The Adang Archipelago, located in the southern part of the Andaman Sea, near the mainland of Thailand and Malaysia, is often called the “Thai Maldives”, primarily for its white sand. Koh Lipe (Thailand) is the only inhabited island in this archipelago. Tourists come here to enjoy the serenity and tranquility. In addition, the island attracts divers, because the coast is home to a huge variety of marine inhabitants.
The island is the southernmost point of Thailand and many tourists are afraid of the question – how to get to Koh Lipe. However, the number of travelers increases every year. We have prepared detailed information for those who are planning a trip to the island.
General information
Koh Lipe Island in Thailand is located in the southern part of the Andaman Sea and belongs to the Satun Province. This is the southernmost point of the country. On a sunny, cloudless day, you can see the coast of Malaysia from the island, namely the Langkawi Archipelago, located at a distance of 30 km.
The distance to Thai Phuket is 250 km, to Krabi-about 220 km, and to the mainland of Thailand-70 km –
The length of the island is only 3 km, it is easy to get around on foot, the indigenous people on Koh Lipe are about 800 people. The main source of income is fishing and tourism.
Interesting fact! The indigenous population belongs to the sea Gypsies-natives of Malaysia, who arrived on the island about a century ago.
Koh Lipe is home to the national Tarutao Marine Theme Park, which was the second largest in Thailand at the end of the 20th century.
Tourist infrastructure and recreation features
Every year, the number of tourists on Koh Lipe Island in Thailand increases, despite the fact that you can only get here by water. Accordingly, the infrastructure is developing rapidly – the resort is flourishing and attracting more and more tourists. The first and main reason why tourists come here is the beaches, where you can enjoy a relaxing holiday or make an exciting dive, go snorkeling.
Interesting fact! Not far from Koh Lipe, there are several uninhabited islands where you can go on a sightseeing tour or stay for a few days in a tent.
Koh Lipe Island in Thailand boasts a walking street – Volking Street, where there are shops with Thai souvenirs, a pharmacy, travel agencies, cafes and an exchange office. Prices on the main street of the island are quite high, and the exchange rate is unprofitable, so it is better to stock up on everything you need on the mainland. The local attraction starts at Pattaya Beach and stretches to Sunrise Beach.
Signs indicate that the street is open from 6-00 to noon the next day. Volking Street does not close all night, and many cafes, restaurants and bars open only in the evening. Of course, most of the establishments are empty by midnight, but you can still find a few bars that invite tourists.
Relatively recently, there were no bank branches and banks on the island, but today it is not difficult to withdraw money. Please note that you will have to pay a commission for withdrawing money, and the exchange rate turns out to be unprofitable. Also, in some hotels, you can pay for a room and services with a plastic card, but there is a commission fee for this. At the exchange offices, you can exchange dollars and Malaysian currency-ringgits.
Koh Lipa in Thailand has Wi-Fi, Internet access points are available in hotels and Internet cafes.
Most cafes and bars are located on the coastline, the maximum distance to the sea is 200 meters. Discos and other entertainment venues, however, as well as attractions, are not on the island.
Interesting fact! The maximum distance between the beaches on the island is 1 km, so during your vacation you can easily visit all of them. The walk from one to the other will take about a quarter of an hour. If you don’t like walking, rent a bike.
What is it worth to get to Koh Lipe?
- Seascapes. Already on the way to the island, on the ferry, you can take beautiful photos.
- Bright underwater world. There are a lot of fish and sea inhabitants off the coast of the island, and even tourists who can’t swim can take beautiful photos. To do this, you do not need to wear special equipment, just masks and tubes are enough.
- A large selection of sightseeing tours. Most of them go to deserted islands, where it is easy to stay for a few days. There are tours with a night swim that shimmers from the abundance of plankton, a trip with a barbecue on the background of the sea sunset. The cost of the tour is about $15-20.
- White beaches and clear turquoise water. Despite the fact that it is not so easy to get to the island, and there are minor disadvantages on Koh Lipe in Thailand, the beaches attract beauty and allow you to ignore minor inconveniences. Here you can meet fabulous sunrises and sunsets, numerous bars offer drinks, delicious treats right on the beach.
- A large selection of Thai seafood dishes. Every restaurant and bar offers delicious treats made from sea creatures you’ve never even heard of. Some dishes are prepared right in front of tourists.
Useful to know! In addition to the traditional restaurants on Volking Street, there are buffets, for a certain amount you can try at least the entire range of dishes.
It would be wrong to tell only about the positive aspects of the island in Thailand. If you decide to make a trip and get to Koh Lipe, be prepared for the following unpleasant surprises::
- garbage, the island authorities simply do not have time to take it out;
- boats are a real beach of the island, they are moored on all the beaches;
- cats and dogs, some of them annoying;
- prices for products are higher than in stores on the Thai mainland.
A natural disadvantage is strong tides. At high tide, the shore is under water, there is simply no place for tanning. At low tide, the sea is so shallow that only children can swim in the sea.
Interesting fact! The only place on the island where the tides are barely noticeable is the northern edge of Sunrise Beach.
There are no large shops on the island, there are small grocery stores. Be sure to try the pancakes-they are sold in street stalls.
Patong Beach-party beach in Phuket
Transport
Getting to the island is not so easy, but on Koh Lipe we can solve the problem of movement. There are no cars, few bikes, and no public transport. Travelers are offered several ways to get around the island:
- on foot;
- motobike taxi service;
- bike rental;
- boats run regularly between the beaches.
Accommodation on the island
Every year new hotels are opened on Koh Lipe in Thailand, but during the high tourist season it is not so easy to find free housing, so it is better to book a room a few months before the trip. Most of the hotels are built right on the beach, many have the appearance of bungalows, but you can also find a traditional hotel.
During the tourist season, prices for accommodation in a three-star hotel average $60-80, and a 5* hotel villa can be rented for as much as $400-800. There are only a few of the latter on the island. In the low season, prices are reduced.
Features of Koh Lipe hotels (Thailand):
- not many hotels have a swimming pool;
- the pricing policy of hotels depends on the season, on average, the difference between the cost of living in high and low seasons changes twice;
- some hotels close during low season;
- prices for accommodation also depend on the location of the hotel – the closer to the sea, the more expensive;
- Chinese and Thais come to Thailand on weekends on Koh Lipe, so the beaches become relatively crowded;
- choose a hotel based on Booking reviews. If you book a room on the service (and not through intermediary sites), the room rate will be cheaper.
Useful to know! In addition to hotels on the island, there is also a budget accommodation option – tents in campsites. Most of them are located on Sunset Beach.
Beaches of the island
The first and main advantage of Koh Lipe is its beaches, which are considered the best in Thailand. The coastline is better only on Similans. A few decades ago, the island’s beaches were deserted, but today the situation has changed – the infrastructure has appeared, but at the same time the exotic nature has been preserved. It is for the sake of beaches that many tourists decide to get to Koh Lipe. We have compiled for you a selection of the best places to stay on the island.
Pattaya Beach
Pattaya Beach is located in the south of Koh Lipe and is a long coastline with a length of almost 1.5 km. The beach is covered with white and very fine sand. In sunny weather, the water takes on a turquoise hue, but in the low season, strong waves appear due to the wind, which bring garbage to the shore. The descent into the water is gentle and smooth. Pattaya Beach has strong ebbs and flows, and given the smooth entrance to the sea, it is difficult to find a place to swim.
There is a reef near the shore, so be sure to bring a mask and snorkel with you. Unfortunately, there are a lot of boats near the shore, but they are moored in an orderly manner, leaving areas for swimming. In the evening, a fire show is held on the beach. There are quite a lot of hotels, cafes and restaurants on the first line.
Useful to know! Pattaya Beach has a tourist office for visitors from Malaysia and mainland Thailand. In addition, there are representative offices of all shipping companies.
Sunrise Beach
The eastern shore of the island is Sunrise Beach, where the sand is large and quite loose, and the descent into the sea is sharp. In the right part there are corals and many different fish.
The coastline stretches for 1.5 km, and the width varies depending on the tides. The widest part is in the northern part, and the narrowest is in the central part.
Useful to know! Entertainment venues and discos are not here, by 22-00 the beach is empty. To get to Wolking Street, you need to pass by the local slums.
On the shore there are hotels, cafes and restaurants, you can buy an excursion to the mainland of Thailand, to the uninhabited islands of the archipelago and rent a kayak. Diving schools are also available.
The only thing that overshadows the rest on Sayraz Beach is chaotically moored boats.
Interesting fact! It is believed that the beach has the most beautiful sunrises, which is why the place is called Sunrise Beach.
Sunset Beach
Western part of Koh Lipe Island. This is a small, cozy beach with the most beautiful sunsets, so they called the beach Sunset Beach. The beach is covered with rocks, in some places there are large stones in the water. The sand is large and heterogeneous in color-white with gray and dark spots. The sea is quite shallow, there are fish in the water, but there are not so many of them. This place is quiet, sparsely populated, in the central part of the beach there are many boats.
Useful to know! The sand is unpleasant to the touch due to shell fragments, so take your shoes with you.
On the left side of the beach there are cafes and sun beds. There are hotels on the first line. Wolking Street can be reached on foot in a quarter of an hour.
Sanoma Beach
A sheltered, quiet beach, it is often called secret. To get here, you need to go right along Pattaya Beach, get to the wooden bridge and cross it. Not all tourists come to this part of the island, so not everyone knows about the beach.
Useful to know! A single bungalow is built on the beach.
Cross the bridge with caution, it looks fragile, creaking boards do not give confidence. Huge boulders lie under the bridge, and turquoise water splashes softly.
A peaceful, relaxing atmosphere reigns on the shore – someone is swimming in the calm sea, someone is drinking a cocktail on the shore, and someone is photographing beautiful views.
The beach is perfect for swimming – the water is clear, the sea is calm, the descent is gentle. The sea floor is soft, covered with sand, without rocks.
Weather and climate, when it’s best to arrive
Koh Lipe-the island of two seasons:
- dry – starts in late autumn and lasts until mid-spring;
- rainy – starts in mid-spring and lasts until the second half of autumn.
Today, the island’s connection to the Thai mainland remains open throughout the year. Earlier in the summer, during the low season, when the sea was stormy, Ko Lipe was closed, hotel employees went on vacation. In recent years, the climate on the island is so changeable that even in the low season there is good, sunny and clear weather.
As for the pricing policy in hotels, there are three seasons here:
- low – three summer months;
- high season – two autumn months-October and November, two spring months-March and April;
- the peak period is from December to February.
When is the best time to go to Koh Lipe
The best time to travel in terms of weather conditions is when it is winter and cold at home – from December to February, but during these months prices for accommodation are very high, and food prices also increase significantly. In summer, you can get into the rainy season. The best time to travel is November or from March to April.
How to get to Koh Lipe
Koh Lipe (Thailand) – how to get there from Bangkok
To get to the island, you need to:
- come to Trang city;
- get to Pakbar Pier;
- Purchase a ticket for the Tigerline Ferry boat to Koh Lipe. A comprehensive taxi ticket from Trang + ferry costs 800-1000 baht.
There are several ways to get to Trang ili.
- by plane;
- by bus-flights depart from Mo Chit Bus station, the journey takes 21 hours, the cost is 780 baht; from Khao San Montanatip, the journey time is 16 hours, the cost is 1020 baht (Wi-Fi and snacks included)
- By train-from Bangkok, flights depart to Hat Yai from Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal Station, the route is designed for 17.5 hours, the cost is 1159 baht.
- a complex Air Asia or Nok Air ticket-provides a seat on the plane, then in a minibus (to the pier) and in a boat (to Koh Lipe), the cost is 2300-2800 baht.
Koh Lipe (Thailand) – how to get there on your own from Phuket.
By sea
In high season, the most convenient way to get to the island is by water. Yellow boats regularly run between Phuket and Koh Lipe. Departure from Rassada pier. The tourist spends 4 hours on the road. The fare is 2500 baht.
Speedboats take you to Koh Lipe, which includes stops at the port of Phi Phi Don, Ngai, Muk, Kradan and Boulogne. The journey takes 5 hours, and the fare is 3500 baht.
Another way to get to Koh Lipe is via Lanta. Departure from Rassada Pier several times a day in the morning. The issue price is about 4200 baht.
How to get to Koh Lipe Thailand from Krabi
The only way to get from Krabi (Ao Nang) to the island is via Hat Yai. There is no direct air service, so you can choose the following method::
- by bus;
- mini-bus service;
- taxi.
The cost of a complex ticket is about 1500 baht.
Schedules and prices may change depending on the season, demand, weather, and other factors. Check that it’s up-to-date on 12go.com.
The lack of attractions in Koh Lipe (Thailand) is more than compensated by beautiful beaches. To fully enjoy nature and spend your vacation in a bungalow by the sea, prepare for your trip in advance-choose a hotel, book tickets.
