Koh Lipe is Thailand’s small island paradise! We know what you’re thinking – aren’t all Thai Islands paradisiacal?! What makes Koh Lipe so special? Well, picture a very tiny island where you can walk everywhere, surrounded by crystal-clear waters filled with colorful corals just knee-deep.

Keeping it short and simple, this tiny tropical island is a snorkeling paradise! Who wouldn’t want to wake up right next to the beach, go to the water, and spot a LOT of wild Nemos?! Add to it that due to its harder-to-reach location, Koh Lipe is far less crowded than the popular Krabi or Phi Phi Islands. Truly paradise!

Get ready to explore the Maldives of Thailand!

Best Time to Visit

The best time to visit Koh Lipe is between November and May when the seas are calm and visibility is at its best. The peak season is from December to January when the island gets quite crowded and prices get a bit higher than usual. That being said, the months of February to Mid-May are the absolute best time to visit Koh Lipe.

How to Get to Koh Lipe

From Phuket to Koh Lipe: you can get a ferry or speedboat from Phuket to Koh Lipe. The journey takes around 4-7 hours, depending on weather conditions, and costs around 2,700 to 3,500 bahts. You can book a ticket directly at the Rassada Pier, or online and in advance here.

From Krabi to Koh Lipe: the most common option is to take a ferry from Krabi Town to Koh Lipe, which takes around 4 hours and costs between 2,000 to 3,000 baht. If you have more time and want to save a few bucks, you can get a 4-hour van to Pak Bara Pier, and then the ferry or speedboat to Koh Lipe. If booked altogether, you can expect the van + ferry to cost around 1,200 – 1,500 baht.

From Pak Bara to Koh Lipe: this is probably the cheapest option! You can take a bus from wherever you are in Thailand to Hat Yai, and then get a van transfer to Pak Bara Pier. This transfer takes around 2 hours and should cost no more than 250 bahts. The ferry from Pak Bara takes 1:30h to reach Koh Lipe, runs three times a day, and cost only 600-700 bahts.

From Langkawi to Koh Lipe: this is a popular route among backpackers and a great way to visit two countries in one go! From Langkawi, you can take a 1-2h ferry which costs around 25 USD per person (this ferry only runs during the high season). As you board the ferry, your passport will be collected and only returned at the immigration office on Koh Lipe.

Good to know: big ferry boats stop in the middle of the sea as there are no proper piers on the island of Koh Lipe. A longtail boat will then transfer you to the beach.

The most important piece of advice for getting to Koh Lipe is to book your tickets in advance, especially during peak season. You can either book tickets directly at the pier a couple of days prior, or online through 12Go Asia or Bookaway.

Also read: Top ESSENTIAL Apps for Travel in Southeast Asia

Once reaching Koh Lipe, you’ll be asked to pay a National Park fee of 200 baht, which is valid for 5 days. You will need to show this ticket for snorkeling and diving trips, so remember to keep it safe!

Note: the same ferry that runs from Phuket to Koh Lipe and vice versa also stops at other islands such as Koh Phi Phi, Koh Lanta, and Koh Mook, so you can plan your island-hopping itinerary in Southern Thailand based on it!

How Long to Stay on Koh Lipe

This is definitely not the easiest of the Thai islands to get to, and that’s the very reason that makes it so special. We would recommend planning at least 3-4 full days on the island to make the trip worth it!

Also read: What to Do in Langkawi – 15 Bucket List Activities

Getting Around

The island is only about 2.5 square kilometers and can be easily explored on foot – you can walk from one end to the other in about 30 minutes. On top of that, most of the popular beaches, restaurants, and shops are located within walking distance of each other, so you won‘t need to worry about transportation!

From Pattaya Beach, where you will arrive, to the hotel (and vice versa), you can arrange a ride with the local tuk-tuk drivers for around 100-200 baht.

Where to Stay

Accommodation options on the island range from budget-friendly options to luxurious resorts. The most popular areas to stay in Koh Lipe are Pattaya Beach, Sunrise Beach, and the Walking Street.

Pro Tip: Another great luxury option is the newly built Irene Pool Villa Resort.

Budget-friendly to mid-range accommodations on the island are simple bamboo huts with only a fan. Air-conditioned rooms come at a higher price tag.

For the adventurous ones, camping on the islands of Koh Adang or Koh Rawi is also an option!

Note: it’s highly recommended to book your accommodation in advance, as securing a last-minute booking can be quite challenging on this small island. We recommend using Agoda for bookings in Thailand and around Southeast Asia for the best deals.

Where to Eat

Most of the restaurants at Koh Lipe are located on the iconic blue Walking Street! Local food on Koh Lipe ranges between €2-6, while Western dishes are usually €6+. Below are the spots we recommend:

• Jakun: really cheap, delicious local food right in front of Sunrise Beach. Highly recommend their Prawn Pad Thai.
• Bloom Cafe and Hostel: a great spot on the Walking Street for coffee, breakfast, smoothie bowls, and salads.
• On the Rocks Restaurant: a bit on the pricier side, but you get great food and a beautiful location in return. The seafood here is the star of the show.

There are two sounds that you’ll never forget once visiting Koh Lipe: one is the song from the old man selling Coconut Pancakes right in front of this 7-Eleven, and the other one is from Madam Yoohoo, who sells samosas every day at the North Point Beach during sunset. You can’t visit the island and not try their treats!

We also highly recommend the smoothie lady at Sunrise Beach (location here) for the absolute BEST smoothies on the island.

Things to Do on Koh Lipe

Some of the best things to do at Koh Lipe are:

🌴 Visit the other islands on the archipelago on a day tour: Koh Lipe is just one of the islands in the Adang-Rawi Archipelago, and the easiest way to visit all of the other islands is by doing an island hopping tour. These typically include visits to several islands, lunch, and snorkeling gear, with prices ranging from 600-1000 baht per person, depending on the program.

🐚 Do some Beach Therapy: known as the Maldives of Thailand, the palm-fringed beaches have white sand and crystal-clear waters filled with colorful corals and diverse marine life.

🤿 Go snorkeling and diving: you don’t have to go far to visit Nemo here! The colorful corals are located just about 50-100 meters from the beach, and you can float over it for hours on end or go diving.

For an in-depth guide on what to do at Koh Lipe, check out our 10 Best Things to Do on Koh Lipe – Thailand which includes costs as well as personal recommendations!

Koh Lipe on a Budget

🛏️ Accommodation: the cheapest accommodations start at €9-15 a night for hostel dorms and €15-30 for budget private rooms. Rooms with AC start at around €25 a night.

🍔 Food: local food ranges between €2-6, averaging €4 per dish. Western dishes range between €6-15.

🚌 Transport: the ferry depends on where you’re coming from, with the cheapest option being from Pak Bara at ~€19 each way.

🎟️ Activities: it’s totally possible to visit Koh Lipe without paying for any tours, but if you plan on doing at least one boat tour you should consider around €16 for it.

Note: we visited Koh Lipe on a budget for two weeks in November 2022. We managed to stay at a budget of around €30 per person per day.

Extra Travel Tips

• There is only one hospital on the whole island – the Southern Andaman Medical Clinic on the Walking Street. In most severe cases, you will be transferred back by speedboat to a mainland hospital.
• Bring insect repellent as mosquitos are especially terrible here when the sun goes down.
• Try to bring your own sunscreen! Sunscreen in Asia usually comes with brightening agents and is much more expensive on the islands.
• There are around 4 ATMs available on the island, all located on the Walking Street, in case you need to withdraw money. We highly recommend using a Wise debit card when traveling for lower fees.