There are lots of Trips and Tours available to enable you to get off the beaten track and explore some of the islands around Ko Lanta

Trips and Tours are a great way of exploring the local area alongside people who know the highlights, secrets and the best places to get off the beaten track.

The islands around Ko Lanta provide some remarkable natural phenomena and breathtaking scenery of the sort that has inspired novelists and film producers. There are few better places on earth to live a castaway dream or become an intrepid jungle explorer for the day.

The Emerald Cave - a secret lagoon and ancient pirate cove, hidden inside Ko Mook.

Each of the islands has something unique to offer. Secluded islands and beaches, great snorkelling, superb diving and adventurous caving are just the beginning, there are virgin mangrove forests to explore, hidden lagoons where pirates used to hide their treasure, underwater caverns in which you can surface, cliff jumping and much, much more! Take some time to read about each of the islands within easy reach of Lanta Old Town, so you can start planing your own trip into paradise.

Surface inside 'The Cathedral' - the largest of the underwater caverns at Ko Haa

By visiting a handful of different islands, you can sample a few of the many flavours and ways of life of island dwellers in southern Thailand. We have grouped the various islands into 3 main groups, each with a slightly different slant on island life. It is often possible to visit several islands in one day trip.

Ko Lanta’s Top Dive Sites:

Ko Lanta is absolutely the best place to base yourself if you want to dive many of the best dive sites in Thailand via day trip. With spectacular reefs, unmatched marine diversity and great visibility, Ko Lanta offers the convenience of day-diving with the chance to enjoy the relaxed and laid back atmosphere of island life. Ko Lanta is the closest inhabited island to world-class dive sites Hin Daeng & Hin Muang and Ko Haa. Ko Rok and Ko Phi Phi are also easily reachable by day trip. All dive sites can be reached in about 1 hour during high season, and under 2 hours during the summer months.

• Ko Haa – stunning year-round visibility with something for everyone – snorkel in the Lagoon, explore the underwater caves and caverns, relax on a powder-white-sandy beach
• Hin Daeng & Hin Muang – fantastic top-class diving – deepest drop-off in Thailand, good chance to see the big stuff, 1 hour journey time all year round
• Ko Rok - beautiful twin beaches enclose some of the most impressive and largest colonies of hard corals in this area, great for snorkelling and diving
• Ko Phi Phi - huge diversity of diving and marine life – Leopard Sharks, Wrecks and breathtaking underwater scenary

Whale Shark, Hin Daeng. This plankton-eating, gentle giant is the largest fish in the ocean. Hin Daeng is considered the number place in Thailand to look for these amazing creatures.

If you’re interested in the colourful underwater world, Scubafish Dive Centre offers eco-friendly diving and snorkelling trips to Lanta’s top dive sites.

Eastern Islands:

The Eastern Islands capture the spirit of a local fishing community, surrounded by uninhabited small islands, where life has remained, virtually unchanged for hundreds of years. These islands are definitely off the beaten track with no major tourist trips visiting any of these spots. Rugged uninhabited islands, mangrove forests and rivers, and a world in which people live by their skills and by helping each other, are the highlights of this area – if you want to catch a glimpse of rural island life, these are the islands for you. The Eastern Islands lie closest to Lanta Old Town and are well protected from the ocean, so they can be easily visited all year round.

• Ko Por - home to a Muslim fishing community – meet the locals and catch a glimpse of true, untouched island life
• Ko BuBu – Robinson Crusoe island with thick vegetation, fabulous beaches and some snorkelling- string up a hammock and enjoy
• Ko Talabeng – sheer cliffs rising out of the ocean – explore the caves, watch the monkeys, great for kayaking
• Ko Kam – totally deserted, uninhabited – great for a BBQ on the beach or a spot of quiet fishing
• Ko Nui - tiny sand-ringed island – a true castaway setting, set up a tent and watch a magnificent display of stars
• Mangrove Forests & Rivers – discover some of the flora and fauna that inhabits the lush tropical rainforests and mangroves around Ko Lanta

Immerse yourself into the life of a fishing community on the island of Ko Por

Southern Islands:

The Southern Islands are the most touristy of the island groups around Ko Lanta. A few of the islands have a handful of resorts on them now and there are many snorkelling trips that pay daily visits to the islands – the most popular is known as the 4-Island Tour. An absolute ‘must-see’ is the Emerald Cave at Ko Mook – you can easily combine a trip to the Emerald Cave with some snorkelling at a few of the other islands in the group.

• Ko Nagi – quite a large island with some good snorkelling and nice beaches – a few resorts are concentrated on the nicest beach
• Ko Mook – a limestone island with ‘must-see’ Emerald Cave & lagoon hidden in its centre
• Ko Cheuak, Ko Waen & Ko Maa - 3 small islands that rise up out of the sea and offer good snorkelling and a chance to see plenty of birds that nest here
• Ko Kradan - reputed to have the prettiest beaches in Thailand, beautiful, clear water, great diving and snorkelling
• Ko Lanta National Marine Park – on the southern-most tip of Ko Lanta, the National Marine Park with its twin bays and beautiful lighthouse, is home to a huge range of wildlife

Trips to the Southern Islands are best made by Longtail boat so that you can stop off for a snorkel or stroll on the beach as you choose

There are plenty of things to do under your own steam on Ko Lanta including; elephant trekking, a visit to the monkey school, beautiful walks to caves and waterfalls, self guided tours around the town, motorbike exploration around the island, and more. But, if you’re looking to find the hidden away gems, deserted beaches on uninhibited islands and the very best spots to look for wildlife and marine life, consider teaming up with someone with plenty of local knowledge, access to a boat and a sense of adventure and design your own day trip, tour or overnight excursion – only your imagination is the limit!

Both, Sun Island Tours and Tailor-Made Marine Tours specialize in creating tours with a difference: They have some suggested excursions, or you can create your own.

Although the Longtail is the traditional form of water transport in these parts, the last few years has seen the arrival of Sailing yachts, Dive boats and kayaks, as well as the ubiqitous speed boats. Lanta Marine Services specialise in providing marine tours with a difference and can organise a trip, tailor-made for your group or family. Sun Island Tours offer their guests a great day out aboard a traditional Longtail boat equipped with all the right safety gear, English speaking captain, snorkelling equipment and fine food.

Diving and Snorkelling trips to Ko Haa are made on Scubafish's Dive Boat 'Moskito'