Half-day mangrove kayaking with lunch
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Paddle the mangroves on the east side of the island. A half day, so it fits around a beach afternoon.
from $24.11
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Lanta Old Town
Lunch on a pier among century-old stilt houses
Lanta Old Town, or Ban Si Raya, is the island's original port, halfway down the east coast. Arab and Chinese traders called here between Phuket, Penang and Singapore.
Lanta Old Town tours
See Old Town without a scooter, then cook Thai food or paddle the mangroves.
Tuk-tuk tour of Old Town, batik and mangroves
Old Town, a batik workshop and the mangroves in one ride, without renting a scooter.
from $23.81
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Evening class at Lanta Thai Cookery School
Cook a Thai dinner and eat it. Good for a rainy or rest day.
from $60.23
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Saturday or any day
- Saturday afternoon, November to April: the main street becomes the Walking Street, with food stalls, music and Thai dancing.
- Other days: a quiet waterfront with pier restaurants. An easy stop on the way to the national park.
What you’ll see
Wooden houses about a century old stand over the water on stilts, and several are now guesthouses (Lonely Planet). On the landward side is the Chinese shrine in the photo above. The east coast faces the mainland, so come for lunch or the market and go back to the west coast for sunset.
How far from your beach
| Staying on… | To Old Town pier |
|---|---|
| Kantiang Bay | 4.9 km |
| Klong Nin | 5.5 km |
| Bamboo Bay | 6.0 km |
| Klong Khong | 8.4 km |
| Long Beach | 10.8 km |
| Klong Dao | 13.6 km |
Straight lines on OpenStreetMap (source), checked 21 Oct 2026. Road distances are longer.
Questions about Koh Lanta
When is the Lanta Old Town night market?
The Walking Street runs every Saturday afternoon from November to April, with food stalls, music and Thai dancing, according to Lonely Planet (read 21 Oct 2026). Lonely Planet gives no start time.
How far is Lanta Old Town from the beaches?
In a straight line, 4.9 km from Kantiang Bay, 5.5 km from Klong Nin and 13.6 km from Klong Dao (OpenStreetMap, measured 21 Oct 2026). The road across the island is longer.
What is Ban Si Raya?
The Thai name for Lanta Old Town. It was the island's original port, used by Arab and Chinese trading boats sailing between Phuket, Penang and Singapore (Lonely Planet).
How far is Lanta Old Town from Saladan Pier?
14.3 km in a straight line from Saladan Pier to Koh Lanta Pier in Old Town (OpenStreetMap, measured 21 Oct 2026). The road is longer.
Can you stay in Lanta Old Town?
Yes. Several of the century-old wooden stilt houses are now guesthouses, according to Lonely Planet.
