Ko Lan
Ko Lan (or Ko Laan or Ko Larn, or Coral Island) is an island 7.5 km west of Pattaya. It covers an area of 5.6 sq. km and has six popular beaches with a decided "day-trip" flavour.
Get in
[edit]
| From Pattaya | From Ko Lan |
|---|---|
| 07:00 | 06:30 |
| 10:00 | 07:30 |
| 12:00 | 09:30 |
| 14:00 | 12:00 |
| 15:30 | 14:00 |
| 17:00 | 17:00 |
| 18:30 | 18:00 |
Regular ferries from Pattaya#Bali Hai Pier in Pattaya cost 30 baht per person and take about half an hour. Some go to 1 Na Baan pier on the Pattaya side of the island; others go to 2 Tawaen Beach pier on the far side of the island.
Be careful to not be late for the last ferry back if you visit the island as a day trip. Also there can a case that last ferry from Ko Lan which departs at 6 pm will be full and all the people who want to return back to Pattaya wouldn't get a place there before 6 pm - then there will actually be another boat 10 minutes later which will still take everybody to Pattaya, so you won't left stranded on the island if you will be there on time, so there no need to spend a night there.
But also you can take a speedboat for 150/200 baht which will take 15 minutes to make a trip, or alternatively you can charter a speedboat just about anywhere along the main beaches, typically for 1,500-2,500 baht.
Or you can book a day trip via an agency. Expect to pay 500-600 baht for minibus collection from your hotel around 09:00, a boat from Bali Hai Pier direct to one of the main beaches (taking about an hour), lunch, soft drinks, return trip around 16:00, and mini-bus back to your hotel.
Get around
[edit]
- Songthaews (something like mini-buses with the open entrance at the back) connect all main beaches with Na Baan pier, ride costs 20-30 baht per person.
- Motorbike taxi are abundant near Na Baan pier, and much less but still possible to find at other spots around the island.
There are several shops/agencies offering motorbike rental, the standard price is 300 baht per day, which can be potentially bargained down to 200 baht.
See
[edit]
Naul Beach on the south end of the island is sometimes visited by monkeys from a nearby hillside. Arriving at Samae Beach you'll see the large solar array building and wind farm that generate energy for the island.
Do
[edit]- 1 Shooting range, Just north of Naban Pier. Daily, 07:30-17:00. 400+ baht for six rounds with a handgun.
- Mountain biking. There is a 4.2 km loop through the hills in the island's centre. Unfortunately, there are no bikes for hire on Ko Lan, you must bring your own on the ferry (for an additional 30 baht).
Beaches
[edit]Ko Laan has six popular beaches with a decided "day-trip" flavour, offering banana boat rides, jet-skiing, para-sailing, and the like. Also available from and around Ko Laan are various underwater activities such as scuba diving, snorkelling, seabed walking, and submarine rides.
Buy
[edit]
Eat
[edit]Numerous beach-side eateries have typical Thai menus. Try to gauge the hygienic standard of any given restaurant prior to deciding on a place to eat. More upscale and nice-looking restaurants tend to be near Na Baan pier.
- 1 Pookai Cafe & Restaurant (just off the Na Baan Pier). Very good Thai cuisine and a good choice of dessert.
- 2 Matata Bay Cafe, Bang Lamung District, Chon Buri 20150, ☏ +66 83 076 77 66, +66 95 162 95 36. daily 09:00–20:00. Nice cafe at the seashore north of Na Baan on the way to Ta Yai Beach. It has some seats directly at the beach as well.
- 3 Local Cafe, เกาะล้าน Bang Lamung District, Chon Buri 20150, ☏ +66 90 888 18 96. Little Cafe outside Na Baan on the road to the Samae Beach. Nice view over the island and to Pattaya.
Drink
[edit]
- 1 Klom Klom Kohlarn, WQFM+J26, Unnamed Road, Bang Lamung District, Chon Buri 20150. daily 13:30–1:00. Nice little music bar on the road to Tawaen Beach with a lot of decortion on the tables and at the walls.
Sleep
[edit]There are many guesthouses and small hotels on the island.
- 1 Bee Orchid Pool Villa, 212 Bang Lamung District, Chon Buri 20150, Thailand (go right when leaving the pier and then 300 m towards the island centre), ☏ +66 82 258 8996. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 11:30. Bungalows and rooms; swimmingpool. starting at 35$.
- 2 Suntosa Resort, 162 หมู่ที่ 7, Bang Lamung District, Chon Buri 20150, ☏ +66 90 3922 037, suntosa1001@hotmail.com. Check-in: 14:00, check-out: 11:00. Hotel with terrace and view over to Pattaya. 1.800–2.300 ฿; 2.000–2.500 ฿; 2.500–3.000 ฿ (low season/main season/weekend).
- 3 Cara Cara Resort, 209 71 หมู่ 7 Bang Lamung District, Chon Buri 20150, ☏ +66 61 229 56 69, caracararesort@gmail.com. Nicely designed hotel north of Na Baan village with direct access to the seas from some rooms.
Go next
[edit]The only destination that can be reached from the island is Pattaya city.