Old Town to Klong Dao west-coast cross-island loop
Routes 424525 km45 minutes-1 hourEasy
The standard cross-island cut back to the Klong Dao beachfront for sunset and a 7-Eleven beer; the most direct return to the west-coast hotel cluster.
Pick up a scooter in Saladan or Klong Dao, ride the cross-island cut to Ban Si Raya, and park along the wooden stilt-house waterfront for seafood and the Hammock House.
1,579 reviews
10 verified shops
195+ bikes
from 150 THB/day
A quick scan of what matters for motorbike renters in Lanta Old Town.
| Best bike size | Automatic 110-125cc for the cross-island cut and east-coast loop; the road is paved but narrow |
|---|---|
| Day rate from | From 150 THB/day |
| Nearest fuel | PTT Saladan on Highway 4245 north of Klong Dao; small Old Town fuel stalls along the waterfront strip |
| Typical parking | Free pier-end lot; informal sois along the waterfront drag; tight roadside slots near Hammock House |
| Traffic peak | Old Town main lane 11:30-13:30 lunch and 17:00-20:00 dinner; weekend Lanta Lanta Festival (March 27-29) closes the strip entirely |
| Best ride-out | Old Town to Klong Dao west-coast cross-island loop on Highway 4245 (~25 km return) |
Lanta Old Town, locally known as Ban Si Raya, sits on Koh Lanta's east coast, completely opposite the west-coast beach strip and reached only via the paved cross-island cut. It is a Sino-Thai sea-gypsy fishing village with century-old wooden stilt houses on the water, a working pier with daily catch, the Hammock House (founded 1996, hand-woven Mlabri textiles) and a row of seafood restaurants overlooking Koh Jum and the mainland coast. The Lanta Lanta Festival on the last weekend of March turns the waterfront into a cultural performance ground. For riders, Old Town is a half-day cultural ride-out from any west-coast base, not a place to stay; in-area accommodation is small and rental shops are limited.
The cross-island cut from Highway 4245 to Ban Si Raya is paved two-way with one steep climb and a few blind curves through forested sections; traffic is sparse but watch for tree branches and tour van slow-downs. The Old Town main lane along the waterfront is narrow (4-5 metres), shared with pedestrians, parked bikes and seafood-carrying foot traffic, and the wooden boardwalk sections near the pier are slick when wet.
The pier-end lot at the eastern end of Old Town is a free, unstructured dirt lot, the most reliable day option. The main lane has informal roadside slots between Hammock House and the central restaurant cluster; arrive before 11:30 to find space. Sois off the main lane offer free overflow but can be tight to back out of. Most Old Town hotels (Mango House, Apsara) park guest bikes inside resort grounds.
There is no formal Old Town petrol station. PTT Saladan on Highway 4245 north of Klong Dao is the nearest large-format station; top up before crossing east. Small Old Town fuel stalls (glass-bottle / drum format) sit along the main lane near the pier as emergency top-ups (40-50 THB per bottle). Ride into Old Town with a full tank if you plan to extend south to the lighthouse or back via the Klong Nin route.
The Old Town main lane peaks 11:30-13:30 with the lunch rush and 17:00-20:00 with dinner foot traffic; central pedestrian density makes riding faster than walking pointless. Weekend evenings are busier than weekdays. The Lanta Lanta Festival weekend (March 27-29 in 2026) closes the waterfront strip to vehicles entirely; park at the pier-end lot or at the festival overflow lots and walk in. The cross-island cut is calm year-round outside of festival weekends.
The standard cross-island cut back to the Klong Dao beachfront for sunset and a 7-Eleven beer; the most direct return to the west-coast hotel cluster.
Cross-island northwest to Saladan, browse the older wooden stilt-house waterfront and the working ferry pier, then return via the same northern cut.
South via the cross-island cut to Klong Nin, then up the Kantiang switchbacks to Ko Lanta Lighthouse at the southern cape; refuel at PTT Saladan first because the south has no formal stations.
North on the east-coast spur to the Koh Lanta Yai-Noi car ferry crossing, ride the small ferry to Koh Lanta Noi for an undeveloped, mostly local-village half-day ride.
November to April is the dry, peak season: clear skies, full restaurant staff, the Lanta Lanta Festival on the last weekend of March (27-29 in 2026) and the cross-island cut at its safest. May to October is the southwest monsoon: afternoon thunderstorms 14:00-17:00 land on the cross-island cut and the wooden boardwalk near the pier becomes slick and dangerous. Many Old Town restaurants reduce hours but the central cluster stays open year-round at off-peak rates. October is the wettest month and the worst time for the boardwalk and the unlit cross-island cut at dusk.
The wooden boardwalk and stilt-house planking near the pier is slick when wet; do not ride on it, walk slowly and avoid wet leaves. The narrow main lane has constant pedestrian crossing without designated points; ride at walking pace 11:30-20:00. The cross-island cut has one steep climb with a few blind curves; ride it in daylight and avoid after heavy rain when tree-debris and water runoff cross the road. Helmets are mandatory; the Saladan-side checkpoint catches westbound returns. Tide-related flooding can occasionally cover sections of the waterfront drag at the highest spring tides; check before parking under the stilt houses.
Pick up the bike at your west-coast hotel, ride the cross-island cut, and skip the in-area rental hunt entirely.
Lanta Hana Tours near Hammock House is the only sizeable in-area walk-in for Old Town. Most Old Town visitors rent a bike in Saladan or Klong Dao (Lanta Sky, Koh Lanta Big Bike Rental, SALA Motorbike) and ride the 12-15 km cross-island cut, or arrange west-coast delivery. A Byklo booking settles the rate, deposit, insurance and cancellation in the app before you arrive, which matters when the closest formal rental shop is a 25-minute ride away.
| What you are comparing | Book with Byklo | Walk in to a local Old Town shop |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | Confirmed at checkout; the Honda Click or PCX is held in your name across Saladan and Klong Dao partner shops with delivery to Old Town if requested. | Stock is whatever the small in-area desk has on the day; the rest of the Old Town fleet is informal hotel-desk bikes. |
| Pricing | Locked at checkout; the rate you saw online is the rate you pay at pickup. | Negotiated at the counter; rates shift between the in-area desk and Saladan walk-ins. |
| Insurance | Basic insurance included on every Byklo booking, with upgrade tiers shown before checkout. | Varies by shop; coverage and excess are confirmed at the counter when you sign. |
| Cancellation | Free cancellation on most Byklo bookings within the 1-7 day window shown on each listing. | Set by each shop at the counter; specifics vary and are agreed on the day. |
| Delivery | Many Byklo partners deliver to a west-coast hotel, with the cross-island cut handled on day one of the booking, no extra arrangement. | Saladan and Klong Dao shops offer Old Town delivery as a phone-arranged add-on; specifics shop by shop. |
| Contact and communication | Booking, receipt, in-app messaging and cross-island directions all live in one Byklo app. | Reached via Facebook Messenger, LINE, WhatsApp or phone; the paper contract at the counter is the shop's record. |
If you arrive on the 16:00 Krabi ferry and the Lanta Lanta Festival has the Old Town waterfront blocked off until midnight, a Byklo partner with confirmed Klong Dao delivery means the bike is at your hotel for an early-morning festival-free ride east. Reserve in the next step with free cancellation up to your pickup day.
Walk-in descriptions are at the Old Town category level, not shop-specific; Byklo policies reflect current checkout across Koh Lanta partner shops. Cross-checked March 2026 against the named shops' websites and Google Maps listings.
From Old Town, Klong Dao reaches in 30-40 minutes via the cross-island cut and Highway 4245, Saladan and the ferry pier in 35-45 minutes northbound, the Klong Nin village beach in 30-40 minutes southwest, and Koh Lanta Noi via the small car ferry crossing 25 minutes north.
Everything you need to know about renting motorbikes in Koh Lanta
No passport deposit required
Pre-departure bike condition photos
Secure Stripe payments, no cash required
In-app messaging with the shop
Free cancellation available
24/7 support if something goes wrong
Rent motorbikes and scooters in Koh Lanta from verified local shops. Fast booking, fair prices, and reliable bikes for city rides and day trips.
