Ko Lipe



Ko Lipe (Thai: เกาะหลีเป๊ะ) (sometimes spelled Koh Lipe) is an island in Satun Province, off the Andaman Coast of Southern Thailand. It is 50km northwest of Langkawi, Malaysia, 67km west of Pak Bara, and 200km southeast of Phuket. It is part of a cluster of islands called the Butang / Adang Archipelago.

Ko Lipe is known for diving, snorkeling, beautiful white sand beaches, and a relaxed atmosphere. It has been referred to as "The Maldives of Thailand".

Understand
The name "Ko Lipe" is a corrupted version of the Malay name, Pulau Nipis, meaning "thin island".

In 1973, Tarutao National Park was established; however, Ko Lipe is outside of the jurisdiction of the neighboring 51 islands of Tarutao National Park, and as such, development is permitted on the island.

The island is home to about 500 Urak Lawoi sea gypsies ("chao leh" in Thai and "orang laut" in Malay) who are descendants of the first and only inhabitants of the island 300 years ago. Many of them fled in the late 1800s, when the Dutch mistook them for pirates, due to their nomadic lifestyle. Ownership of the island was disputed since it was uninhabited, and to prevent Malaysian encroachment, they were given a grant to half of the island and live in small villages, predominantly around the far east side of the island near Sunrise Beach. Although some are involved in tourism, many sustain from fishing and farming of rice and vegetables. They retain their animist beliefs in the spirits of their ancestors, the island, and the sea. Twice a year, during the full moon in late May or early June and in late October or early November, they hold a 3-day spiritual festival called pla juk or loy rua, where they pay respects to the memory of their ancestors.

In the 1980s, currency was introduced to the island. Resorts were constructed starting in the 1990s.

Tourism has resulted in water shortages, waste disposal issues, and other environmental problems. It is common to see garbage being burnt since there are not many reliable options for waste disposal. To help combat this problem, many restaurants and bars will refill used plastic or reusable water bottles for free or very little cost. Look for places with white water jugs or standard water dispensers to reduce waste.

Get in
As of January 2024, a plastic pontoon floating pier has been constructed where speedboats arrive. If coming from Langkawi, an immigration officer will stamp passports on arrival. There is also a ฿200 fee for entry into the national park; save the ticket as it allows for entry to other nearby islands.

By plane
The nearest airports are in Trang and Hat Yai, which is accessible by ferry then bus, or in Langkawi, accessible by ferry.

By boat
In the high season of November to May, speedboats and ferries are offered to/fromLangkawi (1.5 hour), Pak Bara (1.5 hours), Ko Tarutao (45 minutes), Trang (2.5 hours), Ko Lanta (3 hours), and Phuket (5 hours). Operators to/from Thailand include Satun Pakbara Speed Boat Club, Tiger Line, and Bundhaya Speed Boat and operators to/from Langkawi include Tropical Charters and Telaga Terminal. Ferries operate from mid of October until end of May from/to Langkawi, typically ferry schedule available in the morning and afternoon trip daily, but during shoulder season only available one trip daily, Langkawi to Koh Lipe schedule for both Kuah jetty and Telaga Harbour departure.

Speedboats can often bounce off the waves at very high speeds and passengers can get quite strong jolts into the non-sprung seats, so persons with back or neck problems should not travel on the speedboats, but on ferries. There have been reports of serious back injuries happening on the speedboats.

Get around
All of Ko Lipe can be covered on foot. A walk between the two furthest walkable points on the island, Serendipity Resort and Patai Galah Beach, takes about 45 minutes for the 3 km journey, using the roads. There are many motorcycles on the island, although none of them are for rent. The saleng are motorcycle sidecar taxis (labeled as such with drivers wearing numbered blue vests) that charge ฿50 per person for any journey or ฿300 per hour, they are typically parked near the 7-Eleven or ordered by phone (phone numbers are displayed on many of the electric poles). There are pickup trucks on the island belonging to resorts and used to transfer their customers' bags on arrival/departure and as shuttles. Certain resorts also operate golf carts as shuttles. Narrow concrete roads link the various beaches.

Long-tail boats will take you from any point on the island to any other point on the island for ฿50.

See
There is a very small Buddhist temple in the center of the island.

Do
Beaches - Sunrise Beach in the east faces the sunrise; sunset views are prominent at the smaller Sunset Beach in the west, and Pattaya Beach has more nightlife. Karma Beach in the north faces the Adang/Lipe channel. There are also several smaller beaches including Galah Beach, Svedo Beach, and Batata Beach, near the "secret beach" in the southwest of the island.

Fishing is illegal near the island, so stay away from fishing trips and do not purchase locally-caught fish.

Diving and snorkeling
Around Ko Lipe are some of Thailand's best reefs, all within easy reach. The reefs around Ko Lipe are largely intact; the 2004 tsunami had little impact here.

The currents here are predominantly tidal which means that at certain times of the month strong currents exist. At other times, none at all. You can always find somewhere good to dive but the widest selection of dive sites is available twice a month, following the half moon. You can see sharks, whale sharks, and manta rays. Sightings of are more likely on sites around the edge of the marine park, nearer the deeper waters. For the best chances, try to visit 8 Mile Rock, Stonehenge or Ko Pung.

The calm, clear water makes the Ko Lipe area ideal for snorkelling, with 25% of the world's tropical fish species found in the area. There are large varieties of fish around the coral 20m off all of the beaches. Ko Lipe is surrounded by over 30 islands and hundreds of reefs all within easy reach of the island. Tarutao National Park is one of Asia’s oldest marine parks thus the reefs and the islands surrounding Ko Lipe are in very good condition. Nowhere else on the Southeast Asian peninsula will you find so many excellent snorkel sites so easily reached. Snorkeling day trips on a long boat for 10-15 people, visiting 3 snorkeling locations, generally cost ฿600-700 per person.


 * 8 Mile Rock - A true deep sea pinnacle 75 minutes away by boat. The rock can be a tough place to dive due to the strong currents, but the marine and bird life that come here to feed are fantastic. The top of the pinnacle rises to within 14 meters of the surface. Found here: soft corals, schools of pelagic fish, potato cod, manta rays, whale shark, leopard shark.


 * Between Ko Adang & Ko Rawi - Has excellent diving and snorkellng locations between the two islands where the mountains come down to the sea. Underwater there are huge boulders and many types of rare fish and coral species that inhabit the reef in this region. A great spot for drift diving. Snorkelers should head for the east side of Ko Rawi where the national park staff have set up ropes along the reef, so that snorkelers can pull themselves easily along and investigate the reef with ease.


 * Yong Hua Shipwreck - In 1996, a fish-factory ship anchored near the western end of Ko Lipe caught fire and sank in about 40m of water. The shipwreck is now completely covered in marine growth and inhabited by schools of fish. The shipwreck has become a very interesting place to dive, but does often have strong currents making it a difficult dive. The top of the wreck is at about 26m sitting on its keel that is at 40m.


 * Hin Takorn Dukong - This site is home to just about every species of fish that you can imagine. The site is made up of granite stones shaped similar to building blocks rising up from the seabed into a structure with a series of tall points at its peak. Up to 18m deep. Hard and soft corals, at least 6 types of eel such as snake eels, different types of lion fish and stone fish, squid and cuttlefish try to hide here and succeed in attracting the larger predators such as sailfish.


 * Ko Bu Tang - One of the most popular islands to dive. One of the largest islands of the group, Ko Bu Tong supports many bird and animal species. Troops of crab-eating macaque monkeys live on the island and a colorful type of bee-eater bird can often be spotted from the beaches here. Giant corals and shellfish grow everywhere around this island paradise. Dive the north and south channels although for deep diving the "Giant's Staircase" on the islands west side has huge natural stone steps going down to 50 m or more. Also to found on Ko Bu Tang is Sting Ray City, where the blue spotted stingrays are plentiful. This site is also very good for snorkeling. North Side: has Monkey Bay, similar to Sting Ray City but much more steep and dramatic. Expect to see endless rows of tall coral-heads, turtles and rare critters such as the ornamental ghost pipe fish and sharks sleeping under the corals. East Side: has the perfect tiny island of Ko Lokoi. Surrounded by about 90 acres of shallow coral, you could do four dives here and not see it all.


 * Ko Sawang - A tiny island on the outer edge of the archipelago. There is not a tree or scrap of vegetation that can grow on this tall smooth stone, but underwater this place is full of life. Fantastic coral gardens growing on the rocky outcrops below.


 * Ko Langcha - Between Langcha and Adang is a very nice coral garden really worth the effort both for divers and snorkellers as near-perfect gardens shelter all sorts including rays and eels.

Diving and snorkeling trip providers














Other activities

 * Day Trips to Nearby Islands - The nearby island of Ko Adang includes Pirate Falls (90 minute hike each way) and Chado Cliff as well as hikes with viewpoints overlooking Ko Lipe. The island of Ko Rawi has a dense jungle. They can be reached by boat taxis.


 * Kayaking - Rent a kayak from various spots on the beach and spend the day or two seeing the island and reef.


 * Massages - There are plenty of places to get a massage, including an offshoot of the Wat Po massage school in the centre of the island and many massage places on Walking Street. Castaway Resort has a lovely little spa with sea views. A 1 hour massage costs ฿300-400.


 * Sailing - Sailing around Ko Lipe and within the Butang Group is certainly the most chilled way to explore these natural gems. There are day sailing trips with snorkelling activities or liveaboard sailing cruises within the Butang Group or as far as Ko Tarutao National Marine Park.


 * Yoga classes - Offered by Castaway Resort and Kerita's Yoga. 1 hour classes cost ฿400.


 * Batik Workshops - offered by Lipe Art Garden, which also offers lodging.

Buy
There are three ATMs on the island. One is at 7-Eleven on Walking Street. Another is across from Pooh's at the Sunrise end of Walking Street, and the third is in front of Harmony.

Many travel agencies or hotels will offer to charge your debit/credit card and give you the cash for a 5-8% fee.

For currency exchange, Bundhaya Resort offers the best exchange rates for dollars, euros, pounds or ringgit, but the rate is less than you would receive in a major city.

Ice can be bought from Ricci house for ฿10/kg.

Prices are uniform on the island and haggling does not produce results.

Eat
There are plenty of eateries on the island and most hotels serve food and drinks.



















Drink
Most of the hotels serve food and drinks. Those that have water served from large jugs will refill used water bottles for customers if asked politely. Beers cost ฿50 at 7-11 or ฿100 in a bar. Spirits cost around ฿150 and cocktails cost ฿200-250.











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Precautions
Stonefish have been spotted and photographed in the waters of Ko Lipe. While the chances of getting stung are slim, you may want to consider protective footwear when swimming in the water.

Medical care
Lipe Hospital is next to the school on Sunrise Beach and has an English-speaking doctor. There are also several clinics on the island including Siam International Clinic Koh Lipe, Southern Andaman Medical Clinic, and NemoLipe that have English-speaking staff.

Connect
Free Wi-Fi is available at almost all resorts and bars/restaurants.

Go next
Ferries and speedboats as well as further bus and train connections can be booked online or at one of the travel agencies on the island. It's best to buy tickets as early as possible as transport can be fully-booked in the high season. If booking from an agency, make sure that the booking is confirmed with the operator.


 * Ko Lanta
 * Ko Muk
 * Ko Phi Phi
 * Ko Tarutao
 * Langkawi
 * Pak Bara
 * Phuket