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How
to go there
This
beach resort is located on the south west coast of
Koh Lanta Yai. - Getting
to Koh Lanta is even easy for a first time
visitor. Depending on your entry point into
Thailand, your journey to Koh Lanta Yai is usually
made from one of the transit cities of Krabi, Phuket
or Trang; or from Phi Phi Islands. - But
transportation can also be arranged from other
nearby resort locations at, for example, Khaolak,
Phangna, Ao Nang, Railey, etc.
From
November to April; the resort can arrange road
transportation to take you to Baan Hua Hin pier
where, adjacent to the public pier, the resort
maintains a private jetty and convenience station.
To reach the pier, it is an approximately 3hr drive
from the Phuket and Khaolak areas; 1hr 30 min from
the Phangna and Trang areas; and 50 minutes if your
plane lands at Krabi international airport, where
you will be greeted by one of our Pimalai's
representatives.
Once
at the jetty, one of the resort comfortable boats
will then take you for a 60 minutes scenic ride
along the east or west coast of Lanta islands
eventually arriving at the resort's beach jetty.
Casual footwear is recommended. In all, and
depending on sea, weather and traffic conditions the
transfer time - Krabi international airport to
Pimalai - from November to April takes, at the most,
between 1hr 50 to 2hr 10min.
From
May to October we drive straight from the
mainland to Pimalai resort by using 2 public car
ferries; the first ferry links the mainland pier to
Koh Lanta Noi (15 minutes crossing time); the second
one links Koh Lanta Noi to Koh Lanta Yai (7 minutes
crossing time); upon landing at Koh Lanta Yai,
another 30 minutes scenic drive will then take you
to Pimalai. In all, and depending on sea, weather
and traffic conditions the transfer time from May to
October takes, at the most, between 2 hr 10min to 2
hr 30min.
Please
note that for safety reasons, the resort do not
operate any of its boats between 6.00pm and 6.00am;
this applies all throughout the year. Sould you
arrive at Krabi international airport after 6.00pm,
we can still arrange to take you down to Pimalai by
using the local ferries that operate till 10.00pm
(last ferry departure).
In
the eventuality that you have a very early morning
flight, you may have to consider an overnight stay
on the mainland the day before your flight
departure. The reservations staff will be pleased to
advise you.
You
may chose to arrive on Koh Lanta Yai by ferry from,
for example, the Phi Phi islands. The ferry terminal
is situated close to the village of Baan Saladan at
the northern tip of Koh Lanta Yai. We can meet you
on arrival and take you by car to the resort; the
trip lasts about 30 minutes.
At
last, it is possible to get to Pimalai Resort &
Spa, using your own car. From Krabi, drive south on
Highway 4 to Baan Huai Nam Khao and take the right
turn on Highway 4206 to Baan Hua Hin Pier. From
there take the ferry to Baan Klong Mak (Koh Lanta
Noi). Drive on for about 10 minutes to Baan Lang Sog
to catch the second ferry across to Baan Saladan
pier on Koh Lanta Yai (Note: the last ferry runs at
10.00pm). You should now drive along the south west
coast of the island for about 15 km and turn right
at Klong Nin Village, just after the 7/11 shop;
another 8 km of concrete road and you will be
welcomed at Pimalai Resort & Spa
Koh
Lanta
Ideally
situated in the growing southern Thailand province
of Krabi, Koh Lanta has converted from an 80's
backpacker haunt into a new hot spots in South East
Asia. And while budget travelers still find ample
space to cool their heels, Lanta has gone up-market
in the past years with new four and five star
resorts dotting its picturesque 40 kilometers
Andaman coastline. The island's proximity to Phuket,
Phi Phi, Krabi and even Bangkok, makes it a great
holiday alternative to other crowded and commercial
tropical island destinations.
Koh
Lanta is actually made of two islands; Koh Lanta Noi
and Koh Lanta Yai. Koh Lanta Noi is the smaller of
the two islands and doesn't have tourist facilities.
Visitors traveling by road from the main land pass
through the smaller island on the way to resorts on
Koh Lanta Yai.
Historically Koh Lanta Yai played a major role as a
safe-haven port for traders from Malaysia, Singapore
and Indonesia. Originally, Si Raya (known today as
Lanta Old town) on the east coast, acted as the port
and commercial center for the island and provided
safe harbor for Arabic and Chinese trading vessels
sailing between the larger ports of Phuket, Penang
and Singapore. Today Old Town is a sleepy tiny
village with 100 year-old shacks and shop houses
built on stilts over the water. Nowadays, Ban
Saladan on the northern tip of the island is the
business and commercial center where most visitors
arrive on the island
Koh
Lanta Yai is approximately 32 kms long by 6 kms
large. It has a very diverse cultural mix with
Thai-Muslim, Thai-Chinese and the original Sea
gypsies, all having lived on the island in harmony
for hundred years. The island is a long thin island
running north-south. The west coast, where Pimalai
is located, faces the Andaman sea with a string of
great white-sand beaches and offers of course
unforgettable sunsets. The east coast is less
developed and offers glimpses of life before
tourism. It faces the mainland and has a coastline
largely consisting of mangrove; large limestone
rocks formation can also been seen providing a
spectacular natural postcard.
Koh Lanta Yai has something for everyone - families,
backpackers and up-scale travelers - who can define
their own meaning of living an island life. It has a
beach, a resort and an activity for everyone's
particular taste.
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