Ko Lipe, a popular destination of both Thais and foreigners. The highlights include reefs around the island, beautiful bay coastline, soft powder-like sandy Beach, especially, the stunning beauty of Ao Pattaya, which embodies curvy, white powdery sandy beach and Hat Chao Le. Both beaches are reachable in about a 15-minute walk.
Koh Lipe is a small L-shaped island located in the southern Thailand’s Satun Province near the Thailand/Malaysia border. It belongs to the Adang-Rawi Archipelago, situated on the outskirts of the Tarutao National Marine Park. Originally only inhabited by Sea Gypsies, the Chao Ley who gave the island its name – Koh Lipe means Paper Island in Chao Ley, Koh Lipe (a.k.a. Koh Lipeh or Koh Lipey) has been through rapid development to face the increasing tourism demand.
Sunset Beach (west), Sunrise Beach (east), and Pattaya Beach (south) are the three main beaches of Koh Lipe. The island and its surroundings are quite famous for snorkelling and scuba diving; its coral reefs are easy to reach as they start just a few metres away from each of the four main island’s beaches. A large number of accommodation choices are available on Koh Lipe, from bamboo-and-thatch bungalows to four-star resorts.
What to Do in Koh Lipe
Koh Lipe is a small tropical paradise with all the usual (but welcome) clichés: white-sand beaches, turquoise waters, coconut tree-fringed beaches, luxuriant tropical forest, colourful coral reefs (25% of the world’s tropical fish can be found here), but to make it short, the main attraction here is the natural splendor of the island. Add to this the chilled-out atmosphere and the slow pace of life found in most tropical destinations, and you’ve got a winning holiday destination. Note has to be made about the negative effects of a too-fast development; Koh Lipe needs to fix a few issues such as rubbish treatment and animal conservation if it wants to remain an attractive destination.
The three most famous Koh Lipe beaches are the following:
Pattaya Beach is the longest (1km) and most popular beach features a wide range of hotels, restaurants, boutiques and bars.
Sunrise Beach (Haad Chao Ley) is a long (approximately 800m) strip of white sand bordering a wide shallow bay. It is protected from the monsoon in low season and enjoys refreshing breezes in high-season. Located near the Chao Ley village (hence its Thai name) which hosts a hospital and a school, there are a few restaurants and shops here.
Sunset Beach (Haad Pramong) is a peaceful and laid-back small beach (200m) located in the northern part of the island but facing west. Bamboo-and-thatch and driftwood-built restaurants and bars give a typical hippie feeling to the place.