Twin Lotus Resort & Spa Koh Lanta – My Secret Hideaway in Thailand

We have been searching for a four-day hideaway – a memorable island getaway with quick access to Bangkok to sit back. We had heard a lot about this pretty little island however had by no means visited. This was about to vary!

Koh Lanta is situated in the island district in Krabi Province on Thailand’s Andaman coast. It’s identified for its glorious seashores and National Park.

We booked the Twin Lotus Resort & Spa, which got here extremely beneficial and had steadily been making a reputation for itself and gaining excessive marks. We weren’t dissatisfied.

We flew from Bangkok with Thai Smile, an airline I’m more and more happy with as a result of they use wide-body A320 jets.  Owned by Thai International, it’s the low-cost arm of the nationwide airline, and the service and amenities are glorious. The different important benefit is that they fly by way of Suvarnabhumi airport.

Whilst all areas in Thailand are actually open for all vacationers and are free to journey all through the nation. Masks are elective, nevertheless, in crowded venues. While flying, there may be nonetheless a mask-wearing mandate that everyone follows.

We set off to the airport, desirous to resume travelling. Flying time is a bit over one hour from Bangkok to KRABI.

It felt as if the flight was over nearly as quickly because it started, so this was a snug introduction to southern Thailand.

On arrival in Krabi, we rapidly recovered our baggage. We have been met by English-speaking ‘Noon’, one of many lodge drivers from the Twin Lotus Resort and we transferred by way of highway to the lodge, a journey of roughly 1.5 hours, together with a cease at a service space.

The automobile was a clear 4×4, and Noon was glorious. The journey was made extra attention-grabbing with the brief 10-minute ferry crossing from the mainland onto the island.

Once we disembarked from the automobile ferry at Koh Lanta Noi, we headed for Koh Lanta Yai (Noi means small, Yai means giant). We drove 20 minutes to the resort, crossing the bridge that hyperlinks the small island to the bigger. The bigger island, Koh Lanta Yai, is known as simply Koh Lanta, because it’s the district’s main vacationer vacation spot and is house to the most important inhabitants.

Koh Lanta is exclusive as a result of it combines southern Thai hospitality with the utopian island environment typical of Asia. Koh Lanta additionally has a wealthy tradition as a consequence of receiving many immigrants, such because the Chinese, Muslims and even sea gypsies.

As Koh Lanta is definitely accessible, exploring is nice enjoyable; we loved discovering new locations, abandoned seashores, scrumptious meals, honest costs and genuine rustic locations. There is far to see, and the island covers 340 km² (sq km) of land.

The 76-room Twin Lotus Resort & Spa is an adult-only property, a 4.5-star resort. Our villa was a brief step from the seashore.

The resort sits in a pleasant bay on the island’s northern aspect. We have been met by the lodge normal supervisor Khun Biggs together with his broad smile and pleasant character. We have been rapidly offered with a welcoming chilly towel and a refreshing cool Thai natural drink by the front-of-house workforce. We have been then escorted to our beachfront villa in one of many lodge’s quite a few golf carts.


The property with its personal driveway is a quiet, comfy retreat. Well manicured and maintained, the resort is a haven of tranquillity and calm. Nature is throughout, and the air is clear and pure—an amazing respite from metropolis life.

Just 10-minutes away is the Sala Dan Pier, a busy port space and a magnet for nightlife. This is the place the high-speed ferries arrive and depart. Ferries from Phi Phi, Koh Lipe, or non-public boat will come into Sala Dan Pier. We visited in the course of the daytime, so it was fairly quiet. Typically it’s a hive of exercise; nevertheless, post-Covid, it was nonetheless a bit quiet. With many giant boats moored for excursions and transfers, the world is a mini Fisherman’s Wharf. A contemporary jetty with seafood eating places, bars and eateries, in addition to quite a lot of small retailers for souvenirs and trinkets.


Rooms on the Twin Lotus Resort & Spa are tastefully furnished with luxurious interiors. Each room has a flat-screen cable TV, a minibar and a protected. An electrical kettle and a hairdryer are supplied. All rooms are en suite, with air-conditioning and free WiFi. Rooms have non-public balconies.

The beach-side infinity pool is superb, and the resort additionally has a health centre and a tour desk the place company can guide sightseeing journeys.

You may also strive a soothing therapeutic massage and a variety of therapies on the spa or simply lounge by the swimming pool.

We beloved the meals on the resort. We ate all our meals right here, on the beachside restaurant and bar. The views are excellent, and the service workforce is achieved and world-class.

The restaurant specialises in Thai delicacies, the freshest seafood and a sensible choice of scrumptious western favourites. The chef was very accommodating, and she or he was fairly merely excellent!

The villa is beautiful, situated on the seashore. Self-contained with a gorgeous giant out of doors patio with day beds and loungers. The villa balcony overlooks the bay and is simply steps from the water’s edge. For shade and greenery, the resort has planted many bushes, together with tall pines, which have essentially the most stunning aroma, notably in the early morning and early night.

The villa is extraordinarily comfy and has every little thing you require for a gorgeous beachside vacation. The eco-friendly inside design is traditional and cozy. The loos are extremely spacious, and the walk-in bathe is palatial.

We notably appreciated the gorgeous views from the floor-to-ceiling home windows that cowl two sides of the room, permitting gentle to stream in with netting and curtains that silently slid into place for privateness and sleep time.

We couldn’t wait to discover – in order quickly as we had partly unpacked, we went for a stroll alongside the seashore, previous the lodge’s horizonless pool and the seashore bar – we have been impressed already.

We took the chance to go to Lanta Batik, which is on the northern tip of the small island and is run by a really dynamic household headed up by the terribly gifted Mr Saichon Langu.

His creations are extremely creative and a lot in order that we bought three items of batik for use for Christmas presents for household and pals. We paid lower than Baht 400 (US$11) every.

After visiting the boutique store, we drove a couple of kilometre additional down the highway to show off to a protracted driveway to Tae Laeng, an indication in English learn ‘Ancient House’.

Built by Chinese settlers in 1953, it has a gorgeous view overlooking the water. The home and grounds are not occupied; nevertheless, the colonial-style property is principally untouched and harks again to a bygone period. In the nook of the grounds is a small household cemetery plot which continues to be tended and visited with proof of flowers and choices to the revered ancestors.

We additionally noticed the deserted agricultural gear that was utilized by the household once they have been dwelling right here, together with a really rusty however largely intact tractor which was used to drag the boats out of the water.

A go to to Koh Lanta wouldn’t be full with out visiting the Mu Ko Lanta National Park Centre on the southern tip of the big island. Many go to the lighthouse on the hill and revel in views of the shoreline and the Andaman Sea. This space of Koh Lanta is a part of the National Park, which covers a number of islands, together with Koh Lanta Noi and Koh Lanta Yai. The nationwide park headquarters and guests centre is situated right here at Laem Tanod, the place you’ll additionally discover climbing trails, scenic bays and monkeys.

We glided by automobile with the ever-present Noon driving as our unofficial information. The journey from the Twin Lotus is 26km and takes roughly 50 minutes. It was an unimaginable drive alongside the coastal highway by way of small villages and thrilling pockets of eclectic rural life. We weren’t in a rush, and we frequently stopped to take pictures and stroll round. For me, it was a wonderful snapshot of island life. It was evident that the islanders have civic delight in their environment. We noticed nearly no litter, and the roads have been properly constructed and maintained.

On arrival on the nationwide park centre, You first see the lighthouse and the botanical backyard and the picturesque bay. You can then stroll across the grounds among the many towering palm bushes and campsite.

This sprawling 134 sq. km park is stuffed with caves, viewpoints, and plentiful pure wildlife. According to the National Park’s literature, over 130 species of birds may be discovered in the character reserve.

This a part of Koh Lanta, relying on climate circumstances, can also be a wonderful place for snorkelling and scuba diving with its clear water and coral reefs.

We visited the previous city on our return journey as we drove north after which east. On arrival, I used to be reminded of Penang and George Town’s colonial-style buildings and heavy Chinese influences.

Lanta Old Town, situated on Koh Lanta’s East coast, was as soon as the island’s fundamental port for commerce. Now Lanta Old Town is a captivating place to go to, particularly strolling avenue the place many buildings have retained their authentic picket options, which feel and appear prefer it’s stood nonetheless for 60 years.

You can keep in Lanta Old Town, however few individuals select to as a result of it’s situated on the island’s east coast, which has no seashores. All the seashores on Koh Lanta are on the west coast of Koh Lanta Yai.

Lanta Old Town acted because the port and

industrial centre for the island, it has a submit workplace, police station, Buddhist temples in addition to the island’s hospital.

The lengthy pier and port supplied a protected harbour for Arabic and Chinese buying and selling vessels crusing between the bigger ports of Phuket, Penang and Singapore.

The procuring and strolling streets right here have been very properly preserved. The space is pristinely clear, and I’d advocate a go to for sightseeing or procuring in case you are visiting Koh Lanta.