Which Island is Better: Ko Phangan or Ko Lanta

thong nai pan yai — Thong Nai Pan Yai is one of Ko Phangan’s most gorgeous beaches.

Ko Phangan and Ko Lanta are both adorable, easy-going islands, and great places to look for a cheap beach bungalow. But which one should you choose, Ko Lanta or Ko Phangan?

Which Island is Better: Ko Phangan or Ko Lanta?

0–1 Ko Lanta has some of the most charismatic guesthouses in Thailand. Try the Fisherman’s Cottage or Bee Bee’s Bungalows on Khlong Khong Beach, for instance. Point to Ko Lanta!

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1–1 Ko Phangan has more youthful feel, and much livelier party scene (who wouldn’t have heard of Ko Phangan’s Full Moon parties?). Ko Lanta’s evenings can be rather sleepy. Ko Phangan gets the point for better parties.

2–1 Ko Phangan’s best beaches, such as Thong Nai Pan Yai, have softer and whiter sand, and the sea is more turquoise than on Ko Lanta. Koh Phangan takes the lead.

3–1 Ko Phangan’s travel season lasts longer, almost the whole year. Ko Phangan has bad weather only in November, whereas Ko Lanta gets almost deserted half of the year during the monsoon season from May to the end of October, when big waves hammer the shore and make swimming difficult.

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3–2 From Ko Phangan you can do dive trips to Sail Rock, the best dive spot in Gulf of Thailand. But from Ko Lanta you can dive to the double pinnacles of Hin Daeng and Hin Muang, which are offer some of the best diving in all of Thailand. Ko Lanta gets the divers’ point.

3–3 If you are planning to do some serious island hopping, Ko Lanta should be your choice. Ko Lanta is on the fabulous island hopping route of the Andaman Sea, where you can hop on from island to another all the way from Phuket to Ko Lipe next to the Malaysian border. Island hopping from Ko Phangan is limited to the neighboring islands of Ko Tao and Ko Samui.

This island duel ends in a draw. Now it’s your turn to give your score in the comments section: which island is your favorite, Ko Lanta or Ko Phangan?