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

August 2, 2023

Bulow beach: On the north coast, you’ll find a small stretch of sand called Bulow Beach. From Bulow Beach, you can walk around the mainland and over the rocks. Continue pass the Mountain Resort for a few hundred meters and you will come to a small secret beach.

Secret beach: On the Koh Lipe island itinerary you can’t miss this secret beach as there is an incredible view across the water to Koh Adang. At low tide, the beach triples in size. It is located at the end of the road leading to Sanom Beach Resort. You will need to take a kayak or long-tail boat to this small secret beach.

Snorkeling

Koh Lipe has 51 islands in the archipelago that forms Tarutao Marine National Park. That means you really have to get out and explore a few islands in the area.

Koh Lipe Sea Eco Sunset Snorkeling Tour by Longtail Boat

The best way to explore the area is with a snorkeling trip departing from Koh Lipe. These trips start at 8am and usually depart from Pattaya Beach. Usually you will visit three snorkeling spots and a few islands with lunch. Prices start at 500 THB (15 USD) per person and each boat is limited to about 8 people. We chose Koh Yang, Koh Hin – Ngam to see corals and scuba dive.

Koh Lipe Island Hopping Tour by Longtail Boat

You don’t have to go far to find some great diving spots. The island is surrounded by colorful soft corals and tropical fish. You usually only have to swim 50 to 100 meters offshore and you will be floating right on top of it.

Koh Usen

A small island located a few hundred meters off the coast of Sunrise Beach. Some say you can swim there for 10 minutes, but beware of strong currents. I like to rent a kayak at Castaway Resort or Mali Resort for about 150 THB per hour and paddle out there. You’ll want to park your kayak in the middle of the rocks on the east side of the island.

Koh Kra

This is another small island off the coast of Sunrise Beach, however a bit further north towards Koh Adang. If you’re good at kayaking, you can go straight from Koh Usen, otherwise I’d recommend picking a kayak further along the beach at Salisa Resort.

Koh Adang

Koh Adang is a large neighbor island of Koh Lipe. Here is almost a deserted island, uninhabited, really the remote paradise you are looking for.

There are two ways to get from Koh Lipe to Koh Adang: Using a kayak, or a long-tail boat. We tried kayaking until we were halfway there and realized how big the waves were in the middle. While it may seem close, kayaking will take you at least half an hour if you’re fit, and much longer if you’re not.

A longtail boat to Koh Adang is definitely the faster and easier option. Head over to Sunrise Beach, where you’ll find a local taxi boat man. Standard price is 500 THB one way. The boatman won’t wait for you there, so be sure to get his number or agree a time to be picked up.

At the southern end of the island, you can try climbing up in search of a great view over the Andaman Sea, or go through the jungle to a hidden waterfall. Farther west of the coast, there are some really secluded beaches with freshwater lagoons in the woods. A trip up to the west coast will cost you 1,200 to 1,500 THB with a long-tailed boat.

Some other activities that you can refer to when going to Koh Lipe

Koh Lipe is a small island, but there’s really a lot to do in Koh Lipe. We will share certain must-dos on the Koh Lipe self-sufficient travel itinerary, details below:

Take a walk and watch the beautiful sunset at Sunset Beach.
Thai massage after the tour will help you relax mind as well as body. For only 200 Baht, you have an hour of Thai massage.
Scenic boating from Sunrise beach to Koh Usen or Koh Khra area. You can refer to Kayaking service for 300 Baht for an hour.
Snorkeling to see colorful coral reefs. Off the coast of Sunset Beach is also a fascinating experience for you.
Don’t miss the Walking Street with extremely attractive and delicious seafood and BBQ dishes.
If you have come to Sunrise in the morning, take some time for meditation here.
Walk around the island from Sunrise beach to Sunset beach. This trekking journey is only about 45 minutes, but you will enjoy the poetic space as well as exercise your body.
Camping overnight at Sunrise beach and waiting for the sunrise here is also an interesting experience if you go in a large group.
Don’t miss exploring Koh Adang in a day when you come to Koh Lipe for a vacation.
Enjoying cocktails and watching the sunset at Sunset beach is an activity not to be missed.
Try to register for a night at a luxury resort to enjoy the best services. Especially the outdoor swimming pool.
Paddle from Sunrise Beach to Koh Usen or Koh Khra. Kayaks can be rented for 300 THB per hour.
Enjoy a 2-in-1 Thaijito at Castaway Resort during happy hour.

What and where to eat in Koh Lipe?

The price on the island is one-and-a-half times or twice as much as the mainland, the popular restaurant is 100 Bath / dish and the food is not much. Smoothies or milk tea is 50 Bath. Lots of restaurants to choose from.

Coming to Koh Lipe, you will be confused and difficult to orient what food to enjoy and where to eat. Therefore, you can go to the following restaurants to enjoy the delicious taste of Koh Lipe such as:

Papaya Mom Restaurant

Address: Walking St, Ko Tarutao, Mueang Satun District, Satun 91000, Thailand
Hours: 9 AM–9:30 PM

Nee neighborhood cuisine is located near the intersection of Walking Street. The restaurant is only about 200m from Sunrise beach with extremely attractive and delicious Northern Thai street food. The two most delicious dishes that we really like when eating at this Papaya restaurant are Som Tam and Lard. At the same time, seafood along with grilled BBQ dishes are also dishes that should not be missed when coming here.

La Luna Restaurant

Address: 322 moo.7 (koh lipe) koh sarai , Satun, Thailand, Satun
Tel: +66 82 286 1910

The next restaurant that you should not miss is La Luna restaurant located on Walking Street. There are delicious European dishes such as Pizza, Pasta, Lasagne, Steak,…

Thai Lady Pancake

Location: Walking Street, Ko Lipe, Thailand
Hours: 7:00-22:00
Tel: 0807012667

After enjoying savory dishes and filling an empty stomach. You can go to Pancake Lady to enjoy the taste of the most delicious and sweet cakes in Thailand. At Pancake Lady, you can eat cakes with flavors of banana, pineapple, chocolate, durian, etc. A small note is that you should not eat too many cakes to avoid getting greasy!

Elephant Books and Coffee

Address: 358, Koh Lipe, Walking St, Tambon Ko Tarutao, Koh Lipe, Satun 91000, Thailand
Hours: 7 AM–10 PM

A hot cup of coffee and relaxing reading will definitely be the ideal stopover for you in Koh Lipe. At Elephant Books and Coffee, you will have a wide selection of delectable drinks with many different flavors. Or, if you go in a large group, this place is also very suitable for you to have interesting gatherings!

Where to stay in Koh Lipe?

There are over 60 guest houses and hostels and hotels here, some of which only charge 500 baht per room in the peak seasons. But there are still some places that will charge 1,000 baht or more. Some hotels here also use gimmicks about cheap room types to attract tourists. But the reality is that most of these rooms are not sold to tourists.

Akira Lipe Resort (Agoda, Booking)

Address: 370 Moo 7 Koh Lipe, Koh Sarai Sub-district, Muang, Koh Lipe, Ko Lipe Pattaya Beach, Satun, Thailand.
Room rate per night from $147

Akira Lipe Resort looking down from above. @Collect | koh lipe guide

Akira Lipe Resort is the choice that you should not miss when traveling to Koh Lipe. From the hotel you will be very easy to move to Sunset Beach because it is only about 500m away, you can travel by car or on foot, you can also visit Koi Him Ngam about 6km…

Irene Pool Villa Resort (Agoda, Booking)

Address: 391 Moo 7 Sunrise Beach, Lipe Island, Tumbol – Koh Sarai, Koh Lipe, Mueang Satun District, Satun, Thailand.
Room rate per night from $375

A resort that you can stop in Satun is Irene Resort Koh Lipe, which has a full range of facilities provided to guests such as laundry service, concierge, work desk, in-room safe… and You will also be very easy to reach Sunset Beach about 1km away.

Beautiful beach of luxury resort. @ireneresort

Bundhaya Resort (Agoda, Booking)

Address: Pattaya Beach, Koh Lipe, Satun, Thailand.
Room rate per night from $84

Guest rooms at Bundhaya Resort. @bundhayaresort

Bundhaya Resort is a 3-star resort that you can consider when traveling to Koh Lipe. Only about 1km from Pattaya Koh Lipe beach, so you can easily move, and the hotel also ensures a number of facilities such as family rooms, meeting room, coffee shop, restaurant serving meals…

Mali Resort Pattaya Beach Koh Lipe (Agoda, Booking)

Address: 306 Mu 7, Pattaya Beach, Koh Lipe, Koh Lipe, Ko Lipe Pattaya Beach, Satun, Thailand.
Room rate per night from $55

Mali Resort Pattaya Beach Koh Lipe will be the perfect choice for your travel in Koh Lipe. With airy space, green flower garden, along with tour booking support services will make your trip more complete…

Castaway Resort Koh Lipe (Agoda, Booking)

Castaway Resort Koh Lipe is the answer for you about where to stay. Located at the southern end of Sunrise Beach, this resort in Koh Lipe is beautiful, well priced, yet rustic meets comfort. Beautiful two-story bungalows line the beach with hammocks in the front, large upstairs bedrooms overlook the ocean with great views.

Facilities here are a large double bed, a two-story bungalow, a cold shower, a fan room, a beach bar, and a restaurant and dive shop. At Castaway Resort you can enjoy great and cheap cocktails. One of the favorites here is Thaijito made with Thai rum, lemon, ginger, brown sugar and soda water.

Bayview Sunset Resort (Agoda, Booking)

Bayview Sunset Bungalows is the great place to watch the sunset. The oceanfront rooms have expansive views of the Andaman Sea from high up in the mountains.

You can choose to stay in the ocean view bungalow or in the garden view room with a fan instead of air conditioning to save money and still enjoy this wonderful beach.

The Street Hostel Koh Lipe (Agoda, Booking)

The Street Hostel Koh Lipe, which is close to the walking street, is located close to 3 famous and beautiful beaches in Koh Lipe, Pattaya, Sunset and Sunrise. The property provides facilities such as free WiFi in all rooms, ticket service, Wi-Fi in public areas, tours, shared TV/entertainment place, ensuring maximum comfort for guests.

Here, you can relax with recreational activities such as fishing, scuba diving/snorkeling or join the hotel’s tours which are also very comfortable and have many new experiences for your trip.

The Chic Lipe (Agoda, Booking)

If you want to stay close to the town, at an affordable price, The Chic Lipe is an extremely reasonable choice for you. The hotel offers the best services and facilities. Guests can enjoy available facilities such as free WiFi in all rooms, taxi service, ticket service, Wi-Fi in public areas, restaurant.

Rooms are equipped with flat-screen televisions, clothes racks, towels of all kinds, WiFi, smoking rules (with non-smoking rooms), helping you to restore your energy and spirit after a long day. long tiring day. The property also has many entertainment facilities so that you never get bored.

I stay at A Plus Hote (Agoda, Booking), walk 5 steps to the central Walking Street. Prices for each room type in the photo album. It’s great to stay here, the location is too convenient and the room is clean, the staff cleans constantly, the hotel is very crowded. In the morning there are cakes, coffee and fruit. There is a common room which is very good. Should be here.

Check out more top and best hotels in Koh Lipe on Agoda.com or Booking.com

Some tips and notes that you should take note of before going

You should exchange your money to Thai Baht before coming to Koh Lipe. Because it is possible that when exchanging at Koh Lipe, the exchange rate will be more expensive.
Please check the boat or ferry schedule before booking tickets to Koh Lipe. If possible, you should set an ample time of about 1 to 2 hours to avoid delays.
Don’t forget to buy extra sim 4G to use in information search and data lookup.
There will be hotels with shuttle service from the island area to the gate. You should check with the hotel reception in advance to save some money.
Come to Koh Lipe, don’t forget to bring sunscreen to limit UV effects to your skin.
Hats and umbrellas are also two necessary equipment for your beach trip.
Bikini, swimwear or jacket and wide-brimmed hat will help you take gorgeous photos on the beach in Koh Lipe.
If you participate in the island discovery journey. Bring insect repellent. In addition, long socks will also help you minimize insect bites.
If you participate in scuba diving, just watch and take pictures with the coral. Do not break or break coral reefs. Also don’t bring any starfish from the bottom to shore because they will die.
Koh Lipe is a green, clean and beautiful island. Therefore, you should not litter when coming here.
Experience scuba diving or exploring the jungle should be accompanied by a professional guide. You should register services with tour operators to receive the best support.

So with the above article, you also have information about Koh Lipe, a beautiful island of the land of golden temples, right? Surely you already known places to visit as well as activities for the upcoming trip of yourself and your family.

Some best day tours, trips, activities and transfer services, tickets in, from and to Koh Lipe and Hat Yai you can refer to

Read more Thailand guide here.