Ko Larn – Pattaya's Paradise Island

ko-larn-island — Ko Larn has the best beaches around Pattaya.

Ko Larn (Ko Lan) is a beautiful paradise island just 45-minutes sea journey from Pattaya. Koh Lan’s wide sandy beaches don’t pale in comparison even to southern Thailand’s most famous beaches. The sand is white and the sea incredibly turquoise.

But don’t expect much lush vegetation; true to its name as “Bald Island”, Ko Larn has only a little vegetation.

Ko Larn’s Beaches

The island’s most handsome but also the busiest beach is Ta Waen, which gets the most day-trippers from Pattaya. Also beautiful but much quieter beaches are Samae and Thian.

Ao Nuan, also known as Monkey Beach, is on its own peace on the other side of the island. The beach is calm but the scenery is partly spoiled by the collapsed ruins of an abandoned hotel. Monkeys have taken over the ruins.

The Harbor Village

The island’s harbor has a lively village with restaurants, cafes, ATM and a 7/11 store. One can rent a scooter from the village or ask a motorcycle taxi to drive to the preferred beach. It is also possible to walk from the harbor to the beaches, but the walk is pretty long.

There are also small inns close to the village, if you wish to stay on the island.

Travel to Ko Larn

Boats to the island (30 baht) leave from Bali Hai Pier, at the southern end of Pattaya’s Walking Street. The ferries run every two hours. Last return ferry leaves the island around 6 pm.

It is also possible to go to the island on an organized speedboat trip.