The list of what to do in Koh Lanta is endless, but these are my top 15 adventures to add to your bucket lists and keep you busy exploring, swimming, snorkelling, scooting and discovering.
Koh Lanta is one of my favourite islands in Thailand, it is the perfect combination of slow island life and it is not too overcrowded, however, it has everything you could need and more.
From amazing restaurants, co-working spaces, jungle-covered mountains, a thriving underwater world, a spiritual scene with yoga and meditation classes, beautiful white sand beaches, authentic Thai food and slow swaying palm trees, Koh Lanta has everything you could desire and more.
Throughout this guide, I will run you through some of the best adventures you can take whilst visiting this beautiful Thailand destination, when to visit and how to book!
Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. This means that if you click a link and purchase something I have recommended I will earn a small commission. This does not affect the price you pay but helps me to keep Travels by Izzy going.
What to do in Koh Lanta? 15 Amazing Adventures for Your Bucket List
Koh Rok Island Snorkelling Tour
Imagine an island in the middle of the ocean, run by nature with giant lizards, a thriving underwater world and birds as its only permanent occupants, surrounded by the bluest oceans you have ever seen, fine white sandy beaches and thick jungles throughout.
This is Koh Rok Island. Koh Rok is one of the most naturally beautiful and untouched islands I have ever visited, on this snorkelling tour with Tin Adventure you first visit Koh Haa island and stop here to snorkel in its untouched waters. After you head to Koh Rok for the rest of the day, to have lunch and spend the afternoon swimming in the seas, exploring the island and snorkelling.
During this trip, we saw a clown fish, sea snakes, lobsters, incredible corals and tons of colourful vibrant fish. To read more about this day trip and what to expect check out my full adventure review or book your day trip below!
Visit the Beaches of South Lanta
Although all of Koh Lanta is quite underdeveloped and still feels very authentic to Thai island life, the south takes this to the next level.
Rent a scooter or hop in a taxi and head down to the bottom of the island and be transported back 30 years to Thailand before tourism.
Here you can find cute little restaurants, jungles to explore, monkeys everywhere and the lighthouse national park, but my favourite part is the 4 beaches Ba Kan Tieng Beach, Nui Beach, Klong Jark Beach and Bamboo Beach.
Lanta Thai Cookery School
Taking a cooking class is an amazing way to connect to the country you are visiting and its culture and the Lanta Thai Cookery School is one of my favourite adventures from this what to do in Koh Lanta guide.
Lanta Thai Cookery School is an amazing school surrounded by gardens where they grow their own produce, from the open-air rooftop space you can gaze out to the jungles all around and watch the sunset in the distance and you cook your 4 dishes.
Check out my full adventure review about Lanta Thai Cookery School to find out what to expect and what’s included. To book check out their availability below!
Go Shell Searching on Relax Beach
Spend the day relaxing at Relax Beach, one of my favourites on Koh Lanta, then once the tide has gone out in take a stroll along the beach looking for all the beautiful shells along the shore.
This little activity really brings out my inner child and reminds me so much of when I was young and would go off exploring looking for treasures.
Remember to never remove spiral seashells from the beach as these can be reused by other critters, if you would like to take a memory with you I’d recommend finding a broken shell, but if possible, “take nothing but photographs and leave nothing but footprints”.
Scoot around the Island
Koh Lanta is a massive island and there are so many parts of it to explore, you can head north to the main town, south to the beaches and slow island living or east towards the mangroves and small family-run accommodations.
Explore the Old Town
On the north side of Koh Lanta, you can find their main town or old town, here you can find the ferry port, some amazing teak-stilted seafood restaurants where you can dine over the ocean, markets and boutique shops.
To get here you can either scoot yourself north along the main road of the island or hop in any taxi or tuk-tuk going that way.
Take a Trip to see the Mangroves
Explore a more rural and untamed part of Koh Lanta with this half-day Mangrove kayaking adventure. The best way to discover the mangroves on the island is to get up close and personal with them and what better way to do that than on your own kayak completely immersed in them.
Get collected from your hotel, and spend a few hours exploring the mangroves, spotting fish, mudskippers, crabs and monkeys before heading to a local market for lunch.
4 Islands Boat Tour
Discover some of the neighbouring islands on the 4 Islands Longtail boat tour and experience crystal clear turquoise oceans, secluded beaches, colourful corals and vibrant marine life.
During the boat tour, you will visit Ko Chueak, Morakot Cave, Ko Ngai and Ko Maa. On each spot, you will have the chance to snorkel and explore before having lunch and then eventually returning to mainland Koh Lanta.
Visit an Ethical Elephant Sanctuary
Visiting an elephant sanctuary is something that is on most peoples bucket lists when they visit Thailand and is an excellent addition to my what to do in Koh Lanta adventures.
What better way to spend the day than exploring the jungles whilst following these gentle giants!
I recommend Following Giants, an ethical sanctuary found in the heart of Koh Lanta, to visit you can choose from half or full days as well as week-long stays and more.
Go Brunching and Lunching
Koh Lanta has no shortage of amazing places to grab an aesthetic and tasty brunch or lunch!
Some of my favourite spots on the island are:
- Hidden Tree
- Sea Culture
- Backyard Cafe
- The Glass House
- Drunken Sailors
- Thai Smile
- Living Room Cafe
Volunteer at Lanta Animal Welfare
Work closely with Lanta Animal Welfare and volunteer to help them with daily chores and hard work around the centre or with their social media and content creation.
This is an amazing way to give something back whilst you travel, leaving destinations better than you found them.
Go Scuba Diving
Scuba diving or diving of some kind is a must in Thailand! Whilst I recommend freediving in Koh Tao another great way to explore the underwater world here is with Scuba Diving.
You can find many dive schools around the island to either learn or go on fun dives with. Koh Lanta has a great dive spot at islands Koh Bida Nok & Koh Bida Nai also known as “Shark Islands”, here you can spot the incredible black tip and leopard sharks.
Get a Thai Massage
Another great way to experience a new destination and to relax into the vibe is to get a massage, you can find many small local massage parlours throughout Koh Lanta as well as larger more extravagant spas.
This is the perfect activity for any day when you are stuck for what to do in Koh Lanta.
Deepen Your Spiritual Practise
Koh Lanta is a very chilled back and relaxed island with a wonderfully slow pace of life, it is no surprise there are so many spiritual seekers here spreading their light and holding all kinds of teachings.
You can find so many amazing classes throughout Koh Lanta such as Tantra, Meditation, Yoga and a wide range of retreats.
Get Dinner at some incredible restaurants
Last but not least don’t forget to eat your way around this amazing island, whilst travelling it’s not uncommon to have to eat all of your meals out every day and with so many choices for food in Koh Lanta I know you will not be disappointed.
From authentic Thai to Western classics and some with a special twist make sure to check out my Where to Eat in Koh Lanta guide to discover my favourite spots!
Looking for more adventures to go on in Koh Lanta? Check out these posts: