The M/V Flying Seahorse Koh Lanta liveaboard

Boarding the Mv Flying Seahorse on Koh Lanta or fom Koh Phi Phi on the 5 D / 4 N adventure to the Similan Islands has a great advantage as it also lets you enjoy some of the best dive sites the Andaman Sea has to offer like Koh Phi Phi, Shark Point or the King Cruiser Ship Wreck.

How ever for the real enthusiastic diver who wants to really explore the best Thailand has to offer another option is the amazing 7 D / 6 N trip which also takes in the South of Thailand’s dive sites first by visiting Koh Ha and also Hin Daeng and Hin Muang and then onto the Similans.

The dive season is from October till the End of April. I joined the Mv Flying Seahorse on a 5 D / 4 N trip in April and below are a few pictures I took on this trip.

The Similan Islands are well known for there crystal warm clear waters, and amazing array of marine life and also for there topography both underwater and above. You can dive past rocks which are as big as a home, float past a garden of some of the finest soft and hard corals and go in search of small unique critters like Nudibranch and Ghostpipe Fish or enjoy diving with the magical and graceful Manta Rays or if your really lucky maybe even a Whale Shark.

The itinerary: 5 Day Trip Similan Island And Southern Thailand: 5 Days/ 4 Nights – 17 Dives

1. Day: Ko Bida, Anemone Reef, Ko Doc Mai / 2 Day dives & 1 Sunset dive

2. Day: Similan Islands , Ko Bon / 3 Day dives & 1 Night dive

3. Day: Ko Tachai, Richelieu Rock / 3 Day dives & 1 Night dive

4. Day: Ko Bon, Similan Islands / 3 Day dives

5. Day: King Cruiser, Shark Point, Phi Phi / 3 Day dives

• 5 day liveaboard to Similan Islands and Southern Thailand – 17 dives
• Air Conditioned Bunk Bed Cabin 26,900 Thai Baht per person
• Air Conditioned Double Bed Cabin 28,900 Thai Baht per person
• + 1600 Baht Marine Park Fees + 3000 Baht Scuba Gear Hire (if required)

Liveaboard Price includes:

• Twin or double cabin accommodation on the M/V Flying Seahorse
• Light for night dives
• Professional PADI dive guide
• All meals, snacks, fruits, water, electrolyte drinks, tea, coffee
• Access to Recompression chamber and Boat Accident insurance
• Maximum of 14 guests on each trip
• FREE pickup and return to your Koh Lanta hotel

Liveaboard Price Does Not Include:

• Beer and fizzy drinks on the boat.
• Scuba Diving Equipment Rental – 5 Day Trip – 1600 Thai Baht
• Marine Park Fees – 5 Day Trip – 3000 Thai Baht

To view all the Liveaboard departure dates to the Similan Islands or send an email enquiry about availability please click on 5 D /4 N Liveaboard trip or 7 D / 6 N Liveaboard

Villa Caley – one of Koh Lanta’s villas for rent

If you’re interested in booking a top end hotel on Koh Lanta, you might find that’s it’s actually more economical to hire a Koh Lanta villa instead – especially if you are a family or a group of friends. There are several great villas on Koh Lanta that can be rented by the week (minimum stay 7 days) – follow the links to see photos and info on 2 bedroom Koh Lanta villas and 3 Bedroom Koh Lanta villas.

Unsurprisingly, as Christmas and New Year is peak season on Koh Lanta, the hotels all increase their prices during these couple of weeks. Here are a few examples of some of the best hotels on Koh Lanta and the prices they are charging during Christmas and New Year. You should also bear in mind that some hotels have what’s called a compulsory gala dinner on New Year (and sometimes on Christmas Eve too). This is a (usually expensive) meal that you have to pay for if you are staying in the hotel at that time – you can’t opt out.

Despite the extra costs, the hotels are still selling out fast and only have limited rooms available. If you look on Agoda, the hotel booking site will show you how many rooms are left and confirm your booking instantly.

Layana on Long Beach is charging from $334 per night during 24th December to 1st January. They have a Compulsory Gala Dinner on New Year’s Eve 31.12.2010: 5500 Baht per adult.

Pimalai in Kantiang Bay is charging from $494 per night during 24th December to 1st January. They don’t appear to have any compulsory dinner requirement.

Chada on Klong Dao is charging from $223 a night. They have two Compulsory Gala Dinners: Christmas Eve 24.12.2010: 2800 Baht per adult & 1400 Baht per child under 12 years and New Year’s Eve 31.12.2010: 4000 Baht per adult & 2000 Baht per child under 12 years.

Rawi Warin on Klong Khong is charging from $250 a night. They also have two Compulsory Gala Dinners – Christmas Eve 24.12.2010:1850 Baht per adult & 925 Baht per child under 12 years. New Year`s Eve 31.12.2010: 4500 Baht per adult & 2250 Baht per child under 12 years.

The newly opened four star Houben is charging $144 a night. The hotel is still in soft launch mode, so some facilities like the spa are not open yet. There doesn’t appear to be any compulsory dinner.

There are still good rooms at decent prices to be had, but you need to start searching quite soon to secure a good deal – and keep an eye on any added extras. There are of course plenty of other hotels on Koh Lanta besides the five star hotels mentioned above – you can see all available Koh Lanta hotels during Christmas and New Year by doing a search on Agoda for your specific dates. If you are interested in booking a Koh Lanta villa, simply view the villas and send an email with your required dates to check on availability. Fast Speedboat Transfers to Koh Lanta can also be organised for you.

I think its very funny how he predicted Spain’s win over Germany and now the German Octopus maybe up for sale on eBay ( he’s not really on eBay news has just come in Paul is now Sushi – I bet he did not predict that). So we are a few days away from the final what will the Octopus predict? and who will follow his prediction and have a gamble on the game?

Koh Lanta have many Octopus on most dive sites and its a pleasure watching them move, change colours and hide in the crevices. Below is series of Photos taken at Koh Ha Yai by Tasza. She followed the Octopus for some time and I hope you agree she has got some incredible photo’s.

Koh Ha is regularly visited by Go Dives day boat where you can enjoy 2 dives a day or you can enjoy Koh Lanta’s only Liveaboard the MV. Flying Seahorse which does 2 day 1 night cruises or 7 day 6 night cruises which also take in the Similan Islands.

Thank you Tasza for letting us use your photo’s they are great!

The Villas are part of a small boutique development designed in traditional Balinese style. All created around wood, metal and glass, with water features, open floor plans, exterior courtyards, roof top salas, sunny patios and cool stucco surfaces all complimented by the exotic flavors of their tropical locales.

Outside Villa Itam with a spacious garden area

The Villa’s are also in a perfect location around 600 meters to the beautiful Khlong Khong Beach where you will find many beach bars and restaurants. Near the villa there is a cooking school and coffee shop and many more restaurants lining the road. A minutes walk you can find local 24 hour convenience stores and markets.

Our friends at Travelfish recently launched the first iPhone app about Koh Lanta. It’s the fifth of their excellent travel guide apps that basically puts all the info you need about a specific destination right on your iPhone without the need for a bulky guidebook.

The app is elegantly designed and thoughtfully laid out, so it’s easy to find exactly what you need and a pleasure to use. There’s info about Koh Lanta hotels and guesthouses, Koh Lanta beaches, restaurants and activities. There’s also some very slick interactive maps that shows you the location of all the hotels and other facilities that will help you navigate around the island. It’ll even show you where you are if you’re using the GPS functionality.

You can buy the the Travelfish Koh Lanta app direct from the Apple iTunes store.

You might also want to check out the Travelfish app for nearby Koh Phi Phi too – you can find it on iTunes by following the link.

If you only have 3 days to explore then planning ahead is your best option. That way you won’t miss out on any excursions giving you more time to relax and enjoy Koh Lanta.

A guide to 3 days fun on Koh Lanta:

Day 1:
After traveling you must be tired so why not use the first day to relax and go exploring the many Koh Lanta beaches. Hiring a motorbike is the best and cheapest way to get around but please be careful, the roads and Thai drivers are not so good. A restaurant for lunch with great views on to the many Islands on the East coast and delicious food is ViewPoint Restaurant. If your not confident on a motorbike or your with your family then you can enjoy a leisurely day excursion by car taking in Koh Lanta’s stunning scenery as you travel.

After a hard day in the sun why not relax and rejuvenate your skin with an Aloe Vera Massage at Serenity Massage and Spa which can be found in Saladan. Then head back down to one of the beaches where you can watch amazing sunsets and eating and drinking in one of the beach bars.

Enjoy a stroll on Kantiang Bay

Day 2:
After your fully chilled out and relaxed now its time to have some more fun. Koh Lanta offers some exciting one day tours by speedboat.

Koh Rok is a favorite snorkeling trip due to its emerald green water which normally exceeds 30 meters visibility. Just of the shore you will find beautiful soft corals and numerous different species of tropical fish. With a buffet lunch on one of the unspoilt and pristine beaches it creates an unforgettable memory.

Two of the most stunning and beautiful Islands in the Andaman Sea are the famous Islands of Koh Phi Phi. Maya Bay is a special place where they filmed the movie the Beach. Enjoy a buffet lunch on the soft sands at Lolana Bay. Then after head to Koh Phi Phi Don where you have time for a little shopping.

The 4 Island Speedboat tour you can enjoy snorkeling at Koh Cherk and Koh Ngai with pristine clear waters, shallow colorful reefs and various aquatic life. Have lunch on the white powdery beach at Koh Kraden. The highlight of the day is entering Emerald Cave at Koh Mook and enjoying the breathtaking scenery.

Day 3:
Many people just come to Koh Lanta for the great scuba diving. With calm seas, warm crystal clear waters and an amazing array of marine life you will have an experience of a life time. If you have been on a snorkeling trip and thought wow! You can also have a go.

If you have never tried before then doing a one day Discover Scuba Diving also known as a DSD is the best way. here you will be given tuition and be shown some skills to make the day safe for you. Then you will be allowed to do 2 dives. How ever this day is not a certification.

For those who can already dive then a one day dive trip is a great day out. You can choose from Koh Ha where you may experience the caves, Koh Bida to view the Leopard and Black Tip sharks or Hin Daeng and Hin Muang where if your lucky you may get the chance to swim with Manta Rays. All the site are dived in rotation. If your really into diiving then you can enjoy a three day dive package heading to all the best sites which also saves you money.

How about using your three days on Koh Lanta to learn to be an Open Water Scuba Diver. A lot of people dream about diving and Koh Lanta is an amazing place to learn. With a nice relaxed pace to the course and some incredible dive sites you will be pretty amazed. To learn to dive normally takes 3 days.

The only thing now to think about is where to stay and how to travel to Koh Lanta.
If I was heading to Koh Lanta for only three days I would like a bit of Luxury by the beach. Three hotels I would recommend are the Layana Resort and Spa, Rawi Warin Resort and Spa or the Pimalai Resort and Spa.

Layana Resort and Spa.

For those who are traveling and on a shoe string budget check out Kaw Kwang Beach Resort, Clean Beach Resort and Ocean View Resort. For a more detailed list of hotesl and resorts check out Koh Lanta Hotels.

If your heading to Koh Lanta from krabi airport, Ao Nang, Phuket beaches or Phuket airport he best way to give you more time to enjoy is by using the express transfer service. They can specialise in transferring large groups of guests especially weddings.

When you travel to Koh Lanta have a safe trip and I hope you enjoy all the best Koh Lanta has to offer. When you arrive the one thing you will realise is three days on Lanta is not enough!

Monks listen to the prayer on Koh Lanta

There are only 2 temples on Koh Lanta. One near the car ferry in Saladan and one found at Lanta Old Town on the east coats of Koh Lanta. The one near old town is where everyone goes. Last year there was around 100 monks who visited but this year it was nearly 200, maybe the word is getting out how beuatifull Koh Lanta is.

Monks only eat twice a day in the morning around 9am and 11am. I arrived early and listened to the chanting prayer. Anyone who has been to a temple and listened to this will understand it is moving experience. The monks then cued up heading to there food. As they where passing you place some rice into there bowls as a lucky offering. As ladies can not touch monks it was also my duty to remove all the rice quickly which I had dropped on the floor so the monks don’t walk on it.

The Monks on Koh Lanta queuing for food.

Monk on Koh Lanta

I was not able to give an offering to every monk as there was just to many. Don’t worry, you may think the first monks receive the bigger portions, when the monks come to the end of the line they put all the rice into very large pots and only take what they really need, then they help them selves to the ready made food and drinks waiting for them. After the monks have taken there food then everyone can eat the remaining food.

I went 3 times this year and it is a special ceremony not to be missed.

Layana Resort Koh Lanta

Traditionally Koh Lanta has its high season (which runs from November to April) and then the low season which runs from May to October. (This is also called Koh Lanta’s Green Season). During the low season the rains start to arrive – but it tends to be in short, sharp bursts of rain rather than pouring with rain all day, every day. (Those days do happen,but not that often). Understandably Koh Lanta hotels and other businesses on Koh Lanta are keen to get the word out that Koh Lanta is still great to visit during the low season – and even quieter too. One hotel, the widely acclaimed five-star Layana Resort on Koh Lanta’s Long Beach, has just launched its annual “Guaranteed Sunshine” promotion to encourage people to come and visit Lanta during the Green Season. So confident are Layana that the sun will shine most of the time during the low season that they offer a money-back policy if it rains heavily on any day of your stay!

Here’s the exact terms of the Guaranteed Sunshine deal: “Enjoy the sunshine on Koh Lanta. The “adults-only” Layana Resort & Spa is offering a refund for each full day of rain. If it rains continuously between 10.00am and 5.00pm the resort will pay back THB 1,000 per room per day. The promotion is valid for all guests staying at the resort from 1 May 2010 until 20 December 2010. The credit must be spent in the resort during the stay and will not be redeemed for cash. The management will notify the guests every day at 5.00pm if the day has qualified for the credit refund.”

Layana has received rave reviews from previous guests for its level of service and beautiful rooms and pool side layout, along with its spa services and location directly on Long Beach – see the customer comments on Layana here – it’s a hotel that prides itself on being a real retreat for its guests where everything is taken care of. You can book Layana resort online and receive instant confirmation of availability.

If you need information about the best way to get to Koh Lanta during the low season, please see our page on Koh Lanta transfers between May and October.

So today the 1st of May is the official start of the Green season and not surprisingly it’s been a super hot day! Luckily it does not rain everyday for 6 months, it rained for 30 minutes today and dried up very quickly so a lot of the days are never wasted, you may still enjoy the sunshine and enjoy many activities.

The biggest noticeable effect with the winds coming from the west is the seas can be pretty rough and some of the ferry transfers stop operating. Don’t be alarmed tho as Koh Lanta is connected all year round to the mainland with two short car ferry crossings learn more about transfers from May till October. Also some one day tours do not operate due to the changeable weather.

Some people tho prefer to visit Koh Lanta in the Green Season. Despite the risk of a few showers, Koh Lanta is cooler, cheaper and much less crowded. For more information please check out our page on Why travel to Koh Lanta in the Green Season.

The winds change direction in these months creating unpredictable large waves. Some days the ferry’s or speedboat operation’s can not operate due to the weather and the sea. Obviously Safety comes first.

Also with less tourism in these months some of the ferry’s between Koh Lanta and Phuket, Koh Phi Phi and Krabi will not operate. Some times when you arrive at the ferry terminal the boat may be cancelled beacuse they don’t have enough guests.

The best solution when planning ahead is to book a luxury minivan. These are stress free and will pick you up from many destiantions and hotels like Krabi Airport, Ao Nang, Krabi Town and Phuket and take you directly to your resort on Koh Lanta. No messing around with cancelled trips and wasting time trying to organise something last minute.

If you are travelling between October and April check out our page on Express Transfers. These use a combination of minivan and speedboat and cut out any waiting time on the car ferry’s. When you arrive you will have more time to enjoy your vacation whilst feeling not as tired from the travel.