Probably, everyone went to Koh Lan during their holidays in Pattaya. We will tell you why the island is so popular, how to get to Koh Lana, about the beaches, hotels and attractions of the island. Why do so many tourists from China take to Koh Lan?
Pros of a holiday on Koh Lana
Translated from Thai Ko Lan means "island of millions" or "million islands". There are several smaller islands around the main island. Most of them are uninhabited.
Tourists go to Koh Lan for a beach holiday. The ecology of the beaches in the sprawling Pattaya leaves much to be desired, and on Ko Lana the coast is covered with white coral sand, and the sea water is very clean.
The pluses include the trip to the island itself. With a heat of + 33 ° C, it is pleasant to spend 40 minutes on the wind-blown deck of the ferry. On Koh Lana there is an internet, a 7-eleven store, small shops, cafes, restaurants and hotels for those who want to stay for a few days. A real tropical paradise just 8 km from Pattaya!
How to get to Koh Lan from Pattaya
We went to the island by ferries and speed boats, and we want to say that both options are convenient in their own way. The ferry from Pattaya to Koh Lan departs from Bali Hai Pier, which is located in the southern part of the resort's main bay.
City songteos do not go to the pier itself - you need to get off on Beach Road and walk along Walking Street to the pier. If you are getting from Jomtien, get off at the intersection with Third Street and walk 600-800 m to the pier.
Along the way, you will meet Thais who will offer to get to Koh Lan by speedboat. We will talk about this variant of the path below.
Double-deck boats await passengers at the end of the concrete pier. The ferry schedule from Pattaya to Koh Lan hangs right there. The first flight from Pattaya is at 7:00 and the last is at 18:30. In the opposite direction, boats run from 6:30 to 18:00 at intervals of 1.5-2 hours. Don't be late for the last ferry! One way trip takes 40-50 minutes, and the journey costs only 30 baht.
The schedule is never exactly followed. When one ferry is filled with tourists, it sets off, and those who are waiting at the pier are allowed to board another boat. Passengers are dropped off at the main pier of Ko Lana - Na Baan or on the opposite side of the island - at the pier of Tawaen Beach.
There are companies that take tourists on the same wooden boats for 150-400 baht to Koh Lan and back. They are ready to drop you off at any of the selected beaches. From the ferry to the coast, you will get by boat.
Near Pattaya, the sea water is still dirty, but as you move away from the coast, it becomes cleaner and cleaner. Nice breeze, engine noise. Well, unless there are too many people around ...
If you want to get there without a crowd and faster - in 15-20 minutes, take a speedboat. The advantage is not only in time. You will not have to wait long for the departure.
Speedboats from Pattaya to Koh Lan run one after another, and not only from the Bali Hai pier. Tourists are driven from the beaches of Jomtien and from Central Beach, which runs along Beach Road. The road with a breeze costs 2000-3000 baht per boat, that is, 200-300 baht per person.
How to find your way around the island
Most ferries arrive at the central pier, which is located on the east coast of the island. Near Na Baan Pier there is a 7-eleven store, restaurants, shops and hotels. Prices are slightly higher than in Pattaya. We advise you to buy fruit, water and a snack here - everything is more expensive on the beaches.
Na Baan is the port of the island. To the beaches you need to go to songteo. The stop is located 150 m south of the 7-eleven store. It is impossible to miss it. There is a map of the beaches near the stop. Tell the driver the name and for 40-50 baht he will take you to the place.
Some of the ferries go around Koh Lan from the north and drop off tourists on the west coast - near the large Tawaen beach. This path is a little longer than usual - 45-50 minutes.
The beaches of Koh Lan island
The beaches on Koh Lana are much better than in Pattaya. The most popular are on the west bank. The sea is much cleaner here than on the Pattaya side. There are seven beaches with infrastructure. In addition to them, there are small bays on the island, which are popular with lovers of secluded relaxation.
The most important beach of Koh Lana - Tavaen... Due to the fact that many tourists from China are brought to Hat Ta Waen, the beach is called Chinese. There are many people on it at any time of the year. There are shops, eateries, cafes and songteos ready to take you to any part of the island.
Some tourists don't like the crowds in Tawaen, but we love this beach. The water here is clean. There are many shallow waters for families with children. The Chinese are interesting to watch. They sincerely enjoy the sea. They often go into the water in groups, hold hands and begin to sing songs. When it comes to noise, tourists of different nationalities make the same noise on the beaches.
The bottom near Tavaen is carefully cleaned, so sea urchins live only on stilts near the pier. Once we saw how needle-like fish - garfish jump out of the water. To be honest, we got scared, decided that someone was hunting for a trifle, and hurried out of the water.
On a nearby beach Tonglang fewer tourists. Hat Thong Lang is a good beach, but the entrance to the water is not so shallow, and there are sharp rocks near the shore.
Small beach Tai Yai it stretches for only 100 m. The water is clean, but there are often waves here. Hat Ta Yai is used for swimming, sunbathing and fishing.
Naul, or Monkey Beach, located on the Pattaya side of the island and has a length of 300 m. As the name implies, monkeys live near the coast. Protect your cameras, glasses and other valuables from them. Little thieves are always on the alert!
Beach Same, in our opinion, one of the best on Koh Lana. Hat Samae can be reached by songthaew from the main pier and from the pier near Tawaen Beach. There is a good entrance to the water here. There are sun loungers, umbrellas, toilets, showers, hotels, but there are a lot of people during the season.
Beach Thien smaller than Same, but has everything you need for a comfortable stay. We may have been unlucky, but during our stay at Hat Thien there was rubbish on the beach.
Small beach Sang Wang located south of Tawaen Beach. Hat Sang Wan is easily accessible and pleasant to relax in.
Renting a pair of sun loungers and parasols on any of Koh Lana's beaches costs 50-100 baht.
Map of Koh Lana and Pattaya beaches
Entertainment and attractions
Man does not live on beaches alone! How to have fun on Ko Lana? Tourists ride jet skis and bananas. Kayaking and parasailing are popular. The island offers snorkelling and diving activities. There are diving boats and equipment rental. There is a good shooting range in the village of Na Baan. The pleasure of shooting from an army gun costs 400 baht.
Lovers of walking go up to the observation decks. At a height of 200 m on the Khao Nom hill, a good view of Pattaya hotels, the rugged coast of Ko Lana and small islands in the Gulf of Thailand opens up.
If you want to travel around the island, rent a bike. Tourists with little driving experience may have problems. The roads are winding with sharp turns. We twice saw how unfortunate drivers and passengers fell from bikes out of the blue. It's good that everything went without injuries!
Vacationers who come to the Bali Hai pier are surprised why so many Chinese go to Koh Lan? Why do the inhabitants of the Middle Kingdom love to travel to the island in the evening?
These are pilgrimage tours. The goal of the Chinese is not the beaches, but the Buddhist shrines of Koh Lan. From Tawaen Beach, they climb to the statues of the Black and Golden Buddha. The Chinese visit the Buddhist Temple of New Joy - Maysamran to leave offerings near the Buddha statue and light incense sticks.
Buddha statue on Koh Lana
Hotels on Koh Lana
It is necessary to leave back home from Koh Lana no later than 17:00. If you miss the last ferry, you will have to travel to the mainland on an expensive speedboat or stay overnight in one of the island's hotels.
A double room in the most expensive hotel Sealey Resort 4 * costs from 3700 baht. An overnight stay in 3 * hotels will cost 2000-2500 baht. Most vacationers prefer cheap hotels.For 900-1300 baht, you can easily find a clean room with air conditioning and breakfast. Cheaper hotels are located off the road.
RoomGuru - hotels on the island of Koh Lan.
Conclusion - is it worth going to Koh Lan
Lan Island is the best place in Pattaya. We realized this a long time ago - ten years ago. A lot of time has passed since then. Pattaya has become more noisy and ... dirtier, and Ko Lan is thriving. He acquires new sanctuaries, builds hotels and receives boats with tourists all year round.
