Getting to Koh Lanta

The usual route is a minivan transfer from Krabi airport to Ko Lanta, which runs all year and includes a short vehicle-ferry crossing to reach the island. In high season you can also travel by boat: transfer from the airport to Klong Jilad Pier in Krabi Town and take a passenger ferry to Saladan Pier. The land transfer is the dependable option because it keeps running through the monsoon when the sea boats stop.

A ferry is slower but more comfortable: more room, deck seating, easier with luggage, and much kinder if you are prone to seasickness. A speedboat is quicker but cramped, and it slams hard in any swell. If you are travelling with big bags, small children, or a weak stomach, take the ferry. If the sea is calm and you want the shortest crossing, take the speedboat. In the low season the speedboats are often suspended anyway.

In the dry season there are direct boat services connecting the Ao Nang and Krabi area with Saladan Pier on Ko Lanta, and some routes call at Koh Jum on the way. These are seasonal, and which operator runs which route changes from season to season, so check the current sailing directly with the operator rather than assuming last year's timetable still stands.

There is no single best operator: which company serves you depends on the route you are taking and the time of year, and several run to Saladan. Rather than pick for you, this page collects star ratings and written reviews from travellers who have actually made the crossing, so you can see what other people experienced on each operator before you book.

There is no through bus onto the island, but the overland route is effectively a bus-and-boat combination: a minivan or coach from the Krabi mainland, then a short vehicle-ferry crossing to Ko Lanta. This is the route that stays open all year, including through the monsoon when the passenger boats and speedboats are reduced or suspended.

From Krabi Town the fastest boats reach Saladan Pier in about an hour and ten minutes. From Ko Phi Phi a speedboat takes roughly 45 minutes and a larger ferry about an hour and a half. The overland minivan route from the Krabi mainland takes longer because of the vehicle-ferry crossing. All of these are typical high-season times and depend on sea conditions, so confirm with your operator.

The fast boats are seasonal. Speedboats and high-speed ferries from Phuket, Phi Phi and Ko Lipe generally run only from about November to April, when the Andaman seas are calm. In the low season there are fewer boats and some routes pause altogether. The island never becomes unreachable though: the land route, a minivan plus the short vehicle-ferry crossing from the Krabi mainland, stays open all year.