Far south in the Andaman Sea, much further than Phuket and almost to the Malaysian border, you’ll find Koh Lipe, the most incredible Thai island. This Koh Lipe guide will show you everything you need to know to travel here. Because after you read this, you’ll want to book a trip!
Known as the ‘Maldives of Thailand’, Koh Lipe is a tropical paradise with the softest white sand beaches and pristine clear waters. It’s a very small island only 2 km long and 2.5 km wide. It’s so tucked away in the Adang-Rawi Archipelago that you have to know it’s there to visit.
Follow this ultimate guide to Koh Lipe to experience this special place for yourself!
How To Get to Koh Lipe
The only way to reach Koh Lipe is by boat. Usually, this is a speedboat ferry from one of the neighbouring Malay or Thai islands, or even from the mainland.
Here are just some of the places you can travel from:
- Several ports in Langkawi, Malaysia (90 minutes)
- Pak Bara Pier in Satun, Thailand (90 minutes)
- Hat Yao Pier in Trang, Thailand (2 hours)
- Saladan Pier in Koh Lanta, Thailand (3 hours)
- Tonsai Pier in Koh Phi Phi, Thailand (4 hours)
- Rassada Pier in Phuket, Thailand (5 hours)
No matter your trip route, you can book bus and ferry tickets through 12Go. It’s definitely the best ticketing platform for travelling through this part of Asia! And it’s a good idea to book your tickets in advance.
Koh Lipe is part of the Tarutao National Marine Park. Everyone who steps onto Koh Lipe must pay an entrance fee of 200 THB for adults (100 THB per person for children) on arrival. It’s valid the entire time you’re on Koh Lipe, no matter how long you stay.
How Long to Stay in Koh Lipe
I could have easily stayed in Koh Lipe for a whole month! Carve out at least three nights in your Thailand itinerary for Koh Lipe. It takes a decent amount of time to travel to Koh Lipe. You don’t want to leave when you feel like you’ve only just arrived.
We stayed for four nights in Koh Lipe and it was perfect.
Best Time to Travel to Koh Lipe, Thailand
Peak season in Koh Lipe is from December to February. This is during the dry season when temperatures are around 24-32°C (75-90°F).
Obviously, this is a great time to travel weather-wise. But it’s not so great if you are sticking to a tight budget or want fewer crowds.
The dry season runs from November to April, so you may want to travel near the beginning or end. You may have less sunshine and more humidity and rainy days, but fewer people may be worth it.
The Koh Lipe monsoon season is from May to October. Humidity is high and average temperatures are around 28-35°C (82-95°F). This is the low season and your trip might be impacted by heavy rain.
Even if that doesn’t bother you, it will if your ferry can’t depart. Boat cancellations are more common from August to October.
Incredible Things To Do in Koh Lipe
Koh Lipe is known for the fantastic diving and snorkelling opportunities in its coral waters and beautiful beaches. The Koh Lipe nightlife scene has also grown over the last few years with many bars and restaurants.
Here are all the top Koh Lipe activities to do during your trip!
Beautiful Beaches
There are three main beaches in Koh Lipe: Pattaya Beach, Sunrise Beach, and Sunset Beach.
But that’s not all of them! Here are my favourites:
- Sunrise Beach: The perfect place to start your day, this beach is where you’ll find most of the long boats.
- Sunset Beach: This smaller beach is well-placed for sunset but it’s a great place to visit any time of day! The beach bar here is nice too.
- North Point Beach: My favourite beach and right by our hotel! It’s also a popular sunset spot and Zodiac Beach Bar here is just lovely.
- Moons Beach: My second favourite beach! It’s a super small beach just south of Sunrise Beach, but so pretty and feels secluded.
It’s such a small island, you can definitely see all of these beaches during your trip.
Kla Island
Koh Lipe is part of an archipelago of islands, and Kla is a super tiny island just off the coast of Sunrise Beach. On the beach, you can rent a kayak and paddle to the island to snorkel.
It only takes about 10 minutes to get there and kayaks only cost around 250 THB for 2 hours.
If you’re lucky, you’ll get the island to yourself. Plus, the snorkelling here is amazing!
Bars and Restaurants
Koh Lipe has some fantastic restaurants and bars for such a small island. Walking Street is the island’s main street and it’s where you’ll find most of the nightlife. But there are great places to check out elsewhere!
Here are some of my favourites:
- Zodiac Beach Bar: This is a lovely chill bar between North Point and Sunrise Beach.
- Elephant: Lively restaurant on Walking Street serving classic comfort food and live music at night.
- Owl Cha: Another spot on Walking Street, Owl Cha serves delicious bubble tea, available in dozens of different flavours.
- Glow Noodle House: Some of the BEST noodles, the beef noodle soup is amazing!
- Pizza Time: Satisfy those pizza cravings even in Thailand! They also serve burgers and other international dishes.
- Bombay Indian Restaurant: This welcoming Indian restaurant has a huge menu and its outdoor terrace is a great place to enjoy a meal.
- Ranee Seafood: Small, laidback restaurant off the main strip with a range of Thai seafood dishes.
Learn to Dive
Want to take an SSI scuba diver course or a PADI open water diver course? Koh Lipe and the surrounding islands are such great places to learn to dive!
Courses are cheaper in Thailand than in many other countries. Water temperature also remains a consistent 26-29°C (78-84°F) year-round.
Plus, most dives take place around Ko Adang, the larger island north of Koh Lipe. It’s part of the Tarutao National Park so the active marine life and hundreds of coral reefs make for some beautiful places to dive.
The dry season is the best time to learn to dive thanks to better visibility. Find out more on the official PADI Koh Lipe guide or the SSI Koh Lipe guide.
Beach Cleanups
Do you want to give back to the local community during your time in Koh Lipe? It’s no secret that Thai beaches and coastlines are rife with rubbish. Trash Hero Thailand is an organisation looking to change that.
Every Monday at 10:00 AM, you can join other local and visiting volunteers on Pattaya Beach. Local businesses often donate gloves, bags, and other equipment to clear and sort the debris. It’s a meaningful way to spend time on Koh Lipe and meet new people.
How To Get Around Koh Lipe
Koh Lipe is super tiny and walkable. It probably took around 20 minutes to walk from our hotel in the north of Koh Lipe to Pattaya Beach in the south.
There are also plenty of tuk-tuk taxis that will zip you around the island. They charge 100 THB per ride, no matter where you want to go.
Where To Stay in Koh Lipe, Thailand
There are Koh Lipe hotels for every budget. Whether you’re backpacking through Thailand and want to spend as little as possible or splash out on a resort, you can do either!
If you are looking for a good mid-range hotel, we loved our stay at Mountain Resort. It had one of the best Koh Lipe viewpoints over North Point Beach.
Is Koh Lipe Worth It?
Follow This Koh Lipe Guide to Paradise
We really enjoyed our time in Koh Lipe Island and have no doubt you will too. Its beaches offer relaxation, the waters offer adventure, and the bars offer excitement. Whether you prefer to spend your days snorkelling in turquoise waters, bar-hopping on Walking Street, or soaking up the sun on a beach, this Koh Lipe travel guide will help you plan the perfect trip.
FAQs
- How long does it take to walk around Koh Lipe?
- Koh Lipe is a very small island and it takes less than two hours to walk around.
- Is Koh Lipe very expensive?
- Koh Lipe can be as cheap or expensive as you want it to be. You could spend a lot on accommodation, food, and activities but you can find plenty of budget options too.
- Can you swim in Koh Lipe?
- Yes, you can absolutely swim in Koh Lipe! The diving and snorkelling in Koh Lipe are also some of the best in Thailand.
- Is Koh Lipe too busy?
- Koh Lipe isn’t the untouched island it used to be, but there are ways to have a remote experience. Visit in shoulder seasons and check out less-visited beaches.
- How do you pronounce Koh Lipe?
- Koh Lipe is pronounced Co Lee-pay in English.
Great write-up on Koh Lipe, it got me dreaming of white sandy beaches! Just a quick question — are there any tips on enjoying the island on a budget? Would love to visit without overspending. While we’re at it, I’m curious about the prices there. Came across https://world-prices.com/en/thailand/prices recently but not sure if the info there is current. Any local insights would be awesome!