Ko Lipe, Thailand: The Maldives of Thailand
- Karlee
- May 6, 2018
- 3 min read
Updated: Dec 13, 2019
Ko Lipe is the farthest South Island you can reach in Thailand before having to cross the border to Malaysia. The small island has no cars and one main walking street area with many restaurants and shops. We arrived with Hannah and Zach after a very long five-hour speed boat ride from Phuket island. The turquoise blue water is the first thing you notice when you arrive to Ko Lipe. There is a fee from the dock that the ferry drops you off on to get to the actual island. You must buy a permit that is only valid for 5 days, but you are able to use this National Park Permit at all the national marine parks for your diving, and snorkeling trips(which is awesome!)! The island has a handful of restaurants and housing options available from backpacker priced to five-star resorts on the beach. We stayed at an adorable guesthouse in the middle of the island that was very close to everything! This little gem was called The Noi Guesthouse and Restaurant! I Highly recommend staying there, they have the best smoothies and adorable lounge area, plus the staff is an amazing local family that is so kind and helpful.
Exploring the island was super fun, we went to almost every beach on the island and our favorite was Sunrise beach. It was literally picture perfect! White soft sand, turquoise clear blue water, and palm trees. This little gem also has a great restaurant at the Andaman Sea Resort and great massages! We spent a lot of time at this beach relaxing and even snorkeling. The better snorkeling was at near islands that you can kayak to or take a cheap taxi boat to get too. Sunset beach is great for…. sunsets! But seriously, picturesque sunsets! The beach frames the sunsets perfectly. If you want a less crowded sunset spot, check out the left corner of Sunrise beach.
Photos by: Sawyer Mahoney Photography
One of the best days we had was hiring a snorkeling tour and going out to near islands to snorkel at and explore. The snorkeling was amazing! Some of the best I have seen in Thailand. The reefs were very colorful and full of life. Bring a go pro or underwater camera because it is picture worthy! We unfortunately were trying to get to Malaysia by a certain deadline so we did not get to scuba dive on Ko Lipe but that is a big reason I will be returning to this little gem of an island! It seriously is the Maldives of Thailand. The underwater world around this island and the other marine park islands were incredible.
The vibe on the island I very low key. There is a night life but nothing that you would normally see on other islands in Thailand. If you do want to party check out the reggae bar on the main beach Pattaya. The owner is a rad dude with dreads and they always have awesome local artists singing and playing guitar(hopefully you'll be lucky enough to hear Calvin play& sing)! We had quite the wild night at this bar. I would consider Ko Lipe a hidden gem that isn't fully developed or discovered by everyone else yet. The tricky transportation and long boat rides make this little island less touristy and a lot more mellow, which can be a nice change of pace from the rest of Thailand. If you have the time on your journey don't miss out on this beautiful little island.
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