Updated: June 2024
About Koh Lipe
Koh Lipe is one for the most beautiful islands in Thailand, in the Andaman sea, located near the borders with Malaysia. The island is part of the Adang Archipelago which consists of 10 islands, Koh Lipe being the only inhabited island. The whole archipelago is located in the Tarutao National Marine Park, famous for its pristine beaches, beautiful nature and amazing snorkeling.
Even so, Koh Lipe has gotten more attention from tourists in the last few years the islands is still not too crowded and you can enjoy some quiet beaches.
I love Koh Lipe and visit the island regularly every year for holidays, to relax and enjoy the stunning beaches. The island is more seasonal than other bigger islands and some of the businesses only run during the high season. The sea gets rough during the rainy season from May to October and many locals choose this time to return to the mainland for work.
Koh Lipe is small and you can walk anywhere around the island, there are no motorbikes to rent but you can hop on one of the motorbike taxis if your hotel is further away from the town. The taxi bikes have fixed rate 50THB per person anywhere on the island.
How to get to Koh Lipe?
- The best way to get to Koh Lipe from north of the country and Bangkok is to fly to Hat Yai airport, from here you can buy minivan or taxi transfer to Pakbara pier in Satun province and speedboat transfer to Koh Lipe.
- During the high season from November till May you can get to Lipe by speedboat from Phuket, Koh Phi Phi or Koh Lanta.
- All boats in high season arrive at the floating platform in Pattaya Beach, where you have to pay 50THB per person for the long tail boat to transfer you from the platform to the beach.
- There are many motorbike taxis waiting to take you to the hotel.
Don’t forget, when arriving in Lipe you will be obliged to pay 200THB national park entry, which you will be able to use also for any snorkeling tour for the next 3 days.
Off-season the boats from Pakbara arrive in the other side of the island, at Sunrise Beach.
Beaches in Koh Lipe
The three main beaches are Pattaya Beach, Sunrise Beach and smaller Sunset Beach.
Pattaya beach is the main beach in Koh Lipe, it’s a long strip of sand with many hotels, bungalows, beach bars, restaurants and massage places. You can find all kind of accommodation here from cheaper huts to upmarket resorts.
Pattaya beach is also where you can find the immigration office so if you are arriving from Malaysia this is where you must have your passport stamped.
You can snorkel here right of the beach but during the low tide, you have to walk far into the sea.
Sunrise Beach is probably the most beautiful beach where you can find the iconic sand bank just bellow of the Mountain Resort. There is plenty of accommodation including some luxury hotels. Sunrise beach is connected to Pattaya Beach by Walking Street, which is 10 minutes walk.
Walking Street is the heart of the island connecting all beaches, here is where you can find all the souvenir shops, supermarket, pharmacies, restaurants and ATMs.
The most secluded and the quietest beach on the north-west side of the island is the Sunset Beach with a couple of hotels, bungalows and some restaurants.
It’s a bit further to the town from here but you can get better deals on accommodation and enjoy the quietest part of the island.
Koh Lipe is the perfect way to relax, switch off and enjoy your days swimming and sunbathing and reading a book under the palm tree.
There isn’t awfully lot to do here which is perfectly fine as the stunning beaches and crystal clear water is enough to fall in love with this island.
But if you do get bored with lazing around, here are our tips on things you could do and places to visit.
Here are the 10 Amazing Things to do in Koh Lipe:
1. Hike to the viewpoint at Koh Adang
2. Enjoy snorkeling and island hopping
3. Kayak to Usen Island
4. Fires show & cocktails on the beach
5. Relax on a beach with a good book
6. Thai Massage
7. Brunch at Elephant Cafe & Bar
8. Join a Yoga class
9. Visit the buddhist temple
10. Scuba Diving
1/ Hike to the viewpoint at Koh Adang
Koh Adang is the island you can see standing on the sunrise beach. It takes about 15 minutes by long tail boat the get here.
The trail to the viewpoint is behind the small restaurant and to get to the very top takes around 40 minutes.
I recommend doing the hike in the morning or afternoon, it gets very hot during the day. Also bring plenty of water, sun cream and comfortable shoes. And of course don’t forget your camera, the views of Koh Lipe from here are amazing.
There is also the possibility to camp in Koh Adang overnight, in the tents provided by the national park or in the Adang Island Resort.
2/ Enjoy snorkeling and island hopping
Koh Lipe has some beautiful underwater locations for snorkeling and swimming.
If you wish to make a boat trip you have two options in Koh Lipe.
You can either rent a private long-boat and chose where you want to go and how much snorkeling or beaches you want to enjoy. Or join one of the 4 tours which are on offer on the island.
- To book a private trip you can walk to the Sunrise Beach and in front of the school right on the beach you will find a wooden shack where all the local captains sit, you can then make the plan with the captain directly and choose the time you wish to start the trip.
- To book a join tour ask in any tour agency in the Walking Street, they all sell the same tours, which has program A, B, Sunset tour and Plankton trip. You can then choose the program which suits you the best.
3/ Kayak to Usen Island
You can rent a kayak on Sunrise Beach and paddle to the little island just opposite of Sunrise beach. It only takes about 15 minutes. The name or this tiny island is Koh Usen. There is some beautiful snorkeling in crystal clear water.
Some of the hotels provide free kayak so ask your receptionist if you are staying on Sunrise beach.
Tip: We rented a sea-through kayak in Anda Resort, which was super fun.
4/ Fires show and cocktails on the beach
There is not much nightlife in Koh Lipe, but you can find a couple of very nice beach bars on both beaches.
The most popluar is the Zodiac Beach Bar on Sunrise Beach, always very nice and relaxed atmosphere.
You can enjoy some amazing cocktails and chilled beers while watching the sunset followed by some awesome fire show and cool music all day long.
5/ Enjoy the beach with a good book
If you are a book-worm like me and quite happy just chilling on a beach or by the pool with a good book, then Koh Lipe is the perfect place for it. As much as there are activities to do here I come here to be lazy and just enjoy the beach and the beautiful clear water.
In case you forgot to bring a book with you, there is a small bookshop right in the middle of the Walking Street, near the Box restaurant.
6/ Massage on the beach
There are so many massage places on the beach where you can totally switch off, unwind and enjoy the relaxation. Oil massage for one hour is usually 400THB.
7/ Elephant Cafe & Bar
Whether you fancy a good quality coffee, super tasty sandwiches, Thai food and all kinds of breakfast and lunch bowls you will love it here. There are some amazing healthy, vegan and vegetarian options and the best smoothies ever.
8/ Enjoy a Yoga Class
There are two yoga places in Koh Lipe where you can practice yoga.
Castaway Resort in Sunrise beach and Keirita’s Yoga.
Both are equally good so the choice is yours. The prices are the same, 1 drop-in class is 400THB and 3 class package is 1,000THB.
If you want to take your fitness to another level or just keep fit while you are on your holidays, there is a decent gym in the town, around 5 min walk from the Sports Bar, next to the football pitch. The gym is sheltered but not airconned so be ready for the sweating.
9/ Visit the Buddhist Temple
Not far from the Sunset beach on the way to Sunrise Beach you can find a Thai Buddhist Temple, hidden in the hill in the middle of the jungle. It’s worth visiting if you go on a walking trip around the island. A few monks live here together with many dogs and cats.
If you want to help the temple you can drop a couple of hundred baht to the donation box which will also help to care for the animals.
10/ Scuba Diving
Koh Lipe is a very good place for scuba diving and the national park offers many good locations to explore.
Dive sites of Koh Lipe are accessible to all levels. If you’re lucky, you can dive with leopard sharks, whale sharks and devil rays. One of the best dives is the 8 Mile Rock. There are many good quality dive shops on both beaches and in walking street so pick one you like and enjoy the dive!
I hope my tips inspired you to enjoy this beautiful island and get into the mood of a tropical paradise. Enjoy Koh Lipe!
Where to stay in Koh Lipe?
My favorite resort in Koh Lipe is for sure the Castaway Resort, however it can be quite expensive in peak season and also often full. If you are on a lower budget you can have a look at Forra Dive Resort Sunrise, cheap bungalows on Sunrise Beach.
LUXURY RESORTS $
Serendipity Beach Resort Koh Lipe
AKIRA Lipe Resort
MID RANGE $
Castaway Resort Koh Lipe
Wapi Resort
Mali Resort Pattaya Beach
Lipe Banyan Apartment
CHEAPER ACCOMMODATION $
The Chic Lipe
The Sunflower Lipe
Forra Dive Resort Sunrise Beach
Bloom Cafe & Hostel
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