Koh Lipe, located in Satun Province, is a small island in the Southern part of the Andaman sea, Thailand. It’s very close to Langkawi island (Malaysia), only 60km to be exact. And that was our next destination. But I would like to tell you a bit more about this small paradise island called Koh Lipe before we head down south. Koh Lipe is part of the Tarutao National Marine Park, which is a large group of over 70 islands. The island is famous for diving and snorkeling, and for the beautiful serene beaches and the relaxed atmosphere. Since it’s so pretty and not so well-known as the touristic islands, there is a fear whether or not Lipe will become another Phi-Phi: a victim of its own beauty. Even though there are no proper roads for cars, there is a walking street that was built in 2010, and in between the glorious beaches, there’s an ever-expanding concrete maze of cafes, travel agencies, restaurants, shops and salons. There is even an 7-Eleven! But not to worry, there’s still plenty to love, about Koh Lipe. And it’s considered to be one of the safest islands - there is almost no crime at all.
My favourite part of Lipe was of course its beaches, especially the end of the Sunrise Beach that is close to the Sunset Beach. There are just 3 main beaches on Koh Lipe, all within just 15 minutes walking distance. We decided to tour the island and started from the Sunset Beach, which is a small bay facing West to the Butang Islands and is a great place to watch the sunset. This is the most quiet and laid back area of Lipe, with very few places to stay, and all of them have been able to retain the feeling of the ‘Old Lipe’. From there we walked to the Sunrise Beach, which is a long stretch of stunning white sandy beach and is protected from the monsoon weather in low season, and has a pleasant breeze on most days in high season. The school, hospital and a small Chao Ley village are located here as well as some restaurants and resorts. Lastly we headed back to the Pattaya beach, where also our hotel, Mali Resort, was located. You can find dozens of bars and restaurants on the beach or around the corner in Walking Street. Since we stayed there only 2 nights, we didn’t have time to discover the several uninhabited islands that can easily be reached with a long tail boat, all between 15 minutes and 1 hour away. But I have to say, Koh Lipe has one of the best beaches for me of all the islands I have visited in Thailand - the sand is so white and the water so turquoise, how can you not love Koh Lipe..
