This list of 5 things to do in Koh Lipe in Thailand It is designed so that you can organize your trip to this island of Thailand in the best way and fully enjoy one of the most paradisiacal places in the world, which we are sure, will become part of your list of favorite places.
Located in the Andaman Sea, in the Adang archipelago, Koh Lipe is part of the Tarutao Marine National Park, one of the most impressive of the lot and is also known by its inhabitants, the Chau Leh, nomads of the sea, which are known as the sea gypsies.
This small island, which can be traveled almost entirely on foot, is also known as one of the essential places to see in Thailand and for being a paradise, both for diving enthusiasts and travelers, who arrive here looking for the tranquility that gives an island like that.
Based on the experience of our 10-day stay in Koh Lipe, during which we wrote this travel guide to Thailand, we have prepared this list of what we believe are the 5 things to do in Koh Lipe in Thailand. We start!
Koh Lipe
1. Enjoy the beaches of Koh Lipe
If there is anything we are sure of, it is that any traveler who arrives in Koh Lipe has a special interest in its beaches. Whether to relax, to dive, snorkel or just to enjoy its beauty. Knowing this, we can already assure you that you will not be disappointed and that Koh Lipe, in addition to being an incredible paradise, has some of the most beautiful beaches in Thailand, in which the fine white sand, palm trees and water of impossible blues, They are the real protagonists.
Although Koh lipe has several beaches, some more accessible on foot than others, the best known, which are also the most accessible are Pattaya, Sunrise and Sunset beach. You can reach all of them from the main street of Koh Lipe, which crosses the island during a journey of less than a kilometer, and is the place where the vast majority of tourist venues are concentrated.
- Pattaya Beach: Located in the southwest area of Koh Lipe, this is probably the beach you arrive with the ferry, especially if this is a speedboat and can be accessed to the shore. If it is a larger ship, you will disembark on a platform in the middle of the sea, which according to the season is located on one beach or another.
Although initially it may seem unattractive because it is the place where ferries arrive, nothing is further from reality. You just have to move away a few meters from the pier to discover one of the most attractive corners of the island, in which the fine white sand will be a pleasure for the senses. Of course, in high season it is usually the busiest on the island.
Pattaya Beach
- Sunrise Beach: Located in the northwest area of the island, for us Sunrise Beach is the best beach in Koh Lipe, both to spend the day and to stay. Besides being quite quieter than its neighbor, this is the example of paradise on earth: white sand, palm trees and a blue so intense and with so many nuances that sometimes, we came to think it was unreal. It also has two key points at both ends. In the northern area you have a perfect point, Bulow Beach, to enjoy the sunset, if you do not want to go to Sunset Bech and in the southern area, you have a couple of coves, facing two islets, which are one of the places to see in Koh Lipe more impressive. In addition this area is perfect for snorkeling since a few meters from the shore, you have an impressive coral reef. We'll let you know. You will not want to move!
Sunrise beach
In addition to these two areas that we discussed, the entire length of the beach is spectacular and worth a visit, looking for the perfect place to plant the towel and enjoy only, watch life go by.
Cala at Sunrise Beach
- Bulow Beach: Known for being the northern tip of Sunrise Beach, this small sand tongue is the perfect place to enjoy a few hours of relaxation and the time of sunset.
Bulow beach
- Sunset Beach: This beach is famous for its incredible sunsets. Smaller than the previous two, it's not so pretty, although an hour before sunset, it seems to be the meeting point for all travelers who come here to sit in the sand and say goodbye to another vacation day in paradise.
If you are several days in Koh Lipe, we recommend you approach at least one day to see the atmosphere. In addition, to get there you will have to take a tour of the center of the island, which will allow you to see another perspective of this, as some of the most local and remote areas of the tourist area are crossed.
Sunset beach
2. Diving or snorkeling
If there is something essential what to do in Koh Lipe, is diving or snorkeling. And more if we consider that this island is in the Marine Park of Tarutao, one of the most incredible places to dive in Thailand, which has a spectacular seabed with endless possibilities.
It is important that you know that the Marine Park of Tarutao has almost 40 dive sites, but a part of it closes six months a year as a protection measure. Despite this, the remaining 6 months of the year, 15 points remain open, in which you can continue diving, so you should not worry if you travel to Koh Lipe at that time of year. In addition, despite being one of the most recommended places to dive in Thailand, as it is not a very crowded island or has many diving schools, so you will probably find yourself practically alone in many of the places.
Places to snorkel in Koh Lipe
In addition to diving, of course you can snorkel, something also highly recommended and more if we take into account that you do not need to enter more than a few meters to stumble upon an amazing seabed, in which you can discover another of the attractions of Koh Lipe .
Of course, do not forget to respect the rules and in addition to logically not to get dirty, do not walk in the coral area, since even if you step on the sand area, you will be damaging the reef.
Snorkeling, one of the best things to do in Koh Lipe
In our experience, one of the best areas for snorkeling in Koh Lipe is at Sunrise Beach, just in front of the two islets.
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3. Go to the Koh Adang viewpoint, one of the things to see in Koh Lipe
It is undeniable that Koh Lipe is a paradise, but this is even more evident when you see it from the heights and for this, nothing better than approaching to Koh Adang, the neighboring island, where you can climb up to one of its viewpoints and see Koh Lipe from a truly magical perspective.
To go to Koh Adang you can catch a long tail on any beach on the island, preferably booths where you will see that they already have the indicated prices and pay 100THB per person. If you only want to go to the viewpoint and snorkel, you can ask them to look for you again at the time you say, so you will be assured of transportation.
Koh Adang Beach
Although the ascent to the viewpoint is expensive, especially if you do it during the central hours of the day, it is perfectly feasible to reach the main viewpoint if you take it easy. There are 3 viewpoints, but the number 2 and 3 are the most recommended, since they are from which you get incredible perspectives of Koh Lipe and the surroundings.
Koh Adang viewpoint
Of course, it carries water or a snack, since in Koh Adang, although there is a small cafe / restaurant, it is not always open.
It is also important to go with sneakers or closed shoe, since the climb is in some sections more complicated. We did it with flip flops and the truth is that we miss having taken a closed shoe.
4. Stroll through Koh Lipe, another one of the things to do in Koh Lipe
Although everyone probably says that Koh Lipe has changed a lot in recent years and they are really right, the island still maintains an environment and a magic that we are sure, will hook you.
As you can imagine, this increase in tourism has brought the consequent overcrowding of the island and the appearance of many restaurants and shops that are mostly concentrated on the main street of Koh Lipe, Walking Street, which we recommend you to walk around to know this other perspective and of course, enjoy another one of the other things to do in Koh Lipe.
Walking Street in Koh Lipe
In this street you will find most recommended restaurants of Koh Lipe and several coffee shops where you can have breakfast in case it is not included in your accommodation in Koh Lipe. In addition, both in Walking Street and in the streets of the area, it is where you can find supermarkets, pharmacies, laundries ... etc
Koh Lipe
It is also highly recommended to leave the most central area and spend a morning or a day to walk around the island, to know that other part that we usually do not usually see tourists and that will take you to enjoy more local businesses and more situations usual in your day to day.
Although we encourage you to do so, we do ask you to please be respectful to the Koh Lipe community, since we cannot forget that we are just guests at your home and we have an obligation to take care of it and leave it as we found it. .
5. Relax and enjoy one of the most amazing paradises in Thailand
And there is no better thing to do in Koh Lipe than to enjoy paradise by relaxing and charging the batteries to return from the trip with 15 years less.
What we do want to tell you is that depending on the days you have, maybe coming to Koh Lipe may not be as recommended, since you should not forget that the journey is usually quite long if you come from the Krabi area.
We recommend coming here as long as you have 3 full days to enjoy the island plus two for transfers. If this is not the case, we believe that it may be more advisable to choose to visit another beach area in Thailand and enjoy, for example, the essential things to do in Phi Phi.
What to see in Koh Lipe
How to get to Koh Lipe
The first thing to keep in mind is that in Koh Lipe there is no airport, so the only way you have to get to the island is by ferry. Despite the distances between the most tourist spots in Thailand, ferries tend to be fast and take no more than 6 hours in the most extreme case.
- How to go to / from Krabi to Koh Lipe: From the city you must take a transport to reach the port of Pak Bara and from there take the fast ferry to the island. The journey takes approximately 5:30 hours.
You can book it here.
- How to get to / from Phi Phi to Koh Lipe: You must go to Tonsai port in Phi Phi and take a fast ferry, which takes about 5 hours to travel the journey to Koh Lipe.
You can book it here.
- How to get to / from Phuket to Koh Lipe: From Phuket you must go to the Rassada port in Phuket Town and take a fast ferry that will leave you in Koh Lipe after a 6-hour journey
You can book it here.
- How to go to / from Malaysia (Langkawi and Penang) to Koh Lipe: 30 kilometers from Koh Lipe, you can access the island from Malaysia during the high season (October to May), in a journey of about 45 minutes.
You can book it here.
- How to get to / from Pak Bara to Koh Lipe: Pak Bara is the main port that connects the island by ferry, approximately 2 hours. From there you can take a taxi or a van, which you can book together with the ferry with 12Go and go to Hat Yai or Trang airport in 2 hours, to Satun in 1 hour, to Krabi in about 4 hours and Phuket, 6 hours.
You can book it here.
For the return trip, if you are going to fly to Bangkok or any other city in Thailand, we recommend you buy the flight from Trang or Hat Yai to the destination and with 12Go book the ferry and transfer, jointly, to the airport or to the destination The one you are addressing.
In case you take the flight with AirAsia, this company also offers flights in conjunction with transfers to reach Koh Lipe.
In all cases, you must pay 200THB per person at the time you arrive at Koh Lipe, as an entrance fee. Sometimes they say that this receipt is only valid for 5 days and if you are longer, you must pay again. We were 10 days and when we left, nobody asked us for any kind of proof that justified the two payments.
Long tail in Koh Lipe
Best time to travel to Koh Lipe
Although any time is good to travel to Koh Lipe, the island has two distinct seasons. The months between April and September, which are included in the rainy season and the months between November and February, which are dry season. Despite this, keep in mind that the rains are not usually very strong or last long and the average temperature throughout the year on the island is usually 25 degrees.
Best time to travel to Koh Lipe
Where to stay in Koh Lipe
This is another of the most important aspects or for which you ask us the most in the places to see in Koh Lipe and that is that in the end, according to the accommodation you choose, this will be your experience on the island.
After our experience, we would recommend opting for Sunrise Beach to stay, as it is the quietest and also the most beautiful. Within all the hotels we saw, for us they stand out above the rest, both by location and services the following:
- Castaway Resort: This was our choice of accommodation in Koh Lipe during the 10 nights we were on the island. For availability, we stayed 6 nights in a cabin with partial sea views and 4 nights in a waterfront. Both experiences were perfect, although we must bear in mind that all the accommodation is focused on maintaining a responsible and ecological tourism and that means not having air conditioning or hot water, for example.
After 10 days, we can say that it is one of the Koh Lipe accommodations with the best quality / price ratio, in addition to having one of the best Koh Lipe locations.
Castaway Resort Koh Lipe
Make your reservation here: Castaway Resort Koh Lipe // Accommodation in Ayutthaya
Castaway Resort Koh Lipe
- Serendipity Beach Resort Koh Lipe: With a privileged location, also in Sunrise Beach, but at one end, this is one of the most recommended hotels on the island. We met him thanks to the times we went to eat at his restaurant, On The Rocks Restaurant at Serendipity, which became one of our favorites of Koh Lipe.
Make your reservation here: Serendipity Beach Resort Koh Lipe // Accommodation in Ayutthaya
Serendipity Beach Resort Koh Lipe
- Ten Moons Lipe Resort: Located a few meters from the previous one, this is another of the most recommended Koh Lipe accommodations and it has a better location, in one of the most incredible coves on the island.
Make your reservation here: Serendipity Beach Resort Koh Lipe // Accommodation in Ayutthaya
Serendipity Beach Resort Koh Lipe
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Restaurants in Koh Lipe
Contrary to what it may seem, Koh Lipe despite being a small island, has a wide range of cuisine and restaurants, which we are sure, will be the perfect icing on your stay in paradise.
- Tropical Café: Considered one of the best places to eat in Koh Lipe this cafeteria-restaurant, it was our usual place to have breakfast the 10 days we were on the island.
They have a very extensive menu, both for breakfast and vegetarian and vegan options and although the prices are quite high for the standard, the quality and service are excellent.
The price of a healthy bowl, yogurt with cereals, cappuccino and American coffee is 580THB.
Tropical coffee
- Castaway Restaurant: This is the restaurant of the Castaway Resort Koh Lipe, our accommodation in Koh Lipe during the 10 nights we were on the island, where we repeatedly ate and dined.
They have a fairly extensive menu that includes Thai and Western options. The portions are not excessively large and prices are somewhat high if we take this into account, although only because of its location, we believe it is one of the best options for lunch or dinner in Koh Lipe.
Castaway Restaurant
- Elephant: Of the same owners as Cafe Tropical, this restaurant, located on the main street of Koh Lipe, is the first on the list of TripAdvisor recommendations.
In addition to having a charming place, they have a menu that includes breakfast, western dishes, salads and dishes adapted for vegetarians. They have excellent service and also include free water in the service.
We ordered a pizza and a hamburger, more beer, soda and two espresso for 940THB. Water is free.
Elephant
- On The Rocks Restaurant at Serendipity: We would dare to say that this is one of the best places to eat in Thailand, so you can imagine that it became one of our favorite restaurants in Koh Lipe.
With stunning views of one of the islets of sunrise beach, they serve some curries, within a wide menu, which have been some of the best we have tried in Thailand.
During our stay in Koh Lipe we went on several occasions, trying different dishes of the menu, of which we highlight the pad Thai with crab and the massaman curry, which were among the best we tried.
In addition to this, the service is super professional, pleasant and attentive.
On The Rocks Restaurant at Serendipity
- Bombay Indian Restaurant Ko Lipe: Considered as another of the best restaurants in Koh Lipe, this Indian restaurant could be amazing if it weren't for the delay in service. Our experience was very good in terms of quality, since it is one of the best Indians we have ever tasted, but nevertheless, it took more than an hour to serve 3 dishes, something that we did not find completely correct.
Bombay Indian Restaurant Ko Lipe
- Ten Moons' Restaurant: This restaurant belongs to the accommodation we recommended previously and besides being located in one of the most beautiful coves of Koh Lipe, it is known for having a Spanish chef.
We, after the experience, have to say that although it is not bad, it does not meet the quality / price ratio we expected, so we cannot recommend it.
Ten Moons Restaurant
If you feel like helping us complete the list of the 5 things to do in Koh Lipe, add yours in the comments.
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