Koh Lanta

Koh Lanta Yai is a long island in Krabi province with a ridge of forested hills running down its spine and a series of west-facing beaches that catch the sunset. The Old Town is a sea-gypsy and Muslim fishing community built on stilts over the water, with wooden shophouses and a genuinely local feel. The diving around Koh Haa and Hin Daeng to the south is among the best in Thailand. The island has enough tourist infrastructure to be comfortable but not so much that it has lost its character.