Koh Lanta, long, sandy beaches, spectacular sunsets, tropical jungle

Koh Lanta, gateway to the Southern Andaman Sea

Koh Lanta is the jewel of the Andaman Sea, situated in south western Thailand and lying just a short distance from the mainland province of Krabi.

Although tourism is increasing every year, Koh Lanta with its picturesque Andaman coastline, manages to keep her laid-back atmosphere, natural beauty and friendliness. Koh Lanta actually consists of 52 islands, 15 of which are under the control of the Koh Lanta National Marine Park. 12 islands are habited from which the two major islands are; Koh Lanta Noi and Koh Lanta Yai.

Koh Lanta Noi is the smaller of the two islands and doesn't have tourist facilities, but the old life style and traditional styled houses can still be seen and make it worth a visit.

Koh Lanta Yai is approximately 6km wide and 30km long and boasts 9 fantastic, white sandy beaches, stretching almost the entire length of it's sunset west coast. The main village of Ban Sala Dan lies to the north, with a jungle covered hill range running down the length of the island to the south, separating the mangroves of the east coast from the long beaches of the west. It has a diverse cultural mix with Thai-Muslim, Thai-Chinese and the original Sea Gypsies living together on the island.

With it's relaxed atmoshpere and slow pace of life, the fast pace of life elsewhere is soon forgotten as the enchanting beaches, thick jungle, stunning sunsets and coral rimmed beaches take over.

The 20,000 residents of Koh Lanta have a traditional economy of fishing, coconut plantations, rubber plantations, rice paddies, prawn farming and fruit. This economy is now supplemented with the growing tourist industry.

Koh Lanta, due to her location, is one of the best dive destinations in the Andaman Sea. There are a number of spectacular dive sites available within a very close distance: Koh Phi Phi, Koh Haa, The King Cruiser Wreck, Shark Point and Anemone Reef. Best of all is Hin Daeng and Hin Muang, for which Koh Lanta is the closest base-point.

Koh Lanta has even more to offer: explore Lanta's caves, wander along kilometers of white sandy beaches, trek through the unspoiled rainforest of the National Marine Park, venture on the back of an elephant for an exiting ride or simply relax in your hammock with a good book. Live your own dream under the tropical sun.

There are many mini-van and ferry services to Koh Lanta which makes travelling to Koh Lanta relatively easy, and together with our short guide to Thailand, we hope you have all the information you need to start planning your next holiday to wonderful island of Koh Lanta.

Get picked up in style from your resort each morning! Book any Multi-Day Diving Package online, and where possible, we will send our speedboat to your resort in the morning to pick you up from the beach, returning you by speedboat directly to your resort again in the afternoon, completely free of charge. If you plan to stay at a resort on Long Beach (Phra Ae), Klong Dao beach, or Kaw Kwang beach then please ask us about our free speedboat transfers.

With the chance to see manta rays and whale sharks at the world famous Hin Daeng & Hin Muang, Koh Lanta is a divers paradise. Add Koh Phi Phi. the Bida Islands, Koh Haa, King Cruiser wreck, Shark Point & Anemone Reef, and there is plenty here to keep you diving Koh Lanta for a week or more...

Dive & Relax PADI Resort offers PADI Scuba diving courses for both beginners and experienced divers. For beginners, we offer a one-day, 2 dive Discover Scuba Diving experience, and for those wanting an internationally recognised scuba diving qualification, we offer the 3 to 4 day PADI Open Water Diver course. Of course, we also offer PADI Advanced Open Water, Rescue Diver and Divemaster courses.