Koh lipe island in thailand how to get there. Beaches on Koh Lipe

Koh Lipe is a small island of the Adang Ravi archipelago in the Andaman Sea, part of the Satun Province, in the southwest of Thailand, not far from the Malaysian border. The Thai name of the island is spelled differently in Russian, but the most common variants are "Ko Lipe" or "Koh Lipe" - the name, by the way, means "Paper Island" in the local Chao Lei language (more on them later).

Koh Lipe is located right on the border of the Tarutao National Marine Park, south of the large islands of Koh Adang and Koh Ravi, about 50 kilometers from Koh Tarutao. 2.5 km long and 1.5 km at its widest point, the L-shaped island is inhabited by about 500 sea gypsies (chao leh in Thai) originally from Malaysia, known today as urak lava. They live in small villages, mainly on the east side of the island, near Sunrise Beach, and are mostly engaged in tourism. Read completely

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Weather on Koh Lipe by months:

Month Temperature Cloudiness Rainy days /
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Water temperature
in the sea
Number of solar
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There are many beautiful places in Thailand worth visiting at least once. Therefore, the question often arises, where exactly to go. Should I give preference to the islands in the south of Thailand or go to the waterfalls of the north? Surely, most people, having heard about the island of Lipe, first of all asked the question "why go to Koh Lipe?". What is so attractive, interesting and beautiful on this tropical island of Thailand?

Koh Lipe is not as crowded as Phi Phi. Lipa has a much better infrastructure and is much easier to get to than the Similan Islands. Lipe is much more compact or Koh Samui. If we talk about the size of Ko Lipe, then it is only 3 km long (while half of these 3 km is an uninhabited mountain), the distance between the beaches is a maximum of 1 km. You can, slowly walking, walk from one beach to another in 15 - 20 minutes. For those who do not like to walk, there is a motorcycle taxi (moped with a sidecar) on Lipa.

Lipe Island is kind of a rising star tourist thailand which is only gaining popularity. On the island, you can rarely hear Russian speech. Koh Lipe is a popular holiday destination for the people of Thailand and their Malaysian neighbors. Therefore, on weekends and holidays, the number of vacationers increases significantly on the island. Why do these tourists go to Koh Lipe when there are so many alternatives in Thailand?

1 | Incredibly beautiful seascapes

Beauty begins already on the way to Koh Lipe, you can do a lot from the board of a speedboat or ferry beautiful photos and enjoy the endless sea with islands rising out of the water here and there.


Seascape (photographed from a speedboat on Koh Lipe)

2 | rich underwater world

A variety of fish, corals, outlandish marine life, which can be seen by everyone (even those who cannot swim). No need to wear diving equipment to see the underwater beauties of the Tarutao National Marine Park (to which Koh Lipe belongs) - all you need is a mask and snorkel, which, if necessary, can be rented from a hotel or travel agency. You can get to the most interesting and beautiful points by buying a group tour or ordering an individual tour.

Tour prices start at 650 baht (~$20) per person.

The most popular excursions in Koh Lipe:

  • sunset tour of the most beautiful places with snorkeling and a picnic on the beach,
  • morning tour with lunch on the beach and snorkeling in the most beautiful places,
  • tour with 2 scuba dives (experience not required),
  • walk through the jungle of the island of Koh Adang with a visit observation deck and snorkeling.
Sea stars Clownfish and anemone

A short video clip (2 minutes), which contains sunsets, beaches, underwater beauty of Koh Lipe and neighboring islands:


Video clip from the island of Koh Lipe and excursions to neighboring islands

3 | White fine sand and turquoise water of the beaches of Koh Lipe

Despite a number of shortcomings (which I will talk about later), the beaches of Koh Lipe delight with their natural beauty. First of all, we are talking about snow-white and fine, like powdered sugar, sand on Pattaya beach. Please do not confuse with the resort of the same name in Thailand, which is located near Bangkok, much north of Koh Lipe.


Pattaya beach on Koh Lipe is famous for its white sand

Good hotels to stay on Pattaya beach:

  • The Breeze Lipe Resort 3 * (you can book a hotel on booking.com or agoda.com),
  • Bunbhaya Villas 4 * (you can book a hotel on booking.com or agoda.com).

No less beautiful is Sunrise beach, especially its northern part:


Northern part of Sunrise beach

Good hotels to stay on Sunrise beach:

  • Salisa Resort 3* (you can book a hotel on booking.com or agoda.com),
  • Idyllic Concept Resort 4 * (you can book a hotel on booking.com or agoda.com).

4 | Sunrises and sunsets within walking distance

In the morning you can meet the beginning of the day on one side of the island, and in the evening you can walk to the sunset point on the other side. Few islands can boast a beach where you can meet both sunrise and sunset. Koh Lipe can. This is Sunrise beach. Although it is customary to meet the sunset on the corresponding "sunset beach" - Sunset beach.


Sunset on Sunset beach

5 | Bars on the beach where the sea splashes at your feet

Relaxing with a glass of your favorite cocktail or juice on the beach, in a comfortable sun lounger, enjoying the seascape and gentle waves at your feet - this is truly a paradise vacation.


Beach bar on Sunrise beach

6 | Lunch or dinner in a restaurant with a gorgeous view of the sea and neighboring islands

In good weather, the Langkawi Islands belonging to Malaysia are visible from Koh Lipe. The most beautiful view of the sea opens from the restaurant on the rock at the southern edge of Sunrise beach, at the Serendipity Resort. The restaurant is open from 12 noon to 21:30 pm, drinks are served from 10:00 to 22:00 (prices are not high, the food is delicious). If you want to wake up in a room with beautiful view by the sea, it's worth stopping in Serendipity Beach Resort(you can book a hotel on booking.com or agoda.com).


Restaurant overlooking the sea and neighboring islands

7 | Wide range of seafood in restaurants

In the evening, on the main street of the island, Walking street, feasts begin. Restaurants put up stalls with seafood, kindle barbecues and lure hungry tourists with the alluring smells of cooking food. There are so many temptations around that it is not a sin to arrange a real celebration of the stomach. In addition to the classic options for restaurants where you can choose a certain dish from the menu, Walking street has seafood buffets where you can try everything that is in the restaurant’s assortment for a certain amount (the price for such a buffet is from 490 baht ~ $ 15 per person).


Assortment of seafood in one of the restaurants on Koh Lipe

Disadvantages of Koh Lipe and what you should be prepared for

Vacation disappointments lie in wait for those who do not know about the shortcomings of the place where they are going. Koh Lipe is rapidly gaining popularity and many disadvantages are associated with the growing tourist flow:

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  • too much garbage that local authorities do not have time to deal with;
  • a large number of boats, which are designed to meet the needs of tourists, flooded the beaches (especially the beaches of Sunrise and Pattaya),
  • many fairly large dogs that make a good living on waste from restaurants (they can be annoying and arrogant),
  • prices on Koh Lipe are higher than in other places in Thailand (even in the 7 Eleven chain of stores, prices for all goods are 1.5 - 2 times higher),
  • service in many hotels is lower than expected (the lack of experienced and qualified staff affects) and the choice of a hotel on Koh Lipe should be approached with particular care.

The natural disadvantage of the island of Koh Lipe is pronounced ebbs and flows. At high tide, most of the sandy edge of the beaches is under water and there is nowhere to sunbathe, and at low tide it becomes so shallow that it is impossible to swim. The only place on the island where you can sunbathe and swim at almost any time is the northern part of Sunrise beach.

Koh Lipe - one of the inhabited islands of Thailand in the Adang Ravi archipelago in the Andaman Sea, is located in the province of Satun, near the border with Malaysia. It is part of the Tarutao National Marine Park. The distance to the mainland is 70 km, in the immediate vicinity is the island of Koh Adang, 50 km - Koh Tarutao. The Thai name of the island in English has many spellings of Koh Lipe, Koh Lipeh, Ko Lipey and Ko Lipe.

More than a hundred years ago, the island was originally inhabited by sea gypsies, immigrants from Malaysia, known as the people of Chao Lei (Chao Lei) or Urak Lawoi (Urak Lavoy). They still live here, numbering about 800 people - this is the main labor force on the island. Some have been able to open small businesses.

Koh Lipe is famous for sandy beaches with white sand and clear sea. Nearby there are many islands where you can go for a secluded holiday, snorkeling, diving, and also try your luck on fishing. There are no special entertainments on Koh Lipe, mainly beach holiday with the gradual spreading of people to numerous bars after sunset. Life on the island calms down closer to midnight.

The food on Koh Lipe is quite diverse, in addition to seafood and Thai cuisine, there are many different establishments oriented towards Europeans. Low prices for seafood - everything is freshly caught, while there is not much variety. Prices for food and services are average for Thailand, at the level of Phuket.

In recent years, Koh Lipe has changed a lot in terms of infrastructure, it has become less "wild". Good hotels appeared, electricity (24 hours a day) and the Internet became available, but, in turn, there were fewer secluded corners. Although even on peak dates it is not very crowded. There are no supermarkets and chain stores like 7 Eleven here, but there are local mini-marts, the prices in them are different, but approximately the same.

There are many beautiful places in Thailand worth visiting at least once. Therefore, the question often arises, where exactly to go. Should I give preference to the islands in the south of Thailand or go to the waterfalls of the north? Surely, most people, having heard about the island of Lipe, first of all asked the question "why go to Koh Lipe?". What is so attractive, interesting and beautiful on this tropical island of Thailand?

Koh Lipe is not as crowded as Phi Phi. Lipa has a much better infrastructure and is much easier to get to than the Similan Islands. Lipe is much more compact or Koh Samui. If we talk about the size of Ko Lipe, then it is only 3 km long (while half of these 3 km is an uninhabited mountain), the distance between the beaches is a maximum of 1 km. You can, slowly walking, walk from one beach to another in 15 - 20 minutes. For those who do not like to walk, there is a motorcycle taxi (moped with a sidecar) on Lipa.

Lipe Island is a kind of rising tourist star in Thailand, which is only gaining popularity. On the island, you can rarely hear Russian speech. Koh Lipe is a popular holiday destination for the people of Thailand and their Malaysian neighbors. Therefore, on weekends and holidays, the number of vacationers increases significantly on the island. Why do these tourists go to Koh Lipe when there are so many alternatives in Thailand?

1 | Incredibly beautiful seascapes

Beauty begins already on the way to Koh Lipe, from the board of a speedboat or ferry you can take many beautiful photos and enjoy the endless sea with islands rising from the water here and there.


Seascape (photographed from a speedboat on Koh Lipe)

2 | rich underwater world

A variety of fish, corals, outlandish marine life, which can be seen by everyone (even those who cannot swim). No need to wear diving equipment to see the underwater beauties of the Tarutao National Marine Park (to which Koh Lipe belongs) - all you need is a mask and snorkel, which, if necessary, can be rented from a hotel or travel agency. You can get to the most interesting and beautiful points by buying a group tour or ordering an individual tour.

Tour prices start at 650 baht (~$20) per person.

The most popular excursions in Koh Lipe:

  • sunset tour of the most beautiful places with snorkeling and a picnic on the beach,
  • morning tour with lunch on the beach and snorkeling in the most beautiful places,
  • tour with 2 scuba dives (experience not required),
  • a walk through the jungle of the island of Koh Adang with a visit to the observation deck and snorkeling.
Sea stars Clownfish and anemone

A short video clip (2 minutes), which contains sunsets, beaches, underwater beauty of Koh Lipe and neighboring islands:


Video clip from the island of Koh Lipe and excursions to neighboring islands

3 | White fine sand and turquoise water of the beaches of Koh Lipe

Despite a number of shortcomings (which I will talk about later), the beaches of Koh Lipe delight with their natural beauty. First of all, we are talking about snow-white and fine, like powdered sugar, sand on Pattaya beach. Please do not confuse with the resort of the same name in Thailand, which is located near Bangkok, much north of Koh Lipe.


Pattaya beach on Koh Lipe is famous for its white sand

Good hotels to stay on Pattaya beach:

  • The Breeze Lipe Resort 3 * (you can book a hotel on booking.com or agoda.com),
  • Bunbhaya Villas 4 * (you can book a hotel on booking.com or agoda.com).

No less beautiful is Sunrise beach, especially its northern part:


Northern part of Sunrise beach

Good hotels to stay on Sunrise beach:

  • Salisa Resort 3* (you can book a hotel on booking.com or agoda.com),
  • Idyllic Concept Resort 4 * (you can book a hotel on booking.com or agoda.com).

4 | Sunrises and sunsets within walking distance

In the morning you can meet the beginning of the day on one side of the island, and in the evening you can walk to the sunset point on the other side. Few islands can boast a beach where you can meet both sunrise and sunset. Koh Lipe can. This is Sunrise beach. Although it is customary to meet the sunset on the corresponding "sunset beach" - Sunset beach.


Sunset on Sunset beach

5 | Bars on the beach where the sea splashes at your feet

Relaxing with a glass of your favorite cocktail or juice on the beach, in a comfortable sun lounger, enjoying the seascape and gentle waves at your feet - this is truly a paradise vacation.


Beach bar on Sunrise beach

6 | Lunch or dinner in a restaurant with a gorgeous view of the sea and neighboring islands

In good weather, the Langkawi Islands belonging to Malaysia are visible from Koh Lipe. The most beautiful view of the sea opens from the restaurant on the rock at the southern edge of Sunrise beach, at the Serendipity Resort. The restaurant is open from 12 noon to 21:30 pm, drinks are served from 10:00 to 22:00 (prices are not high, the food is delicious). If you want to wake up in a room with a beautiful sea view, then you should stay in Serendipity Beach Resort(you can book a hotel on booking.com or agoda.com).


Restaurant overlooking the sea and neighboring islands

7 | Wide range of seafood in restaurants

In the evening, on the main street of the island, Walking street, feasts begin. Restaurants put up stalls with seafood, kindle barbecues and lure hungry tourists with the alluring smells of cooking food. There are so many temptations around that it is not a sin to arrange a real celebration of the stomach. In addition to the classic options for restaurants where you can choose a certain dish from the menu, Walking street has seafood buffets where you can try everything that is in the restaurant’s assortment for a certain amount (the price for such a buffet is from 490 baht ~ $ 15 per person).


Assortment of seafood in one of the restaurants on Koh Lipe

Disadvantages of Koh Lipe and what you should be prepared for

Vacation disappointments lie in wait for those who do not know about the shortcomings of the place where they are going. Koh Lipe is rapidly gaining popularity and many disadvantages are associated with the growing tourist flow:

Save an article on Pinterest
  • too much garbage that local authorities do not have time to deal with;
  • a large number of boats, which are designed to meet the needs of tourists, flooded the beaches (especially the beaches of Sunrise and Pattaya),
  • many fairly large dogs that make a good living on waste from restaurants (they can be annoying and arrogant),
  • prices on Koh Lipe are higher than in other places in Thailand (even in the 7 Eleven chain of stores, prices for all goods are 1.5 - 2 times higher),
  • service in many hotels is lower than expected (the lack of experienced and qualified staff affects) and the choice of a hotel on Koh Lipe should be approached with particular care.

The natural disadvantage of the island of Koh Lipe is pronounced ebbs and flows. At high tide, most of the sandy edge of the beaches is under water and there is nowhere to sunbathe, and at low tide it becomes so shallow that it is impossible to swim. The only place on the island where you can sunbathe and swim at almost any time is the northern part of Sunrise beach.

Ko Lipe is a remote island located in the south of Thailand, 20 km from the border with Malaysia. Washed by the waters of the Andaman Sea as part of the Adang Ravi archipelago, it is no longer a wild island, but an actively developing world resort.

Today, the island is one of the largest in the whole South-East Asia nautical national park Tarutao (Tarutao). Distance from the mainland 70 km. The number of local residents hardly exceeds the figure of 800 people, these are sea gypsies, Chao Lei (Chao Lei) or Urak Lawoi (Urak Lavoy), who came to Thailand on Lipe Island, from Malaysia, about 100 years ago.

Koh Lipe on the map of Thailand

Very often the name of the island is interpreted in different ways: Koh Lipe, Koh Lipe, Koh Laip and Koh Lipei. At the beginning of the new century, since the 2000s, with the development of budget air travel and maritime communication, the island of Koh Lipe has truly become a popular tourist center, and is also one of the protected islands where tourists visiting Thailand can freely relax.

As for the island as a whole, activity usually dies down there around midnight. The main things to do in Koh Lipe: trips to the islands National Park Tarutao, diving, snorkeling, sea activities, fishing and of course a beach holiday.

It is worth considering that earlier there were no ATMs on the island, but now you can find ATMs on the street, next to the 7/11 supermarket, as for exchangers, they are located almost at every turn, but the exchange rate is extremely disadvantageous. Take care of this in advance by exchanging currency, for example in Bangkok.

Prices for food and drinks in shops, bars, restaurants are absolutely democratic. Finding a restaurant where the cost of dishes will be very affordable, below 100 baht, is not difficult, most are located directly on the beaches. In the stalls and shops of the island, prices do not differ from the mainland, within the prices of the 7/11 chain of stores.

How to get to the island

There is no airport on the island, the nearest one is in Hat Yai. Several airlines fly from Suvarnabhumi: Nok Air, Tiger Air and Air Asia. Ticket price from 1200 baht.

Transport routes

Arriving at Hat Yai Airport, you can use the transfer service to the island, which includes a trip by minivan to Pakbara Pier, then by ship to Koh Lipe. The cost of providing services is 800 baht per person. Travel time is 1.5-2 hours from the airport to Pakbara Pier, and approximately 2 hours to Koh Lipe.

You can take a bus from the bus station in Sai Tai Mai (Southern Bus Terminal) to Hat Yai (Hat Yai). You can buy tickets in the terminal building. Travel time Bangkok - Hat Yai, 10 - 11 hours. Ticket prices depend on the class, from 700 baht per seat in an air-conditioned bus.

From Phuket, Krabi and other resorts can be reached by ship. Tigerline Travel is considered the main carrier. They provide good, fast boats.

Estimated cost of providing Tigerline Travel services:

  • From the resorts of Phuket, Phi Phi, Koh Lanta from 1500 - 2000 baht;
  • From the resorts of Ngai, Kradan and Koh Muk from 1000 - 1500 baht;
  • From Hat Yao Pier in Trang, approximately 750 baht.

Please note that high season is October-April. The rest of the time, ships go to the island much less frequently.

Transport

In general, the island is small, it is quite possible to walk around it in a couple of hours. Therefore, there is no public transport. There are few cars on the island, mainly used as freight transport.


Local taxi.

But at any time you can use the services of local taxis (TAXI) - a motorcycle with a sidecar that ply around the island, delivering tourists from beach to beach.


Taxi prices.

You can rent a bike for 200 baht per day. A fairly popular means of transportation - boats, are also the main link with neighboring uninhabited islands. You can rent them on the beach.

Weather

The resort has a tropical climate. The year is conditionally divided into two seasons, the first of which is dry, the second is wet. From May to the end of November, the low season lasts, which is also the wet season. At this time, the weather on the islands is rather gloomy, it often rains. The second season is dry, characterized by low rainfall. It is this season that most tourists choose to travel to Thailand on vacation. At this time, the sea is quite calm, the weather is not too hot, and beautiful photos are obtained against the backdrop of blooming nature.

Housing

The island has a decent selection of accommodation. You can stay in a bungalow, rent an apartment or rent a hotel room, costing from 500 baht, photo below. Rooms and bungalows with air conditioning and hot water on average - 1000 - 1200 baht per day. Such offers are enough even at the peak of the season, on the beaches: Sunrise, Sunset, Pattaya and the central part of the island.

Koh Lipe hotel prices vary depending on comfort and season. In order to get good accommodation, it is better to resolve the issue with him in advance by booking a room or bungalow a month before your trip. Because, as a rule, by the high season, prices rise significantly by 1.5 - 2 times. On average, a night in a decent hotel, in the high season, will be from 1500 - 2000 baht.

Map of hotels in Koh Lipe

In addition to the fact that you can stay in hotels for a vacation, local hotels, as a rule, also offer a number of additional services. One of the most budget options for a traveler is a tent. There are campsites on the island, mainly on Sunset Beach.

Beaches

The resort island consists of four large beaches: Pattaya, Karma, Sunset and Sunrise. All beaches are interconnected by small paths through which you can quickly get from one place to another. Small and secluded beaches of the island: Sanom Beach and Bila Beach.

The main beach is Pattaya Beach. Located in the southern part of the island, it is the most popular among tourists, its shape resembles a small horseshoe. The coast along the entire length is covered with fine white sand, the sea is calm.


On the lively Walking Street, not to be confused with the street of the same name in the resort of Pattaya, which Thailand is so famous for, there are many cafes, bars and restaurants with various cuisines.


Walking Street on Koh Lipe.

Many establishments have the Internet, and you can also pay by card.

Sunrise Beach, as its name implies, is best suited to meet sunrises, you can often find such photos on the Internet. In addition, the clear water makes this place almost ideal for snorkeling and diving.


On the beach there are budget and luxury luxury hotels.

Sunset Beach is a cozy bay where you can take great photos of sunsets and have a great time with your loved one. The coast is quiet and peaceful, and very interesting exotic restaurants are located on its territory.


The last of the major beaches on the island is Karma. In fact, this is just a continuation of the previous beach, which stretches far to the north. Calm sea - you can swim with children, quiet cozy atmosphere and the best panorama on the whole island, against which you can take great photos.


The infrastructure of the beaches is constantly being improved, good hotels have been built, and the Internet has been installed. Right on the beaches you can buy fresh food. True, at the same time, you will not find a wide variety of products. Try the different ones that the country is so famous for.

Koh Lipe is one of the best places for the holiday that Thailand gave to the world. Good conditions for relaxation and beautiful landscapes are well suited for making best photos in memory of paradise.

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