I’ve spent a good amount of time on a scooter in Thailand, even overstaying my visa once because I couldn’t peel myself away from the white sandy beaches and crystal clear waters of Koh Samui, Koh Tao, and Koh Pha Ngan in the south, or from the temples and elephant sanctuaries in the north. But my favorite place to scooter around has been the island just off the coast of Krabi - Koh Lanta Yai. Here's my Koh Lanta Scooter Guide.

The Koh Lanta archipelago is made up of 2 islands - Koh Lanta Yai, where 10,000 people call home, and Koh Lanta Noi to the north, a less inhabited island. It has a majority Muslim population and you can see mosques peppered throughout the island. In 2015, a bridge connecting the two islands was completed, signaling future development.

But as I write this, Koh Lanta is still considered an off the beaten track spot to cruise on your scooter with minimal tourist vibes compared to the rest of the popular tourist country.

Go During Off-Season

I had some time off in August while working in Korea and looked into heading back to Thailand for some beach relaxation. Everything I read said it rains a lot during that time, that a lot of businesses are closed and it’s pretty dead. Never one to follow convention or let a possible but not definite factor dissuade me, I made plans with a friend off I went. And I’m fucking glad I did.

Maybe we were there during a fluke non-rainy week during rainy season, but it was beautiful the whole time: sunny, warm, with some welcomed cloud cover every now and then. I think it rained a total of 2 hours. And warm rain is the best kind of rain, especially when it’s just you and your bud sipping on a Chang, smoking a joint at an empty beachfront bar. It just adds to the magic.

During off-season, the resorts are cheap and almost uninhabited. We had a beach front villa for 1/3 the peak season price. We had the swimming pool to ourselves and ran around like we owned the place.

The only downside to being there during off-season was that the bars weren’t selling magic mushroom drinks, some restaurants were closed and there were limited boat excursion opportunities. But the positives overwhelmingly outweighed the negatives. I’ll take the threat of rain, the absence of crowds and cheap, luxurious accommodations over full-on island tourist vibes any day.

Scootering Koh Lanta

Even more so than other Thai islands (which is saying a lot), Koh Lanta is ideal for renting a scooter and just fucking cruising. The island is 25 km (16 mi) long and 6 km (3.7 mi) wide, with an area of 81 sq km (31 sq mi). With this Koh Lanta Scooter guide, you can easily ride around the whole island in a day, stopping here and there.

Rent a scooter for $5/day and fill up at traditional gas stations or stands on the side of the road selling gas from glass bottles (my first time in Thailand I thought they were selling whisky!) The roads are relatively well maintained, though you’ll definitely run into pot holes, lose gravel and constriction zones.

Check out this cool bikers map to find gas stations, the best roads, and spots to get medical care if you go too fast over one of those potholes.

My Koh Lanta Scooter Guide

This guide is split by region, though can easily be combined or swapped. Get an early start to get the most out of the locales (it’s quite possible you’ll be the only person there) and double back to hit the restaurants and bars.

Route note: the roads don’t make a full loop around the island. In the south, you’ll eventually dead end and have to come back up to cut over to the other side of the island. No biggie, just so you know.

The North(ish)west: Beaches, Food, Drink, Joints & Mushroom Shakes

Most of the west coast of Koh Lanta is filled with beaches, bars and cafes, with most clustered in the northern part. The beaches and most of the bars and restaurants aren’t right off the road. You’ll see signs pointing down dirt paths that lead you to different pieces of paradise. Pull over and explore at your heart’s content. Here are a few of my favorite stop-offs, from north to south.

Serenity Massage and Spa in Saladan

Saladan is the main area of the island and where the pier is located. It’s full of shops, restaurants and massage parlors. The Saladan Market runs during peak season. But the only reason we made our way to this part of town was for daily relaxing massages at Serenity Massage and Spa. Yes, daily.

For less than $20 you can get a 90 minute oil massage, perfect after a day of scootering, after a day lounging at the beach, or after a day of pretty much anything.

After the massage, in your most relaxed state, they escort you to the back area, a peaceful stilt patio on the river, with a view of neighboring Koh Lanta Noi. Then you’re presented with fresh fruit - watermelon, dragon fruit, pineapple -and some kind of magical relaxing tea. We stayed for an hour one day, just enjoying each other’s company, relaxing, taking it all in.

Kaw Kwang Seafood

A little west of Saladan, after a nice ride along the water, Kaw Kwang Seafood is the perfect spot for a bite to eat or a drink after the massage while taking in another incredible ocean view.

Reggae Bar at Crown Lanta Resort

Keep going along the coast out to a little peninsula on the west and you’ll come across Reggae Bar at the Crown Lanta Resort. Good for watching the sunset and sipping on a cocktail.

Long Beach

Heading a little further south is Long Beach, the biggest and most popular beach on Koh Lanta. A lot of hostels and hotels are here. We didn’t spend much time here, but worth heading off the main road and scoping out.

Patty’s Secret Garden

I had the best curry of my life here- Massaman Curry - I’d never heard of it before and it blew my mind. My partner’s dish was equally delicious. Highly recommended. I heard they have a good breakfast too.

Lanta Secret Beach

Keep heading south and pull off to Lanta Secret Beach. This strip of sand is pretty undeveloped except for one beach bar. A perfect spot for relaxation after stuffing your belly with delicious curries from Patty’s Secret Garden.

Mushroom Bar

While it was closed during off-season, we explored the grounds of Mushroom Bar and it looked like a hopping spot when open for business. At Mushroom Bar you can buy those magic mushroom shakes and some weed to add a special twist to your Koh Lanta experience.

Freedom Bar at Klong Khong Beach

While Mushroom Bar was closed, we found Freedom Bar, which served the same purpose for our trip, minus the magic mushroom shake unfortunately. We came here everyday, sometime twice, for a joint and a beer. They’re food is also pretty good.

We posted up for hours at our beachfront table with unimpeded views of the Andaman coast. We enjoyed some fried bananas and pineapple while sipping on a Chang and puffin a joint mesmerized by the sunset. We were the only ones there most of the time.

Come here at night for a pretty cool fire show. Since we were there so often that week, we were pulled up to participate in the show!

Nui Beach

A small, pretty isolated, undeveloped piece of beach. Nothing around, a good change from the northern beaches that has cafes and restaurants lining the beach. Bring some food, drinks, a towel and spend an afternoon there.

The Southwest: Waterfall, Monkeys, National Park, & More Beaches, Food and Drinks

Riding the route in the southwest, its more than likely you’ll see monkeys on the side of the road. This route starts on the very southern tip of Koh Lanta and follows the road up north.

Mu Ko Lanta National Park

Down at the very southern tip of Ko Lanta is a not so known, beautiful stretch of coastline with monkey-filled trees and a rocky peninsula with a lighthouse perched atop. It encompasses 16 islands, most of which are visitor friendly, unpopulated and one of a kind.