Crystal clear waters and soft white sand. A five night stay at an island paradise.

February 2023

Koh Lipe is an island located on the Andaman sea of Southern Thailand. Some call it the Maldives of Thailand. It is home to the Chao Lay/Urak Lawoi indigenous sea faring people and is part of the Tarutao National Marine Park which is comprised of a group of islands known for its beautiful nature and marine life. People visit Koh Lipe for its small island vibe, clear waters, white sand, snorkelling and diving experiences.

Getting to the island, though, takes a bit of time and effort.

How we got to Koh Lipe:

My 11 year old son and I were in Hat Yai after our fun trip to Thale Noi in Patthalung (see previous post). We booked a minivan transfer with Dee Travels HatYai that picked us up at 8:15 am at our hotel in Hat Yai and brought us to PakBara pier.

The 2 hour minivan ride was comfortable; we had a smooth driver and there was a pit stop at a gas station for snacks and bathroom break half way. Our booking price included the 11:30am speedboat ride from PakBara pier to Koh Lipe with sightseeing stops on two other islands along the way. This is the standard package that visitors get during the high season.

Pak Bara pier has a decently sized departure lounge area for the few speedboat companies that operate out of there. Our speedboat company is Ploysiam; after getting our tickets at the Ploysiam counter, we all squeezed into the speedboat. It departed on time.

The speedboat is the least pleasant part of the travel there. Because they pack in 50 plus people into the speedboat, if you are queued later in the line for the boat, you will end up sitting close to the front of the boat where you will not get any wind. Which was us. With the sunny day, it was a very hot 1 hour 15 min journey to the island. Fortunately, we had decided last minute to skip the additional two island stops which would have added another hour and opted for a direct route boat. We missed seeing a couple of pretty islands but with a kid wilting in the heat, it was worth going directly to Koh Lipe. The weather was good so the waves were calm and no one was seasick.

We got off on a floating pier at Pattaya Beach on the south side of the island. This is the more touristy beach of the island. My son took a look a the clear turquoise water and said, “ I need to be in that water!”

Where we stayed at Koh Lipe:

Our hotel staff greeted us at the arrival pier and we hopped on the hotel tuk tuk to Mali Resort Sunrise Beach which is on the east side of the island, on Sunrise Beach. This is a beautiful long beach that is quieter but has many local longtail fishing boats parked just off the sand on the water. Because of the boats coming in and out, swimming on this beach is best on the northern or southern ends of the beach.

At Mali Resort Sunrise Beach, we had one of the garden bungalows situated around a nice dark blue tiled swimming pool. The air conditioned bungalow was quite roomy, nicely decorated and the bathroom was huge. The bar/restaurant/lounge area is by the beach where you get your welcome drink and where you get your included breakfast with a view. You can order food to your room as well which we did when the kid did not want to go anywhere at night. Check in was easy. We were also greeted by the resort cat.

Koh Lipe Walking Street:

There are no cars on the island. People can use the three wheeled motorbike taxis to get around but the island is not very big. The narrow concrete street at the back of the resort leads to the busy main shopping street of the island — the Walking Street — which connects the two main beaches. There are local seafood restaurants, hip westernized places with pizza and burgers, cafes, shops, ATMs, convenience stores and other accommodations along the street.

There is a network of lanes at the interior of the island that you can explore. I found a couple of storefronts where you can drop off your laundry and pick up later in the day for very affordable price. Lots of places to grab a cold drink for the sweaty walk in the sun. And must not miss the delicious rotis! A favorite with the kid!

We saw many beach side restaurants to enjoy a nice drink and meal with a view. Many of the resorts have their own lounge areas and restaurant. A local eatery along the inner island streets would have lower prices. The Chaolay people operate some seafood restaurants where you can select your fresh caught fish or other seafood and they will grill it in the Chaolay style.

Koh Lipe Medical Clinics:

If you have children, it is always reassuring to know where to get medical attention if something comes up. There are fortunately two medical clinics on the island. One is located near the east end of the Walking Street. The other is midway on the Walking Street. The staff are conversant in English. I had to go deal with a blocked ear at Andaman International Clinic and I was well taken care of there.

Activities at Koh Lipe:

We didn’t try to squeeze in too many activites. It was a relaxed stay on the island. We walked the length of Sunrise Beach, past resorts, the Chaolay village, rounded the North Point beach and explored the northern rockier beaches. We found interesting sealife such as the cushion sea star and sea slugs on rocks. We swam around the bay by Mountain Resort Koh Lipe at the north side of the island. The best area for swimming and snorkeling we found was at the little beach area by Ten Moons Resort in the southern part of Sunrise beach.

Walking the beach at night was it’s own adventure for my son. It is quite dark at certain sections. Bring a light. He enjoyed finding crabs in the water, big hermit crabs on the sand, beetles, and meeting friendly resort cats. We also saw bioluminescence sparkling on the wet sand where the waves have just receded.

Night time on Sunrise Beach was quiet. There are a few resorts towards the south end and the north end that have nice restaurants serving dinner and drinks. An open air massage house on the beach offers 200 Baht massages with a view of the beach. Pattaya Beach, on the other hand, has a lot more going on at night. There were beach bars, and places to eat where you can watch fire shows on the beach. We did not make it to Sunset beach but it is supposed to be great for sunsets.

Our stay at another resort on Koh Lipe:

We stayed at Mali Resort Sunrise Beach for a couple of nights then moved to Ten Moons Resort which had great online reviews. It is one the more expensive resorts on the island but totally worth the splurge. We were given a ride by Mali Resort to Ten Moons Resort which is further south on the same side of the island. Ten Moons Resort is built on a hill; the ride dropped us off at the top of the resort. Then we descended down the wooden stairs to our bungalow. The reception, restaurant and lounge area are at the very bottom at the beach level. If you are booking a place here and have trouble with climbing a lot of stairs, ask for rooms on the beach level. The resort can pick you up on a longtail boat from the speedboat pier and bring you directly to the resort. Same for the return trip. You would still have to be able to get on and off the boat ladders.

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Ten Moons Resort. The bungalow is lovely, service is amazing, food at the restaurant is good, there are snorkels, fins, life jackets and kayaks for guests to use. To reach the Walking Street, you can either walk from the top of the resort down the back streets, or walk around the large rocks on the beach to Sunrise Beach.

The small cozy beach in front of the resort has the softest white sand, hammocks to hang out in, and best snorkelling on this side of the island. Great child friendly waters if you don’t go too far from the beach. There is a reef nearby that people should avoid stepping on during low tide. There was a noticeable current one afternoon a bit further out of the beach area so beware when swimming further out especially during tide changes. That said, we were down swimming on that beach everyday.

Snorkelling tours at Koh Lipe:

The Tarutao National Marine Park is known for it’s marine life and corals so a snorkelling tour around the area is a great activitiy to do from Koh Lipe. There are several snorkelling tours on longtail boats with many different outfits you can find online (such as GetYourGuide.com) and on the island. Walk along the Walking Street and you will see options for snorkelling and diving tours. There are tours to 4 inner zone islands, 4 outer zone islands, all zone islands, sunset tours, etc. You can also charter a long tail boat to your preferred locations.

Ten Moons Resort offers their own longtail boat snorkelling tours as well so I booked one. It was 1200 baht. There are cheaper options out there but I liked the convenience and trust in the hotel staff. We had the entire boat to ourselves so we did not have to wait for anyone. Snorkels, fins, and life jackets are provided. The resort packed us lunch and water as well.

We were picked up in the morning right at the beach by the resort. My 11 year old son has never done snorkelling in open water (even though we practiced beforehand and he is fine in deep water) so he was not very excited to be going. The staff at the resort asked the boat captain to look after my son while we are in the water, which was very nice. I was a feeling a bit apprehensive myself not knowing what to expect! I told my son we will just try it out and see how it goes.

We did the inner zone islands, with four stops. First stop is in open water away from islands where a floating rope circles an area. Many boats stopped here and people hold onto the rope in the water while they look under at the corals and fish. Our captain got in the water to help make sure my son is ok in the water. It was a bit crowded and my son did not enjoy the experience at all so we did not stay long.

Next stop was by the back side of Koh Hin Ngam with the best snorkelling, calm waters, a large area to explore, lots of sea life to see. My son was very excited to see a large puffer fish. He was enjoying the experience after he got rid of his snorkel and just used goggles. He did well with his fins and life jacket keeping him afloat. The captain kept an eye on us to make sure we are all safe. Next we stopped at a small beach to see the unique striped black rock piles on the island.

At Ao Ling, we stopped for picnic lunch by a pretty beach under shade of trees. This seems to be the place where all the boats stop for lunch so there were lots of people. There is one toilet facility available and it is a pretty basic set up. Monkeys hang around this island. We were amazed to spotted a giant flying squirrel in one of the tall trees. It was huge!

After lunch we stopped by Koh Adang for the last snorkelling spot. By this time, we were a bit done with snorkelling, the marine life was not better than the second stop, and the current was pretty strong. So we left early to go back to the resort.

In all I am glad to have done the snorkelling tour. The water was so clear, turquoise and full of marine life. For us, we probably should have asked the boat to take us to just two locations. My son got tired after stopping around so many places. So it really depends on your energy level.

Leaving Koh Lipe

We were on the island for 5 nights total. It was not quite enough time for us as slower going mom and child to explore everything there. Koh Lipe was a great place for us to be mellow and we enjoyed finding the unique creatures and swimming in the warm clear waters. Ten Moons Resort took us on a longtail boat back to Pattaya Beach for our speedboat back to PakBara. The boat ride back was much better since we got better seats in the back of the boat and the super calm water made for a fast ride back.

The Dee Travels minivan picked us up at the pier and took us back to the Hat Yai airport for our flight back to Bangkok. The van made a stop at a small neighborhood shop and food stall for quick snack and shopping break on the way to the airport.

One note on the island: It was once an idyllic little known island but now it is getting increasingly developed into a tourist spot. I’ve read that the Chao Lay people are being squeezed of their access to the water. It is something to be mindful of when visiting this beautiful island. It is still worth going.

If you are looking for a remote island with few people, this is not it. For that you might look at staying at Koh Adang which is a hop on the water taxi from Koh Lipe.

Getting around Koh Lipe

Walking - Koh Lipe is not a big island. It is possible to walk from one side of the island to another. However it can be pretty hot and sweaty during the day.

Boat taxis - Along Sunrise Beach, there is a stop for longtail boat taxis. Look for the sign. They can take you to another beach on the island. They will also take you to visit Koh Adang. Get the captain’s cell number to text him to pick you up if you are headed to Koh Adang so they can pick you up.

Three wheeled motorbike taxis - These can be found along the inner island streets. They will take you anywhere you ask. Payment was 50 baht per person where we were there in Feb 2023.

Best times to visit Koh Lipe

High season for Koh Lipe is November to April. Peak season is December and January. The weather is the best during this time. Prices are at their peak as well. Places are busy. We were there mid February 2023. There were plenty of people but it did not feel crowded. Ten Moons Resort was well booked in advance but there were many other accommodations available when I looked in Janurary.

Low season is the rest of the months where the weather can be unpredictable and rain storms are common. Prices are great. Less crowds. Some places may be closed. There is a much higher chance the speedboat ride to the island will be very unpleasant if you run into a storm.

Some people recommend going during the Shoulder Season - end of October to mid November, and late April when the weather is ok and prices are better.

Ways of getting to Koh Lipe

Air Asia - you can book a return trip from Bangkok to Koh Lipe. Price includes, plane ride, transfer from airport to PakBara pier, and speedboat ride to Koh Lipe. Many other airlines also fly to Hat Yai from which you can book a transfer and speedboat to the island. There are a number of speedboat companies. We were pretty satisfied with Dee Travel Inc. transfer service and Ploysiam speedboat.

Package tours - there are package tours available online that you can book hotel, snorkelling tours and all transportations included.

Speedboat/ferry from other locations like Malaysia, Phuket, Koh Lanta to Koh Lipe are available as well.

Link to useful PakBara ferry/speedboat info and timetables here.

Where to stay on Koh Lipe

There are accommodation for most budgets on the island. From hostels along the inner island streets, guesthouses, longer stay apartments, basic beach huts to beachside luxury resorts. You can book many of then through websites like booking.com or agoda.com. The north and northwest beaches seem to be buggier than the south and east beach areas. We found Sunrise Beach to be right for us — enough to see and do but quiet at night and easy access to Walking Street. The south and north ends of Sunrise Beach seem to be the best locations on that beach. The mid section where the Chaolay villagers have their access to the beach can be busier.

Another option is to stay at nearby Koh Adang. There are only three options of accommodation (a resort, government run huts and camping) so the island is very quiet and you get the beaches to yourselves. You can take the longtail boats to and from Koh Lipe.

What to bring to Koh Lipe

Two must brings:

Mosquito repellants - away from the sea breeze, there are mosquitoes around areas that are more shaded or in the gardens. At the north side beach area of the island, the mosquitoes came out at dusk.

Coral safe sunscreen

Travel information and links:

Dee Travels HatYai

Ploysiam

Ten Moons Resort

Mali Resort Sunrise Beach

Useful PakBara ferry/speedboat info and timetables

Air Asia flight, transfer and speedboat package