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

We have been on the lookout 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 alter!

Koh Lanta is positioned in the island district in Krabi Province on Thailand’s Andaman coast. It’s recognized for its wonderful 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 upset.

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 wonderful. The different vital benefit is that they fly through Suvarnabhumi airport.

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

We set off to the airport, desperate to resume travelling. Flying time is a little 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 shortly recovered our baggage. We have been met by English-speaking ‘Noon’, one of many lodge drivers from the Twin Lotus Resort and we transferred through street to the lodge, a journey of roughly 1.5 hours, together with a cease at a service space.

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

Once we disembarked from the automotive ferry at Koh Lanta Noi, we headed for Koh Lanta Yai (Noi means small, Yai means massive). 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 dwelling to the biggest inhabitants.

Koh Lanta is exclusive as a result of it combines southern Thai hospitality with the utopian island ambiance typical of Asia. Koh Lanta additionally has a wealthy tradition on account 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, truthful 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 common supervisor Khun Biggs along with his broad smile and pleasant character. We have been shortly offered with a welcoming chilly towel and a refreshing cool Thai natural drink by the front-of-house staff. 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, snug 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 awesome 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 personal boat will come into Sala Dan Pier. We visited through the daytime, so it was fairly quiet. Typically it’s a hive of exercise; nonetheless, post-Covid, it was nonetheless a little bit quiet. With many massive boats moored for excursions and transfers, the realm is a mini Fisherman’s Wharf. A contemporary jetty with seafood eating places, bars and eateries, in addition to a wide range 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 offered. All rooms are en suite, with air-conditioning and free WiFi. Rooms have personal balconies.

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

You can even attempt a soothing therapeutic massage and a variety of remedies on the spa or simply lounge by the swimming pool.

We cherished 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 staff 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, positioned on the seashore. Self-contained with a lovely massive outside 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 timber, together with tall pines, which have essentially the most lovely aroma, significantly in the early morning and early night.

The villa is extraordinarily snug and has every part you require for a lovely beachside vacation. The eco-friendly inside design is basic and comfy. The loos are extremely spacious, and the walk-in bathe is palatial.

We significantly favored the gorgeous views from the floor-to-ceiling home windows that cowl two sides of the room, permitting mild 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 proficient 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 associates. We paid lower than Baht 400 (US$11) every.

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

Built by Chinese settlers in 1953, it has a lovely view overlooking the water. The home and grounds are not occupied; nonetheless, 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 remains to be tended and visited with proof of flowers and choices to the revered ancestors.

We additionally noticed the deserted agricultural tools 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 tug 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 luxuriate 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 positioned right here at Laem Tanod, the place you’ll additionally discover mountaineering trails, scenic bays and monkeys.

We glided by automotive 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 street by small villages and thrilling pockets of eclectic rural life. We weren't in a rush, and we regularly 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 effectively 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 timber and campsite.

This sprawling 134 sq. km park is stuffed with caves, viewpoints, and considerable pure wildlife. According to the National Park’s literature, over 130 species of birds will 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 outdated 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, positioned on Koh Lanta's East coast, was as soon as the island's most important port for commerce. Now Lanta Old Town is an enthralling place to go to, particularly strolling avenue the place many buildings have retained their authentic picket options, which feel and look 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 positioned 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 publish workplace, police station, Buddhist temples in addition to the island's hospital.

The lengthy pier and port offered 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 effectively preserved. The space is pristinely clear, and I might suggest a go to for sightseeing or procuring if you're visiting Koh Lanta.