots, the Thai islands’ diverse appeal offers a destination ideal for every traveller, including me. Both trips to Thailand have been part of a long haul backpacking venture; the first time I spent five weeks there and the second, around eight days. During both trips I fell in love with particular destinations, especially Koh Lanta.
Koh Lanta is as close as I’ve come to paradise, to put it simply. It’s an island with my favourite sunset spots, empty beaches, a laidback and peaceful pace, an enchanting Old Town and plenty of nature to motorbike around. I love how some of the island, despite its popularity, has secluded, quieter parts. Sort of a ‘secret air’ inviting the curious to veer off the trodden path.
I’m a ‘beach baby’ with a deep love for sunsets. There’s something magical and tranquil watching the sun go down after a gorgeous day, especially on the beach. The sunsets display every colour of the orange spectrum across the sky, the intensity of the orange colour growing, blending with reds, pinks and even purple, co-existing with the darkening hue of the water – it’s an artist’s dream!
Bamboo Beach
The most prominent beach across the island is Long Beach. As the name suggests, it’s rather long, with lots of resorts, hotels, cafes and restaurants located along it. Despite the tourist-centric commercialisation, I adore Long Beach because due to its size you’ll never find it too busy like the other Thai island beaches. I’m usually able to find a discrete spot with minimal people around. The sand along Long Beach is soft and gentle on the bottoms of your feet, despite the heat. Its waters are transparent and refreshing and feel like the perfect warm bath. With the hot Thailand weather, I tend spent most of my time in the sea rather than on the sand itself.And the best way to describe my time in the water is freeing. I can completely switch off into a calm and sensual mode, batting away any thoughts in my mind and appreciating the refreshing feeling of the water. Deeply ensconced in my bubble, I didn’t really interact with any other tourists on the beach and it seemed most were on holiday keeping to themselves and enjoying the island.Everyone seemed happy in their own little cocoon.
Long Beach has the perfect beach bar to grab a cocktail, smoothie or a bite to eat: San’s Sunset Bar.As the name suggests, the sunset view from here is picture-perfect (as long as nobody is sitting in front of you). The menu was varied with shakes, fresh fruit juices, soft drinks and snacks, such as spring rolls and meals including the classic pad Thai. Prices were affordable, around £1/£2 for soft drinks. The clientele seemed to be people like me, young, in their twenties, relaxing after a day on the sands and enjoying the sunset. I spoke to one of the girls(from the UK by the sounds of it) as she asked what we were drinking, and her friendly energy seemed out of place on this laconic isle. I came across this bar on my first visit and loved the bamboo huts, tables and chairs, sunk steadily into the sand. It had to be one of the first beach bars with sand as floor I can remember visiting before it became the norm around different Thai islands. I guess you could call it ‘sandy chic’? I did like the utter lack of pretention and the lack of clean lines and shiny surfaces, so beloved of Instagrammers and influencers these days. It’s a peaceful spot to spend a few hours watching the sunset or reading a book. I could have happily stayed there all day doing both.
Phra Ae Beach is attached to Long Beach and has a smaller stretch of sand, but a quieter feel and less going on. Despite this, I found it to be quite popular with families and nearby to many restaurants as you walk away from the beach. It was also perfect for accommodation on the second visit, as where we stayed- the Phra Ae apartments were under 10 minutes away.
Kantiang Bay
I randomly came across The Pangea Beach Bar and Kitchen on a wander and I loved it. It wasn’t overly busy and made for a calm afternoon spot to read and people-watch in the sunshine. Plus their fresh juices were delicious! I’m missing drinking endless cups of fresh pineapple juice; it doesn’t hit the same way in the UK because it’s hard to find freshly-made pineapple juice, for a start. The menu varied from soft drinks, including smoothies and juices. to varied cocktails and alcoholic beverages. They also had lots of different food options such as classic pub snacks (chips!) to noodle dishes. The prices were similar to other bars a couple of pounds for drinks. We popped in when it wasn’t too busy and the clientele ranged from young couples to groups of guys. The service was lovely: the bartenders served our drinks with a happy smile, and I could tell they, like the customers, appreciated the quiet beach life, the bamboo-centric décor, comfy beach chairs and bean-bag-like chairs to sit on.
The island also features quieter beaches such as Bamboo Beach, Klong Jak Beach and Kantiang Bay, with accommodation surrounding it.
The best beaches for couples have to be Bamboo Beach and Kantiang Bay because of the privacy, quiet and gorgeous scenery. Bamboo Beach is a lot smaller with shaded areas, whilst Kantiang has a more open stretch of sands. The best beach for swimming is Long Beach without fail because of the warm, clear and non-rocky waters.
I thoroughly enjoyed spending time on Koh Lanta’s quieter side with Bamboo Beach being the top spot. The beaches in the south of the island are best reached via motorbike and you can hire one from your accommodation, local garages or any travel agents. Bamboo Beach has a gorgeous combination of nature and soft sand. Surrounded by masses of trees, including on the sands itself with coconut trees galore and rugged rocks; for those who want to be surrounded by nature, immersed in serene surroundings and aren’t too bothered about bars and shops, this is the spot. A word of warning, although it was nice to swim here, it’s not the best due to its rocky terrain throughout the waters.
Other beaches to pass en route to Bamboo Beach include Kantiang Bay and Klong Jak Beach. Klong Jak looked like a toned-down version of Bamboo Beach, quieter but with stunning views. Katiang Bay was up there with favourite sunset spots, where I caught a golden sunset bouncing off the waters. Unlike Long Beach at sunset where the crowds gather, next to nobody was here, making the sunset a private show, perfect for an evening of romance and passion. The island has a way to fully let yourself be free and embrace experiences and temptations you wouldn’t usually consider. I guess you can say, it’s a way for nice girls to finally live their wilder side.
Koh Lanta Old Town
As I mentioned, motorbiking or scootering around the island is recommended for most visitors, unless you have the budget for a car or to taxi around everywhere. Motor-biking allows you to experience more freely the wonders of the scenery and take in the scents of the nature trail. Bicycles weren’t as common here however, compared to other islands as it’s such a big place.
I stayed in a similar area on both visits, near the Phra Ae Beach, once at Hugs Guesthouse and the other time, at Phra Ae Apartments. This meant a motorbike was needed to see all the best spots.
Hugs Guesthouse was simple and everything you needed in a room close by to a stretch of restaurants and walking distance to the beach. For my first time in Koh Lanta, I liked it as a place to stay, and it was great to point it out the second time I arrived. The hotel had air con and an en-suite bathroom but no complimentary breakfast. However, Phra Ae Apartments I preferred a lot more as for the cheap price of £34 for 3 nights, we had an incredible amount of space, it was clean and close to all the local sights. Plus, the owners at the entrance of the building greeted us each day and helped with any query we had.
A stop popular with tourists is Koh Lanta Old Town as this is a hub for restaurants, cafes and accommodations. The Old Town is reallyjust one strip of road decorated humbly with colourful decorations. There’s also a selection of quaint places to eat and browse. The Old Town was once the island’s main port of trade and I would say the only landmark to see in connection with that is the long pier and the gorgeous view across the bold blue waters and sky.
During both visits to the Old Town, I enjoyed the shops for a mooch. Shops range from stores selling ornaments, ceramics and clothes crafted by locals, to typical shops selling souvenirs. Despite the small size, the town is lovely to roam, buy a smoothie, or eat at one of the local cafes. We ventured to Grandma’s House, a gorgeous, family-run place which only had a few simple, wooden tables and the loveliest owners. I had classic lunch of eggs on toast. The ice cream they served there was homemade. We couldn’t resist a scoop each. The price was around £1 each. Plus, we spent a while in there playing with the owners’ child as he loved entertaining the guests, despite the language barrier.
It’s no doubt food in Thailand is scrumptious and as one of my favourite cuisines, I could eat Thai food every day and not get bored. The food scene in Koh Lanta matches the quality of Thai food elsewhere with a combination of local restaurants and tourist hotspots offering more Western options. I had my fair share of both and ate like a queen across my trips.
Long Beach
The restaurants I fell in love with in 2019, May’s Kitchen and Utopia weren’t, around on my second visit in 2023. However, the iconic brunch place, The Living Room Cafe and Restaurant was still going strong with an improved menu. This had to be the most popular place I visited on both occasions, especially this year, with a filled-up cafe every time I went in. The cafe serves up a typical Western breakfast with an extensive pancake menu, sandwiches, smoothies and much more, and a delicious-looking baked goods cabinet to take away. The price point here was a little higher with main breakfast meals around the £4/5 mark, whilst baked counter goods were a lot cheaper. The clientele ranged from families with kids, backpacker couples to groups of twenty-something-year-old friends. The service was incredibly friendly, attentive and quick. The décor was simple, modern and pleasing to the eye with wooden tables and high ceilings.
Speaking of Western places, another tourist-loved eatery was Backyard Cafe and Bistro. I dined here based on the recommendation of some digital nomads I know, and it was heavenly. I opted for this peanut tofu bowl and it was incredibly wholesome, finished off with a fresh fruit smoothie.The prices, like the Living Room Café were slightly more expensive, around £4/5 for smoothie bowls and other main dishes. The clientele was similar to the rest of the island, either young backpackers or families. Although during our visit, it was pretty quiet and we only saw a few people. The service was humble, friendly and on point, with lovely staff. I would say the décor had a similar style to The Living Room Café with wooden tables and flooring, and breezy feel.
For dinners, two restaurants particularly stood out: Neng’s Kitchen and Tamarind Restaurant. Both are run by locals and for Neng’s Kitchen, in particular, I had a wonderful experience. The original meal I found was too spicy and the owner of the restaurant (Neng), apologised and brought out a new meal with less spice and it was perfect, probably one of the best meals I had on the island. I was so thankful for his kind gesture and the fact he only charged me for one meal. It goes to show how far the kindness of others goes, and how he cared more about his customer’s experiences with his food than anything else. The prices were pretty cheap here, considering the island’s fame, with a couple of pounds for each meal. And, the clientele ranged from an older couple to other British tourists. The service has to be the best yet considering how the owner went out of his way to suit my taste. The décor may have been simple and probably quickly assembled but the overall experience exceeded expectations.
Tamarind Restaurant proved to be exceptionally busy, probably the busiest place we dined at, with a queue out the door. Although, I can see why, with its rustic-beach aesthetic and delicious menu of inexpensive, local food. The prices were incredibly cheap for the wide range of Thai food on offer, from curries to noodle dishes. Their clientele were all western tourists, young and old, from backpackers to families alike. Considering how busy they were, the service was alert with prompt food delivery and attentive waiters.
Locals are what made island life exceptional as the people in Koh Lanta were friendly and went above and beyond to talk and help us. I have many stand-out moments, the first being in Grandma’s House I loved how this little place wrapped a sense of community around visitors and travellers alike. The prices were rather cheap at around £3 for lunches and fresh juices for 50p. The family-friendly atmosphere is what made me love this place as it was so wholesome and warm. Its décor reflected that with simple wooden tables and chalkboards.
During my second time in Koh Lanta, with my partner, we had a motorbike accident. This happened unexpectedly after a day of driving around the island, visiting the fantastic beaches and wandering around the Old Town. We were about to drive to a dinner location when the accident occurred. My partner bumped the bike onto the kerb and lost control and it skidded across the road, with him taking the brunt of the injuries. In this moment of absolute panic, terror and anxiety witnessing my partner’s injuries, the locals pulled through and I’m thankful for their kindness.
The cafe owner near where we had the accident came rushing out, reassuring us that he would get one of his friends to take us to the hospital. Still in disbelief and shock, we were insistent on not going to one. But I’m very thankful we did, as we didn’t realise in the pitch black the severity of the injuries. My partner needed stitches in his foot! The guy came and collected us, driving us to several hospitals until he found a suitable travel clinic. He waited for the entire time we were in there and drove us back to our hotel, free of charge. We paid him, but he was willing to do it out of kindness which meant a lot in our low moment.
Another lovely local was the lady who owned the apartment we stayed in. Every day, she sat outside on her tourist stall, selling services and arranging excursions. She would greet us pleasantly and make conversation about how we were, especially after the accident when her conversation was even more attentive and concerning.
Can you see why Koh Lanta is marvellous? With its combination of time to relax on the beaches, explore the natural side of life and interact with friendly and wholesome locals, it’s an island I’d happily visit over and over again. I wonder when I go next time how many things change again and if it becomes more developed or will it subtly resist change while charming visitors, old and new alike.
