A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Koh Lanta vs. Whitsundays for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Koh Lanta or Whitsundays?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Koh Lanta and Whitsundays can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.

Where Should I go: Koh Lanta or Whitsundays?

Koh Lanta

Located on the southern coast of Thailand is a place populated by long beaches and diving hotspots. Consisting of several islands, Koh Lanta is a large island with nine beaches along the coast. The beautiful scenery makes this a quiet and relaxing spot for tourists. The crowds on this island tend to be older than the party-seekers on Ko Phi Phi so you'll find more activities like serene walks on the beach or travelers catching a sunset.

Whitsundays

Just off the coast of Queensland, Australia is a cluster of 74 different islands. These islands, the Whitsunday Islands, welcome over a half a million visitors every year to see one of the Seven Wonders of the World - the Great Barrier Reef.

As one of the most famous destinations in the world, it's not uncommon to see expensive yachts sailing around among the private ferries. Most of the islands are designated as national parks with access to snorkeling and diving in the coral reefs, or just to lay in the sand on the famous Whitehaven Beach.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Eco Tours in Thailand, The Best Sightseeing Tours in Thailand, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Melbourne, and The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Australia.

When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Koh Lanta and Whitsundays, we can see that Whitsundays is more expensive. And not only is Koh Lanta much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Koh Lanta is in Asia and Whitsundays is in Pacific, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Koh Lanta would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Koh Lanta and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Whitsundays would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Whitsundays than you might in Koh Lanta.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Koh Lanta Expensive? and Is Whitsundays Expensive?.

When is the best time to visit Koh Lanta or Whitsundays?

Whitsundays has a temperate climate with four distinct seasons, but Koh Lanta experiences a warm climate with fairly sunny weather most of the year.

Should I visit Koh Lanta or Whitsundays in the Summer?

Both Whitsundays and Koh Lanta during the summer are popular places to visit. Plenty of visitors come to Koh Lanta because of the warm climate and sunshine that lasts throughout the year.

In July, Koh Lanta is generally around the same temperature as Whitsundaysin January. Daily temperatures in Koh Lanta average around 27°C (81°F), and Whitsundays fluctuates around 26°C (79°F).

In Whitsundays, it's very sunny this time of the year. It's quite sunny in Koh Lanta. In the summer, Koh Lanta often gets less sunshine than Whitsundaysin January. Koh Lanta gets 206 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Whitsundays receives 285 hours of full sun.

Whitsundays gets a good bit of rain this time of year. It rains a lot this time of the year in Koh Lanta. Koh Lanta usually gets less rain in July than Whitsundaysin January. Koh Lanta gets 269 mm (10.6 in) of rain, while Whitsundays receives 331 mm (13 in) of rain this time of the year. June to September is the rainy season in Koh Lanta.

Should I visit Koh Lanta or Whitsundays in the Autumn?

The autumn attracts plenty of travelers to both Koh Lanta and Whitsundays. Warm weather and sunshine bring visitors to Koh Lanta year-round.

Koh Lanta is a little warmer than Whitsundays in the autumn. The daily temperature in Koh Lanta averages around 27°C (81°F) in October, and Whitsundays fluctuates around 23°C (73°F)in April.

People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Whitsundays this time of the year. Koh Lanta usually receives less sunshine than Whitsundays during autumn. Koh Lanta gets 181 hours of sunny skies, while Whitsundays receives 207 hours of full sun in the autumn.

Whitsundays receives a lot of rain in the autumn. Koh Lanta gets a good bit of rain this time of year. In October, Koh Lanta usually receives more rain than Whitsundaysin April. Koh Lanta gets 281 mm (11.1 in) of rain, while Whitsundays receives 143 mm (5.6 in) of rain each month for the autumn.

Should I visit Koh Lanta or Whitsundays in the Winter?

The winter brings many poeple to Koh Lanta as well as Whitsundays. Koh Lanta attracts visitors year-round for its warm weather and sunny climate.

In the winter, Koh Lanta is much warmer than Whitsundays. Typically, the winter temperatures in Koh Lanta in January average around 27°C (80°F), and Whitsundays averages at about 16°C (62°F)in July.

The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Whitsundays. People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Koh Lanta this time of the year. In the winter, Koh Lanta often gets more sunshine than Whitsundaysin July. Koh Lanta gets 287 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Whitsundays receives 226 hours of full sun.

Koh Lanta usually gets more rain in January than Whitsundaysin July. Koh Lanta gets 50 mm (2 in) of rain, while Whitsundays receives 40 mm (1.6 in) of rain this time of the year. Also, January to April in Koh Lanta is the dry season.

Should I visit Koh Lanta or Whitsundays in the Spring?

Both Whitsundays and Koh Lanta are popular destinations to visit in the spring with plenty of activities. The warm climate attracts visitors to Koh Lanta throughout the year.

In April, Koh Lanta is generally a little warmer than Whitsundaysin October. Daily temperatures in Koh Lanta average around 29°C (85°F), and Whitsundays fluctuates around 23°C (73°F).

It's quite sunny in Whitsundays. The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Koh Lanta. Koh Lanta usually receives less sunshine than Whitsundays during spring. Koh Lanta gets 249 hours of sunny skies, while Whitsundays receives 298 hours of full sun in the spring.

It's quite rainy in Koh Lanta. In April, Koh Lanta usually receives more rain than Whitsundaysin October. Koh Lanta gets 124 mm (4.9 in) of rain, while Whitsundays receives 48 mm (1.9 in) of rain each month for the spring. The dry season in Koh Lanta is January to April. The rainy season in Koh Lanta is June to September.

Typical Weather for Whitsundays and Koh Lanta