Travel Thailand
Krabi & Koh Lanta: My 5-Day Itinerary
Thailand is easily one of my favorite countries that I have visited so far. Not only are the people all so kind and friendly, but the food is great, the prices are very affordable and the views are insane. My best friend, boyfriend and I were in Thailand for a total of 16 days. We spent a few days in Thailand and Chiang Mai (check out the post!), before heading down south to Krabi and Koh Lanta. Because we decided to wing it on the trip, we didn’t really have a plan or concrete itinerary. Sometimes it’s nice to just feel it out, but it can also mean some added stress and even disappointment. So, I’ve made this 5-day itinerary based on our pleasant surprises and #ragrets so you can travel a little more “stress free!”
P.S. There are so many Thai Islands to visit and you really can’t go wrong! Our main criteria were: price, beaches & relaxing vibes. Koh Lanta was the perfect choice, because there weren’t a ton of tourists or crowds of people. We almost felt like we had the whole island to ourselves!
5-Day Itinerary
Day 1: Check into Your Beach Bungalow & Go Exploring
Day 2: Visit Old Town & Have a Sunset Dinner at View Point Restaurant
Day 3: Take a Snorkeling Trip to Koh Phi Phi & Maya Beach
Day 4: Scooter to the Southern Part of Koh Lanta for Hiking & Bamboo Beach
Day 5: Take a Muay Thai Class, Get a Tattoo & Listen to Live Music in Krabi
Day 1: CHECK INTO YOUR BEACH BUNGALOW AND GO EXPLORING
Of course, when traveling to Koh Lanta, the first thing you have to do is settle into your hotel, resort, hostel or… your very own beach bungalow! When we were booking our last-minute stay in Koh Lanta, we wanted somewhere that was within our budget but still clean, spacious and with some personality. So, we decided to go with Lazy Days Beach Bungalows and it was fantastic! For less than €50/night, we had:
- a large, air-conditioned bungalow
- a view of the gardens and the ocean,
- our own bathroom
- a fridge
- a large front porch
- a delicious breakfast (included)
- Plus: The restaurant was right across from us and the food was always delicious and with great portions!
Most of the accommodation in Koh Lanta is within walking distance to a beach, some bars, restaurants, etc. We were a bit tired after the plane, boat and van ride it took us to arrive, so we decided to stay close to the bungalows. I highly recommend exploring the area:
- Walk along the beach
- Observe the hundreds of hermit crabs crawling along and popping in and out of their shells
- Lay out in the sun
- Mosey down to some nearby beach bars
- Watch the fishermen set off to sea for their nightly catch
- Finish the night with a few sunset drinks and dinner at the hotel restaurant.
- Pro tip #1: I recommend the Yum Salad and Classic Sticky Rice for Dessert!
- Pro tip #2: If you’re tired from traveling, grab a massage at a nearby resort! We didn’t think to do this at the time but a thai massage is always a good idea!
Day 2: VISIT OLD TOWN & HAVE A SUNSET DINNER AT VIEW POINT RESTAURANT
Make sure you spend some time checking out Koh Lanta’s Old Town! It’s a cute little town lined with restaurants, bars and shops selling souvenirs, jewelry, handmade hammocks and more. You can get there via tuk-tuk (kind of like a golf cart driven by a local) or via scooter! I recommend renting a scooter from your hotel, resort, bungalow, etc. It’s nice because you can more easily come and go when you want and stop wherever you want on the way there and back! For example, at the View Point Restaurant, which has an amazing view of the ocean and wildlife!
Here are some of my recommendations and tips for your visit!
- Do a quick scan of the old town before you decide to buy anything or have drinks at a restaurant! The workers will usually try to coax you into their restaurants as you walk by, so it’s a good idea to have a look first before making an immediate decision! Same goes for shops, where the prices may vary from place to place for similar items!
- Check out the pier! Make sure to walk to the end of the downtown street and out o the pier to see some cool street art, traditional statues and an interesting ship wreck off the pier!
- View Point Restaurant at Sunset! Stop at the view point on your way back for drinks and dinner at sunset.
- Pro tip #1: Bring binoculars and keep your eyes open for monkeys in the nearby trees and other wildlife.
- Pro tip #2: Make sure you specify if you don’t want your food spicy! If you forget, you may be sweating through your meal (lol)!
Day 3: TAKE A SNORKELING TRIP TO KOH PHI PHI & MAYA BEACH
Booking this snorkeling trip to Koh Phi Phi was probably one of the best ideas we had on our 16 day trip to Thailand. For only €40/person, including lunch, we took a day trip by boat from Koh Lanta to Koh Phi Phi Island with Koh Lanta Tours. We stopped at the famous Maya Beach and several other small islands to jump out and snorkel in the clearest, crystal waters I have ever seen. Some of the highlights of this amazing trip were…
- Seeing the most colorful fish all around me! I swear, I felt like I was the little mermaid. There were fish of all shapes and sizes and colors of the rainbow. They would swim right up to you.
- Spotting some wild monkeys in the trees of the small island formations. They weren’t shy and came so close to the boat to see if we had any food for them!
- Meeting some really cool people from all over the world! We ended up hanging out with them a few times during the rest of our trip! We even met back up in Bangkok on our way home.
- Having traditional lunch under the trees on a random, little island beach in the middle of the ocean. It was fantastic!
- Exploring Koh Phi Phi island for a little, though we would’ve loved to stay over night!
- Pro tip #1: Plan ahead and stay on Koh Phi Phi for a night! Especially if you like more of a night life scene, it’s definitely something we felt we missed out on!
- Pro tip #2: Wear your bathing suit under your clothes and something easy to take on and off, for all the snorkel stops!
- Pro tip #3: Don’t leave anything valuable on the boat! You never know who or what (monkeys) might sneak on. For example, I lost a single Nike gym shoe.
Day 4: SCOOTER TO THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE ISLAND FOR HIKING & BAMBOO BEACH
While we were able to rent a scooter and easily get around the island, one of the things we missed out on was heading down South. There are beautiful hikes that you can do, particularly in the Southern part of Koh Lanta, at Mu Koh Lanta National Park. It was something we wanted to do, but didn’t quite get to due to some rain and indecisiveness. We actually didn’t spend any time in the Southern part of the island, so we missed the beautiful Bamboo Beach, as well. Though I didn’t experience it myself I’ve heard there are a lot of amazing things to do in the Southern most part of Koh Lanta, including
- Bamboo Beach and its great views and cute bars (as mentioned)
- The Mu Koh Lanta National Park and its hikes (as mentioned)
- Lanta Animal Welfare, where you can visit tons of Koh Lanta cats and dogs
- The Khlong Chak Waterfall at the National Park
Day 5: TAKE A MUAY THAI CLASS, GET A TATTOO & LISTEN TO SOME LIVE MUSIC IN KRABI
Krabi is a really great place to stay. It has great nightlife, lots of attractions, cool hotels and great food! Not to mention, the beaches that we didn’t get to check out as much as we would’ve liked. We only had one day in Krabi, but I would recommend spending 2 or 3 days there. However, if you’re a bit strapped for time, like we were, here are a few things you can do in a day!
- Stay the night in a nice hotel, resort or villa! We stayed in The Sugar Marina Resort that we booked quickly and easily on Booking.com. We got a great deal at this clean and comfortable resort. It was centrally located and had a great view! I highly recommend it!
- Sign up for a Muay Thai class with professional thai boxer, Krulek! It was a great experience and an even better work out! We signed up on Airbnb Experiences, but Krulek recommended signing up directly with him for better deals.
- Get a tattoo by a great artist at Dream Tattoo Aonang! Artit does a great job either with a machine or bamboo stick and poke method, depending on the tattoo you want. Everything was really clean and competitively priced. I got a thai expression on my foot for about €85. My friend and I love our tattoos!
- Listen to live music at almost any bar or restaurant downtown Krabi! You might even get up and dance or join in for some karaoke. Who knows?! From jazz to oldies to hip hop faves, you’ll definitely have a good time!
- Pro tip: Don’t go too hard if you have a super early train to catch, like we did! I won’t say you’ll regret it, but it won’t be a very pleasant ride!(lol)
Hey!
I’m living the “broké”-bitch-life (abroad). A twenty something-year-old optimistic cynic, lover of new cultures and self-care addict, I’m here to teach you that “doing it all” (and then some) really is possible!
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