Ao Nui Beach, Koh Lanta

Ao Nui Beach is one of the many beaches on the west coast of Koh Lanta Yai, the largest of the islands that form Koh Lanta in Thailand.

What makes Ao Nui Beach special is that it is some distance from the main tourist areas in Koh Lanta with very little development in the surrounding area making the beach quiet and naturally beautiful.

About Ao Nui Beach

To reach the beach you need to follow the road south from the main town of Saladan along the west coast road past the busier beaches about three quarters of the way down the length of the island. The entrance to the beach is marked by a small hand written roadside inside a tiny parking area big enough for half a dozen motorbikes.

From the car park to get to Ao Nui Beach you need a path down the hill.

Ao Nui Beach is only 260 metres long. There is very little on Ao Nui Beach except a wide stretch of perfect white sand and very clear water. Some parts of the sea off the beach have big rocks just off the shoreline, but there are areas where you can enter the water to swim with no obstacles to negotiate.

At any given time you will find perhaps a dozen for fewer people on Ao Nui Beach. The only thing on the beach itself is a volley ball net. The beach is bordered on all sides by forest with steep headlands at each end of the beach.

There are no resorts or bungalows on Ao Nui Beach, only the wonderfully ramshackle Nui Beach Bar which looks as though it has been constructed out of drift wood and things which have fallen off passing fishing boat and washed up on the beach. The closest place to eat is the Diamond Cliff Resort & Restaurant which you can get to by climbing a steep flight of stairs from the northern end of Ao Nui Beach. The Diamond Cliff Resort & Restaurant has slightly overpriced food of moderate quality, but from the balcony dining area you get great views Ao Nui Beach and access to a toilet, of which there are none on the beach itself.

Location of Ao Nui Beach

Ao Nui Beach is located 21.6 km from Saladan Pier which is the main long distance ferry pier in Koh Lanta.