Koh Lanta is an island in southern Thailand with incredible beaches, scenery and really tasty food! We spent a week in Koh Lanta enjoying working our way around the best restaurants in Koh Lanta, some of which we would go back to more than once!
Whatever your dietary requirements are, you will be able to find menus with great food to meet your needs.
In this post we share our favourite places to eat in Koh Lanta.
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The Best Places to Eat in Koh Lanta
Table of Contents
Planning Your Trip
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Where to Stay in Koh Lanta
There is a wide range of accommodations available in Koh Lanta, so you will not be short on options. Here are our top suggestions for the best places to stay in Koh Lanta for any budget.
Luxury – Pimalai Resort & Spa – SHA Extra Plus is an exclusive accommodation nestled in amongst a lush forestry area overlooking the blue waters of the Andaman Sea. This 5-star hotel. The hotel has an over-the-edge infinity pool as well as a fully equipped fitness suite and tennis court. In addition, there are three restaurants onsite.
Book your stay at Pimalai Resort & Spa – SHA Extra Plus here.
Mid-Range – Lanta Sand Resort & Spa is a beachfront location that features 3 outdoor swimming pools, including a plunge pool in Koh Lanta.
The restaurant at the hotel is perfectly located to watch the sunset over the sea.
Book your stay at Lanta Sand Resort & Spa here.
Budget – We stayed at Lanta Sunny House during our stay at Koh Lanta and absolutely loved it. We had our own private affordable bungalow overlooking a pool and it was a 5 minute walk from the beach. The accommodation was very central and had scooter rental onsite.
Yawee Restaurant
Yawee Restaurant was one of our favourite restaurants in Koh Samui. There is such a great variety of tasty food on the menu and they cater well to vegans and vegetarians. We loved the tofu masaman curry and the fried tofu. Yawee Restaurant is located near Long Beach.
Living Room Cafe and Restaurant
The bakery section at the living room cafe is a must visit when you are in Koh Lanta! They have a large seating area which is under shelter and was very comfortable to sit in on a rainy day. We had lunch at the living room cafe as well but in our opinion, the bakery food was even better.
Aleena Minimart
This was one of our favourite places to eat in Koh Lanta. Located off the main road, towards the beach, Aleena Minimart might just look like your average mini-mart with a stall outside but this place is so much more.
Offering a great selection of food catering to all diets and at an incredibly reasonable price. As well as main meals Aleena minimart also has a bakery area with cakes and bread and you can buy drinks from the mini-mart shop making them even cheaper!
Bow’s Pizza
If you are looking to curb your Italian cravings, Bow’s pizza makes delicious homemade wood-fired pizzas right in front of your eyes.
Other options are available at this restaurant, such as an extensive menu of Thai dishes and other western dishes as well.
Maharaja Indian
Located near the boat terminal in the main town of Koh Lanta, Maharaja Indian served up the most delicious curry for a very reasonable price. As it is situated in the town it is within close walking distance to many other restaurants, bars and hotels.
Happy Veggie
Happy veggie is a vegetarian and vegan restaurant located in the northern end of Koh Lanta. Their extensive menu covers western foods such as sandwiches and burgers as well as local foods such as curry’s and pad Thai. The menu also caters to those who require a gluten free diet and the food is cooked with no MSG. The prices are a little more than other places but the quality and range of the food is fantastic.
Before You Leave for Koh Lanta
Before you set off on your way to Koh Lanta, there are a number of things you will need to get organised to ensure a smooth and enjoyable journey. These include what to pack, where to stay and what is the best insurance for your trip to Koh Lanta. All of this is discussed in detail below.
How to Get to Koh Lanta
Koh Lanta is located off the western coast of mainland Thailand. If you are travelling to Koh Lanta from the mainland, you will be able to get a bus service from Krabi as there is a bridge joining the island with the mainland.
Where to Stay in Koh Lanta
There is a wide range of accommodations available in Koh Lanta, so you will not be short on options. Here are our top suggestions for the best places to stay in Koh Lanta for any budget.
Luxury – Pimalai Resort & Spa – SHA Extra Plus is an exclusive accommodation nestled in amongst a lush forestry area overlooking the blue waters of the Andaman Sea. This 5-star hotel. The hotel has an over-the-edge infinity pool as well as a fully equipped fitness suite and tennis court. In addition, there are three restaurants onsite.
Book your stay at Pimalai Resort & Spa – SHA Extra Plus here.
Mid-Range – Lanta Sand Resort & Spa is a beachfront location that features 3 outdoor swimming pools, including a plunge pool in Koh Lanta.
The restaurant at the hotel is perfectly located to watch the sunset over the sea.
Book your stay at Lanta Sand Resort & Spa here.
Budget – We stayed at Lanta Sunny House during our stay at Koh Lanta and absolutely loved it. We had our own private affordable bungalow overlooking a pool and it was a 5 minute walk from the beach. The accommodation was very central and had scooter rental onsite.
What to Pack for Your Trip to the Koh Lanta
Given the climate of Thailand in general, packing for this trip is relatively straightforward. Swimwear is the most important piece of clothing you will need if you are wanting to go swimming in the sea. You will also need to pack suncream as being out in the fresh air on the boat and in the sea all day, your skin will be at risk of burning.
When it comes to the weather, Thailand is a tropical country meaning it has two seasons: wet season and dry season. We would recommend packing a waterproof, just in case it rains on your trip.
As a general rule for packing for Thailand, it is best to think “layers”. Pack a few light layers of clothing, including a jumper and a waterproof, and wear as many layers as you want according to the weather.
Given the beautiful sights and scenery that you will see in Koh Lanta, we highly recommend packing a good camera for your trip. If you want to read more about the cameras we use and why we love them, check out the link below.
Photography Equipment
Main Photography Camera – Sony A7v Mirrorless Camera and Sony A7iii Mirrorless Camera
Microphone – Sony Mic ECM-B1M
Main Lens – Tamron 17-28mm f/2.8
Zoom Lens – Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8
Camera Tripod – ZOMEI Z669C Camera Tripod
Gorilla Pod – JOBY JB01507-BWW GorillaPod
Action Camera – GoPro Hero 11 and Insta 360 One RS
Drone Camera – DJI Mavic Pro 3
Camera Bag – Wandrd PRVKE 41L and The Nest by Tropicfeel
Phone Tripod – Manfrotto MKPIXICLAMP-BK, Mini Tripod with Universal Smartphone Clamp
Sturdy Phone Tripod & Selfie Stick – ATUMTEK 61″ Selfie Stick Tripod, Sturdy Phone Tripod Stand with Wireless Remote
Hard Drives – LaCie Rugged Mini, 5TB, 2.5″, Portable External Hard Drive
SSD – SanDisk Extreme Pro 1TB Portable NVMe SSD
Travel Adapter –Worldwide Travel Adapter Universal Travel Plug with 4 USB Ports+Universal AC Socke
What is the Best Travel Insurance for the Koh Lanta
I know travel insurance is the least enjoyable thing to purchase and look at when you’re planning a trip, however, you wouldn’t want to be without it in the event that something happened. Accidents can happen anywhere and the extortionate medical bills will ruin your trip if you are not covered.
To ensure you have a stress-free trip with no worries about potential medical bills, make sure you cover yourself when you travel. We can recommend using SafetyWing, a backpacker-friendly and cheap insurance company that provides good coverage and support. It is also nomad-friendly, unlike most other insurance companies, meaning you do not need to worry about being out of your home country for too long.
Get a quote for your travel insurance right here and get covered!
So there you have it, our guide to visiting the best restaurants in Koh Lanta. We absolutely loved our stay here and can’t wait to visit Koh Lanta again. If you are visiting Koh Lanta and have any other questions on what to expect, leave us a comment down below. We love to chat about this stuff! Let us know in the comments below!
Also, remember to share this with your friends and family that you are going to share this amazing experience with. Sharing is caring and we want to ensure that everyone is fully prepared to maximise their experience.
If you are planning a trip to Koh Lanta soon then check out our other Thailand content right here. Come and find us on social media to see where we are currently exploring. Tag us in your photos from your stay and we will share them with the rest of our community of explorers and backpackers.
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