Koh Libong - A True Off The Beaten Path Thai Island Paradise
Koh Libong is a lesser known island on Thailand’s western coast. This hidden gem is off the traditional backpacker trail and has retained its own unique culture and identity. Read our guide to this beautiful island with its perfect beaches, friendly people and wonderful food!
Sometimes you just find yourself somewhere that can only be descibed in cliches: Paradise, hidden gem, secluded oasis, the Thai island of Koh Libong is just such a place. A picture perfect tropical island, full of jaw dropping beaches but without the crowds of tourists you might expect in such a beautiful place.
We’ve travelled our way down the west coast of Thailand staying on the islands of Phuket, Koh Yao Noi, Koh Jum, Koh Lanta, Koh Mook and Koh Lipe. You would think we’d be bored of islands by now! But no, the Thai islands keep us coming back for more and each island has its own unique charms. Whatever it is you’re looking for, from scuba diving to rave parties, there will be a Thai island that provides.
Our final island stop on this trip to Thailand was to be three days and two nights staying on the island of Koh Libong. We knew very little about the island, but had heard positive things. We were expecting an even more laidback island than Koh Mook and with even less tourists than Koh Jum. We set off into the relative unknown, and boy what we found… Koh Libong may well be our favourite Thai island!
This off the beaten path island was stunningly beautiful and blew all of our expectations out of the crystal clear waters of the Andaman Sea.
In this guide to Koh Libong:
What to do on Koh Libong
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How To Get To and From Koh Libong?
From the Thai mainland you can get to Koh Libong via the Hat Yao pier in the province of Trang. This pier is located about an hour away from the city of Trang, or two hours from Krabi airport. It’s a short ferry ride and should cost you around 100 to 150 baht per person. You can find the pier on a map here.
If you’re already on a neighbouring island, then you can get to the island via a long tail boat. The long tail boats will drop you off either at Koh Libong’s main pier of Banphrao Pier, or if you’re staying on the western beaches, directly on to the beach outside your accommodation!
We travelled from Koh Mook and it cost us 1400 baht (£33.02 or $41.51) for two people including a tuk tuk pickup from our Koh Mook accommodation and a private long tail drop off to the beach in front of our Koh Libong accommodation. The whole journey took around an hour. This was a pricey option, but the alternative would have been a ferry to the mainland, a taxi or minibus between two piers and another ferry to Banphrao pier on Koh Libong. After all of this we would still have needed to have got a tuk tuk from the pier to our new accommodation. We may have saved 500 odd baht doing this, but we would have sacrificed the best part of a day. Backpacking is all about compromising your time versus money and on this occasion with the shorter stay on Koh Libong we thought that our time was more precious.
If you find yourself on Koh Mook and do want the most budget friendly option; get the public ferry across the water from Koh Mook pier to Khuang Tung Ku pier for around 100 baht per person, then get a private taxi, or a shared minivan from the pier to Hat Yao pier (a fifteen minute ride), and then catch a public ferry across the water. This should get you to Koh Libong for a little under 900 baht for two people.
If you’re on an island slightly further away, you can hop on any of the speedboat services that work their way up and down the western islands. This is usually the more expensive option, but will almost certainly be the quickest. Both the speedboat and long tail boat tickets can be arranged via your accommodation or via any travel agent wherever you are. If you like being prepared and having everything booked in advance, the tickets can be brought online via 12Go.
The Island of Koh Libong
Our long tail boat from Koh Mook approached the island and we could see a near endless and empty white sand beach stretching along the coast. It was only as we skimmed closer over the ridiculously clear water that we realised that we were looking at the “busiest” beach on the island! It was something out of a tourist brochure, you know the ones where they have to photoshop out the crowds of pasty sunbathers. Except here there was no photoshop trickery, just a beautiful, deserted stretch of the most perfect beach you could imagine.
Koh Libong’s busiest beach….
Koh Libong is far less visited than other islands on the west coast of Thailand. It is still a `working island` in that it has an economy outside of tourism. There are no 7/11s, chain stores and only a few small scale beachside “resorts”. Koh Libong is also a predominantly Muslim island so alcohol is not readily available outside of some of the hotels. This all means that Koh Libong is not a party island which discourages a good portion of the banana pancake trail backpackers. Koh Libong is a little oasis, a Thai island with beaches straight out of a postcard but with hardly any tourists there.
Our visa was running out in Thailand and we had only booked a couple of nights on Koh Libong but as we jumped from our long tail boat into the diamond sparkling water outside our hotel we were already regretting not booking more.
Where to Stay on Koh Libong?
There are only a smattering of hotels and guest houses to choose from on the island and most of them are clustered on a single beach in the south west. These hotels stretch along the beach with wooden bungalows sitting up on stilts looking down out onto the sea.
We opted for Le Dugong Hotel (location), The hotel was on the beach, had good reviews and, crucially for us, was not too pricey! The raised beachside bungalows of Le Dugong were set within flower-strewn gardens and swaying palm trees. The room had a large comfy bed and private open air bathroom and shower. The room was fan only but the shaded windows and clever wooden design meant that it was always cool and airy inside. We had a little veranda with fantastic views over the beach and out across the sea.
This unassuming beach hut, with its beautifully crafted wooden interior was one of our favourite accommodations we have stayed in so far. Sometimes simplicity and location is all you need.
Click here to book a stay at Le Dugong Hotel.
Le Dugong also has a restaurant that serves food throughout the day and evening. We only used this for breakfast, so can only report that they make very good scrambled eggs! Le Dugong is also one of the few places on the island that serves beer. You would think that this would mean paying a premium price for a large bottle, but no, it was ironically our cheapest island beer from our whole Thai island adventures!
Jellie beer price index 1 x large bottle of Leo cost 100 baht (£2.35 or $2.94)
There are a couple more hotels on offer on this beach, one offers slightly cheaper rooms that are set a little distance back from the beach. The other is considerably fancier (and more expensive) - the luxury Andalay Resort. It looked very swanky and it has (we think) the only swimming pool on the island. If you are looking for a little extra pampering in paradise, check it out here.
As this was to be our last island on this leg of our Thailand trip, we chose the middle path. Beachfront, but not overly bougie, Le Dugong was the Goldilocks choice!
Have a look at the map below to check out the accommodation choices on the island.
What to Do on Koh Libong
Beaches
The number one recommendation we can give for Koh Libong is just to enjoy the beach. The south western beach of Lang Khao Beach (location), the one with the majority of the hotels on, is simply spectacular. The beach is blessed with perfect white sand and the clearest water we have ever seen. Seriously, when we were pulling into the island on our long tail boat, a couple of hundred metres offshore, we could see all the way to the bottom!
Adding to the white sand and the crystal waters, is the fact that you’re basically getting this beach to yourself. The beach must be over a km long and at its busiest, had five other people on it whilst we were there! It would be foolish not to spend your time here, when else in life are you presented with a postcard perfect, near deserted beach.
Just don’t be like us and forget to pack your snorkel!
It is almost too perfect!
There are other beaches on the island as well, easily accessible by scooter. Further north from Lang Khao beach is Tung Yaka Beach (location), an even more secluded white sand paradise. Panyang Beach (location) is also meant to be lovely and very good for snorkelling (we didn’t manage to get there in our short stay). Tub Beach (location) lying on the east of the island, the beach is more for birdwatching than sunbathing as it’s a great spot to watch migratory birds (again we didn’t manage to get there so cannot comment).
There are so many hidden beaches and coves on Koh Libong!
Lang Khao Beach is home to armies of hermit crabs. During the day you’ll frequently see the small ones skittering back and forth across the sands. At night however is when the giants come out. Hordes of hermit crabs with shells of every shape and size crowd the beach. Le Dugong hotel puts out little plates of food for the crabs and these become a literal feeding frenzy of shunting, shuffling crustaceans!
Although we failed spectacularly in spotting much non-crabby wildlife, Koh Libong boasts fantastic biodiversity in the sea. Sea turtles frequent the island and the ubiquitous dugong is also a visitor to the island's sea grasses. An organised tour will give you better luck in spotting these elusive creatures than we had on our stay. Tours can be booked through your accommodation or from one of the shops on the islands.
Point Dugong - Viewpoint and Cave
(location)
Point Dugong is, for some reason, listed as a theme park on Google Maps. There are no slides or roller coasters here, but it is still well worth a visit. Located up a winding and very steep road (so steep in fact that we parked our scooter and walked the last stretch), lies the entrance counter for Point Dugong. It was at this point we almost turned around and left as the sign stated it would cost 400 baht per person to enter! Luckily for us it looks like this sign is a sign of things to come and not a current cost; the island looks like it is in the midst of developing Point Dugong and this will be the final entrance fee when it is done. In any case there wasn’t anyone to collect the entrance fee from us. The only other bike in the car park was owned by a charming older gent from Germany who cheerfully reassured us that we didn’t need to pay anything. Trusting our new German friend we wandered past the entrance counter and up into the park.
Point Dugong is split into two sections, there is a viewpoint out across the bay accessed by the path that forks right from the entrance, and a cave accessible via the left hand path.
The viewpoint is lovely, the high vantage point giving great views out to sea. There is a large wooden platform under the shade of trees and whilst we were there a Thai family came up and had their lunch on this scenic spot. We wished we had thought of that! Below in the shallows you can see fishermen and rock pool hunters going about their business.
We didn’t see any dugongs (a recurring theme for us) and don’t know if it an especially good place to try and see them from, nevertheless, it was a great place to stop and admire the view.
The caves at Point Dugong are an entirely different experience, much more of an adventure!
The caves start out on a well maintained, new looking set of stairs. As you climb, the paths wind up and through some amazing caves. Every so often there will be a break in the rocks forming a window with views out across the sea and…the sheer drop below. Abruptly however, the well maintained path ends and you are left to continue upwards. Occasionally a section of the path will re-emerge with steps or a rope to help you up a steep portion of rocks but it definitely looks like this is an area they haven’t finished redeveloping yet.
Beware also there are a couple of forks in the path. Including one which looked like a cliff edge walk with a small rope and six inches of ledge being all that separated you and a long fall. We reasoned (correctly as it turned out) that this couldn’t be the way and continued on up. Eventually we reached a fantastic viewpoint near the top of the mountain, with jaw dropping views across the island and sea. A frayed rope up a near vertical rock indicated that it was possible to go higher but we decided this was quite high enough! After admiring the view and taking the obligatory selfie, we headed back down the mountain.
Point Dugong is well worth a visit, it is a scooter or taxi ride away from anything, but is a lovely viewpoint. The caves were exciting and fun to scramble around but we wouldn’t recommend it to anyone with small children or mobility issues!
Dugong Tower and Leekpai Pier
(location)
In the village of Ban Ba Tu Pu Pe, to the north of Point Dugong, is the Dugong Tower. The tower is set over the water at the end of the Leekpai Pier. Confusingly this pier is called Leekpai Bridge on Google Maps. You can either scooter / taxi to the village and walk down the pier or you can scooter all the way down the pier, across the water and park just underneath the tower. We parked up in the village and walked down the long sun-baked pier. At low tide you can see lots of mudskippers and wading birds hunting and just generally flopping around on either side of the pier. As you get to the end you are treated to a brightly painted mural of dugongs on the pier itself and, finally, the viewing tower.
At the top of the tower, up a few sets of concrete steps, you can see out across the bay and to the towering limestone cliffs of Point Dugong.
Through the clear water we saw large shoals of fish and waving clumps of seagrass. We did not, however, see any dugongs. At this point, after staying on Koh Mook and Koh Libong, after visiting at least 5 places with dugong in the name and still not catching a glimpse of these cute ocean grazers, we started to suspect that we are cursed.
The village of Ban Ba Tu Pu Pe is not just fun to say but also well worth exploring! Home to a couple of guesthouses and quite a few restaurants, street food vendors and shops, this little village was relaxed, friendly and great fun to wander around. The village felt a world away from the island villages on the busier Thai islands.
Stone Bridge
(location)
At the far north of the island sits the Stone Bridge. To get to the Stone Bridge you drive (or are driven) all the way up and round the north of the island and park up next to a snack stall. From there you walk for a couple of minutes through a forest until you pop out into a cove. This small beach is littered with boulders and rocks along the shore line but on the left lies the main attraction. A large mass of black stone with a flat top sits squat on the shoreline, at low tide the receding water reveals the ‘bridge’, a curved archway carved into the rock by the ever changing tides. Below the bridge, the waves flow in and out of the opening. The bridge is a nice excuse to have a drive and explore the north of the island, it's not Durdle Door and is completely invisible at low tide but it is a cool thing to go and see.
Scootering About
We loved scootering around on Koh Libong, it has fantastic paved roads pretty much everywhere on the island and very little traffic.
We rented our scooter from the lovely lady at Star Coffee Bar and Restaurant (more on this later) for 200 baht rental for the whole day. When we asked for helmets she looked confused, then reassured us that there were no police on the island…. We eventually convinced her that we wanted helmets, not because we feared legal repercussions but because we feared other road users. Smiling but confused she found two helmets for us.
We scooted around most of the above attractions in a day, stopping wherever we felt like it, taking pictures, grabbing drinks and generally having a wonderful time. Being Londoners, it never ceases to amaze us that you can just park your bike anywhere and leave it unattended and there is no worry of it being pinched!
If you are happy riding a scooter we cannot recommend it enough on Libong. For those who do not want to ride their own scooter there are tuk tuk taxi services available from the southern beach, where you can get an individual ride or hire them for a day’s sightseeing.
Next time we’re on Libong we will hire a scooter again and spend a day exploring the beaches we didn’t manage to get to this time.
Beer on the Beach - Sunset in Koh Libong
If you are staying in any of the hotels on the south western beach then you are in for a treat come sundown. The beach faces out to the west and so gets a fantastic view of sunset.
The hotels are some of the only places on the island where alcohol is available. There are a few “bottle shops” where you can buy beers but they are few and far between.
The two facts of - perfect sunset spot and available beer led to the obvious conclusion that this would be a perfect place to enjoy a sundowner drink. So we made our camp at the tiny Le Dugong Bar and popped open our Leo’s. What followed was nothing short of magical. The sun sank slowly and lit up the entire sky with vibrant oranges, then purples, whilst hundreds of small swallows zipped around us.
We were sat on driftwood furniture with these little birds flitting past us no further than a couple of feet away. We’ve had some incredible sunsets in our time in Thailand, but the ones we spent sipping beer on a deserted beach in Koh Libong are some of our most memorable.
Best Places to Eat on Koh Libong
One of the only criticisms we have seen online of Koh Libong is that there is a limited choice of dining options. We can see this maybe being an issue if you stayed there for a couple of weeks but for a shorter stay there are plenty of options to keep you interestingly fed.
Fisherman’s Kitchen
(location)
For our first lunch on the island we had Thai chicken noodle soup at the Fisherman’s Kitchen. These noodles were cheap, hearty and delicious with rich broths and roasted shredded chicken that was full of flavour. We later returned here for a “healthy” banana roti breakfast (cough cough), which was excellently crispy and sweet, just what you want in a banana pancake!
Mao-Nom Cafe
(location)
Down the road from the Fisherman’s Kitchen, towards the sea, is a white wooden coffee shack. Busy with locals and tourists from the nearby hotels, this little shack puts out some great coffee and Thai teas.
These teas and coffees are all of the powdered variety so don’t go expecting some artisan small batch brew, but they were cheap and powerful and a great pick me up after a morning's lazing on the beach.
Star Coffee Bar and Restaurant
(location)
Further inland but still only a few minutes walk away from the beach hotels is the amazing Star Coffee Bar and Restaurant. Amazing not just for its food but also for the wonderful powerhouse of a lady running it. She cooks, she organises tours, she can arrange taxis, she runs a scooter rental and has a petrol pump! In short she is a one stop shop for all your touristy needs whilst on Koh Libong. Her scooter rental was significantly cheaper than our hotel's offer and the transfer she arranged to the mainland and onwards to the city of Trang was 400 baht cheaper than the nearest other offer we found! To add to all of this she was a funny and genuinely welcoming lady.
We ate at her restaurant twice whilst on Koh Libong . The first time we had crispy fried fish and little soft shell crabs and the second we had a gorgeous barbecued mackerel. Both times that we ate here, the food was fresh, delicious and surprisingly cheap. We absolutely loved this place. Please bear in mind it is all cooked by one person on a single wok / barbecue so, if it is busy, there may be a little wait. This is an island! Calm down, chill out and enjoy the laid back pace of it all!
Ja Nhai Seafood
(location)
This one was special. We had been jealousy craving crab since our friends had ordered an amazing looking platter of it on Koh Yao Noi . We had done our research and decided that Ja Nhai Seafood of Koh Libong would be the place we would treat ourselves to our crab fix.
We took our scooter and drove there for a luxurious late lunch. The restaurant is set within shaded wooden platforms looking out to sea. The menu is reassuringly short and the place reassuringly lively with Thai’s. Thai people really seem to know and respect a good seafood place so it is always a good sign when you find yourself dining alongside them!
We ordered a whole steamed fish with chilli and some yellow curry crab. To cut a long story short, it was one of the best meals of the trip so far! The fish was excellently balanced, super spicy whilst retaining the sweet perfectly cooked taste of the flesh. Steamed in a delicate ginger, lime and coriander sauce it was amazing, but when paired with the crab it was just next level. The crab was sweet and perfect, the rich sauce never overpowering the white meat. Pulling apart the crab shell and hunting out the delicious tender meat, we got super messy (is there any other way to eat crab?) but it was totally worth the yellow stained fingers. We now find ourselves daydreaming about this place and the wonderful meal we had there.
To top it all off, the meal was very reasonably priced. A whole steamed fish, crab for two and two soft drinks only set us back 535 baht (£12.57 or $15.74). If we were staying on the island for longer we would have come back here again and again.
The photo’s are making our mouths water with the memory of the crabby deliciousness!
Ban Ba Tu Pu Pe Village
If you’re after cheap eats and street food, there are a couple of vendors in the village of Ban Ba Tu Pu Pe offering roti, noodle soups etc.
How Long to Spend on Koh Libong?
This is always a tricky one with islands as it all depends on how many days you want to spend lounging on a beach and how long you have to play with! You can definitely see all the island's “attractions” within a day or two, but we would recommend spending more than the two nights we spent. We would have loved to have had another two nights here to really relax, explore some more beaches and just generally embrace the slow island life (also to eat some more crab!).
When to Visit Koh Libong?
The peak season for tourism in western Thailand runs from October to April. As there’s not a lot to do apart from beaches, make sure you head here then. As mentioned it was near deserted when we visited, but there is a limited amount of accommodation so if it did get busy it would fill up quickly. We’d recommend booking in advance to avoid disappointment.
Is Koh Libong Worth It?
Did you read the article? This island is phenomenal. The only time we could see it not being worth being included in your itinerary is if you’re strictly in Thailand for parties. It’s chilled out, beautiful, fun to drive around and all in all one of our favourite places we’ve been.
Can you tell we rather liked Koh Libong?
Final Thoughts
Koh Libong is amazing. Empty beaches, friendly locals, good food and some of the most amazing sunsets we have ever seen. Half of us doesn’t want to publish this article and keep Koh Libong to ourselves as a special Thai getaway but that would be unfair and dumb. There is a small amount of development already on the island, with a new hotel and bar coming to the main beach area as well as the infrastructure and improvement of the tourist attractions. Koh Libong cannot stay a secluded paradise forever so go out and enjoy it now!
Thanks for reading,
John & Ellie x
#adventuresofjellie
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A Day Out On Koh Lanta, A 24 Hour Itinerary - What Can You Do When You’re Short On Time?
Koh Lanta is a large and popular island on Thailands west coast. There are many guides to what to do as a tourist on this island, but what if you only have limited time? Read our guide on how to spend one full day on the island of Koh Lanta.
Koh Lanta is a popular destination for backpackers and tourists island hopping along Thailand’s west coast. This large island boasts loads of beaches, masses of bars, restaurants and accommodation as well as all of the home comforts a traveller could ask for.
One of Thailand’s larger islands, Koh Lanta has everything from late night beach raves to a beautiful National Park, but what if you’re short on time? What if its just a one night stopover on this island? Read on for our 24 hour guide to Koh Lanta.
This itinerary will require you to hire a scooter or if you’re especially fancy, hire a driver for the day. It is easy to do either option on the island, with scooter rentals everywhere and costing around 250 baht per day. Tuk tuks and taxis are plentiful on the island and will be more than happy to negotiate for multiple trips, although it might not be that cheap!
Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. We will earn a small commission from any purchases made through these links.
One Day in Koh Lanta
What To Do In The Morning On Koh Lanta
Wake up, grab yourself some fruit or a smoothie from one of the cafes or street vendors before heading to the beach. Take a leisurely morning beach walk or a dip in the sea but make sure you’re back in time to book a tour with the Lanta Animal Welfare Centre (location). Slots can be booked online.
Tours run everyday, with two slots available at either 10.30am or 1.30pm. The Centre asks for a small donation of 250 baht per adult or 150 baht per child. The tours are well worth a visit and support a great cause, taking you through the Centre, its work and introducing you to some of its cats and dogs. One word of a warning though, after an hour spent with the animals you might want to end up adopting one of these furry friends.
To find out more about the Lanta Wildlife Centre (or how to go about adopting a pet) click here.
Whose a good girl? Pink the dog was very happy to have head strokes!
After your animal adventure, hop back on the scooter and drive 2 minutes round the corner for a quick caffeine fix at Mems Coffee Corner (location). The lovely lady and her adorable daughter serve up a great cup of coffee. Caffeine fixed, it's time for lunch.
What To Do In The Afternoon On Koh Lanta
Jump on your scooter/taxi and head across the island enjoying the scenic views on your way to Lanta’s Old Town (location). Koh Lanta’s Old Town was possibly our favourite part of the island. The Old Town is spread along the waterfront on a pretty lantern lined street. Filled with bars, restaurants and cafes as well as quirky shops, tourist tat and art galleries. There’s plenty for you to see whilst you wander around working up an appetite. Head to one of the shore front restaurants and enjoy a lovely lunch with a view. We had an excellent meal at Rareview Coffee and Restaurant (location).
After you’ve eaten, head back out of town to the car park making sure you check out the extremely long pier, bright blue lobster statue and sunken ship (just to the right of the pier facing the sea). After pottering around, it’s time to move on.
Koh Lanta boasts several viewpoints, and one of which is a short detour on your way back to the beaches. Stop off at the Khao Yai Restaurant (location) for some phenomenal views over the bay in a very cool restaurant/cafe. It’s a little pricey but serves coffee, cakes and a full menu all with panoramic views and seating to take advantage of this. Parking is available at the bottom of the hill and is a short 2 minute walk to the restaurant.
Drop your scooter back, get your swimwear on and head to the beach for the rest of the afternoon. Our favourite beach was Klong Dao Beach (location) but you can’t go wrong with any of the beaches on Lanta really. Enjoy the rest of the afternoon swimming, splashing, sunbathing and generally lounging about.
What To Do In The Evening On Koh Lanta
With its western facing beaches, Lanta is perfectly situated for sundowner drinks. Bars line the beachfront so take your pick. Just choose a chair with a good view of the sea and the setting sun. We can highly recommend the Majestic Bar (location) which had comfy seats, friendly service and chilled out vibes.
After the sun has gone down, head to the main strip close to your accommodation to enjoy an evening meal. We had a great Pad Krapow from the Risky Restaurant (location) and enjoyed some good Indian curries from the Heama Indian Restaurant (location). We also enjoyed some great barbecued chicken and som tam from a little street side vendor, just follow your nose to any open flames and roasting chickens.
There are so many restaurants on Koh Lanta serving every kind of food imaginable. From Thai favourites to Greek, to pizza and everything in between. If Koh Lanta is a part of a long backpacking trip, it's a good place to seek out some home comforts.
Once you’re fed, make your way back to one of the many, many bars for drinks and a fire show. If you’re up for it, Lanta also has a healthy clubbing and party scene, so go wild!
Getting To and From Koh Lanta
Koh Lanta is easily accessible from pretty much anywhere in southern Thailand. Being one of the largest western islands, you can arrange transport here from pretty much anywhere. Your guesthouse, hostel or travel agent will be able to help you with this or you can use 12Go to book your transport in advance.
If you’re on an island on the west coast already, then you’ll almost certainly be catching a speedboat here but the above will still apply.
Tips and Tricks
When renting a scooter on Koh Lanta, take photos of the scooter before you ride it away. This will prevent any disagreements as to the state you borrowed it in.
Koh Lanta’s scooter rentals are understandably cautious when renting vehicles to Farangs. You will need to leave your passport (not a copy) with the operator.
Wear a helmet! It doesn’t matter if none of the locals do, it is not worth the consequences!
All the usual warnings also apply - just don’t be an idiot!
Riding a scooter in Koh Lanta did not look fun at night - there are large unlit sections of road as well as potholes and other road users with varying degrees of skill and sobriety. Again use your best judgement.
With the Lanta Animal Welfare Centre you may see some distressing images of animals, this is optional and you don’t need to look, but do know that the ones they show you do have happy endings. It is remarkable to see the states that some of the animals arrive in versus the states that they get adopted in.
The Old Town is also great at night with charming bars and the street lit by Chinese lanterns. It makes a great choice for dinner if you don’t mind a longer ride back. For the reasons already stated above we recommend a taxi if you go out for dinner or drinks.
The northwestern beaches have very little shade outside of the resorts, so whack on the sunscreen and bring lots of water.
there is absolutely masses of different places to stay on Koh Lanta, each area will have a different feel and vibe. Check out our accommodation map below for all your choices:
Koh Lanta is a big island and 24 hours is definitely not enough to see everything or remotely do it justice. This itinerary mainly focuses on the islands north, and completely misses the southern National Park and other beaches. Koh Lanta is a very developed and popular tourist island. Where we stayed, in the Klong Dao area, was great for access to its beautiful beach, but there are tons of other beaches and areas to stay. If you’re looking for a quiet island getaway, Koh Lanta would not be our first choice, it is a busy tourist destination full of restaurants beach bars and holiday makers having a good time. If you are looking for a party you will find one on Koh Lanta very easily! If you are looking for some quieter Thai island escapes check out our guides to Koh Mook, Koh Jum and Koh Yao Noi all of which are easily accessible from Koh Lanta. We used Koh Lanta as a stopping off point for other islands, and only skimmed the surface. Let us know in the comments what else we should do next time!
Thanks for reading,
John & Ellie x
#adventuresofjellie
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Koh Jum - An Island A World Away
Koh Jum island lies next to the tourist hotspots of Krabi, Koh Lanta and Koh Phi Phi, but this small island couldnt feel more different! With chilled out vibes, quiet beaches, cheap accommodation and gorgeous food Koh Jum is a world away from its more popular neighbours. To Koh Jum to your island hopping itinerary, check out our complete guide.
Koh Jum is a beautiful island off of the west coast of Thailand in the Andaman Sea. Filled with pristine beaches, friendly locals and a wealth of good, cheap accommodation and food, Koh Jum is a fantastic island getaway. The island is a perfect, relaxing, break from the more popular, busier Thai islands. You may not have heard of Koh Jum, but for anyone seeking a true Thai island escape, it is 100% worth the trip.
Koh Jum is surrounded by more famous neighbours but the island remains a haven for those willing to get off the “beaten track” and rewards whoever goes a little deeper in their Thai island hopping adventures!
This is our guide to the underrated island of Koh Jum.
In this guide to Koh Jum:
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Why Go To Koh Jum / Should I Go To Koh Jum?
Despite being surrounded by hyper-popular tourist destinations as well as having golden sanded beaches and turquoise clear water, Koh Jum remains an untapped paradise. We’re not saying it's “undiscovered” or that you’ll have the whole beach to yourself , but it's crazy how calm and secluded Koh Jum is, especially compared to some of its neighbours!
The island felt very local when we visited, it felt like the island operated its own economy first, with tourism taking a back seat to the ‘real lives’ of the inhabitants. Fishermen fished, boat builders worked and the island community continued, unphased by the presence of a few backpackers.
Koh Jum was a perfect “getaway” island with enough to do where you couldn’t be bored, but with such a chilled out and relaxed vibe that you could comfortably do nothing.
In case it's not clear from the above, Koh Jum is not a party island. There is a hostel on the island (check it out here) but we can’t comment on how sociable it is as we didn’t stay there. We were staying in a lovely bungalow (more on this later) and felt that the island was perfect for us as a couple. If you are a solo traveller looking to meet people, it may not be the best island for you. However, if you are a solo traveller looking for a relaxing, more “genuine” island experience, it would be perfect!
Koh Jum is the perfect island for those who want to slow down, watch a sunset, walk along empty beaches and maybe have a relaxed scooter drive around.
Should you go… yes! In our eyes, it's a wonderful island that's managed to escape the crowds/remote work/brunch/party scene found on other Thai islands.
The island is worth it for the sunsets alone!
How To Get To Koh Jum?
The island of Koh Jum lies south of Krabi town and north of Koh Lanta. Although not as popular a stop as Koh Lanta, Koh Phi Phi or Phuket, Koh Jum is still very easy to get to from either mainland or a any of the other western Thai islands.
The island is an island of two halves. The northern part of the island is known as Koh Pu and the southern as Koh Jum. When booking tickets, or accommodation the two name seem to be interchangeable.
Getting to Koh Jum from the Thai islands:
All of the major ferry companies that run up and down the western coast of Thailand will stop at Koh Jum if instructed to.
From Ao Nang, to Koh Lanta, Koh Phi Phi, Phuket and everywhere else on the Western coast of Thailand, ferries run between all the islands. Just book your tickets online via 12Go or in person with an island travel agent or your accommodation.
In the high season boat transfers can sell out in advance so plan accordingly or book in advance!
Getting to Koh Jum from the mainland:
The easiest way to get to Koh Jum from the mainland is from Krabi town. There used to be a direct ferry from the main town pier so first check if this has resumed! If not, it shouldn’t be an expensive transfer to get on a Songtheaw or taxi from Krabi town to Laem Kruat pier.
From here, the public ferry departs every two or so hours and will bring you straight to Koh Jum within an hour. The public ferry is a large longtail boat which also serves as the island's cargo delivery service. When you board, expect to clamber over crates of cauliflowers, boxes of bike tyres and other island essentials!
Tickets for the local ferry cost 100 baht per ticket (£2.35 or $2.93).
For those feeling very thrifty, there is a Songtheaw that runs from Krabi town to the pier, but it is not very frequent, so plan ahead and have backups.
When booking transport to Koh Jum, please be aware that the island is also known as Koh Pu.
To book transport in advance, check out 12go:
The speedboat ferry can be caught from most of the western Thai islands.
When Should You Visit Koh Jum?
As with all of the islands on the west coast of Thailand the best time to visit is between December and April as this is the dry season so you have a better chance of hot, sunny days and clear blue seas for swimming.
On other islands this peak season may lead to more crowding on the beaches etc, however when we visited Koh Jum during the peak of the high season, we really didn’t feel it was busy, or that any prices were inflated!
Accommodation - Where To Stay On Koh Jum?
The majority of accommodation on Koh Jum stretches along the main road in the central village of Ban Ting Rai, in the heart of the island. Accommodation is available directly on the beach or along the main road itself. There is the usual variety of hostel, bungalow, beach shack all the way up to a fancy resort.
We stayed at the Garden Home Resort along the island's main road. We had a garden bungalow raised on stilts, which was frankly massive. With a fan, fridge and basic en-suite bathroom it had all the amenities we needed. As well as a great outside area with a chair and table we could relax on with a beer in the evenings.
All this cost us 500 baht per night (£11.74 or $14.66). For current prices or to book a bungalow, click here.
There is a huge choice of accommodation on Koh Jum: From the humblest backpacker hostel, to the most exclusive, luxurious resorts. For all of the resort, hostel, guesthouse and beach villa options on Koh Jum, check out our handy map below:
Zoom out for more choices!
The Beaches of Koh Jum
Koh Jum is definitely about relaxing! If we were to say what the top five things to do on the island were, we’d probably fill the first four entries with variations of lounging on a beach! We would certainly say that the number one thing you should do on Koh Jum is sit back and relax on one of its many beautiful beaches.
These are just some of our best beaches on Koh Jum:
Sunset Beach
(Location)
Nestled at the north western corner of the island is Sunset Beach. Sunset beach is so called because, guess what, you can watch the sunset from it! Sunset beach is a gorgeous ribbon of golden sands that was, at least when we visited, way quieter and more deserted than such a great beach deserved to be.
The beach has plenty of space to lay down your towel to soak the rays, as well as gorgeous blue waters for swimming and snorkelling. There are also a couple of resorts nearby with at least one offering food and drinks on the beach.
If you walk down Sunset Beach you can’t help but notice a fantastical structure sitting out in the surf. Perched atop a rock, and looking like the lovechild of a treehouse and a hurricane, sits a precarious, Ghibli-like house. Legend has it that this was built by a local eccentric, and we did hear that you could stay there overnight. But when we visited, there was no sign of the eccentric and, with its walls open to the waves, it didn’t look as though anyone had stayed there recently!
Howl’s swimming castle?
Getting to Sunset Beach
Arrange a tuk tuk to drop you off there or drive yourself up the island's main road and simply park where the road runs out and the beach begins (right next to Peace Bar and Restaurant).
Coconut Beach
(location)
Also set in the north west of the island, Coconut Beach is very secluded, a proper secret cove! Set a short walk from the main road down a dirt path, this small semi circular beach is surrounded by tall swaying coconut trees, and is a perfect secluded place to take a dip. Being off the main road, this beach is even quieter than its neighbours and so there is a good chance that you’ll get the beach to yourself.
Getting to Coconut Beach
On the main road towards Sunset Beach, there is a small turning onto a dirt track. We’d recommend parking your scooter here as the path becomes sandy/bumpy/nonexistent. As you approach the beach, the path splits into two, with the left hand path leading to the Mupa Resort and the right hand turning leading you through the palm trees out onto Coconut Beach.
Long Beach
(location) - see below for how to get there, Google splits this beach in three!
This beach, or rather these beaches, certainly earns the name Long Beach. Taking up a good portion of the western side of the island, this beach stretches out as far as the eye can see. The beach can be divided into smaller sections, as at lower tides, the rocky outcrops from the shore will cut off parts of the beach from one another. These partitions are listed on Google Maps as Magic Beach in the north, Ting Rai Beach in the middle and Golden Pearl Beach in the south.
We thought Magic Beach was the most picturesque of the beaches, with perfect waves lapping up on to golden sands. The beach is huge and has plenty of space to sunbathe and swim. Magic Beach is also perfect for front row seats to watch the sun set.
We recommend grabbing a cold beer from Roots Hill Cafe and Bar (location). Looking for all the world like a shipwreck got organised (and very into Bob Marley), the Roots Hill Bar spills out across the sands. The bar is packed full of driftwood furniture, rope swings, flag's and ramshackle improvised furniture. Chilled out vibes and a great spot for sunset, this is everything a beach bar should be!
The southern beach of Golden Pearl backs directly onto the main island road and has the most luxurious resort on the island. We didn’t spend too much time on this beach, but did enjoy an early morning walk along it and it looked like it would be great for a day of sunbathing and swimming. Like the other two beaches, this beach faces west and would make a great place to watch the sun go down.
Sandwiched between these two beaches are the rocky shores of Ting Rai Beach, although not as good for swimming or sunbathing, this beach was our favourite place to watch the sunset.
Hugging the rocks at the back of the beach is The Rock Bar (location). The Rock Bar is a driftwood bar, set on stilts and clad in the usual reggae colours of red, yellow and green. The bar is divided into several areas, with comfy cushions on the floor and a wooden ladder leading down to the beach.
Kitties are a massive bonus to the bar!
With great music and a chilled out vibe, this bar was the perfect place to watch the sunset over the Andaman Sea. The rocky outcrops, bunting and the beaches' cove-like shape lent extra drama to the silhouettes of the setting sun.
Getting to Long Beach
Long Beach can be accessed from the road at the southern end (closest to Golden Pearl Beach) or as you travel north, any left hand turning off the main road. Most of these roads will quickly become dirt tracks so it may be best to park your scooter on the main road and walk the short distance over the hill to the beach.
Once you’re on the beach you can walk between any of the three beaches at low tide. At high tide, you can still get between the beaches, just look for the white arrows leading you up, over and around the rocks.
What to do on Koh Jum (other than the beach!)
Hiring a Scooter to Explore the Island
Koh Jum is a small island that can easily be driven around within a few hours. Scooters can be rented everywhere, just ask at your accommodation. We cannot reccommend a day out exploring the island by bike enough. It is great fun and a brilliant way to get around such a laid back island!
Our scooter rental plus helmets cost us 200 baht per day (£4.69 or $5.89).
Tip: Check your scooter when you rent it! Some of the bikes on the island are … how should we phrase this … elderly.
Make sure your tires have tread and the breaks work before scooting off!
As always with scooter rental, insist on helmets and only ride if you are capable and confident!
Starting from the south of the island you’ll find yourself in the pierside village of Ban Koh Jum. This is where the majority of the speedboats and ferries arrive and depart from. This village has a few restaurants and cafes, with some sitting picturesquely out onto the water's edge. There are also some souvenir shops, craft shops and grocery stores including one which you can buy beer from.
Koh Jum is predominantly a Muslim island and therefore most restaurants don’t serve alcohol. It's available in bars and certain shops on the island.
Heading up north on the island's main road, you’ll pass resorts and restaurants as you lead into the main tourist hub of Ban Ting Rai. This village is stretched along both sides of the main road and is where most of the accommodation and restaurants are. The village also has the local mosque as well as fruit sellers and mini marts (no alcohol in these shops).
As you continue further on north, the housing thins out and you’ll find yourself scootering through rubber plantations and thick green foliage.
To the north the road splits in two, with the left hand road (western) leading to Sunset and Coconut Beach and the right hand turn leading to the final village on the island of Ban Ko Pu. This village felt to us like the island's “real” hub. Full of fishermen, their boats and houses, as well shops serving the local population.
There are a couple of restaurants in Ban Ko Pu, including a very well reviewed seafood joint, but when we were here it was closed for a private function :( next time!
The island has one major road that is fully paved, so there’s no danger of getting lost! However, the island is deceptively large and so getting around by scooter is a sensible choice. Koh Jum does have taxis but either you need to get lucky and flag a passing one down or arrange them in advance. Either way, the taxi costs would soon add up to be more than a scooter rental for the day.
Koh Jum Viewpoint
According to Maps.me there is a viewpoint you can hike to on Koh Jum, and during our stay we did see faded signs offering tours to take you up through the rubber plantations to the top. However the weather was perfect for beaching, so we thought better of a sweaty climb and decided to enjoy the beaches instead.
If you do climb to the viewpoint, let us know what it was like in the comments below.
Where to Eat on Koh Jum - Our Top Restaurant Recommendations
Koh Jum Seafood
(location)
Right next to the island's southern pier is the popular Koh Jum Seafood restaurant. We popped in here for lunch on the day we were exploring the island by scooter. Set right out over the water's edge, this seemed like the perfect place for us to indulge in some fresh seafood. We knew the seafood was fresh as, in addition to the live tank at the front of the restaurant, a boat had pulled up at the back of the dining room and was unloading still swimming produce!
We opted for a seat right at the back with views out to sea. We ordered fried fish with garlic and pepper as well as crab with spring onions along with some steamed rice to share.
When we're by the sea, fried fish is something we always order in Thailand. Unlike our whole fish in Koh Mook (read more about that here), this fish was served as two meaty steaks, seared until perfectly crisp on the outside and then coated in deep fried garlic. Through some kind of witchcraft the outside and skin was a crispy crunchy delight, but the inside was still perfectly juicy and flaky. You can't really go wrong with fried fish in Thailand but this was going so, so right!
The crab landed in a steaming pile on our table. Now you see, crab really makes you work for your food! There's no staying clean, there's no easy way and there's very little dignity when eating crab. However, the rewards are well worth it! Fingers covered in shell as well as coated in a soy and spring onion sauce, we ferreted out the sweet white meat and picked the crabs clean the crabs, it was delicious! The subtle, savoury spring onion sauce emphasised the sweetness of the crab and this, paired with the steamed rice and fried fish, made for a perfect lunch.
Despite crab and fried fish not really being a budget backpacker choice, this restaurant was really reasonable with our total bill including all food, two soft drinks and a bottle of water coming to 640 baht (£15.83 or $18.52).
Mama Halal Food (ร้านก๋วยเตี๋ยว)
(location)
Straight off the ferry, we decided, as we always do, to walk to our accommodation rather than pay the island taxi fare. On our sweaty journey, we happened to pass Mama Halal Food and stopped in for a quick lunch. The restaurant was unpretentious, unfussy and served us some excellent bowls of chicken noodle soup. Super friendly service and delicious peppery broth, quickly ingratiated Mama Halal Food to us, and served as a wonderful welcome to the island of Koh Jum.
They are very generous with the roast chicken!
Ban Ban Restaurant
(location)
This charming family run restaurant also doubles as a bakery. During our time on the island we ate two fantastic curries at Ban Ban. A mild and creamy chicken green curry and a zesty red duck curry, both were fantastic and packed full of fresh, perfectly cooked vegetables. The cauliflower in the green curry was especially lovely. The red curry even featured cubes of dragon fruit.
Bear with us now as we go on a small tangent here:
Dragon fruit is the most disappointing of fruits. You see it in the market and it almost looks like it comes from Mars. With a bright pink exterior and a dalmatian speckled interior, your expectations will be sky high. Yet when it comes to eating the dragon fruit, bland is the only word we can use. Barely any taste and a pleasant but boring texture. However….
In red curry, the dragon fruit finally sings! It seemed to take on the flavours of the surrounding curry without compromising its own texture. We don't know if dragon fruit in curry is a thing, or if it's unique to this restaurant, but damn, we're here for it!
Also on a side note, the oat cookies from Ban Ban make a fantastic take home dessert!
Pop Up Cafe & Shop
(location)
We're weak okay, we gave in… Ellie was hungover, John needed his cheese fix, we could make all the excuses in the world, but all we wanted was a sandwich.
Pop Up Cafe came up on our Google results and promised us a panini so off we set. A stylish little cafe, set a short walk off the main road, Pop Up Cafe was way better than the images on Google had led us to believe. We ordered a mozzarella, pesto and tomato panini and a serrano ham, cheddar cheese ciabatta roll and both were divine!
We’ve been away from Europe for a while now, and cheese is in short supply in South East Asia. The mozzarella, cheddar and olive oil were a delicious reminder of home and just what was needed when we were feeling a little fragile.
You know that looks good!
Other notable recommendations on the island are Tingrai restaurant and Krua Chan Ngam restaurant (ครัวจันทร์งาม) both of which served great curries, fried rices and all the usual Thai favourites. We have to give a special shout out to the soy steamed fish at Krua Chan Ngam - It was delicious!
How Long Should You Stay on Koh Jum?
Koh Jum is a small island, with less “to do” than some of the other western Thai islands. However, you could easily spend a good few days just lounging on its wonderful beaches, soaking up the chilled out atmosphere.
If you’re travelling with a group and bring the party with you, Koh Jum could be a fantastic island to spend a few days chilling out on beaches and making your own entertainment. The island bars were quiet, even when we visited in the “high” season, but if you had a group with you this wouldn’t matter as you could bring the vibe with you!
If you’re a solo traveller and are just looking to reset, a couple of nights on Koh Jum would be plenty to unwind and see the sights before hopping on to another island. Of course if you are looking to properly relax you could stay for a few more days!
As a couple travelling together, Koh Jum was a perfect romantic getaway for us. We spent three secluded, sun-soaked days and starry nights on the island. We could have easily spent longer!
Koh Jum is so close to the mainland and so well connected to other islands that it could easily be tagged onto any itinerary.
Final Thoughts
Koh Jum is a perfect getaway for those looking for a quieter island to relax on. Great beaches, chilled out bars, good, cheap accommodation and a fantastic choice of restaurants, make Koh Jum a brilliant addition to an island hopping itinerary. As time moves on there are less and less quiet islands off the coast of Thailand, do not miss out on your chance to experience this lesser-travelled beauty of an island!
Thanks for reading,
John & Ellie x
#adventuresofjellie
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Koh Yao Noi - A Quiet Island Surprise Off The Coast Of Phuket
Khao Yao Noi is a world away from its busy neighbours of Phuket, Ao Nang and Railay. Khao Yao Noi is full of things to do, quiet beaches and good food. Read our guide for the best of what the island has to offer!
Laid back vibes, friendly locals, great beaches and gorgeous views Koh Yao Naoi is a lesser known gem in Southern Thailand. Set a short way off of the busy tourist island of Phuket, Koh Yao Noi couldn’t be further away in feel from its larger, more famous neighbour. Quiet and relaxed with far fewer visitors, Koh Yao Noi is the perfect getaway from the crowded roads and party beaches of Phuket.
Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. We will earn a small commission from any purchases made through these links.
In this guide to Koh Yao Noi:
How to Get to Koh Yao Noi
From Phuket
From the island of Phuket, ferries leave for Koh Yao Noi (and Koh Yao Yai) from the Bang Rong Pier (location).
The journey to Koh Yao Noi takes about forty minutes to an hour in the longtail boat and about half and hour by speedboat.
The ferries run every 30 minutes or so and alternate between the speedboats and long tails.
Longtail boats cost 300 baht per ticket (£7.03 or $8.74)
Speedboats cost 400 baht per ticket (£9.37 or $11.66)
The pier fee cost 10 baht per person (£0.23 or $0.29)
There are options to arrange a private longtail boats to Noi, but these were very expensive and in own opinion not worth it for the short hop.
To get to the Bang Rong Pier in Phuket, your best bet is, unfortunately, the Grab app or other taxi service (unless you are a local). There is a songtheaw that runs to the pier but it is apparently not allowed to pick up foreigners as the local taxis need the custom...
As with a lot of transport on Phuket the taxis can be quite costly so attempt to get a group together to share the load! We found Grab worked well on Phuket and was simpler than haggling with taxi drivers a lot of the time.
Some of the options on 12Go will include a transfer from your hotel. To book the ferry in advance or see all your options have a look here.
From the Thai mainland
If you’re starting on mainland Thailand, there are several places you can get a ferry to Khao Yao Noi.
From Krabi town, you can take a ferry from the Chao Fah Pier. Tickets can be booked at the pier, through a travel agent in Krabi or online via 12Go.
When you arrive at the main pier, Manoh Pier, on Koh Yao Noi you will need to get to your accommodation. Tuk Tuks will be waiting to take you wherever you need to go on the island, just give the driver the name of your accommodation. When we visited it was 100 baht per person (£2.35 or $2.91) so if you’re staying closer than we were you could save some money and walk.
When Should I Visit Koh Yao Noi?
Like most of the western coast of Thailand, the best time to visit Koh Yao Noi is during the dry season between January and April. During this time, the weather will be dry and sunny and perfect for beach times. This is the peak season for tourists in Thailand so the prices will be higher, beaches more popular and accommodation busier.
We visited during February and we had great weather with only a couple of overcast days and the beaches were quiet. Although our accommodation was fully booked.
Accommodation on Koh Yao Noi
Once you are on the island you are going to need somewhere to rest your head. We opted for the “Koh Yao Beach Bungalows”, a comfy midrange option with nice beds and hot showers. Although more than we would typically spend, these bungalows were in a great location, literally opposite the beach. Each bungalow had a private bathroom as well as a nice outside space to sit and chill out on in the evenings. As we were with some friends at this point, it was definitely worth the extra money to have a nice comfy place in such a good location.
Our accommodation is now listed as Koh Yao Noi Beach Resort - check out their prices here.
The accommodation, as we are sure all others would as well, offered scooter rental and help with day trips and onward travel. The scooters cost 250 baht per day (£5.86 or $7.29) plus petrol when you needed it.
As with most of the Thai islands you can go as upmarket or budget with accommodation as you want. We would recommend staying on the south east of the island as this had a great combination of beaches, restaurants and bars all within walking distance.
For all the islands accommodation choices, have a look at our handy map below:
What to Do on Koh Yao No
So you’ve made the short hop to the island, now what? Koh Yao Noi has lots to offer, both on the island and in the surrounding seas.
These are our top recommendations for what to do on Koh Yao Noi. If we have missed anything, let us know in the comments!
The Beaches of Koh Yao Noi
Of course there are beaches! It is a Thai island! Lounging around and soaking up the South East Asian sun is practically mandatory island behaviour. Koh Yao Noi, whilst not having the massive white sand beaches of some of its neighbouring islands, has plenty of lovely spots to lay your towel down.
Our favourite beach was definitely Klong Jark (located here). The beach was eastward facing and, at least when we were there, pretty much deserted. We made camp under a tree and enjoyed the clear waters and shell strewn sands, whilst above us, hornbills flitted in and out of the trees.
Low tide at Klong Jark beach - just look at all those people!
On a day out with the scooters we also explored Long Beach (located here) and its diminutive neighbour; Little Long beach (location). These two beaches were a little off of the beaten path (no paved approach on the scooters) but were beautiful and wild. Due to their more remote location, there were only ever a handful of people there. We pretty much had both beaches to ourselves. There were signs that Long Beach used to have drinks stands and even a bar but it looks like these were victims of COVID and have not reopened yet so make sure you bring your own drinks and snacks.
Google Maps also shows another beach/ bay called Mankei Bay (here on Google Maps) at the far north of the island We would not recommend the scooter ride up there. The ride is on a mixture of dirt roads and raised concrete paths only a couple of feet wide. We eventually gave up after 20 minutes and an incident involving a ditch and our scooter….
The lovely Thai man who came to help retrive the scooter from the ditch told us that he sees lots of people come off on this road and he doesn’t understand what we are all trying to get to! According to mr lovely man, there is only a resort and a large tree at the end of the trail.
This all leads us to believe that the beach may be part of the resort but, due to our ditch based mission abort, we cannot confirm this!
The Island of Ko Nok
The island of Ko Nok requires no long-tail, speedboat or even kayak to reach it. At low tide you can just wander across a sandbar from the mainland to this tiny island. Park up your scooter (or just walk) next to the Stella restaurant (location) and just walk down the sand. The island is small but the short walk there is definitely worth doing. As we wandered down the sand, with the sea either side of us, we scared away armies of tiny crabs. As we walked, the crabs rippled and flowed away from us, ducking into their burrows. The Island itself is small and rocky but gives a nice view of the island and, as long as you don't mind scrambling over the sharp stones, a good view out to sea.
Sunrise on Koh Yao Noi
If you are staying on the eastern side of Koh Yao Noi, then you are in prime position to catch an astounding sunrise. We and our friends groggily rose one morning and crossed the road between our accommodation and the beach. We set up camp and watched as the sun rose directly over the sea.
Sometimes an early morning start is worth it!
The sky rolled from the darkness of night through velvet purples and pinks before the warm light of dawn crept over the horizon. This sunset was extra special to us as it was nearly time for us to say goodbye to our friends. We are not morning people but sunrise on a Thai island is always worth waking up for. It was magical!
Hornbill Viewpoint
(location)
In the eastern village of Tha Khao, on the east coast of the island sits a large gaudy statue of two hornbills. This statue marks the entrance to the Hornbill Viewpoint. A short sharp walk up a set of stairs lies a large viewing platform. We had read in reviews that the Hornbill Viewpoint had been optimistically named as it isn’t the best place on the island to see these bizarre birds so we were not too hopeful about our chances. Sure enough we looked out from the viewing platform and saw no yellow beaked avians. We did hear monkeys and the view was worth the short climb so we didn’t feel cheated, we also noticed a path down to the coast that ran under the viewpoint and decided to investigate.
Our curiosity was immediately rewarded, just under the viewing platform and only a few metres from where we all stood, perched a hornbill! They really are strange looking birds with their large curved yellow beaks topped with what looks a little like a jet engine! Not to undercut the excitement of the moment but we would later find that they are not exactly rare on Koh Yao Noi, after this initial encounter we saw them quite frequently, perched on trees next to the beach or just flying about.
The little path that we had followed, drops down to a picturesque little cove which was also definitely worth an explore. If you’re after a beach to yourself, then you’ve found it here!
There is no entrance fee to the viewpoint, just park up next to the pier and cross the small concrete bridge.
Boat trips and snorkelling on Koh Yao Noi
Like all the Thai islands, you can organise boat trips around the surrounding islands from Koh Yao Noi. Koh Yao Noi has an advantage over Phuket for this as it is closer to the day trip islands of James Bond Island, Koh Phi Phi etc so you will spend less time travelling and more time enjoying the sights. Having come from Phuket and having done a boat tour there already, we decided to book a private boat for us and our friends to explore the 4 Island tour. This turned out to be a fantastic decision!
We spent the day on our own long tail bouncing between different islands, climbing viewpoints, snorkelling around and lounging on beaches. The day included everything, from the snorkels, to water and lunch. You could have done it slightly cheaper as part of a boat but we and our friends felt like treating ourselves and got a private longtail boat.
Boat smiles - it was so nice to see our besties from home!
We negotiated with a travel agent in a shack on a beach (you’ve got to love Thailand) for a private longtail boat for four people and it cost 2500 baht in total (£58.58 or $72.86) for the day.
Exploring the Island by Scooter
Koh Yao Noi is not a large island compared to its neighbour Phuket, but it is not a tiny island like Koh Lipe either. Walking from the east to the west of the island would take the best part of an hour and north to south would take longer still. There are taxis available on Koh Yao Noi but you would have to pre book them or get someone to arrange one as they are not frequent or possible to flag down from the road reliably. Scooters therefore, are essential. They are also not expensive at 250 baht per day (£5.86 or $7.29) plus petrol, and are also great fun!
With a scooter you can go all the way around the island on paved roads, the island's main road (if you can call it that) circuits the centre of the island. As the road is circular you can ride all over the main parts of the island, below is a route starting in the south east but you could start it from wherever you rent your bike from.
Ride up to Klong Jark Beach and have a paddle, then ride the picturesque road over the hill and down to Tha Kao village. You can park here easily, in a carpark near the pier and go to visit the Hornbill Viewpoint, or check out the local shops and restaurants. You can also grab a coffee from our favourite stall (more on this later).
After Tha Kao village, leave the village going north, and ride up over some beautiful hills. Continue following the road until this (Location), follow this road keeping left at the fork in the road. Stay on this road north until you reach the junction of Tong Do Pier. The Tong Do pier is worth a walk up as it sticks out over mangrove forests and into the sea. If you visit at low tide you should see lots of hunting wading birds trying to snack on the crabs and also some mudskippers hopping their way from puddle to puddle. Time this stop right for a lunch break and treat yourself to some seafood at Pradu Seafood Restaurant (more on this later) From Tong Do Pier, you can either continue north up the island then double back or continue round as we did.
Drive south and follow the tree lined road until it finally curves left next to a public park. If you are not tired of piers you can park up here and go find another pier (Location) on the other side of the park. If not the road curves around and into the main town of the island. In town there are restaurants, street food vendors as well as souvenir, alcohol and clothes shops. This is a good place to stock up on snacks and supplies (the ubiquitous Honda Click scooters have a good sized storage space under the seat). There is even a 7/11 if you are craving a cheese toasty!
After the town the road continues down south before curving east and back up to the coast you started from.
If you don't mind a little dirt track riding then in the north of the island, just past Tha Khao Village you can explore Long Beach and Little Long Beach. We did push a little further to try and reach the very north of the island, but due to an aforementioned rendezvous with a ditch we did not get all the way and cannot really recommend it!
Scooter tips:
Insist on a helmet for every driver and passenger. We really don’t understand why you wouldn’t do this, but we see so many holiday makers riding without one. It’s such a simple thing to wear a helmet and you would feel disgustingly stupid if you chose not to and something bad happened.
Your bike may not have a great deal of fuel in it when you rent it! Always check the fuel gauge and top up if needed. Luckily fuel is very inexpensive on Koh Yao Noi, just pull up anywhere with a pump, pay for however much fuel you want and they will fill you up. You can also buy fuel by the bottle from most stores. Just look out for repurposed coke or liquor bottles filled with an orange liquid.
Cars and vans are not common on Koh Yao Noi but they are there and the roads are not massive, just be aware.
The roads vary in quality across the island, be wary of potholes and speed bumps as there are lots of both!
Other Things to Do on Koh Yao Noi - What We Missed!
The Island of Koh Yao Yai
Noi’s larger southern neighbour is much less popular with tourists (not that Noi is busy) and much more sparsely populated. You can catch the ferry several times a day to hop across from Noi to Yai, check with you accommodation for times, or head to Manoh Pier (Location). If you are coming from Phuket the ferry stops at Yai after Noi, and Koh Yao Yai does look (from the internet at least) beautiful. Next time we will split our time and stay on both islands
Kayaking
From the eastern beach, right outside Ciao Bella you can rent kayaks and set off around the coast of the island. We have done this before in Koh Mook so we were super excited to do this. The weather, however, apparently wasn’t. The lady on the stall said it was too windy to rent them out and we trust her island knowledge! Next time Noi, next time…
Where to Eat on Koh Yao Noi?
Dotted all over the island are lots of little restaurants, hawker stalls, cafe’s and roti stands. The price, like all Thai islands, is slightly more than the mainland but there is a wealth of lovely grub to be had whilst staying on the island. Below are our top picks from our time on Koh Yao Noi.
Leks Restaurant
(location)
Located on the ring road around the island and (not that we are lazy) within easy walking distance from our accommodation, Leks is a charming restaurant serving up all manner of Thai food classics from fried rice, to curries pad krapow and all the other favourites. We had a lovely meal including a great massaman curry. Rich, creamy and nutty, it was everything a massaman curry should be.
Rabianglay Resturant
(location)
The best things in life often aren’t always on Google Maps or TripAdvisor. We had set out to eat at the “Sea Gypsy'' restaurant but had found it closed. A little way down the beach road we found Rabianglay Resturant. Not being in the mood to prolong lunch any further we decided to sit down. The open dining room looks across the road and out to sea and afforded a peaceful background to our lunch. We all were seduced by the Yellow crab curry with noodles on the menu and this turned out to be an excellent decision! Loads of crab in a fragrant broth with slippy, almost tagliatelle style noodle, it was exactly the kind of dish you want to find beachside on a Thai island.
Paired with this was the most delicious coconut smoothie we’ve encountered so far. Made with coconut milk, water and ice cream, this was a tropical island in a glass.
Pradu Seafood
(location)
We are not a fan of lists; bucket lists, to-do lists, must-sees etc.Lists all tend to constrain you and lead people to have very copy-paste or at least similar, experiences. That said however, we had been wanting to go to a sea front Thai style seafood joint since entering the country. On Koh Yao Noi we finally broke the seal and went for it. Pradu Seafood certainly fitted the bill in what we wanted aesthetically, a sprawling wooden platform raised over the tidal flats with views out towards the sea, it was the perfect setting for some seafood!
We ordered the Thai style deep fried fish as it is something we adore. The fish combined with a spicy Som Tam salad should make for a perfect lunch! Our friends, who we would shortly be very jealous of, ordered a large amount of crab. Our meals arrived and our fish was fantastic, super crispy (to the point where even the spines were delicious) and deliciously garlicky, whilst also juicy and moist. The Som Tam salad was sour, sweet and spicy, everything it should be. Our friend's meal however was really something to behold. A mountain of crab cooked and coated in a yellow curry towered on a large sharing plate. They generously shared some with us (we weren’t looking at them like pleading puppies in a window, honest), and it was amazing!The crab was super sweet but tempered and enhanced by the mild yellow curry.
The restaurant was surprisingly affordable, this was obviously a bit of a treat meal but was not as dear as we worried it may be! Definitely worth a stop if you fancy treating yourself to an amazing seafood feast!
Our tip for next time would be to go with a group and order lots of dishes to share.
Western Options
Ciao Bella
(location)
It has happened before and will happen again, we wanted a pizza. Ciao Bella restautant is situated in a prime location right on the beach front overlooking the sea. We ordered a Diavolo and a Napoli pizza and both were fantastic with gooey stringy mozzarella and piquant salami and salty anchovies.
Eating a pizza whilst waves crashed next to us, might not be an authentic Thai experience but it was still amazing!
There are actually a couple of different restaurants on Koh Yao Noi boasting Italian pizzas but Ciao Bella’s location was unbeatable… It was also directly opposite our beach front bungalow.
Green House Coffee
(location)
This German style bakery and cafe serves up fresh baked breads and meals. We came here one morning and treated ourselves to the “Farmer’s Breakfast”. A plate full of fried potatoes, Onions, Bacon and Scrambled eggs was swiftly plonked down in front of us. Was it Thai? No. Was it delicious? Yes!
If you’re craving a hearty breakfast and roti is just not doing it for you, this is a great choice.
Sabai Corner Restaurant
(location)
The most scenic of the breakfast options, Sabai Corner serves all manner of breakfast choices including fresh baked goods, eggs in every way and a variety of fruit juice and cleansing shakes. With views over Klong Jark beach and out to the Andaman sea, it's a very picturesque way to start the day.
The Sabai Corner Restaurant is part of a hotel but you can just turn up here to eat.
Hello, World!
If you're in the mood for an upmarket coffee on Koh Yao Noi, then we would recommend visiting Cafe Kantary. Boasting an extensive coffee menu as well as quite a few food offerings, Cafe Kantary has a great garden and views out across the sea.
We can vouch that their Thai iced coffee is excellent, and if you’re feeling a little more exotic, the Vietnamese drip coffee is also great.
Coffee Stall Tha Ko
At the other end of the scale is a great local coffee shop. A wooden counter with a spray of syrups, concentrates and other brightly coloured liquids greets you as you pull up.
Serving cheap, Thai style coffee, drinks and sweet buns this is a little treasure to stumble across. There is no google listing but the stall is next door to the rock climbing shop and across from a dive centre.
Going for a Drink on Koh Yao Noi - Nightlife on the Island
Let’s state the obvious - Koh Yao Noi is not Phuket. If you are looking for massive parties, questionable buckets of drink and thousands of Westerners making poor decisions then Koh Yao Noi may not be for you. If, however, you are looking for a nice drink and maybe a game of pool then the island can happily provide.
Just note Koh Yao Noi is predominately Muslim and therefore alcohol is not as widely available across the island. Lots of the restaurants will not serve alcohol, so if you want a drink head to one of the bars.
O2 Beach Bar
(location)
Located a stone's throw from our accommodation this small wooden bar sits directly on the sands of the beach. Serving cocktails and beer this cosy little bar quickly became our go-to pre meal drinking spot.
Jellie beer price index - 1 x small bottle of Leo cost 80 baht (£1.88 or $2.33)
Extra Time Sports Bar
(location)
Ok the name doesn’t really sell it but trust us this bar is well worth a visit! Good atmosphere, live music on certain nights and (most importantly) a free pool table. This bar was the scene for several great nights with us and our friends. Even if John is terrible at pool. Also it is worth mentioning that the food here is not bad either!
Jellie beer price index - 1 x small bottle of Leo cost 85 baht (£1.99 or $2.48)
Charlies Bar
(location)
We always manage to find a bar like Charlies wherever we go - a laid back, old school beach bar. Cobbled together driftwood and lined with beachy trinkets, Charlies Bar had the proper relaxed vibe of an island bar. It also had a free pool table!
Jellie beer price index - unsure as we didn’t record it!
Sunset Bar
(location)
We only stopped in here briefly but we had to include it on the list, facing westward out to sea the sunset bar definitely lives up to its name. As the sun began to climb down for the day the raised platform of the bar, with its cushions and stools filled up. We had a non-alcoholic cocktail (responsible scootering!) and it was excellent.
360 Bar
(location)
There had been signs for the 360 bar all over the island but getting to it proved to be more interesting than the other island bars.
Come off of the main island ring road and down a dirt track and you will come to a house at the bottom of a very steep hill. Here a man will drive you 2 minutes up the hill to the 360 bar. The view is definitely worth it, a (nearly) 360 degree vista from the vantage point of one of the tallest hills on the island. We watched the sun sink down from the outwards facing bar seating with a cold beer and it was a great way to see out the day.
Jellie beer price index - 1 x small bottle of Leo cost 90 baht (£2.11 or $2.62)
Beer Shops on Koh Yao Noi
The true backpacker bar is the one you make yourself, or so we reckon!
Koh Yao Noi is nominally a Muslim island and beer/alcohol is not for sale at the 7/11. You can , however, buy alcohol at a number of shops around the island. We found the best value spots were all in the main town around the 7/11. Just respect the local customs, don't throw their concession to tourism in their faces and definitely don't be those a***h**le farangs drunkenly littering the beaches.
How Long Should I Spend on Koh Yao Noi?
Koh Yao Noi is the perfect place to relax and unwind after one of the busier islands or Ao Nang/Railay beach.
Depending on how long you want to spend chilling on a beach will determine how long you want to stay on the island. Most of the island's sites can be visited within a day if you rent your own scooter and get a wiggle on!
However, we would recommend slowing down, taking a boat trip or two and really relax into the slow paced island life.
So we would say four full days would be a good start, you can do it quicker or slower it all depends on your style of travel.
Next time we go, we will probably do two/three days on Noi and three days on Yai but this is because it would be a return trip and not our first time.
Is Koh Yao Noi Worth a Visit?
This is a dumb question, we’re mainly keeping it in as its one people seem to be searching for a lot on Google. In our opinion, Koh Yao Noi was absolutely worth it. The island was a perfect escape and contrast to its busy neighbours of Phuket, Ao Nang and Railay. The island had plenty to do, with quiet roads and beaches and enough bars and restaurants to keep you happily fed and watered for a good while. The only time we would say this island may not be for you, is if what you want is beach parties, raves and buckets of cheap alcohol. Koh Yao Noi is not a party island, and if you came expecting it because it was a “Thai Island” you would be disappointed.
If you’re on a short holiday (two weeks or so) and you were just going to Phuket/Ao Nang, then definitely carve a few days out to go to this quieter island.
If you’re on a longer trip, definitely add it to your Thai island hopping itinerary.
Final Thoughts
Koh Yao Noi was a breath of fresh air. After the crowded tourist stuffed island of Phuket, reaching Noi felt like we were back to the Thailand we know and love. Laid back with an unhurried pace of life, with a background of natural beauty, Koh Yao Noi was a perfect getaway for those looking for a chilled out Thai island. There is plenty to do and lots of food and drink options to keep you occupied. Next time we are there (and we’re sure there will be a next time), we will stay a little longer but split our time with the island of Koh Yao Yai.
Thank you for reading,
John & Ellie x
#adventuresofjellie
*Prices correct at time of visiting - February 2023
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The Sleepy Paradise of Koh Mook
The island of Koh Mook is not as famous as its nearby Thai islands of Koh Lanta, Koh Phi Phi or Phuket. However, it is a must stop on any island hopping itinerary. Find out where to stay, what to eat and what to do on this gorgeous, sleepy, paradise island.
Set in the crystal clear waters off the coast of Trang in Southern Thailand, Koh Mook is a hidden gem of an island. Beautiful beaches, great accommodation and plenty of tasty food to eat, Koh Mook is the island you wished you had heard of earlier. Thailand is full of “Paradise Islands” but the little island of Koh Mook (sometimes called Ko Muk) is a world away from the busy beaches of Koh Lanta, Samui or Phuket. We have been to this gorgeous island twice and this is our complete guide to Thailand’s sleepy island paradise - Koh Mook.
Often in Thailand you have to share your paradise, share it with many, many other people. There is a fantasy when backpacking that you’re going to find “The Beach”, an unspoilt and deserted strip of white sand and paradisiacal blue water. Then you remember that Thailand is a well known, well connected and a fantastically popular tourist destination. Thailand welcomed 28 million tourists alone in 2023. That beach you’re looking for is not going to be deserted! This isn’t meant to be a downer, the beaches, even the busiest ones are phenomenal, but if you want to find a quiet cove, you will have to look a little harder.
Koh Mook felt like we had arrived before the mass tourism wave. We’re not old enough to say for sure, but we feel that Koh Mook must have been what it felt like to backpack Thailand in the Seventies and Eighties, before mass tourism and resorts came. It's not often in Thailand that you can find a place full of staggering beauty without the crowds, but whilst we were on Koh Mook it seemed like we had.
Koh Mook has not yet succumbed to the mass tourism or exclusionary, exclusive resorts of its neighbours. The island exudes a genuine laid-back sleepy charm.
Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. We will earn a small commission from any purchases made through these links.
Okay backup, there is one resort on Koh Mook, the Sivalai Beach Resort, so it hasn’t completely escaped the notice of developers. However, we have visited twice, both times in the high season and the island was very quiet, laid back and didn’t feel anywhere near as busy as our previous destinations of Koh Lipe and Koh Lanta.
In this Koh Mook travel guide:
Where is Koh Mook?
Koh Mook or Ko Muk as it is often spelt, is a small island just off the coast of Trang province in southern Thailand. North of Koh Libong, and next to the smaller islands of Koh Kradan and Koh Ngai, Koh Mook sits in perfect clear-blue waters and is surrounded by natural beauty, corals and amazing wildlife. Koh Mook island is easily walkable from one end to the other in 30 to 45 minutes and although you can rent a scooter, you really don't need to. Just slow down, relax and take in the beautiful laid back surroundings.
Getting to Koh Mook - How to get to the island?
The obligatory Thai ferry stickers.
Ferry / speedboats from the other Thai islands.
Whilst on Koh Lipe (another fantastic Thai island, check out our article here), we had been nosing around the travel agents trying to suss out our next move. Koh Mook grabbed our interest as it seemed to be a small stop on the way north to more popular islands. Koh Mook seemed to be a far less popular option than Koh Lanta and Koh Phi Phi where most other travellers seemed to be heading. We booked ourselves on the speedboat from Koh Lipe. One ticket from Koh Lipe to Koh Mook on the speedboat cost us 1250 baht. We booked our tickets in person on the island of Koh Lipe, but if you wanted to book in advance and online, you could use 12Go. If you are travelling in the high season, we would highly recommend booking in advance as the ferry tickets sell out quickly!
After a quick stop at Koh Libong (yet another beautiful island, check out our article here), our speedboat headed across the water and docked at the end of Koh Mook’s very long pier. There are taxis available to take you from the speedboat to your accommodation (100 baht - same price for anywhere across the island), but as we were backpacking it was time for us to walk.
If you’re not coming from Koh Lipe, Koh Mook is accessible from most of the other big islands, sometimes it's a stop along elsewhere and sometimes as a direct speedboat.
Getting to Koh Mook from the Thai mainland
There are connections to the mainland via the city of Trang. Trang bus station is well connected and has links to the main towns of the south as well as Bangkok and further afield.
If you’re looking to make your own way there, the pier from the mainland is called Khaun Tung Ku Pier (ท่าเรือ ควนตุ้งกู) - Location and public ferries run daily from here to Koh Mook.
Booking travel tickets to Koh Mook
As we have mentioned you can get to Koh Mook from any of the western Thai islands as well as from the mainland.
Have a look below for some booking options below:
Accommodation on Koh Mook
The island of Koh Mook has a decent array of accommodation choices, ranging from basic bamboo huts and hostels to a resort and a small selection of luxury boutique hotels.
We opted to stay at the Smile Resort. A private room with en-suite bathroom and air conditioning cost £17.50 a night. This is at the upper end of our backpacker accommodation budget. However, for a private room on a Thai island it was really a pretty good price, especially as breakfast was also included!
Smile Resort was great. The room was comfortable, clean and surprisingly large. The staff were super friendly and helpful. The included breakfast (fresh fruit, eggs, toast and mini sausages) was tasty and always good. In high season, when the hotel is busy, the breakfast is a buffet set up. If it is quiet in the hotel, breakfast will be cooked to order. There was also free water, tea and coffee.
The location was 5 minutes outside of the main strip of the island, and a half hour walk to our favourite beach.
If you’re looking for other options on the island either budget or bougie, check out the map below:
What to do on the island of Koh Mook
Pearl Beach (หาดไข่มุก)
This white sand beach stretches around the triangular peninsula from the main jetty, and is the closest beach for those staying at the big resort hotel of Silalai Beach.
Lined with palm trees, and beachside restaurants and cafes, this beach was extremely popular with families. There are also kayak rentals on offer.
As you walk further away from the resort, the beach turns into an almost sandy harbour, with local fishing boats anchored up.
We were told, but never managed to see, that during low tides, armies of tiny crabs swarm back and forth across the beach.
Charlie Beach
Charlie Beach is confusingly known by any of three names. Charlie Beach, Garnet Beach or simply Sunset Beach. We’ll be calling it Charlie Beach as this was how it was introduced to us.
If you’re staying in town, Charlie Beach is about as far away from you as you can get. Luckily this is Koh Mook so as far away as you can get isn’t very far! A 30 odd minute walk from the main town, the route to Charlie Beach is a great example of why we love Koh Mook. The town's tourist heart quickly gives way to green foliage and local village life. Wooden stilted houses line the road with intriguing side roads leading down to the local village. Impromptu barber shops, watermelon sellers and all manner of vendors are dotted along until even these peter out and give way to the jungle.
A small hill and a little forest walk later and you emerge from the jungle to tall coconut palms framing a picture-perfect bay. The beach spreads out in an ivory arc between limestone cliffs backed by the green jungle.
The first time we arrived we couldn’t believe our eyes. We thought that beaches like this only existed in postcards. Its golden sands and blue waters stretched out in front of us, Charlie Beach was jaw dropping.
The beach never got too busy on any of the times we visited. There is a line of market stall vendors selling drinks as well as hot food. These stalls would loan you their deckchairs or recliners, either in exchange for your custom or for a 200 baht fee for the day. We bought some Thai style chicken wings and a Som Tam salad from the market stall ladies and both were excellent.
Another bonus to Charlie Beach will come as no surprise to those who have read our Koh Lipe article - the beach dogs!
Charlie Beach was home to two of our favourite beach dogs we have met on our adventure so far. A brother and sister pair of cheeky troublemakers, we dubbed Snowflake and Santa (it was nearly Christmas). They were super friendly and very cute.
Each time we ordered food on the beach, we would be treated to the pantomime of the food vendor attempting, unsuccessfully, to distract the dogs from our meal. This resulted one time in two bartenders lifting Snowflake up (one took her front paws, the other took her back) and manually removing her a good few hundred metres. Snowflake who was clearly used to this treatment and was loving every minute of the attention, promptly ran back to us and hid under our seats. She never stole any food but she did give us very soulful eyes whenever we took a bite.
Look at the cute little rascal!
When you feel like a change of beach location, you can head to the left of the beach where the two beach bars sprawl out across the sand.
The first bar (the one closest to the ocean) is called the Fanta bar and in addition to serving cold beer and good food, is the perfect place to lounge around watching the sunset.
The Fanta Bar
The Mong Bar
The bar behind, Mong bar, is your usual reggae style beach bar and makes for a very fun laid back evening once the sun has gone down. When you walk up to the bars, you will likely encounter the lively young man from the Mong bar who will attempt to get you straight into one of his bar's seats. Our advice is if you’re just looking for drinks, just sit in the nicest looking chair in the best location - we recommend the front row seats for sunset!
It’s also worth pointing out that the Fanta bar doesn’t have an inside space so for after dark drinks on the beach you’ll need the Mong bar. Both bars have toilets on site, the Mong bars inside and to the left of the bar and the Fanta bar’s up a very steep stone staircase to the right of the bar (left at the top of the steps).
Both bars are around the same price point:
Jellie beer price index: 1 x large bottle of Chang beer - 100 baht - thoroughly reasonable for a large beachside beer.
On the cliffs overlooking the beach there is also a great restaurant, Ko Yao (วิวพอย์ โกยาววิวพอย์). This is another great place to watch the sun set and we will talk about it more in the best places to eat and drink on Koh Mook later in the article.
Ellie giving off some cyberpunk vibes!
After dark, tuk tuk taxis queue behind the market stands to ferry you back to town, again this will cost you 100 baht per journey, like all taxis on the island.
This was pretty much the only situation we used the tuk tuks for whilst on Koh Mook. It was easily walkable back to the main strip of the island, just make sure to bring a good torch with you.
The Emerald Cave
As soon as you step off the pier on Koh Mook, you will see billboards and vendors offering trips to the “Emerald Cave”. This intrigued us but, wherever possible, we like to do things by ourselves rather than with a tour. Luckily for us, there is an easy way to do a DIY tour to the Emerald Cave.
From Charlie Beach, it's a short fifteen to twenty minute kayak (around 2km) out to sea and around the coast to the Emerald Cave. Kayak rentals seem to be pretty uniform across the island at 100 baht per hour.
To find the Emerald Cave from Charlie Beach, set off to the right. The kayak journey takes you around some dramatic coastline, under rocky overhangs and past some staggeringly tall cliff faces. The entrance to the Emerald Cave is quite small and easy to miss, however there are usually a small throng of tour boats clustered around making it a bit easier to spot.
A small opening in the rock, with a rope dangling in front of it marks the underwhelming entrance to the Emerald Cave. At this point there was an advantage to going with a tour group. Everyone coming out of the cave had head torches, we only had our phones…
We had been briefly briefed to paddle into the cave and the only direction we needed to remember was to go right when there was a fork. Armed with this comprehensive knowledge we set off into the mouth of the cave.
As soon as we were past the caves' ragged entrance, you could see why it was called the Emerald Cave. The light shining through the water bathed the whole cave in a turquoise green light. This light however faded fast as we paddled our way further into the cave. Ellie was performing a sterling service as our headlights, but our phone torches meant we could only see about a foot in front of the nose of our kayak. We bumped into walls, narrowly escaped stalactites (we didn’t even see the fork in the cave) but eventually we rounded a corner, and saw light in the distance. We exited the cave and found ourselves in a lost world.
The cove of the Emerald Cave is magic, a circle of beach and jungle, seemingly cut out from the towering rock all around. Our kayak pulled up to the tiny beach and we spent a good fifteen minutes wandering around, taking photos and staring up at the vertical rock walls. The water on the beach of the cove seemed even more vibrant than that of the cave. The beach was fairly busy with a couple of other tour groups there but this didn’t distract from the beauty of the place.
On our way out, the cave was filled with a bellowing moaning sound. The group in front of us thought it sounded like a dragon, we thought it sounded more like John’s stomach when he is hungry. Apparently the sound is caused by water rushing in and out of distant caves and openings in the cliffs, not a overly hungry dragon.
For those who want to do an organised tour of the cove, any of the islands many tour operators will be happy to help, but just remember to check around and negotiate. We saw a staggering variety of prices offered for this small trip. It may be worth seeing if there is another longer trip (e.g. a day out snorkelling) that would also include the Emerald Cave.
Tips for visiting the Emerald Cave:
Bring a torch - don’t be us and attempt a budget remake of The Descent!
The best time to visit the cave will be medium to low tide as this allows the most light in before the tide gets too low. Do not attempt to enter at high tide as the cave will pretty much disappear under water.
To get in and out of the cave - going in stick to the right hand wall and you can’t go wrong and on the way out stick to the left.
When paddling through the cave be wary of swimmers as some of the tours swim through the caves rather than kayak.
If you want to swim through the cave, you can tie up your kayak onto some nearby rocks but this is at your own risk.
Outside of the cave there are ‘helpers’ who will guide you/drag your kayak through the cave for a fee. We didn’t find this necessary, however if you are claustrophobic or worried about going through the cave, this would be a good option.
The Koh Mook Viewpoint
The spine of Koh Mook is a series of hills and towering limestone mountains. The majority of the island is clad in thick jungle or (mostly overgrown) rubber plantations. In the past, Koh Mook had a walking trail that looped from the north of the island, up to a viewpoint, round to two secret beaches and back to town. At the time of visiting only the trail to the viewpoint was accessible, COVID having worked its magic and the jungle having reclaimed the rest. We love a good wander so we decided to hike up to the viewpoint.
The trail starts at the Nurses House hostel (we loved the look of this place and may look into it if we find ourselves back on the island), and quickly leaves the town behind. The sleepy streets and guesthouses are replaced with rubber plantations. The path starts flat but quickly curves up a steep slope and begins ascending the mountain. The rubber plantations become increasingly overgrown with the quick growing foliage taking back the spaces between the trees. The path is steep and, thanks to the Thai sunshine, very hot - make sure to bring plenty of water! The steepest portions of the trail have ropes attached to trees to help haul yourself up. The trail is well marked with red arrows showing you the way and the path is decently maintained.
As you near the top, the plantations give up and the jungle fully takes over. As the peak comes into sight, the jungle opens up and you will see the remnants of the camping station and cafe. We hope these come back as they are in an incredible location. The abandoned/disused cafe was interesting to have a nose around, with photos of previous expeditions pinned to the wall and old empty bottles lining the creaking wooden walls.
Just above and behind the camping station is the viewpoint. A window cut through out of the jungle. Framed by limestone cliffs and green trees, the view spills across the island and out to the blue of the Andaman sea. Sitting nearly perfectly in the centre, Koh Waen completes this impossibly picturesque view.
From the viewpoint there are still signs of the continuing trail, Koh Mook seems to be doing a lot of renovation whilst we were there and we hope that these paths reopen soon as it would be great fun to continue on the jungle trail.
The walk up to the viewpoint took around half an hour and although sweaty and steep in places was not a difficult hike.
Tips for visiting the Koh Mook Viewpoint:
Set off earlier in the morning or late afternoon if you want to avoid the worst of the sun's heat.
It gets very hot and humid, remember to bring lots of water.
As you’re walking through the jungle make sure you remember your bug spray.
We have now heard that the walking trail has been reopened, please let us know in the comments how you find it!
The Dugongs of Koh Mook
Here Dugong, Dugong, Dugong… No such luck!
We tried, every night we tried. Walking up the lamp lit pier and staring into the dark waters to try and spot a Dugong.
For those who don’t know what a Dugong is, imagine something between a sea lion and a cow but much cuter (seriously Google them). Dugongs feed exclusively on sea grass and have been known in the quiet of the night to graze their way right up to Koh Mook pier. We would love to show off some National Geographic grade photos of the sweet ocean grazers, but unfortunately we never saw one.
For those more determined than we were, you can arrange a Dugong watching tour through many of the island's operators. These will take you further out to different sea grass patches and massively increase your chance of spotting these lovely creatures.
Snorkelling and island hopping
Much like most of the other western Thai islands there are ample snorkelling opportunities. Throughout town tour operators offer a variety of different excursions. We had just done an excellent snorkelling trip from Koh Lipe so didn’t opt for this on our visit, but if we’re back, we definitely will next time.
Koh Mook is surrounded by the islands of Koh Kradang, Koh Libong , Koh Ngai and the tiny Koh Waen, again there are multiple tours offering to island hop you between these places.
If you’d like to book a private excursion that includes snorkelling, the Emerald Cave and some island hopping. Have a look here on Get Your Guide.
Best places to eat and drink on Koh Mook
Koh Yao Viewpoint Restaurant (วิวพอย์ โกยาววิวพอย์)
Situated in a perfect location overlooking Charlie Beach with a view across the bay and over the ocean, Ko Yao restaurant serves up all the Thai classics. We have eaten here many times on our visits to the island and it has always been fantastic. If you’re on the beach for sunset, this restaurant has the perfect vantage point from which to watch the sun go down. To get to the restaurant just walk to the far left on Charlie Beach and up the stone steps - you really can’t miss it.
Whenever we visited we would order the whole fried fish with a side of vegetables in oyster sauce. The fish is crunchy and covered in garlic chips on the outside, but flaky and perfect on the inside. The vegetables provide a perfect crunchy sweet accompaniment. If you do order this, make sure you ask for the chillies in fish sauce as they really made the dish pop!
The meal cost us 470 baht including rice - this was by far the cheapest whole fried fish we had found in southern Thailand so far.
Team Restaurant
Just off the crossroads of the main strip in town, the Team restaurant provided us with some excellent dinners. Team serves cheap, no nonsense Thai goodness.
We dined on green curries, pad krapow and the backpacker favourites of fried rice and noodles. Each time they were flawless, and all for a very reasonable price too.
Dinner for two (not including drinks) was around 200 baht.
Boon Chu Cuisine (ครัวบุญชู)
Right at the start of the main strip (as you approach from the pier) was the always busy and always welcoming Boon Chu Cuisine. We had an excellent penang curry and a seriously spicy chilli chicken and can heartily recommend both. The prices were similar to Team restaurant with mains being around 100 baht per dish.
Another advantage of Boon Chu Cuisine is the roti lady whose stall sits at the front of the restaurant. Open late, her sugar filled banana rotis made for the perfect constellation prize as we walked back from another Dugong free pier expedition.
A banana roti cost 40 baht.
Koh Mook Seaview Restaurant
Set amongst the fisherman’s houses and stilt supported wharfs, this little restaurant served up fantastic meals from a variety of set menus. These 3-course menus were a great way to enjoy a delicious lunch or dinner. The set menus came in two categories. The “Cheap Cheap sets” or the slightly more expensive premium menu. The premium menu included more fish options and ran at 250 baht per person, whereas the cheaper options were 150 baht.
The restaurant sits right on the water's edge with views across the fisherman’s bay. It’s a great place to dine and watch the locals go about their day.
We ordered from one of the cheap menus and chose the chicken satay, papaya and prawn salad and mango sticky rice. The satay was excellent, the papaya salad fresh and delicious and the mango sticky rice, well it was mango sticky rice so therefore fantastic!
An à la carte menu and barbecue options are also available.
Noodle Lady
Location - no Google Maps listing
On the walk from town to Charlie Beach, in the local village just past the boutique hotel, you’ll pass a small wooden shop selling steaming bowls of noodley goodness. We’ve eaten at this unassuming little gem twice and weren’t disappointed either time. Rich, yet light bowls of chicken noodle soup served unpretentiously amongst cackling Thai grandma’s and their raucous grandchildren. It was lovely to find and eat in a place not solely catered towards tourists.
It was also very budget friendly with a bowl of chicken noodle soup costing 50 baht.
Exhale Bar and Cafe
For those chasing their caffeine fix, Exhale Bar and Cafe is a great option. Set on the harbour's edge, this artfully decorated cafe serves up fantastic coffee. We stopped here twice and on the second time, the owner treated us to a bonus shot of his local whisky to go along with our coffee. It was an unexpectedly good combination at 10 in the morning!
One iced craft coffee cost 90 baht.
Miss Island Bakery Koh Mook -ร้านมาดาม
Another slightly cheaper coffee option is the Miss Island Bakery. This has the advantage of also selling muffins and sweet treats alongside perfectly good coffee.
One iced coffee cost 65 baht.
The bakery is open at night and serves pizza and other mains in the evening.
Oy Oy Reggae Bar
If beachside drinking isn’t your thing, the Oy Oy Reggae Bar will sort you out with comfy seats and cold beers. There was always a good crowd of both travellers and locals making for a fun and lively night here.
For those after a more chemically induced night, the bar also had an ample cannabis selection.
Jellie beer price index: 1 x small bottle of Chang beer - 90 baht. A little pricey, but you're on a Thai island so what do you expect?
Leaving Koh Mook - Where to go next?
You can’t stay here forever (no matter how much you might want to), when the time comes to go there are speed boats available to all the major Thai islands as well as transfers to the city of Trang and further afield.
We got the public ferry to the mainland pier of Khaun Tung Ku. Followed by a minivan to Trang bus station where we could make our onward connection to Krabi town.
Tickets can be booked through the island agents, on the boat or online via 12Go.
Other Thai Islands
If you are looking for more inspiration of what islands to visit in Southern Thailand, check out our other articles here:
Final thoughts
Koh Mook was just what we were looking for in a Thai island after Koh Lipe. Peaceful, relaxed and achingly beautiful, the island was a perfect oasis. With quiet beaches, good food and lovely locals, Koh Mook was fantastic. The Island is not as well known as some of the other islands of Thailand, and we don’t want it to be overrun, but it should definitely go on your itinerary for Thai island hopping!
Koh Mook, along with Koh Jum and Koh Libong, make up our three “lesser known” Thai island paradises. If you are looking for some island fun in Thailand, away from the crowds of holiday makers, do not miss Koh Mook!
Koh Mook - Essential Tips
The island of Koh Mook is car free, with only tuk tuks and scooters buzzing around. There are scooter rentals in town, but the island is so easily walkable that this seemed a little unnecessary.
Tuk tuks have a fixed price no matter the length of the journey. All rides cost 100 baht.
There is one ATM on the island, it's located on the main street on the left hand side.
Koh Mook is a rarity in Thailand and has no 7/11’s, however there are plenty of shops selling everything you could need from swimwear to suncream, mosquito repellant to shampoo.
The plumbing on the island was in our experience predominantly manual flush (a bucket you pour in) for the toilets. This really isn’t an issue but is worth knowing so it doesn’t come as a shock.
Half of Koh Mook is part of the Hat Chao Mai National Park. This national park extends onto the mainland and next time we visit we’re sure to explore more of this beautiful national park. The view of it from the ferry back was stunning, and it looks like a great place to visit.
Koh Mook can also be spelt as Ko Muk, this can get confusing!
Thanks for reading,
John & Ellie x
#adventuresofjellie
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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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