Koh Lanta or Koh Phi Phi? Long quiet beaches, or a small island that never sleeps.
The short answer: Koh Phi Phi is small and famous: no roads or cars, one busy village around the pier, beach bars at night, and Maya Bay a short boat ride away. Koh Lanta is much bigger and calmer, with long beaches down its west coast, a road the length of the island and a reputation as an easy island for families. They are about an hour apart by boat, and many people stay on both.
Below: a side-by-side comparison, who each island suits, and how to travel between them.
Koh Lanta and Koh Phi Phi side by side
The practical differences that usually decide it. Checked in November 2026.
| Koh Lanta | Koh Phi Phi | |
|---|---|---|
| Size | Koh Lanta Yai is about 25 km long, with a road down the west coast | Phi Phi Don is about 8 km long; Phi Phi Leh, with Maya Bay, has no hotels |
| Getting there | Minivan from Krabi with a short car ferry, all year; boats mainly November to April | Only by boat: from Phuket (Rassada Pier) or Krabi, all year |
| Getting around | Tuk-tuks, taxis and scooters | No cars or roads: you walk, or take a longtail boat |
| Beaches | Long beaches such as Klong Dao and Long Beach (Phra Ae), quieter bays further south | Tonsai and Loh Dalum by the village, quieter beaches reached by boat |
| Nightlife | Relaxed beach bars | Beach bars and fire shows on Loh Dalum, busy most nights |
| Day trips | Koh Rok and Koh Haa (about October to mid-May), the islands of Trang | Maya Bay and Pileh Lagoon on Phi Phi Leh, Bamboo Island |
| Low season | From about May to October many beach restaurants and some hotels close | The island stays busy, though quieter; Maya Bay closes from 1 August to 30 September |
Both islands are on the Andaman coast and share the same weather: drier from about November to April, wetter from May to October.
Which one should you pick?
Choose Koh Phi Phi if you want a lively island for a night or two, with everything in walking distance, the famous viewpoint and Maya Bay close by. Pack light: you will carry your bags along footpaths.
Choose Koh Lanta if you want space, long beaches and a slower pace for a longer stay, or you are travelling with children. It is also easier to reach by road, all year.
Do both: a common plan is two or three nights on Phi Phi, then the boat to Lanta for the rest of the week.
Atmosphere
Phi Phi Don is busy. Day-trip boats from Phuket and Krabi fill the bays from late morning, and the village around Tonsai Pier is a maze of shops, dive centres, bars and guesthouses. In the evening, the beach bars on Loh Dalum take over. If you want quiet on Phi Phi, stay at one of the resorts on the beaches away from the village, which are reached by boat.
Lanta is the opposite: the beaches are long, the resorts are spread out, and nights are calm. Most hotels are on the west coast, from Klong Dao and Long Beach near Saladan in the north to Kantiang Bay in the south. See where to stay on Koh Lanta and where to stay on Koh Phi Phi.
Getting there and around
Phi Phi has no airport and no roads, so every visitor arrives by boat at Tonsai Pier, mostly from Rassada Pier in Phuket or from Krabi. There is a small pier fee of 20 baht, paid in cash. On the island you walk; longtail boats act as taxis to the other beaches. See Phuket to Phi Phi.
Lanta can be reached by road all year: minivans from Krabi Town, Ao Nang and Krabi Airport drive onto a short car ferry and then over a bridge to Lanta Yai, in about two to three hours. Most boats to Lanta run only from about November to April. See Krabi to Koh Lanta.
Day trips
From Phi Phi Don, longtail and speedboat trips go to Phi Phi Leh for Maya Bay and Pileh Lagoon. The national park fee there is 400 baht for foreign adults, swimming at Maya Bay is not allowed, and the bay closes every year from 1 August to 30 September. See our Phi Phi trip from Krabi page.
From Lanta, speedboats go to Koh Rok and Koh Haa in Mu Ko Lanta National Park, known for clear water and snorkelling. These islands close in the monsoon; in 2026 the season reopened on 1 October.
The low season
Lanta changes the most between seasons. From about May to October the wind blows onto the west coast beaches, many beach restaurants close and some smaller hotels shut until November; the island is quiet and cheaper, and the minivan keeps running.
Phi Phi stays open all year, as boats from Phuket and Krabi keep running, but sailings can be cancelled in rough weather.
Travelling between Koh Phi Phi and Koh Lanta
Boats run between Tonsai Pier on Phi Phi and Saladan Pier on Lanta all year, with more departures in the high season. Speedboats take about 30 minutes and ferries about an hour.
Out of season, there are fewer sailings and rough seas can cancel them; the way round is the boat to Krabi and a minivan to Lanta, which takes most of a day.
Koh Lanta vs Koh Phi Phi FAQ
Is Koh Lanta or Koh Phi Phi better for families?
Usually Koh Lanta: long beaches, spread-out resorts, quiet evenings and a road to get around. Phi Phi is busy and loud around the village at night.
Are there cars on Koh Phi Phi?
No. There are no roads on Phi Phi Don; you walk, and longtail boats take you to the other beaches.
How do I get from Koh Phi Phi to Koh Lanta?
By boat from Tonsai Pier to Saladan Pier: about 30 minutes by speedboat or an hour by ferry. Boats run all year, with fewer in the low season.
Is Koh Lanta closed in the low season?
No, but it is much quieter. From about May to October many beach restaurants and some hotels close, and most boats stop; the minivan from Krabi runs all year.
Can you swim at Maya Bay?
No. Visitors can walk on the beach, but swimming is not allowed. The bay is also closed every year from 1 August to 30 September.
Last checked: 7 November 2026. Island sizes from Wikipedia (Ko Lanta Yai) and Nomado (Phi Phi Don); boats between the islands from 12Go, Direct Ferries and Visit Thailand Today; Tonsai pier fee from phuketferry.com; Maya Bay fee and closure from our Phi Phi pages and Portail Asie; Koh Rok season from Portail Asie (Mu Ko Lanta National Park announcement, 1 October 2026); low season on Lanta from Amazing Lanta; Lanta road access from our Krabi to Koh Lanta page.