Koh Lipe – Not So Unknown Thailand
Thailand's Best Kept Secret: Koh Lipe
This beautiful place has relatively been little known to travelers, but that is fast changing. Recent years have seen rows of bars, cafés, souvenir shops, water sport operators and chalets mushroom on this tiny green gem of an island in Satun Province.
Part of the Butang Islands in Thailand, Koh Lipe, loosely translated as “paper island” in the local Chao Ley dialect, boasts among the calmest, clearest and most pristine waters I have ever seen.
Sitting inconspicuously in the southern part of the Andaman Sea, slightly more than an hour away from Telaga Harbour Marina, in Langkawi, by speedboat -- the ticket might be slighty pricey for some at US$50 and Koh Lipe has three only beaches, Pattaya, Sunrise and Sunset.
I’m partial to Sunrise Beach because the seafront shimmers with an amazing mix of aquamarine, emerald green and blue. Moreover, the sand is so soft and fine, you can just lie and sunbathe on it without a mat!
The main resort on this side of the island is atop a small hill that overlooks Mother Nature’s glories.
There is little to do here but bask in the sun and enjoy the cool sea breeze, as you sip cocktails with a good book for company. But if it’s beach bar-hopping and trading stories with other travelers you seek, then Pattaya Beach is the place to be.
Pattaya Beach is the longest and most happening stretch, and it’s here that most of the cafés, chalets and hotels are located. However, the island is so tiny that you can easily make it from one beach to another. In fact, you can explore the entire island in about an hour or less on foot.
On my first visit some years ago, the tracks were mainly dirt paths surrounded by trees and bushes but on my recent return, these have made way for small concrete roads that link the main tourist areas.
The “Walking Street” tourist market is lined with everything from quaint bakeries and coffee shops to trinket stalls and tattoo parlors, it is a great place for shopping.
There are no cars on the island, so if you don’t fancy cycling or walking, just flag down a boatman, and he’ll happily ferry you to the other beaches or even to nearby islands, for a small fee, of course.
The best time to visit is between October and early May when the weather is favorable but the busiest period stretches from December until February. If you are planning a visit during these three busy months, you’d best do proper planning and make your reservations in advance, or you can always camp out on the beach.
Most things around here, including ferry tickets, are fully booked months in advance.
The activities on Koh Lipe include sailing, diving, snorkeling, kayaking and just chilling. The many skilled Thai masseuses really do a fantastic job to help you relax. But like every growing tourist attraction, Koh Lipe must now try and strike a balance between the yearning for the almighty tourist dollar and safeguarding the very environment that attracted the tourists in the first place.
While enterprising Thais and foreigners are flocking to the island to set up shop, the native sea gypsies continue to cling on to their traditional laid-back way of life.
While Lipe's main beach, Pattaya Beach is already creaking under the development, there are still relatively tranquil surroundings here, even during peak season, with several coves and walks through the jungle from one beach to another -- be sure to bring along a flashlight for evening walks.
Reports of ongoing construction through high season, piles of garbage, building refuse and air pollution from trash being burned, are becoming more and more common, so don't arrive expecting an untouched paradise. Visit Koh Lipe, and soon, before Thailand’s best kept secret is discovered by the rest of the world.