Koh Lipe travel blog — The fullest Koh Lipe travel guide for first-timers

Island tourism is always draws to many tourists, where you enjoy blue beaches, watching sunrise or sunset, take part in water activities, tasting delectable seafood, trekking through pristine forests… There is a tourist destination in Thailand that will help you feel fresh nature from the sea, it is nowhere else than Koh Lipe island. So let’s find out with us to see what is so beautiful and attractive here.

So, is Koh Lipe worth visiting, how to visit Koh Lipe, What to do in Koh Lipe, Thailand and how to plan a budget trip to Koh Lipe for the first-time perfectly? Let’s check out our Koh Lipe travel blog (Koh Lipe blog) with the fullest Koh Lipe travel guide (guide to Koh Lipe, Koh Lipe guide) from how to get to Koh Lipe, best places to visit, best time to come, what to eat as well as top things to do in Koh Lipe to help you maximize your trip as follows!

Traveling to Koh Lipe Island is a completely new experience in Thailand. This is a small island in the Adang-Rawi archipelago, Satun province, southwestern Thailand, near the Malaysian border, and is part of the beautiful Tarutao National Marine Park.

Overview of Koh Lipe (# koh lipe travel blog)

Koh Lipe is an island located in Satun province, in the south of Thailand. It is one of 51 islands in Tarutao Marine National Park, if you want to go to Koh Lipe, you will come to Koh Tarutao Marine National Park, which is protected by Thailand’s Wildlife Conservation and Protection Act. This also means, you can come here to visit, relax as well as enjoy the fresh nature, if there is any fishing or environmental destruction activities, you will definitely be sued quite heavily.

Tarutao National Marine Park, which includes Koh Lipe, is protected by Thailand’s Wildlife Conservation and Protection Act. This means that fishing is strictly regulated by the government, so there are plenty of amazing reefs to explore.

This island is about 35km from Langkawi Island. It is part of the Koh Tarutao Marine National Park along with other islands such as Koh Tarutao and Koh Adang. Koh Lipe is a small, relatively flat island located in the southern Andaman Sea, Thailand. This place is famous for its long white sand beaches, crystal clear sea water and a diverse and rich marine life. In the local Sea Gypsy (Chao Ley) language the name of Koh Lipe means “Paper Island”.

The first people to set foot on this island were a group of nomadic people of Malaysian origin, known as the Urak Lawoi people. The island was then frequented by the Chao Ley people, who moved from island to island in search of the most favorable fishing spot, and nourished themselves and their tribe.

Gradually, the Chao Ley people settled on Koh Lipe island and were given the right to live on the east coast of the island (Sunrise beach). These locals still rely on fishing, but thanks to the development of tourism, their livelihood is gradually changing. Some have opened restaurants serving local cuisine, chartered cruise boats or run taxis.

How to get to Koh Lipe? (# koh lipe travel guide)

To get to Koh Lipe, you will have to go to Bangkok – the capital of Thailand first. There are many airlines that fly directly to Bangkok. For example: Vietnam Airlines, Emirates, Thai Airways, Air Asia, etc. Hunting cheap airfares as well as the most suitable routes on Google Flights, Kayak or Skyscanner.

And having arrived in Thailand, the next thing you only need to move is about 80km to reach the west coast of Thailand and reach Koh Lipe, if you depart from Bangkok, you will have to travel both by car and boat and even airplanes. Therefore, book your flight tickets quickly to complete your trip.

How to get to Koh Lipe from Bangkok? (# koh lipe travel blog)

We went directly from Bangkok to Koh Lipe by AirAsia from Don Muaeng airport to Hai Yat international airport, Pak Bara pier, Pattaya beach. The trip includes the following stages:

• Flight from Bangkok to Hat Yai Airport (1.5 hours).
• Minivan from Hat Yai Airport to Pak Bara Pier (2 hours).
• Speedboat from Pak Bara pier to Pattaya beach (1.5 hours).

Flights from Bangkok to Koh Lipe depart from Don Muaeng Airport at around 6.45am. It was an early start, but necessary to reach the island in the same day. In low season you can get a one-way ticket for 1,500 THB. During peak season and holidays, a one-way ticket can cost up to more than 4,000 THB.

How to go to Koh Lipe from other islands? (# koh lipe travel guide)

Koh Lipe can only be reached by boat because there are usually a lot of boats going in and out of the island. From Phuket and Krabi you can go directly to Koh Lipe, but from other islands like Koh Phi Phi, Koh Lanta and Koh Tarutao you can only take a boat. Alternatively, you can also take a ferry from Langkawi island, Malaysia to Koh Lipe.

There are speedboats and ferries between Koh Lipe and several other islands in the Andaman Sea. Most trips are within 2 hours by speedboat.

• From Phuket to Koh Lipe – speedboat tickets from 2,400 THB (80 USD) per person.
• Koh Lanta to Koh Lipe – speedboat tickets from 1,900 THB (65 USD) per person.

[One Way] Speedboat Transfer from Pak Bara Pier to Koh Lipe by Hi Lipe

If you are coming from elsewhere on mainland Thailand, then you will have to arrive at Pak Bara Pier in the morning. Speedboat tickets from Pak Bara Pier to Sunrise Beach start from THB 550 per person. A one-way journey takes about 90 minutes.

When is the best time to visit Koh Lipe? (# koh lipe blog)

You can plan a trip to Koh Lipe depending on the time as follows:

November – April (next year): This time the weather in Koh Lipe is not too sunny and there is not much rain, so the temperature in the island is also cooler than in other areas. Therefore, this is also the peak tourist time of the island and some surrounding areas. Almost every day is sunny with little or no rain, the ambient temperature is a bit cooler around 25 degrees Celsius. There are more tourists, and hotels will charge high season rates which can be double the low season rates.

May – October: Similar to Vietnam, this is the time when it rains a lot during the day. Very few people come here to travel on this occasion, however, if you go at this time, you can visit more comfortably because there are fewer tourists and the price of everything is also very cheap. This is the low season. During this time, it can rain every day for many hours. Less tourists many hotels have lower rates, and many shops and bars remain closed.

So the best time to travel to Koh Lipe is mid to late October. The weather can be great, hotels are cheaper, and there are fewer people. You run the risk a little because of the wet rainy season.

What to do and where to go in Koh Lipe? (# guide to koh lipe)

When it comes to island tourism, it is indispensable for beautiful beaches with golden sunshine, white sand and clear blue sea. And it is in Koh Lipe that you will see a lot of beautiful beaches, here are some beaches that you can consider if you come here to travel.

There are three main beaches on Koh Lipe are sunset beach, Sunrise beach and Pattaya beach. There are also a few other small beaches on the island that many tourists don’t know about them such as Koh Lipe’s Secret Beach are on the western end of the island and Bulow Beach on the north coast.

The island is small enough that you can walk to any beach in under an hour. If you don’t like walking, then hop on a tuk-tuk motorbike for 100 THB.

Koh Lipe Walking Street

Koh Lipe Walking Street is basically the only business street in Koh Lipe, lined with guesthouses, shops, eateries, bars, 7-eleven, pharmacies and massage parlors. It connects Pattaya beach and Sunrise beach, it will take you about 10 to 20 minutes to walk from one end to the other.

If you are looking for what and where to eat in Koh Lipe, we highly recommend Rak-Lay Restaurant which is located in the middle of Lipe Walking Street, Rak-Lay is the most popular restaurant in Koh Lipe, serving the best seafood dishes in Thai style at a reasonable price. We enjoyed grilled meat and fish, and Thai salad here.

Please note that Pak-Lay is a Halal eatery that does not serve alcoholic beverages. Always wait in line and be ready to wait.

Pattaya Beach (# guide to koh lipe)

Pattaya Beach is a must-see if you’ve been to the Thailand island of Koh Lipe. Pattaya beach, will definitely give you a beautiful picture of a dream beach with blue water, golden sand and tall coconut trees. Besides, the picture that Pattaya brings is more wild and clearer.

Pattaya beach on Koh Lipe is actually much nicer than the version near Bangkok. The beach is the main destination on the island, so there are a few speedboats that depart in the morning and arrive in the afternoon, otherwise it’s quite comfortable.

Pattaya Beach has a mix of basic bungalows and high-end resorts. You will also find a few seafood restaurants along the beach near the entrance to its Walking Street. Pattaya Beach is one of the  tourist sites in Koh Lipe near the walking street.

Sunrise Beach

Like Pattaya beach, Sunrise beach has a beauty that attracts tourists to Koh Lipe. The point that most tourists like most here is that on mild sunny days, they can all see the island of Koh Tarutao and Langkawi appear. Coming here you can help you bask in the sun, and at the same time admire the super beautiful natural landscape. In addition, you can also experience scuba diving around the nearby islands of Koh Kra and Koh Usen.

In the early morning and late afternoon, the beach is packed with wooden long-tail boats. Locals use them for fishing and diving trips around Koh Tarutao Marine National Park. During the day the beach is mostly free of these long-tail boats.

One of my favorite things to do on Sunrise Beach is relaxing at Salisa Resort for lunch, this is a bar in Koh Lipe by the sea, good drinks. This little beachside bar puts out some great deep tunes, delicious cocktails and really cold beer. It’s a great place to spend a lazy day on the beach.

Sunset Beach

Sunset is the next beach that we wants to suggest for you in your Koh Lipe discovery journey. As a beach located in a small bay located in the western part of the archipelago, Sunset beach is the best place to watch the sunset. You can head to a few of these beach bars or restaurants to get a better view and enjoy a glamorous cocktail.

Watching the sunset is not to be missed this beach, one of the places with the most beautiful views of Koh Lipe. There are very few boats around and a much nicer reef for snorkeling along with lots of tropical fish and even turtles!

Sunset Beach is much less developed than Sunrise Beach and Pattaya Beach. There are only a few chalet-style places to stay along the beach. My favorite bungalow here is Bayview Sunset Resort. The bungalows have a great view overlooking the Andaman Sea. Sunset Beach is the cheapest place to cross the sea to neighboring Koh Adang.

Other beaches in Koh Lipe

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