Are 3 days in Koh Lanta Enough?
3 days in Koh Lanta isn’t a whole lot of time, but it is definitely enough to see the best beaches and to unwind for a bit. To be truthful, this isn’t a place that’s packed full of excitement.
See this video to see what you can do with 3 days in Koh Lanta!
So while 3 days in Koh Lanta might seem like nowhere near enough time to some, to others 3 days in Koh Lanta is exactly what the doctor ordered. I love the beach, but eventually even I need a change of pace and want to move on.
For couples it is different, you could spend a week here with ease, for solo travellers looking for things to do, 3 days is good. For solo travellers looking to really unwind, then you could also spend a week here in Koh Lanta.
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What’s Koh Lanta All About?
For a full guide then head over to my Koh Lanta travel guide. In the travel guide I explain how to get to Koh Lanta, give a brief history, explain the climate, and more.
To summarise though, Koh Lanta has been inhabited for hundreds of years and is relatively new to the backpacker scene. The first steady stream of visitors began in the 1990’s, and it has since grown in popularity.
It is much less of a party destination than the other islands in Thailand, the focus here is more family and couple oriented. That’s not to say there’s zero night life, but it is not a staple of this place (thankfully).
This post, as opposed to the travel guide, is mostly just to show you the beauty that is at your fingertips with 3 days in Koh Lanta. This post is best viewed on desktop, or at least in portrait mode on your phone to get the most out of the photos.
Things to do With 3 Days in Koh Lanta
The main attraction of Koh Lanta is the beaches.
The vast majority of the activities that you can do will involve the coast, or the water in some way. Things like relaxing at the beach, island hopping, snorkelling and scuba diving are all readily available.
There are other things you can do that are common to nearly every destination in Thailand, such as: cooking classes, muay thai classes, massages, and yoga. But we won’t go into that in this guide.
This guide will show you some of the beaches that I found to be the best during my 3 days in Koh Lanta, as well as 2 other activities that are quite unique to the area: visiting Old Town, and seeing the lighthouse.
I will then let you know the one activity I regret not doing.
Bamboo Beach
What & Where is it?
Bamboo Beach is the beach to the far south of the island’s west coast. It is the last beach before you reach the gates to go into the national park. The beach stretches for 650m, it is amazing the whole way.
This is a bit more isolated, which means there’s less stuff around but also less people.
How do you get here?
The best way to get here is with a scooter. From the Long Beach area, it is between a 25-35 minute ride depending on your riding speed.
There are 2 entrances, there is the main one towards the northern end of the beach, then another more discreet entrance at the southern end. The entrance to the southern end is a break in the barbed-wire fence on the side of the road.
I will show you with a photo below, you may be riding to the national park and notice a bunch of scooters parked on the side of the road, this is probably the entrance.
How long will I spend here?
Be sun smart, spend as long as you need. It isn’t really close to any restaurants, so you will need to get back on the scooter if you need food.
Do you recommend it?
Of course, it was almost always empty, the most people I saw here was about 20 across the entire beach.
The less noticeable entrance to Bamboo Beach, be careful going under the barbed wire.
BAMBOO BEACH
(Shot with the Sony A7R III using the Sony FE 16-35mm f/4).
Nui Beach
What & Where is it?
Nui beach is also on the western coast, as are all the good beaches.
The beach is almost exactly one third of the way up the island from the southern tip. It is smaller than Bamboo Beach, measuring 280m in length, but it has the benefit of having food options nearby.
The photo you will see at the bottom of this section is taken from Diamond Cliff Resort & Restaurant.
It is not my favourite place to go, as the prices are a rip off, but that often comes with the real estate on places like this across the entire island. It does give you a chance to get out of the sun and relax with a drink and a meal.
How do you get here?
As with everything on Koh Lanta, ride your scooter. It will only take you about 15-25 minutes from the Long Beach area, depending on how your scooter skills are.
You will probably see the beach as you approach from the north, the road bends sharply to the left where the cliff is (Diamond Cliff Restaurant is set up here) and you can see straight down the beach.
How long will I spend here?
Thanks to the food and drink options nearby, which also allow you to get some shade, you could spend a good 4 hours here. It is good to go exploring yourself though.
There are so many beautiful beaches along this coast line that it is impossible to list them all, so don’t spend all day at just one of them.
Do you recommend it?
Yes, and although the place is a ripoff, try eating at one of the cliff top restaurants at some point during your 3 days in Koh Lanta. It doesn’t have to be here, although this is one of the better options.
You can also try;
NUI BEACH
(Shot with the Sony A7R III using the Sony FE 16-35mm f/4).
Long Beach
What & Where is it?
Long beach is the beach that stretches for 2.5km in a nice straight line near the top of the island.
This is the main area of infrastructure on the island, with plenty of hotels, hostels, restaurants, a gym, scooter rentals and whatever else you might need all being located in this area.
The beach itself is a little longer than 2.5km, with a little bit of a curved section at the end, but the point is, it is long! You should be able to find a section of it to yourself.
You will never be far from the cafes and restaurants either that are located across the entire length of the beach.
How do you get here?
Chances are that this is the area where you will be staying. It is my recommendation in the Koh Lanta travel guide that you stay here, for the convenience of it all.
If your hostel is here, you should be able to walk down to the beach in less than 5 minutes, just borrow a beach mat from the hostel and off you go.
How long will I spend here?
You don’t need to spend ages here, because it is more than likely near your accommodation, it is the easiest beach to visit on short notice, and the easiest to come back to later on during your trip.
Do you recommend it?
The beach is great, perhaps slightly less pretty than the beaches at the far south of the island, but the water is just as nice, the sun just as strong, and a good place to see the sunset close to your accommodation.
LONG BEACH
(Shot with the DJI Mavic 2 Pro using PolarPro filters).
Old Town
What is it?
Old Town is a village that has roots going back hundreds of years. It was used by Chinese and Arabic sailors as a port of call on the Phuket-Penang-Singapore trade route.
Due to its positioning on the eastern coast, the waters are very well protected from bad weather, which made it a great place to build a type of rest port. It has a heavy Chinese influence because of this.
It remains to this day a fishing village that houses locals and descendants of those people that settled the town all those years ago.
Opening Hours?
Old Town isn’t really a tourist attraction that opens and closes, it is a town full of people, but there are plenty of merchandise stalls, and restaurants built out over the water to keep the tourists busy.
Come anytime you like, but most commonly during the day.
What do you do here?
Walk around the street market, walk along the pier (you can ride your scooter to the end), have lunch at one of the many restaurants built on stilts out on the water, and take photos.
How do you get here?
The scooter ride will take roughly 25-35 minutes. It is a fair drive, but no longer than going to the beaches of the south end of the island. Old Town is on the eastern coast, about one third of the way up the island.
How long will I spend here?
You can make a good half a day out of a visit here. Plan the trip so that it incorporates a meal, go for a stroll, check it out at your own pace.
I spent about 3 hours here, flying my drone, eating at Rare View Restaurant, walking down the street.
When to come?
Any time is good once the street comes to life, so between 09:00 – 21:00 is a safe bet. Just make sure you’re happy to ride the scooter after dark if you’re coming here late.
Do you recommend it?
I thought it was pretty cool, it offered a different viewpoint with some islands off the east coast and a lot of boats out in the water.
Definitely worth checking out.
OLD TOWN
(Shot with the DJI Mavic 2 Pro using PolarPro filters).
Koh Lanta National Park
What is it?
The national park consists of very little, there are a few basic trails down to the lighthouse, which is the main attraction here, but even that is on quite poor condition.
How much does it cost?
฿200 per person and ฿20 per scooter.
Opening Hours?
08:00 – 18:00.
What do you do here?
There is a small 2km circular trail, which is said to be uninteresting, there are some caves, some waterfalls, but nothing amazing really.
How do you get here?
If you’re on the west coast of the island, just keep driving south until you hit the entrance boom gates.
How long will I spend here?
If you plan on doing a few of the trails or going to the caves (guides are required for this) then you will need a bit longer. Most people just come into the park, have a swim, see the lighthouse and then head out.
When to come?
First thing in the morning if you’re aiming to beat the heat.
Do you recommend it?
No.
Unless you’re visiting Koh Lanta only, or it is one of your first stops. If you’ve been travelling for a while through Thailand I don’t think there’s anything here to interest you.
If you’re going to try some of the hikes like Dragon Crest in Ao Nang, or go through Khao Sok national park, then this will seem boring in comparison. The hostel owner in Ao Nang basically told me not to bother.
฿200 is way too much for very little reward.
They don’t even open until 08:00, so you can’t come and see the sunrise. I had to fly my drone about 2km just to try get sunrise photos of the lighthouse at 06:30 in the morning.
KOH LANTA NATIONAL PARK LIGHTHOUSE
(Shot with the DJI Mavic 2 Pro using PolarPro filters).
Summary
So there you have a rough guide of what is available for you to explore with 3 days in Koh Lanta. Like I mentioned at the start, the beaches are the drawcard, the rest is sort of just fluff.
Old Town is certainly worth a visit, but you will not find any extravagant temples, large waterfalls, rare wildlife or anything of that ilk. This place does beaches, it does relaxation, and it is a cool place to relax and do less for a change.
The 1 Activity I Regret Not Doing
If I could have my 3 days in Koh Lanta again, the only possible change I would make would be to consider doing the 4 island boat tour.
My reasoning for going to Koh Lanta was to relax, which I did, I also managed to explore the majority of the beaches along the west coast of the island, with the only costs incurred being scooter rental and petrol.
However, these tours look pretty cool, and the value for money seems to be reasonable. So if I ever get back to Koh Lanta, this will be on the agenda.
A Map Showing The Activities Locations
Like sand through the hourglass, these are the days of our lives. So that concludes this guide to 3 days in Koh Lanta. I strongly urge you to cruise the west coast and look for your favourite beach. Perhaps you see one that you prefer.
Yours incrementally,
The Browne Town.