CHECKING IN | AVANI+ KOH LANTA

Although Koh Lanta as a whole is a much more chilled out destination than many other nearby islands, the northern end could well be considered the busier, more developed part. Here you’ll find the beautiful sandy ‘Long Beach’ which has plenty of beachside resorts sitting side by side, as well as the main road lined with restaurants, and Saladan Pier, which is the main entry point to Lanta if you’re arriving by ferry. Choosing where to stay on somewhere like Koh Lanta is always a bit of a balancing act – do you go for somewhere remote but find yourself stuck in the hotel, or do you stay in a busier area and have lots of restaurants and shops close by? Well if you’re heading to Koh Lanta and find yourself in this dilemma then check out the new Avani+ which offers the best of both worlds. 

Located very much on the northern end of Koh Lanta, just a few minutes drive from the pier, the hotel is perched on a cliff edge at the end of a headland that juts out to sea. So although you’re not far from the main drag, the Avani+ feels much more secluded and remote than other hotels nearby – it’s even got its own small private beach. Avani+ is made up of 92 rooms and villas that are sprawled across the property, with some at ‘ground level’ near the reception area, while others are higher up the hill, accessed by a steep winding road – so steep in fact that the hotel has cars to whisk you up there. As well as many of the best rooms being up here, it’s also where you’ll find the main pool and The Cliff Restaurant. 

Although the Sea View rooms are slightly pricier than the entry level rooms, it’s well worth it, as the promised views of the sea really are spectacular and give a great vantage point to watch the sunset from your own private balcony. Best of all are the Sea View pool villas which have their own private pools that hang off the cliff edge looking out over the ocean. We were staying in one of these and loved the modern, bright design of the room, and really appreciated the huge amount of living space. Each one has a separate living room that leads out on the balcony with pool, sun beds and outdoor shower. In the living room there’s a sofa, coffee table, mini bar, and flat screen tv, while the bedroom has another sofa, a writing desk, and a huge comfy king size bed that is perfectly positioned to look right out the beautiful view, framed by floor to ceiling glass sliding doors. The bathroom is also very generous, with a gigantic shower room, bath and double sinks, as well as wardrobe space and all the toiletries and mod cons you could hope for. If one of the pool villas is within budget, we can seriously recommend it as it really did make the experience for us. 

The other stand out feature of the Avani+ that you should definitely indulge in is the AvaniSpa – we had one of the best massages of anywhere in Thailand here. The Avani Signature Touch massage is the one to go for, which they’ll adapt to make a bespoke treatment for you according to any particular aches or pains you have. Having recently arrived from London where we spend plenty of time hunched over a laptop, the therapists got to work on shoulder and neck muscles especially and we came out feeling totally rejuvenated. A 10/10 experience. If you’re keeping fit and healthy there’s also a decent gym to check out, plus the main swimming pool if you need to do some serious lengths. 

As mentioned, there’s plenty to keep you entertained outside the hotel too. A quick tuk tuk ride or walk will take you down to the main road where there’s loads of amazing street food stalls, as well as shops and proper restaurants. It’s well worth taking a long walk up and down Long Beach too, which has beautiful clear water for swimming and lots of snorkelling and scuba opportunities if that’s your thing. 

With a top location that blends seclusion with convenience plus some of the best looking and impressive hotel rooms on the island, Avani+ is an ideal choice for a chilled out a couple of nights on Koh Lanta. 

315 Moo 1 Saladan, Ko Lanta District, Krabi 81150, Thailand
avanihotels.com

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