The tiny island of Koh Lipe has to be seen with your own eyes to be believed. With white sand and the prettiest aquamarine sea I have ever seen, you will feel like you are in paradise. You can experience the stunning island of Koh Lipe via an easy boat trip from islands such as Langkawi or Koh Mook. It’s a tiny island with not a great deal to do on, so prepare to mostly just relax on Koh Lipes collection of stunning beaches. Koh Lipe is small enough for you to comfortably walk around, however taxi boats can be found on all beaches.
How To Get To Koh Lipe?
Koh Lipe can be reached by either island hopping through Thailand or via Langkawi in Malaysia.
If you are approaching from Thailand then you can use one of the speedboat companies (see 12Go timetable **sponsored**) and arrive at the jetty you see in the photograph below. The journey from Koh Mook for example takes about 2 hours.
If you are arriving from Langkawi then you will need to pass through immigration on both sides. This is how we arrived and the process was very easy.
Please note that your passport will be taken from you for the duration of the journey from Langkawi. This is for security reasons and it is returned to you once you land. The staff call out your names, grouped by countries. Then you will go to the immigration booths for your Thai stamp and pay 200baht per person for the national park fee.
Also if you are arriving by ferry from Langkawi then the water is to shallow to get close to the beach. Therefore the ferry stops out to sea and a conveyor belt of longtail boats arrive to transport you the rest of the way to shore. We hadn’t thought of this, but it was a fun end to the unpleasant ferry trip. (Felt a bit trapped and it was very fumy).
Take A Stroll Along Walking Street
Almost every Thai town/city has the equivalent of the Walking Street. For example Phuket has Banglor Road where you can find shops, bar, clubs and restaurants. Here on Koh Lipe the walking street also many shops and restaurants, you will be spoilt for choice. It is also the main walking route from Pattaya Beach to Sunrise Beach and at all times of the day is quite busy. There is also a deceiving hill in the centre of it too.
Sunset Beach
As the name suggests, Sunrise Beach is the best place to watch the sun set right in to the sea. You can also experience wonderful sunsets from Pattaya Beach, however it sets behind the hill. There are many bars dotted along the beach for you to grab a cold drink and a bean bag. The beach does get very busy at sunset as people from across the island make their way to enjoy the views.
Sunrise Beach
Possibly the prettiest of them all, is Sunrise Beach. The white sand with crystal clear blue waters give it the ‘picture postcard’ vibe. You will find longtail boats moored along the shoreline but none of the busy ferry terminals of Pattaya Beach. Watch the sun rise in the morning and spend your day relaxing at one of the many beach bars dotted along the beach.
Pattaya Beach
Pattaya Beach is where you land when you arrive on Koh Lipe island. Its the busiest of beaches due to the many jetties that are dotted along it, along with a whole host of longtail boats moored up. However it is still a very pretty beach, with gorgeous sand and lovely blue sea. There are plenty of restaurants and bars along the stretch of beach, as well as the entrance to Walking Street.
Find The Secret Walkway
To the very west of Pattaya Beach you will spot some rickety looking wooden steps on the rocks. We thought these led to the hotel/bungalows above but we were wrong. Walk up the steps and along a very ‘hand made’ walkway with a rail which runs alongside the cliff face above the sea. You will eventually pop out on another beach which feels as though it belongs to a hotel, but the beach is public. However there are large gates at the end of the pathway which were locked before 0830 in the morning which did prevent us being able to access the beach. Slightly annoying!
This is the cute beach in front of the hotel that you end up coming out at. There is a bar which you are able to purchase food and drink from, however you cannot sit on the sun loungers or bean bags as they are part of the hotels property.
My only complaint about Koh Lipe is that too many people know about it…and visit. There are just too many tourists for such a tiny island, it did feel overcrowded at times. And they also need to deal with their rubbish issue. Travelling around the island it was a bit pongy at times with all of the rubbish dumps dotted around. The downside of this place being popular is that the infrastructure just can’t cope with the volume of tourists. An then all of the things that come with them cause more problems.
Koh Lipe is ticked off of my bucket list and the fridge magnet has been purchased. I’m pleased to have experienced it before more people find it!