It's the green mountain that towers up behind Kan Tiang Bay and beach that makes this outshine all other Lanta beaches – especially the bigger, busier ones at the island's flat, and rather boring northern end. Plus the curve of the beach, and the rocky headlands that block both ends. Not to mention that the water at this end of the island is closer to the deep sea, and always clearer. Kan Tiang has much going for it.
Another major factor keeping this beach green and less developed is the major resort here, Pimalai. Opened in the 1990s, this was seen as a brave, perhaps even fool-hardy pioneer of Thailand's distant wilds. But pioneers get advantages too, and the forward-thinking Thai businesswoman behind Pimalai was able to buy up a wide track of beachfront land, and, well, do little with it. Few developers can resist profits and leave valuable land in its natural state. Our beach map of Kan Tiang shows that Pimalai Resort controls about half of the beachfront land here, with most of that still forested and little-disturbed.
At the north end of the beach we find some cheaper accommodation alternatives, some quite attractive, but all without the space and nature that their 5-star neighbour enjoys. Phra Nang Lanta is one of the more interesting, 3-star places. Lanta Marine Park View Resort offers elevated rooms on the northern headland, and grand views back over the whole beach, and over the horizon to the islands of Trang.