Thailand Travel: Koh Lanta | Island Adventures, Peach Drinks & Sunset Views
Day 4, March 15: Phuket to Koh Lanta
Today was one of the smoothest travel days of the whole trip, thanks almost entirely to our Airbnb host, Takira (a woman who could probably run a small country with the efficiency she brings to booking ferries, taxis, and every little transfer you can think of). This is one of those Thailand travel hacks no one tells you about: many hotels and Airbnbs will arrange ALL of your transportation for you because they get a small kickback. Normally I like planning everything myself, but when the prices are this cheap and the logistics this easy… why fight it?
And yes, none of this is sponsored.
(Sadly.)
P.S.- I gotta add this funny experience: as first-time users of the motorbike, I didn’t realize how to get that kickstand thing to work, so I just clinged to my brother’s back as he drove us around (I was certainly NOT about to operate that thing thankyouverymuch, hello kitty decals be damned). Takira saw my noobishness, and politely messaged me to help keep me safe. What a sweetie! Everyone in Thailand was so kind and helpful to us, and this was just the beginning of our experience with that.
Side note, this message also helps to illustrate a bit of the language barrier– everyone spoke a bit of English, but you kind of had to muddle your way through. Learning a bit of Thai is SUPER helpful, and shows a lot of respect for the locals. It doesn’t take a ton of time, your friends will be impressed with your few words and phrases in Thai that you can repeat at home, and it makes the locals warm up to you even more. Trust me, it’s worth it! Check out my main post on Thailand for what words and phrases we used the most and found to be the most helpful.
Getting to Koh Lanta: The Easy Way
We started with an 8:00 AM taxi from our hotel in Phuket to Rassada Pier, just a quick 400 baht ride (~$13). Our speedboat was scheduled for 8:30 AM, and Takira had sent us a full breakdown of the plan:
Speedboat tickets: 1350 baht per person
Taxi to Rassada Pier: 400 baht for two
Taxi from Sala Dan Pier to her place: 400 baht for two
Total: 3500 baht for both of us (~$106–107 total, $53.25 per person)
Pay when you arrive at her home.
The whole thing felt almost too easy: show the ticket she sent via Airbnb, board the boat, and enjoy the hour-and-a-half ride past limestone cliffs and little fishing boats bobbing along the waves.
We arrived at Koh Lanta’s Sala Dan Pier at 10:00 AM, hopped into another taxi, and reached Takira’s place around 10:30 AM. Payment was simple: hand over the 3,500 baht, no surprises.
For anyone trying to decide:
Takira also offered a minibus option (cheaper at 1,600 baht total for two people), but it takes from 11:00 AM to 3:30 PM. We were glad we chose speedboat.
Where We Stayed
Takira’s Airbnb (Home No. 9, Ko Lanta Yai) instantly became one of our favorite stays of the whole trip:
- One large king bed
- Clean, airy, simple space
- No washer (important to know!)
- And the best part: Takira herself, who not only coordinates all transportation but also books excursions for guests
Cost for the stay:
👉 $67.07 for three nights in Koh Lanta
Unreal!!!
First Day on the Island: Slow, Easy, Perfect
Since we arrived in the late morning, we spent the day easing into island life. First order of business: booking our snorkel trip for tomorrow, which Takira handled for us. On Koh Lanta, booking just a day in advance is totally fine.
After that, we grabbed a tuk tuk and headed to Smoon Café, a breezy little spot great for cooling off post–boat ride.
Then came the true rite of passage: testing out our motorbike.
Wobbly at first, then smooth enough for quick beach runs. Renting it from Takira ended up costing around 7,000 baht total for our stay (including two days of bike rental and tipping her generously because she deserved it).
And because Thailand is always testing your ability to stay hydrated (and alive), we did a very scientific taste test of the Suntory “Horoyoi” Momo Peach Chu-Hi drinks: cold, lightly fizzy, and exactly what we needed after sweating through the onboarding phase of taking a plane, bus, ferry, and tuktuk in such a short amount of time, all while sweating in a kind of heat and humidity we had never known before.
It was the holy grail of convenience-store drinks, that tastes like chilled candy and revived our souls. We ended the day with well-needed showers and relaxation in our beds as we caught up to the time zone.
Our First Real Day in Thailand
Our first impression of Koh Lanta was simple:
Relaxed. Warm. Easy.
The perfect reset after our bustling whirlwind of travel.
Our stay was so cute! Take a look:
