Thailand islands are definitely one of the best destinations after the pandemic. Besides Koh Phi Phi island, Koh Lipe island in Thailand is a small island you don’t want to miss this 2022. Here is a detailed guideline for Koh Lipe.
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1. Where is Koh Lipe Island?
Located in Satun province in southern Thailand, Koh Lipe is one of 51 islands in Tarutao Marine National Park. This island is located about 80km off the west coast of Thailand and only 35km from Langkawi, Malaysia.
Koh Tarutao Marine National Park, which includes Koh Lipe, is protected by Thailand’s marine conservation law. This means that fishing is strictly regulated by the government, so there are plenty of amazing reefs to explore.
2. How to go to Koh Lipe island from Bangkok?
You can travel to Koh Lipe from Bangkok:
We went directly from Bangkok to Koh Lipe by AirAsia ticket from Don Muaeng Airport to Hai Yat 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 6.45 am. It was an early start, but necessary to reach the island in a 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 THB 4,000.
3. How to move to Koh Lipe from another island?
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.
If you are coming from elsewhere in 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 at THB 550 per person. A one-way journey takes about 90 minutes.
4. When is the best time to go to Koh Lipe, Thailand?
There are two main seasons in southern Thailand that you need to be aware of:
- Rain season from May to October: This is the low season. During this time, it can rain every day for many hours. There are few tourists around, many hotels have lower season rates, and many shops and bars remain closed.
- Dry season from November to April: This is the peak season. Almost every day is sunny with little or no rain, the ambient temperature is a bit cooler around 25 degrees Celcius. There are more tourists, and hotels will charge high season rates which can be double the low season rates.
Therefore, the best time to travel to Koh Lipe is from mid to late October. The weather can be great, hotels are cheaper, and there are fewer people. You run the risk of the wet rainy season is a little late.
5. Best beaches to visit in Koh Lipe
There are three main beaches on Koh Lipe which 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; Picanas Beach and Koh Lipe’s Secret Beach are on the western end of the island and Bulow Beach is 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 motorbike tuk-tuk for 100 THB.
5.1. Sunrise Beach
As the name suggests, this is the place to catch the sunrise on Koh Lipe. Sunrise Beach, facing east towards mainland Thailand, is the most popular tourist attraction in Koh Lipe that attracts the most tourists.
In the early morning and late afternoon, the beach is lined 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 longtail boats.
One of my favorite things to do on Sunrise Beach is chilling out at Salisa Resort for lunch, this is a bar in Koh Lipe by the sea, good drinks. This little beachfront bar puts out some great deep house tunes, delicious cocktails and really cold beer. It’s a great place to spend a lazy day on the beach.
5.2. Sunset Beach
Traveling to Koh Lipe island to watch the sunset, you can’t miss this beach, one of the places with the most beautiful scenery 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!
Compared to Sunrise Beach and Pattaya Beach, Sunset Beach only has a few chalet-style resorts 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 river to neighboring Koh Adang.
5.3. Pattaya Beach
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 Walking Street. Pattaya Beach is one of the tourist attractions in Koh Lipe near pedestrian street.
5.4. Other beaches in Koh Lipe
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 past the Mountain Resort for a few hundred meters and you will come to a small secret beach.
In your Koh Lipe island tour itinerary, you cannot miss this secret beach because there is an incredible view across the water to Koh Adang. At low tide, the beach triples in size. There is also a small secret beach located on the west side of the island. 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 little secret beach.