Sweet Life Community Guesthouse, Koh Lanta, Thailand

Sweet Life Community Guesthouse is located in Lanta Old Town, a working fisherman’s village on the quieter east coast of the island of Koh Lanta. This beautifully designed building, with both dorm beds and private rooms, is less of a guesthouse and more of a ‘shared house’ where you’ll feel right at home as you settle into laid-back island life…

What makes Sweet Life Community Guesthouse a Best Hostel?

The owners – The guesthouse is run by Maayan and Mon, a lovely Dutch-Thai couple (and their daughter Millie) who have so much energy and enthusiasm for their wonderful guesthouse and the island itself. They can give you tips on which deserted beaches to kayak to, where to get the cheapest and most delicious local breakfast, where to get your laundry done for 20 baht, where to hire a scooter… and myriad other things. Make sure you read the yellow booklet when you check in, it’s full of awesome advice about Lanta Old Town and the island!

Make yourself at home – Unlike many guesthouses in SE Asia, this one has no reception and no staff hanging around asking you what your plans for the day are… You are handed a key when you arrive and told to treat the place like home. The result? You feel immediately relaxed and instantly become housemates with the fellow guests. There’s a kitchen where you can cook your own food, a comfy lounge area, outside terrace and plenty of bathrooms for everyone. Maayan is contactable all day on Whatsapp to answer any questions you may have – but other than that, you can come and go as you please!

The Location – The best beaches in Koh Lanta are located on the west side of the island (only 15 minutes by bike from Lanta Old Town), which explains why the west coast is packed with holiday resorts. This has been a blessing in disguise for the east coast, whose stony, mangrove-clad shores have retained much more of a local feel. Lanta Old Town is a really special place, originally established by Thai fishing families who built simple wooden houses on stilts above the water. A few years ago, you couldn’t even stay here, but now the town is opening up to tourists and there are a few trendy cafés, boutique shops and great restaurants with amazing sea views. The photos below are the views from our bedroom in the morning…

Cooking with Mon – With only 5-star reviews on Trip Advisor (out of 87 reviews!), Mon’s cooking class is fast becoming one of the ‘must-do’ activities on the island. We reckon that Mon himself has a lot to do with that. His jokes and easy-going personality are the perfect combination to an afternoon’s cooking. The first person (or persons) to book on the class get to choose what dishes will be cooked that day, anything from spring rolls to massaman curry. There are a total of four dishes that will be cooked, and of course, devoured, so make sure you have a light breakfast! The class starts at 11 am every day and you can book to join even if you’re not staying at Sweet Life.

Beautiful design – I just have to mention the interior design of Sweet Life Guesthouse as you’re really hard pushed to come across a lovelier place to stay in the whole of SE Asia. With lots of plants, basket chairs, lovely lamps, sumptuous cushions, elegant throws and dream catchers above the beds, the attention to detail is superb. The showers are hot and powerful, the WIFI is fast and the bed is super comfy. I’d say a home from home, but my home wasn’t this neat!