If you are planning a trip to Thailand, the chances are you will be visiting some of the beautiful southern islands. Most people have heard about Phuket, Koh Phi Phi and the party island of Koh Phan Yan, but have you ever heard about Koh Lipe?
This tiny island has become more popular in recent years with backpackers and tourists wanting to get away from the resorts and crowds, and the island is still a lot less developed and busy compared to nearby destinations.
My advice is to get here soon, and hopefully my guide will help you plan the perfect trip.
How to Get to Koh Lipe
Lipe island is located in Tarutao Marine National Park just a kilometre south of Ko Adang. Here are the easiest ways to get to Lipe from popular locations:
From Bangkok:
By air – There are 5 – 7 flights daily depending on the time of year. Flights depart Bangkok and arrive at Hat Yai international airport. Take a taxi or van to the city center. From Hat Yai you have many choices of buses, mini vans, and taxis to Pak Bara pier for departure to Lipe Island. Hat Yai is the largest city in southern Thailand and it is your best point for transit to and from Lipe.
By bus – There are buses leaving from the brand new Southern Bus Terminal in Bangkok to Hat Yai ans Satun daily. There are day buses and overnight sleeper buses. The trip times depend on the quality of the bus and the number of stops it makes along the way. Overnighters take about 11- 12 hours to make the trip. Day buses from 12 – 15 hours.
Check the bus station or the bus companies for departure times and current prices. There are non-air-conditioned buses and everything up to VIP buses with only 24 seats. Very comfortable and all for just a few dollars more. Furthermore, there are 2 buses daily from the Southern Bus Terminal in Bangkok to Satun passing by Langu at 07:00 AM and 19:00 PM.
By train – There are 5 trains daily from Bangkok to Hat Yai. The train leaves from the Hualampong Station in central Bangkok. The trip takes at least 16 hours to reach Hat Yai and then you must go to the piers by road. Check the rail station for current times and rates of different services. They offer open air coaches right up to air-conditioned overnight sleeper cars.
From Trang, Krabi, Ko Lanta and Phuket:
By bus – There are air conditioned buses leaving from Phuket and stopping in Krabi, Trang Langu and Satun. They depart daily from Phuket at 08:15 AM, 10:15 AM and and 14:50 PM and arrives at Langu at 15:00, 17:00 PM and 02:00 AM. There are also local no air conditioned buses leaving throughout the day. Please check with the bus company for the latest prices and schedules.
By taxi – You can take a taxi from Trang or Krabi to Pak Bara. From Trang it is about 500 baht to Pak Bara. From Krabi to Pak Bara is about 1,200 baht. This price is per car not per passenger. You must negotiate the price with the drivers. Prices are changing often due to changing fuel prices so please don’t be surprised if they are asking more or maybe even less than is shown here.
By boat – Check with Bundhaya Resort in Lipe for the latest updates on departure times as well as prices.
From Surathani, Ko Samui and Ko Tao:
By bus – From Ko Samui you can catch the bus directly to Hat Yai. From Ko Tao make your way to Ko Samui to catch the bus or go to Surathani and take a bus, van or taxi to Hat Yai where you will have to switch to another bus, taxi, or minivan to Pak Bara pier in Satun province.
PLEASE MAKE NOTE THAT THE BOATS DO NOT DEPART FROM TAMMALANG PIER TO KO LIPE ANY MORE. THIS SERVICE HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED. YOU MUST GO TO PAK BARA PIER.
From Malaysia and Singapore:
You can take the North-South Expressway to the Sadao Border crossing and then come to Hat Yai. From there you can follow the highway signs going to Phattalung. Take the junction to Rathapum and Satun and follow the signs to Pak Bara.
Or you can go through Kangar to the border crossing at Wang Prachan, Thailand and then onto Pak Bara. This is much shorter than going through Hat Yai by car.
The new speed boats leaving from Pak Bara this year carries up to 60 people and will make the trip in less than 11/2 hours. Make sure that you keep your eyes open for whale sharks and dolphins, which are spotted on a regular basis on the way to Lipe.
Weather and Best Time to Visit
The best time for island hopping around Tarutao Park is from mid – October to the end of August.
September to mid – October is the west monsoon season and there are a few days that boats cannot leave from the islands or mainland due to stormy conditions. The boats used nowadays are much bigger and more powerful than boats of just a few years ago and they can travel in rougher seas than the smaller versions used up until a few years ago.
Accommodation is always available on the smaller island of Lipe but the Park offices at Tarutao and Adang islands are closed to visitors from May to November. Remember that when you are on an island if the waves are big on one side you can always go to the opposite side of the island to swim in calm seas.
The same goes for diving and canoeing. If you are a wind surfer or sailor and your looking for wind, then stay to the west of the islands during the months of June to December and to the east side from the months of January to May for the best winds.
Temperature wise: January to May are the hottest months. Daytime temperature of 30 – 38C in the shade and 25 – 30C at night.
June to September is much milder with temperatures in the daytime of 28 – 35C and night time temperatures from 22 – 25C.
October to December are our coolest months with daytime temperatures from 25 to 30C and night time temperatures from 20 – 25C.
Where to Stay
The costs of accommodation on Ko Lipe are varied depending on what they offer. Almost all of the bungalows come with a bathroom and toilet. Prices in Thai baht range from 500 baht per night (for a simple bamboo bungalow) up to 30,000 baht per night for the new five star resorts.
Koh Lipe Travel Tips
What to Bring
Koh Lipe is a remote island that until just a few years ago had very few facilities. Now Lipe has grown in leaps and bounds. There are many shops and boutiques on the island and you do not need to bring anything here except for personal items. There are new school, new clinic, a small navy base and many new resorts and restaurants.
You can now buy clothes, use high speed WiFi, get a Thai massage, shop for souvenirs, book your onward travel, use your cell phones to make calls anywhere, etc. You should be sure to bring any medication with you though.
Make sure to bring light weight clothes for the hot season and warm clothes for the rainy season. If you come in the rainy season it is advised that you bring an umbrella or rain coat. You can become chilled very quickly if you are wet. Be sure to bring swim suits, sunscreen and insect repellent.
Restaurants
There are restaurants at every resorts as well as many new restaurants all over the island. They serve a variety of types of food from Thai to foreign foods.
There are many seafood restaurants on the island but as divers you should be aware that even though we are in the middle of a National Marine Park the locals still catch fish on the islands reefs and sell them to you the tourist.
If you are concerned about saving our fast disappearing fish then please enquire if they have caught the fish fresh or if it has come from the fish farms on the mainland. If it is has come from the local reefs tell them sorry and try a different restaurant.
Only if tourists complain and refuse to use restaurants will they finally stop fishing on the local reefs. Let’s face it most divers would rather see the fish in the ocean than on their plates.
Internet
Lots of cafes are available on Koh Lipe with WiFi.
Important things to consider
If you are planning to travel to remote places like Koh Lipe, it is always a sensible idea to make room in your budget for travel insurance. A relatively small investment to make, but it will give you security and financial peace of mind should something occur whilst you are on your trip.
Top Things to Do
Lipe island is in the midst of a national park and you will be sure to have a wonderful time exploring the shores and reefs of the many islands that surround Lipe.
You can walk on the beach, swim in the ocean, walk inland to see the plants and animals or you may go snorkeling on our many pristine coral reefs.
Diving
Several dive schools offer the chance to learn to dive from a PADI Instructor or you can be guided on an amazing underwater adventure with divemasters.