Budget Backpacking on Koh Lipe - How to Live Cheaply in Paradise
Budget backpacking on the Thai island of Koh Lipe. Our guide to cheap eats, accommodation and activities on this beautiful tropical island.
The islands of Thailand are not as cheap as once they were, yet they are still a firm favourite of the budget conscious backpacker. With their ‘island economies’ these beautiful destinations can easily empty the wallet of the unwary backpacker. We spent 10 days on the island paradise of Koh Lipe and these are our hints and tips of maximising your budget whilst staying on this tropical Thai island.
Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. We will earn a small commission from any purchases made through these links.
Accommodation on Koh Lipe
Koh Lipe has quite a few hostels and guesthouses dotted throughout the island, with a mixture of private and dorm rooms available. If you’re solo travelling, check which dorm is best for your budget/needs as there are a variety of levels of luxury to choose from across the island.
For couples or those who don’t mind sharing a bed, then look into private rooms as these are frequently cheaper than buying two beds in a dorm room. When we stayed, two dorm beds in the Bloom Cafe and Hostel were more expensive than a double private room with en-suite bathroom next door in the Sang Chan Hostel.
A general tip here, which you probably already know, is that the prices will nearly always be better in person than booking online. There is lots of accommodation to choose from so you shouldn’t be left bedless for the night.
During our stay, we stayed at the Sang Chan Hostel, extending multiple times, which allowed us to get a slightly better rate, but at the expense of one night having to switch rooms to a couple of dorm beds as all the private rooms had sold out.
The Sang Chan Hostel private rooms were small but extremely comfortable, with a fan to keep cool. The dorm rooms had AC, fans, plug sockets above the beds and good sized storage lockers.
The private double room cost us 700 baht per night (£17.28 or $21.29). One dorm bed cost 300 baht per night (£7.40 or $9.12). You could have gone more budget friendly than we did, but Sang Chan was centrally located and just what we were looking for. You can book your stay at Sang Chan hostel here.
If you want to book your accommodation in advance (a very good idea during peak season), check out the handy map below:
Eating and drinking cheaply on Koh Lipe
Again, the island economy of Koh Lipe means that eating out costs more than on mainland Thailand. However, Koh Lipe has plenty of great budget options for those looking to reign in the spending.
Breakfast on Koh Lipe
Banana Roti
It’s not called the ‘banana pancake’ trail for nothing! This backpacker staple is available across the island from street carts to sit down restaurants. More expensive than on the mainland, expect to pay between 60 to 80 baht (£1.49/$1.79 or £1.98/$2.39).
Fried Chicken from Sippeenong (สิบพี่น้อง) - Map Link
In the Western eyes, this maybe a slightly unconventional breakfast, but Hat Yai had turned us onto fried chicken in the mornings.
On Walking Street near to the Pattaya Beach entrance, the Sippeenong restaurant serves an excellent fried chicken with sticky rice, sweet chilli sauce and deep fried shallots. It is an extremely filling breakfast and costs only 60 baht per plate (£1.49 or $1.79).
The Bakery
The Bakery caters for the sweet doughy fix that befalls all those who leave Europe after a while.
Sweet cinnamon whirls were our (very healthy) breakfast choice on more than one occasion. If you get a fresh batch they are chewy, sweet and delicious! One cinnamon whirl costs 35 baht (£0.87 or $1.04).
The bakery doesn’t have a Google Maps listing, but can be found on Walking Street close to the Pattaya Beach entrance.
Lunch and dinner on Koh Lipe
There is no shortage of restaurants on Koh Lipe and those not on a budget can indulge themselves with fresh lobsters and barbecued fish. As budget backpackers however, you’re not instantly relegated to the realms of pot noodles as the island has plenty to offer for those with tighter purse strings.
Wonton soup stall - outside Patt market (แพท มาร์เก็ต)
Outside the Patt Market and opposite the A Plus Centrale shopping centre, is a humble little stall selling wonton noodles. Served as either wonton noodle soup with char siu pork, or dry with the soup on the side, the wontons were silky, meaty and super satisfying.
The noodles were great with the perfect amount of bite and the soup was clear and light whilst still delivering depth and complexity.
This was one of the best value options on the island and we had dinner here several times. One plate of wonton noodles with pork and soup cost 80 baht (£1.98 or $2.39).
Noodle soup from Wangcha-Aon & Thai food (วังชะโอน แอนด์ ไทยฟู้ด)
Surprising no-one, a good budget option is a simple bowl of Thai noodle soup.
As we mentioned in our article on Koh Lipe, we found the best noodle soup to be from Wangcha-Aon. A steaming bowl of noodles comes with sliced beef, beef balls as well as meltingly tender braised beef. Topped with crunchy bean sprouts, coriander and white pepper, you can’t go wrong with choosing this noodle soup. Just make sure to fine tune the bowl to your individual tastes by adding sugar/vinegar/chilli from the table.
A bowl of beef noodle soup will cost 100 baht (£2.46 or $3.05).
Pad Thai, Pad Krapow and Fried Rice
Almost all the restaurants on the island will have a “fast food” or “one plate” menu. This is no McDonalds fare, but the familiar backpacking menu of Pad Thai, Pad Krapow and Fried Rice.
These one plate meals are usually much cheaper than ordering a plate and rice separately.
The island's economy seems to have dictated that these dishes all cost around the same at 70 to 80 baht a plate.(£1.73/$2.09 or £1.98/$2.38).
Streets eats - grilled meat and other delicacies
Served from grills at the front of the Walking Street restaurants and from little stalls to either side of the 7/11 (the one furthest away from Pattaya Beach), come sizzling meats and crunchy spring rolls. This is some of the cheapest food on the island and you could easily graze yourself happy here munching your way along. You can get juicy skewers of pork, barbecued chicken, imitation crab legs as well as coconut pancakes and spring rolls, Ranging from 10 to 50 baht (£0.25/$0.30 or £1.24/$1.49) these are a great budget option.
These grilled meat skewers are excellent portable snacks!
7/11 supermarkets
As a backpacker you will not need to be told this, but we’ll say it anyway. 7/11 does halfway decent cheap coffee, as well as the backpacker staple of super cheap toasties. We are not normally one to support the massive chains but sometimes a cheese toastie is a must! There are two 7/11 supermarkets on the island both located along Walking Street.
What to do on Koh Lipe on a budget
The beaches of Koh Lipe
You really don’t need to be told this, you’ve come all the way to Koh Lipe for a reason. The beaches are free and beautiful. A day spent soaking up the suns rays whilst listening to the gentle waves lap against the shoreline is the perfect, budget friendly way to spend a day.
The three main beaches you need to seek out are Pattaya Beach in the south, Sunrise Beach to the east and Sunset Beach on the west coast of the island. All these beaches have areas to swim in and plenty of areas to lounge around in the sand. Just bring a towel, swimwear and relax!
If you get peckish during your beach day, there are plenty of cafes, beach bars and restaurants all along the beach fronts, however to keep it cheap, we’d recommend packing a picnic from 7/11 or from one of the other street food stalls along Walking Street.
Read more about the beaches of Koh Lipe here.
Our favourite beach to relax on for the day was Sunrise Beach. Big enough so that you always had space to yourself with perfect clear water and designated swimming zones. As the day goes on, the palm trees further down the beach provide shade. Another unexpected bonus of this beach are its amazing doggy denizens. The dogs of Sunrise Beach are super laid back and very friendly. They’re also extremely happy to wear sunglasses and pose for photos!
Say cheese!
Sunset on Koh Lipe
Sunsets in Thailand can be absolutely spectacular, and Koh Lipe is no exception. Head to Sunset Beach and sit with the other travellers on the floating pier. Watching the sun dip down, with your feet in the water is a beautiful way to start an evening. We recommend picking up some beers to add to the chilled atmosphere.
Kayaking on Koh Lipe
Koh Lipe is a small island that can be circumnavigated by kayak without too much trouble. Kayak rentals are available on both Sunrise and Pattaya Beaches and cost 200 baht per hour for a two person kayak (£4.94 or $5.96). There are several beaches only accessible this way, and we recommend just heading out and having a lazy paddle around. For more information read our main Koh Lipe article here.
Snorkelling trips from Koh Lipe
Snorkelling off of Koh Lipe is an absolute must. Koh Lipe is set in the Tarutao National Park which is home to spectacular corals and a great variety of colourful fish.
There are loads of tour operators all along Walking Street offering different snorkelling itineraries. Make sure to shop around to get the best deal.
We booked ourselves onto a full day snorkelling trip with lunch, water, fruit and beach breaks all for 500 baht per person (£12.36 or $14.89). We booked our trip from Koh Lipe Star Travel which was located opposite the Pooh Bar.
Walking around the island
Another free things to do is just to walk around the island. Koh Lipe is not a large island and you could easily spend a day exploring the island by foot. Just head out in any direction and see what you find. As soon as you leave the busy alleys of Walking Street behind you’ll feel as though you have the island all to yourself.
We took a walk around the island almost daily and enjoyed just heading to one of the beaches and taking a random road to see where it would take us. During our time wandering the island we found a hidden temple, several abandoned resorts and even a route through the trees that led us to one of Koh Lipe’s “secret beaches”.
If you do not want to do a large walk of the island, then we’d recommend heading to Walking Street and walking the length of it as this is a great place to go window shopping. With lots of souvenirs, clothes and jewellery shops there’s plenty to browse. Just remember not to take the first price and negotiate with the shop keepers!
Drinking on Koh Lipe - nightlife on the island
As you may have seen on our article on our favourite bars of Koh Lipe most of the beer prices are very similar to each other at around 100 baht per small bottle (£2.46 or $3.05).
The cheapest bars we found were Pattaya Song on Pattaya Beach and the excellent Forget Me Not Bar off of Walking Street.
If bars are too pricey, then the true backpacking way to have a bevvie on the island is to buy bottles or cans from the street vendors (these were always cheaper) and make your way to a beach to chill out on!
Travelling to and from Koh Lipe
Koh Lipe is extremely well connected to the rest of Thailand. You can book a few different ways, but being a Thai island the costs are higher and the options more limited than you would get on the mainland.
Almost every other shop on the Walking Street can arrange speedboat transfers to pretty much any of the islands on the western coast of Thailand. Transfers are also available through to mainland cities, and even to Langkawi, Malaysia. Our advise would be to shop around and try and negotiate prices (this is easier if you’re booking for more than one person).
If you’re planning your trip in advance, or just like having everything arranged simply you can just use 12Go to book your tickets online.
Another option is to take the public ferry across to the Pak Bara pier on the mainland and arrange/hail onward transport from there. Mini buses run from here to Hat Yai and there will be plenty of opportunities to arrange onward travel from there. We can’t tell if this will be any cheaper than doing it through an agent on the island, but if you’re an expert negotiator it may be worth a try.
Final thoughts
Koh Lipe is a beautiful island and not as well known as Koh Samui, Koh Lanta or Koh Phi Phi. You can easily live thriftily without missing out here. It’s a tiny island that is totally walkable with loads to do, and lots of budget friendly options. If we’ve missed any good deals let us know in the comments!
We hope you enjoy your budget friendly trip to Koh Lipe!
Thanks for reading,
John & Ellie x
#adventuresofjellie
Our other Koh Lipe articles:
If you want a guide to the island of Koh Lipe as a whole click here!
If you’re interested in having a drink on Koh Lipe, click here to read all about the bars on the island.
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The Bars of Koh Lipe - Where to Drink in Tropical Paradise?
Thailand’s southernmost island of Koh Lipe is a tropical paradise full of white sand beaches, colourful coral and turquoise waters. But as night falls, where should you go for a drink on the island of Koh Lipe? Read our guide to find our which are the best bars on the island. From beach bars to sports bars Koh Lipe has it all. Read on to find out where to wet your whistle!
Tropical paradise islands tend to breed a certain kind of bar, if you're unlucky then it'll be the “resorty” kind of bar. Soulless, copy pastable and feeling as though you've not left the airport lounge. However, if you're lucky, you'll get the ramshackle, the lean to, the thrown together… the quintessential beach bar!
Luckily for Koh Lipe we found several of the latter. Here's our guide to our favourite bars whilst drinking on this beautiful Thai island.
Let's just put it straight out there, that not all of these bars are on the beach, however this is Koh Lipe and the beaches are never that far away. Also this list is entirely subjective to the taste of Jellie (maybe you really like airport bars?)!
It is also worth pointing out that you won’t see a massive difference in prices for beer here. We predominantly drink beer and the price seemed to be pretty much standard across the island. There are a couple of exceptions, but you’ll have to read on to find out more!
We spent over a week on this beautiful island. To find out what we got up to (that wasn’t bar based) read our guide here.
Disclosure: This article may contain affiliate links. We will earn a small commission from any purchases made through these links.
The Beach Bars
Zodiac Bar - Map Link
Set at the end of a white sand peninsula, the Zodiac bar appears to be the premier beach bar of Koh Lipe.
Sitting at the end of Sunrise Beach and facing Koh Lipe's mountainous neighbour Koh Adang, Zodiac sprawls across the sands. A central bar feeds out to bean bags, driftwood furniture, fire pits and other cosy lounging spots. There's a laid back vibe during the day and a party scene at night (the island's Full Moon parties are usually held here). You could easily spend a full day here using this bar as a base for swimming, sun lounging and even (despite its location on Sunrise beach) watching the sunset!
Jellie beer price index 1 x small bottle of Chang cost 100 baht (£2.17 or $2.70)
Pro tip - for a slightly more cost efficient beverage, head into the restaurant on the left (still part of Zodiac) where you can buy large bottles of Chang for 160 baht (£3.48 or $4.32)
This bar is expensive, but given the location and beach vibes you can see why!
If you’re looking for a luxurious stay, Zodiac also has a lovely looking high-end resort the Zodiac Seesun. Located just behind the bar, you could easily roll back to your room after a night on the sand!
Sea La Vie Bar - Map Link
Also located on Sunrise Beach, is the much smaller Sea La Vie bar.
The bar is set on a raised wooden platform and at high tide, the sea practically brushes against it. With driftwood furniture, pallet tables and comfy cushions scattered around, this place is a relaxed bar just begging for you to come in for a sundowner drink.
There is a happy hour in the early evening where you can buy 5 beers (standard Thai selection - Chang, Leo or Singha) and get 1 free bottle.
It's worth pointing out that if you go here and stay for high tide, the view is lovely with the bar ending and the sea beginning almost immediately. However it does mean that when it is time to leave you will get your feet wet.
Jellie beer price index - 100 baht for a small bottle of Chang (£2.17 or $2.70) or 500 baht for six bottles during happy hour (£10.86 or $13.51).
Again standard price for a beer on the island, but the happy hour is a good saving!
Pattaya Song - Map Link
Located at the very end of Pattaya Beach, this resort has a sprawling bar next to the cliffs and beach. Not only does this bar have the cheapest beer we found on the island but also boasts very nice iced coffees.
Jellie beer price index - one small bottle of Chang cost 60 baht (£1.30 or $1.62) and a large bottle of Chang cost 120 baht (£2.61 or $3.24).
A good deal, but a little walk up the beach. Also worth bearing in mind that as the bar is at the base of a cliff, the bar itself can be quite well shaded.
Lipe Bar - Map Link
If you’re looking for after dark beach drinks, the Lipe Bar serves you well. For the complete nighttime Thailand beach experience, this bar has beanbags, fire shows and music. Serving all manner of drinks, cocktails and non alcoholic bevvies, this bar is located on Pattaya Beach conveniently near to the entrance of Walking Street.
Jellie beer price index - one small bottle of Chang cost 100 baht (£2.17 or $2.70).
Again standard island price, but you do get a show with your drink (although you should probably tip the fire guy).
Happy Mojito - Map Link
The only bar serving Sunset Beach, Happy Mojito sits against the cliffside on wooden stilts with a view across the beach and out to sea.
The bar is attached to the nearby Bayview Sunset Resort and is one of the more luxurious on this list. During low tides it has sun loungers and deck chairs on the beach and during the high tide you can retreat to the high platform.
Its namesake, the Happy Mojito is on special offer in the late afternoon/early evening for 100 baht (£2.17 or $2.70). This may have been our only non beer alcoholic beverage on Koh Lipe and so we can’t compare and contrast to other cocktails in other bars, but it was very tasty!
The bar is beautiful during the day, but for the best of sunset you will have to leave it and go a little way up the beach.
The bar also serves food and other soft drinks. One of the days we had a very tasty banana smoothie, we would highly recommend it!
Jellie beer price index - 70 baht for a small can of Chang (£1.52 or $1.89).
Not the cheapest, but totally worth it for the beachside ambiance.
The Bars of Walking Street and Beyond
Time to Chill Bar - Map Link
Located in the very heart of Walking Street, the Time to Chill bar is a little garden oasis set off the busy street.
With seating sprawled in a square around an open central garden, Time to Chill lives up to its name. With comfy lounging cushions, and laidback live music most nights, this softly lit bar drew us in time after time.
Decorated in the usual beach/reggae vibes, this bar became a firm favourite for when we wanted a chilled out quiet drink. Every night we visited in the evening there was an acoustic singer covering songs from all eras and genres.
Jellie beer price index - 100 baht for a small bottle of Chang (£2.17 or $2.70).
Corner Bar - Map Link
The ever popular Corner Bar sits at guess what, a corner of Walking Street.
A small bar with low seating, this friendly place provides a good stopping point for weary Walking Street wanderers. This is certainly helped by its prices being slightly less than its nearest neighbours.
Jellie beer price index - one small bottle of Chang cost 80 baht (£1.74 or $2.16).
Hallidej Bar - no Google map listing
Another good option for slightly cheaper Walking Street beers, is the Hallidej bar. Set in between restaurants, it is one of the first bars you’ll encounter if you walk up Walking Street from Pattaya Beach.
We visited during happy hour (which runs till 9pm) where beers and cocktails were reduced.
Jellie beer price index - during happy hour one small bottle of Chang cost 80 baht (£1.74 or $2.16).
Passion Gastro Bar - Map Link
A stylish bar set in the middle of Walking Street, Passion Gastro bar serves small plates and cold beers.
Again like a lot of the bars on the island, there is a happy hour running until 8pm with reduced beer costs and buy one get one free on selected cocktails. Being thrifty backpackers we only visited during the happy hour, but loved the ambiance. Our favourite seats were the bar stools looking directly out onto Walking Street where you could watch the ever changing tide of backpackers, tourists and locals flow by.
Jellie beer price index - during happy hour one small bottle of Chang cost 70 baht (£1.52 or $1.89).
OMG Sports Bar - Map Link
Set a little way away from the busiest areas of Walking Street, this large bar was clearly a backpacker favourite.
Run by a friendly couple, the large bar has a pool table, a good drinks selection and tasty bar snacks. The bar is also home to two extremely pampered pooches. The dogs couldn’t be more different with one being a tiny scuttling Chihuahua and the other being a massive friendly English Bull Terrier.
We made a beeline to this bar during the World Cup to watch England lose at football again. Despite the extremely late kick off, the bar was packed and there was a great atmosphere with the football shown on multiple screens.
Jellie beer price index - one small bottle of Chang cost 100 baht (£2.17 or $2.70).
Forget Me Not Bar - Map Link
How on earth do we go about describing this bar, or the chaotic brilliant nights within. You enter through what looks like the ruins of a bar, to be greeted by ramshackled decor of driftwood, couches, pillows and even a massive bed/chair made out of mattresses.
This bar was everything we had hoped to find on a Thai island. Super friendly and instantly welcoming, as soon as you enter the bar you’ll always be dragged into the conversations or otherwise involved with what's going on in the bar. If we didn’t have to pay at the end of the night, you’d think you had just stumbled into your friend's house party.
We spent more than a few nights here and loved the great music, hilarious bar owners and altogether fun vibe.
Jellie beer price index - one small bottle of Chang cost 80 baht (£1.74 or $2.16).
Koh Lipe has so many bars there's no way our livers would have allowed us to review them all. The ones listed above are just some of our favourites.
From the above list, these are the ones we recommend depending on the vibe you're searching for.
Best all rounder - Forget Me Not Bar
Best to relax - Time to Chill Bar
Best for watching sports or playing pool - OMG Sports Bar
Best beach bar - Sea La Vie
Best blow out/party bar - Zodiac Beach Bar
Chok dee all!
Thanks for reading,
John & Ellie x
#adventuresofjellie
Our other Koh Lipe guides:
To read more about what we got up to on Koh Lipe when we weren’t drinking click here!
If you’re looking to make the most out of a backpacking budget, check out our guide to living cheaply on Koh Lipe here!
If you’ve found this blog helpful, entertaining or you just fancy supporting us please click the button below!
If you’ve enjoyed reading this article, why not save the pin below?
Koh Lipe - The Tropical Island Paradise of Southern Thailand
In the deep south of Thailand, just north of the Malaysian border lies the paradise island of Koh Lipe. With crystal clear turquoise waters, white powder sand beaches and a plethora of activities to enjoy. Koh Lipe is Thailand’s less well known tropical paradise. Read our guide for the best things to do on Koh Lipe, where to eat and drink on Walking Street, how to find the secret beach and why Koh Lipe should definitely be on your Thai island hopping itinerary!
So southern that it’s almost in Malaysia, Koh Lipe sits off the western coast of Thailand. Located within the beautiful national park of Tarutao and walkable from one side to the other in well under half an hour, this pint sized little island boasts beautiful white sand beaches, turquoise waters as well as plenty of hostels, bars, restaurants and other island activities!
Koh Lipe is not as famous as its more northern brethren of Koh Samui, Koh Lanta or Koh Phi Phi. Its southerly position and small size lend it a more sleepy, laid back atmosphere, and whilst it doesn’t attract quite the crowds of the more famous Thai islands, Koh Lipe has a charm all of its own.
We originally booked for three nights but when we spoke to fellow travellers on our first day they warned us that Koh Lipe is a vortex. A whirlpool that traps you in and makes it very hard to leave. Still we thought, what harm could it do, so we extended our stay for just one more night… Anyway, 11 days later we managed to tear ourselves away from this gorgeous little island.
What kept us there, why did we like it so much? As it’s such a small island what is there to do? Read on to find out why Koh Lipe should be high on your list of Thai islands to visit!
Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. We will earn a small commission from any purchases made through these links.
Contents:
The best beaches on Koh Lipe
What to do on Koh Lipe?
Eating and drinking on Koh Lipe
Koh Lipe - the essential information
Should we leave? …. Nah!
How to get to Koh Lipe?
As we’ve previously mentioned, Koh Lipe is in the south of Thailand, like really south, like so south that one of its closest neighbours is the Malaysian tax free haven of Langkawi.
We were travelling in from south Thailand’s largest city, Hat Yai . We had arranged a transfer through our accommodation. A minibus would pick us up from our hostel, take us to Pak Bara pier in the province of Satun, and there we would transfer to a speedboat that would take us across the Andaman Sea to Koh Lipe. If you didn’t book through your accommodation or wanted to make your own way there, you could buy the ferry ticket directly from Pak Bara pier. Our package including the mini bus to the pier and the speedboat transfer cost us 800 baht each (£17.45 or $21.59).
If you want to book directly you could use 12GO, we have done this for other crossings and it is a handy way to combine buses and ferries. Click here to book your tickets!
Upon arrival at Pak Bara pier there is the usual South East Asian rigmarole of changing paper tickets for stickers, exchanging more stickers for plastic boarding cards and finding out that we needed to buy the entrance fee for the national park and also a separate pier fee - more on this later in the tips section!
Inside the ferry terminal, rows of nearly identical check in desks stretch along the back wall next to an extremely overpriced cafe. After check in, it was a smooth transfer onto the speedboat. Our luggage was taken by the crew and stowed on board before we were called one ticket at a time onto the boat.
Once underway the boat sped off across the ridiculously blue water. It stopped for twenty minutes on Koh Tarutao, an island within the national park, where we could either get off the boat or stay on for the short stop. After another brief stop while we waited for the pier to become free we arrived on the white sanded shores of Koh Lipe. Jumping off the boat onto a blue floating pier, our bags were unloaded and we headed off into the island. All in all, our trip from our hostel in Hat Yai to Pattaya beach in Koh Lipe had taken about 4 hours.
So blue!
You can get to Koh Lipe from any of the West Thai islands such as Phuket, Koh Lanta, Koh Mook by speed boat transfer. You can book tickets on the islands through a tour operator or in advance via 12Go.
If you’re travelling to Koh Lipe from Bangkok, the quickest way to get to Koh Lipe would be to book an internal flight to either Trang or Hat Yai airports. From there you will need to book a transfer to the ferry port. Again if you want to book in advance you can use 12Go.
Being so close to Malaysia you can actually get the ferry directly across from Langkawi island and it only takes an hour and a half. Book tickets here. If you’re coming from Malaysia from land, check out our articles on crossing the Thai / Malaysian border and staying in the southern city of Hat Yai.
When to visit Koh Lipe?
Koh Lipe’s high season runs from mid to late October through to the end of April. During this time you should be able to enjoy warm sunny days (without being too scorching) with minimal rainfall.
During the low season accommodation will be much cheaper and although it will rain, it should be confined to a few hours a day. Just be aware that Walking Street may not be as busy and some businesses may close for the season. Also the powerboats between the western islands will sometimes shut down in the low season, and the sea will be rougher with less visibility for snorkelling and diving.
Where did we stay on Koh Lipe?
We had booked ourselves into Sang Chan hostel, a small hostel just off of Koh Lipe’s main road - Walking Street.
We bought a basic private fan room (posh packers, we know) with en-suite but no air conditioning. Our private room was what an estate agent would call cosy, maybe even bijou. It was comfy, and the size was perfect for our needs.
Sang Chan hostel had free tea, coffee and water as well as a little communal space and two extremely cute cats!
We also managed to test out one of the downstairs dormitories, as for one of the nights where we tried to extend our stay, our private room had already been booked. The dorm rooms at Sang Chan hostel were very comfy, with good lockers, personal lights and power sockets and a privacy curtain. The room we stayed in had 8 beds (4 bunk beds).
We paid 700 baht per night for the private room (£15.27 or $18.89) and 300 baht each (£6.54 or $8.10) for a bed in the dorm.
There are lots of hostels and low cost guesthouses on offer all over the island as well as beachfront bamboo huts or more luxurious resorts.
Our advice would be to look for accommodation within the Walking Street or Sunrise beach areas of the island as these are right in the midst of all of the restaurants and bars. Check out the map below for all your accommodation choices:
The best beaches on Koh Lipe
This is probably why you’re here, it was certainly why we were. The beaches of Koh Lipe are simply stunning, literal island paradises. When you think of Thai islands there’s a specific image that comes to mind. Crystal clear, near impossibly turquoise waters, lapping up against a white sanded beach under palm trees beneath the blazing sun. Maybe there’s a long tail boat? Koh Lipe fulfilled all these stereotypes, honestly in any direction you looked it could have been a postcard.
Koh Lipe is not a large island but has three main beaches as well as a smattering of “secret” beaches. Here’s our guide to which beaches to go to and when to go to them.
Pattaya Beach
This is the main beach of Koh Lipe and by far the most popular.
Odds on chance, that if you’re on Koh Lipe already, you would have arrived via this beach. Lined with resorts, beach bars, scuba diving shops and restaurants, Pattaya beach is busy whatever time of the day. During the day the beach is popular with sunbathers, snorkellers and those enjoying a beachside beer. Come evening time, the beach bars light up with fire-shows and bonfires and the resort restaurants spill out onto the sand.
Sunset Beach
The furthest beach from Walking Street and the heart of the island, Sunset beach is so called because guess what… it gets the best view of sunset! When we say it’s the furthest away, it’s still only a fifteen to twenty minute walk away. The walk is quite interesting as it winds up and around the greener central part of the island and passes by several abandoned and decaying resorts (as we’ve mentioned before in our Sri Lanka articles, we both like a ruin).
All that’s left are the concrete foundations
Walking through woodland, dodging many millipedes and winding past the Hantalay Buddhist temple - สำนักสงฆ์หาญทะเล you’ll eventually reach the Marine Fishery Management buildings. Head through the gates and walk down past the buildings and you’ll find yourself on the beach.
The instant advantage of this beach being slightly further away is that it remains quieter for most of the day, so it’s always easy to find a spot to throw down your towel. Come sunset the beach population swells with everyone sitting down on the small floating jetty to watch the sun go down. The beach lives up to its name and sharing a sunset here, floating in the ocean, surrounded by your fellow travellers is a memory we will cherish. Be sure to pack a beer for sunset!
There is also a restaurant and bar at the end of the beach.
If you want to know the best bars for a drink on Koh Lipe, check out our article here.
Sunrise Beach
Unsurprisingly Sunrise Beach faces the rising sun in the morning. We braved an early morning alarm call to watch the sun rise and it really didn’t disappoint.
Sunrise Beach itself is much longer than Sunset Beach and curves up and around a peninsula that overlooks the much larger island of Koh Adang. Like the other beaches of Koh Lipe, Sunrise Beach is blessed with powder white sand and clear waters teeming with small fish. Sunrise Beach is popular at all times of day and quickly became our go to beach. Its size meant it was never too crowded and there were designated swimming areas where the long tail boats didn’t intrude. As the day wore on, there were places where you could find shade under the palm trees without having to buy a drink from one of the local beach bars. Also if you head around the peninsula you can still catch a great sunset even if it’s a little more obscured than that from Sunset Beach.
Sunrise Beach is also home to lots of restaurants and beach bars including Zodiac, perhaps Koh Lipe’s largest and most popular beach bar.
What To Do on Koh Lipe?
In case you hadn’t guessed from the above paragraph, the number one thing to do in Koh Lipe is to stretch out in the sand and enjoy its glorious beaches. Once you’ve absorbed all the vitamin D you could want, there are also many other things you can do on this beautiful island.
Kayaking on Koh Lipe
Kayaks are available to rent from every beach on the island. We recommend hiring kayaks from Pattaya Beach. We hired kayaks from a wooden shack next to a dive school near the far end of the beach (walking away from the main jetty/Walking Street). 200 baht (£4.36 or $5.40) got us a two person kayak (John thinks this is called a Kiwi) and life jackets for an hour. The man running the rental assured us that he wouldn’t be too bothered if we returned the kayak a little late so we could relax and enjoy our sea exploration. The kayak rental price seemed to be fixed, as many things were, across the island.
It’s possible to circumnavigate the island in a kayak in a couple of hours, but we however had our sights set a little lower. We set off from Pattaya Beach and kayaked to the right. Around the first peninsula is a lovely beach that appears to be owned by a resort. It didn’t seem to be accessible other than via the sea or through the resort. We paddled past and continued around the headland. All along the rocky outcrops are excellent snorkelling spots and we passed by many a flipper clad frogman. We were very tempted to join them but could not see how we would re-enter the canoe without an embarrassing capsizing incident.
As we continued further round the island, the first of the “secret” beaches came into view. The beach was so “secret” that there were already kayaks on shore and a good size group taking selfies. We came onto shore and joined in with the selfie shooting, before pushing back off to sea.
We continued round and the next cove held what we had been looking for. A tiny deserted beach, surrounded by high cliffs and rocks. Accessible only by sea, this was what we had hoped to find. We dragged our canoe onto the tiny beach and ran back into the crystal clear sea. Small fish swarmed around our feet seemingly unbothered by our presence. This was the kind of island experience we had pictured when backpacking the Thai islands. We can’t recommend kayaking here enough.
Snorkelling on Koh Lipe
Koh Lipe is, as mentioned, located within the boundaries of Tarutao national marine park. This means that the waters off of the island are teaming with marine life and coral. Snorkelling in Koh Lipe is an absolute must!
All the way along Walking Street are tour operators offering a menu of different snorkelling trips. The snorkelling trips differ from each other in length, snorkelling spots and islands visited. There are also options of doing sunset trips, or longer distance trips via a speedboat.
We, being the cheapskate backpackers that we are, went up and down the strip to find the best deal. We booked a trip with Koh Lipe Star Travel, located on the Walking Street opposite the Pooh bar. We chose option ‘A’ from the snorkelling menu as it seemed to have less travel time and more time snorkelling. The trip cost us 500 baht per person (£10.91 or $13.50) and would visit 4 snorkelling spots and 2 beaches. This price would also include our lunch as well as fruit and water on board the longtail boat.
Our snorkelling trip was everything we could have wanted it to be.
We found Nemo (many Nemo’s actually) as well as seeing corals, an octopus, brightly coloured parrot fish, a well camouflaged stone fish and a kaleidoscope of other tropical fish. We made a stop on the rocky black stone beach of Ko Hin Ngam and had our lunch on the white sands of Ko Ra Wi. The lunch was a very tasty Pad Krapow with an extra hard-boiled egg.
This trip was far more than we were expecting, and no trip to the island of Koh Lipe should be without a snorkelling expedition.
It's worth pointing out that despite the variety of tour operators, the actual trips all seem to follow the same itineraries. We recommend scouting out the best price as there’s not going to be a great deal of difference between trip ‘A’ from two different shops. There were people doing the same trip as us who had paid more than double what we did.
Also worth mentioning that before you depart on your snorkelling trip, please ensure you have a valid ticket to enter Tarutao National Park - again see our tips section later.
If you’re planning a holiday and want to book a snorkelling trip in advance, check out these trips on Get Your Guide:
Ko Ra Wi wasn’t a bad place for a picnic lunch!
Koh Lipe - What We Didn’t Do
Diving on Koh Lipe
Koh Lipe is famous for its incredible dive sites. We are not divers ourselves, so take all of our information here with a pinch of salt but we met some absolute lovely dive instructors who were so passionate about it and were extremely convincing as to the delights of diving off the island of Koh Lipe.
There are dive shops all along Walking Street and Pattaya Beach, serving all skill levels from absolute beginners to fully qualified PADI divers.
Koh Adang
Visible from most of the northern side of the island, Koh Adang rises like a green volcano from the Adaman sea. Koh Adang dwarfs little Koh Lipe in size, but is much more sparsely populated with only one resort and a couple of campsites on the island. There is a hike to a viewpoint as well as the promise of white sandy beaches all to yourself. We didn’t take the boat taxi across as we were on a budget and on the days we were tempted by it, the weather was quite hazy.
A longtail boat to Koh Adang runs at 200 baht per person per journey (£4.36 or $5.40). This is worth thinking about as it would mean for two people to go there and back would cost 800 baht (£17.45 or $21.59) which is nearly as much as a whole day's snorkelling! We’re sure the views would have been incredible but as we were on a budget we opted out this time.
This list might not seem that long for 11 days, but the simple loop of getting up, swimming, reading on a beach, finding a bar, getting stuck in said bar and stumbling to bed kept us happily occupied for quite some time on this picture perfect island. There’s definitely more to the island than we found, if you’ve got any recommendations please leave a comment as we’re sure to return to Koh Lipe in the future!
To have a look or prebook some other island activities check out Get Your Guide here.
Eating and Drinking on Koh Lipe
Walking Street
At the heart of the island of Koh Lipe lies Walking Street. This is the main tourist hub for the whole island. You can’t avoid it and you shouldn’t! Home to most of the bars, restaurants, cafes and shops of the island, Walking Street will cater for any of your needs.
There are a wealth of shops to satiate your inner Carrie. Ellie bought a lovely dress that has (so far) not fallen apart. There are also tattoo parlours, diving shops and the increasingly common cannabis emporiums. Also there are plenty of pharmacies and two 7-11’s, although why an island this small needs 2 is beyond us.
In terms of food you are well catered for on Walking Street; pasta to tapas, Indian naan to Pad Thai there is a restaurant on this street for everyone's taste. Dining on Thai islands is always more expensive than its mainland counterparts, and can often pander too heavily to the perceived tastes of the Western palate. With this in mind, we can recommend the following places to eat:
Papaya Mom - ปาปาย่ามัม เกาะหลีเป๊ะ
This large, primely located restaurant is popular with both Western and Thai tourists (always a good sign). Serving all manner of Thai noodles, fried rice and curries alongside an impressive selection of fresh fish and shellfish ready for the grill. Being backpackers we can’t comment on the quality of the lobster, but the seafood Pad Kee Mao and Yellow Curry fried rice were delicious. The seafood Pad Kee Mao was generously portioned and overflowing with the ocean's bounty. Crab meat jostled for space with prawns, cuttlefish and octopus amongst fragrant and delicately flavoured noodles. The Yellow curry rice was rich and satisfying with tender chicken and a deep curried flavour providing counterpoint to the delicate seafood dish. The two together cost us 220 baht (£4.80 or $5.94).
Wonton Soup Stall - outside Patt market (แพท มาร์เก็ต)
Outside the Patt supermarket and opposite the A Central shopping plaza lies our top budget recommendation. This stall served wonton noodles with red pork and was cheap, filling and absolutely delicious. This is one of our top cheap eats on the island. For more budget tips, click here.
Dinner for two cost us 160 baht (£3.49 or $4.32).
Wangcha-Aon & Thai food (วังชะโอน แอนด์ ไทยฟู้ด)
A lunchtime staple, this unassuming restaurant served what we came to believe to be the best beef noodle soup on the island (we tried quite a few). The bowl of noodles was topped with tender beef, delightfully textured beef balls as well as crunchy bean sprouts, spring onions, aromatic herbs and deep fried shallots. The broth itself was deep, complex and comforting, all the things a bowl of beef noodles should be. The table came complete with the usual Thai cruet to allow you to adjust the salty, sweet or sour flavours to your preference. A bowl of this excellent beef noodle soup will set you back 100 baht (£2.18 or $2.70).
We also ate quite a few dinners at this restaurant. We can heartily recommend their Pad Krapow. Often in Thailand when asked if you would like it spicy, your answer is effectively ignored and the dish will be prepared in a Farang friendly manner. This was not the case here. The Pad Krapow was spicy, heavily seasoned and utterly delicious. With crunchy snake beans and near caramelised minced chicken, just make sure to ask for the gloriously runny fried egg on top. One plate of Pad Krapow (including a 10 baht egg) cost 90 baht (£1.96 or $2.43).
Bombay Indian (ร้านอาหารอินเดียบอมเบย์)
It seems strange to recommend an Indian restaurant when in Thailand, but what can we say, we’re British, and the curry cravings can often get too much. Happily for us, Koh Lipe has the excellent Bombay Indian to quench our curry cravings.
We ate lunch and dinner here and were blown away both times. For the lunch we had naan breads and a Makhani Dal and for dinner we had the same but accompanied by a Butter Chicken. The Makhani Dal was the stand out both times. A massive copper coloured goblet appeared on our table with a swirl of yoghurt crowning the deep, dark colour of the lentil stew. Spicy, yet supremely comforting, this dal was the perfect saucy dipper for the crispy delicious tandoor baked naan bread. The butter chicken was also superb, with none of the artificial sweetness or greasy overload often found in this dish elsewhere.
The two curries together were the perfect synergy of hot and rich, creamy and fragrant and with the naan bread (one garlic, one plain) made for the perfect meal. Despite the incongruity of ordering an Indian curry in Thailand, this was one of our favourite meals on Koh Lipe.
Two curries, two naan breads, two large beers and a large water cost us 590 baht (£12.87 or $15.92).
Bloom Cafe
For those after a sophisticated caffeine fix in pretty surroundings, you can’t go wrong with a coffee from Bloom Cafe. Located in the heart of Walking Street and sitting under the hostel of the same name, Bloom cafe serves up every variety of hot and cold coffee you can ask for, along with a selection of toasties and other Western comfort foods. The coffee here was fantastic (although a little pricey, but you are paying for the location).
One iced latte cost 110 baht (£2.40 or $2.97).
As you can maybe tell if you’ve read our other articles, Koh Lipe is quite pricey for food and drink. This is a common theme across the Thai islands where ingredients have to arrive by boat. We have some budget recommendations on where to eat to maximise your money to read all about our cheaper choices, click here.
Leaving Koh Lipe - where to go next?
Leaving Koh Lipe is hard. Breaking the comforting cycle of beaches, blissful sunsets and sublime snorkelling is very difficult. But, as with any island story, there comes a time to leave.
Booking onward travel from Koh Lipe is super simple. There are countless travel agents up and down Walking Street offering transfers to pretty much anywhere in Thailand or if you want to book in advance, you could just use 12Go . There are speed boats that will get you north to Koh Lanta, Phi Phi, Phuket or any of the western islands as well as transfers across the mainland to Hat Yai, Krabi, Surat Thani and beyond.
We elected for a speedboat to Koh Mook but that is another story.
Koh Lipe - the essential information
National Park fee
Tarutao Marine National Park Fee costs 200 baht per person and lasts for 5 days. You will need to pay this entrance fee to get to Koh Lipe (in addition to any ferry and pier costs). This is worth remembering as you will also need the permit to go snorkelling and as we have said, the island is a vortex and you will probably wind up staying longer than you initially expected.
Pak Bara Pier fee
Pak Bara Pier Fee costs 20 baht per person and is payable upon arrival at the pier. This cost is also in addition to your ferry ticket and marine national park fee. We’re only pointing this out as it was very confusing at the pier where we started getting asked for more money.
Taxis and island prices
Taxis and the island economy - the taxi price across Koh Lipe is fixed at 100 baht per journey. It doesn’t matter how short or how long (on an island so small there is a limit as to how long they can be) the cost is the same. The taxis on Koh Lipe are of the motorbike with sidecar variety and can be hailed just off Walking Street and behind the main arrival pier.
You will find across the island that certain prices are pretty much fixed, small beers at a 100 baht are a good example of this. There are certain places that are a little cheaper, read more about places to drink on Koh Lipe here.
Arriving on Koh Lipe
Arrival tip - you will be dropped off at the arrival pier of Pattaya beach. You will immediately be inundated with taxi offers all for 100 baht. If you’re staying on or near Walking Street, you really don’t need this. There’s a little trick/illusion as the road behind the arrival pier is frequently flooded which encourages you to use a taxi. You do not need to go this way, just turn back on to the beach and walk a short way up to come to the entrance of Walking Street.
Other tips for Koh Lipe
Maps.me - as is becoming a theme in Thailand, Maps.me is frequently much more detailed and useful than Google maps. We recommend downloading the area for offline use as we found many more paths and trails on Maps.me than are shown on Google maps.
ATMS - there are ATMS on the island but they do frequently run out of cash and will charge you the standard fees for withdrawals like the rest of Thailand.
There are pharmacies and a clinic on the island, we hope you don’t need either!
Koh Lipe - final thoughts
Koh Lipe is beautiful. A tiny, walkable tropical retreat with every amenity and comfort a traveller could need. Its position so far south means it's not quite as popular or well known as Thailand’s other more northerly islands and this is to its advantage. The island at the moment has not been entirely sold off to resorts, but this may be changing in the future. There is a large construction site on Sunrise beach and there were signs saying large parcels of land had been given over to developers. At the moment Koh Lipe is still a charming island full of independent shops and businesses, with most beaches open to all. Go now before its private and a mimicry of other resort filled islands!
Thank you for reading,
John & Ellie x
#adventuresofjellie
If you want to know how to live cheaply on Koh Lipe, check out our budget backpacking guide to the island here!
For our guide to the bars of Koh Lipe click here!
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