Koh Lipe is a little island belonging to the South West province of Satun. Theres not a whole lot to do here which means its the perfect destination if you plan on doing little other than float around in crystal clear water and sip fresh coconuts under palm trees.
I arrived here during low-season so there weren’t crowds of people on the island which meant I had the beaches nearly all to myself and the accommodation was at a discounted rate. The only downside to coming here in low-season, if you like somewhere more lively, is that a lot of places are shut due to there being less tourists this time of year.
Another note to mention is that its not as cheap as the rest of Thailand. For example Joe & I were sharing a double room with air con on the mainland for 400-500 baht and on the island we stayed in a little bamboo bungalow withour aircon or breakfast for 600 baht a night. But its the price you pay for paradise. 600 baht was only £15 at the time so it sounds ridiculous but to us that extra money was like gold dust because we were backpacking on a budget (being really tight).
How to get there
I travelled to Koh Lipe from Koh Samui. It took over 24 hours but I got there eventually.
- Ferry from Koh Samui to Surat Thani
- Bus from Surat Thani to Hat Yai (we had to stay here overnight because we missed the last minibus)
- Minibus(es) from Hat Yai to Pak bara
- Ferry from Pakbara to Koh Lipe
The easiest way to get to Koh Lipe is fly from Bangkok to Hat Yai. Then take a bus or taxi from Hat Yai airport to Pak Bara pier then take the ferry straight to Koh Lipe.
If you’re travelling to Koh Lipe from other places in Thailand just make sure to get to Hat Yai via whatever transport is more suitable for you’re time restraints and budget then once you’ve arrived in Hat Yai book onward transport to Koh Lipe.
Things to do
The most strenuous activity for me during my 4 day visit was walking 10 minutes up the beach to my favourite restaurant ‘Madam Yoohoo’s’, on Walking Street, for some cow pad gai (chicken fried rice) and a nam manow (lemon shake). There are no cars on the island, only motorbikes. So the best way to get around other than motorbike taxi is walk. So it’s a good job our yummy Thai food fix was just a stones throw away.
If you’re feeling more adventurous then you can hire a snorkel and mask and swim out only a few meters from the shore to explore the coral reefs. There are also kayaks for rent for around 500 baht a day or 200 baht an hour.
Beaches
The main beaches on the island are Sunrise Beach (East), Pattaya Beach (South) and Sunset Beach (West).
Sunrise beach is where the ferry drops you off. There is not a lot around here so its quiet and if you get up early you will be rewarded with an amazing sunrise. I didn’t spend any time on this beach because it was far from where I was staying but I saw that there were bungalows which would be cheap or if you aren’t worried about the price so much there are some really nice chalets.
Pattaya beach was my favourite and is accessible via the end of Walking Street. It boasts powdery white sand and turquoise water, I could see why the island got the nickname ‘The Maldives of Thailand’. To get to this beach from the pier is quite a walk especially with a backpack on. I ended up walking to this beach though because this is where I found a bungalow for 600 Baht. We didn’t find reason to move from Pattaya beach much because our hotel, favourite restaurant and seven eleven were all in close proximity.
Sunset Beach is a 20 minute walk from Pattaya beach. On the far left there are large rocks that you can sit on and watch the sun go down. There are also some really cute dogs so that won me over as well
