The beaches in the middle of Ko Lanta – Klong Kong, the rocky Klong Tob and Klong Nin – are less spectacular in terms of length and quality of sand, but are nonetheless nice places to relax and swim. They also offer the best value bungalows on the island.
Klong Kong is probably the best value beach on the island, with a large concentration of cheap bungalows – although for some reason it does not enjoy the same party vibe of Klong Nin further south. There are several small and friendly beach bars along its length, but not much off the beach, on the main road. The beach here is sloping white sand, though there are several rocky patches in the sea which make swimming at low tide difficult.
Klong Tob is largely undeveloped, as it is one of the few parts of the island where the main road runs along the waterfront, cutting off direct beach access (until the end of the beach near the river and Moonlight Bay Resort). It is a mainly shingle beach with some sand and large rocks. The main part of this beach is used as a harbor by local fisherman.
Klong Nin is a long, steeply shelving sandy beach (the sand was pushed even higher by the tsunami) with rocks at either end and backed by Koh Lanta’s famous umbrella trees (bai toey). The waves can be quite high, which is good for splashing around, but it is not advised to swim far out unless you are a strong swimmer. It has the highest concentration of ‘backpacker’ style bungalows and bars, all accessible on foot along the beach. There is also a small village center, with a supermarket, cafes etc. within walking distance on the main road.
