Ko Lipe

Understand

The name "Ko Lipe" is a corrupted version of the Malay name, Pulau Nipis, meaning "thin island". In 1973, Tarutao National Park was established; however, Ko Lipe is outside of the jurisdiction of the neighboring 51 islands of Tarutao National Park, and as such, development is permitted on the island. The island is home to about 500 Urak Lawoi people ("chao leh" in Thai and "orang laut" in Malay, commonly referred to as "sea gypsies" in English) who are descendants of the island's original inhabitants 300 years ago. Many of them fled in the late 1800s, when the Dutch mistook them for pirates, due to their nomadic lifestyle. Ownership of the island was disputed since it was uninhabited, and to prevent Malaysian encroachment, they were given a grant to half of the island and live in small villages, predominantly around the far east side of the island near Sunrise Beach. Although some are involved in tourism, many sustain from fishing and farming of rice and vegetables. They retain their animist beliefs in the spirits of their ancestors, the island, and the sea. Twice a year, during the full moon in late May or early June and in late October or early November, they hold a 3-day spiritual festival called pla juk or loy rua, where they pay respects to the memory of their ancestors. In the 1980s, currency was introduced to the island. Urak Lawoi people constructed the first accommodation on the island in the 1980s and hosted the first international tourists. Tourist resorts started to be built in the 1990s. The tourist boom has led to many Urak Lawoi people being forced off their land so multinational companies can build resorts. Tourism has resulted in water shortages, waste disposal issues, and other environmental problems. It is common to see garbage being burnt since there are not many reliable options for waste disposal. To help combat this problem, many restaurants and bars will refill used plastic or reusable water bottles for free or very little cost. Look for pla

Getting there

As of January 2024, a plastic pontoon floating pier has been constructed where speedboats arrive. If coming from Langkawi, an immigration officer will stamp passports on arrival. There is also a ฿200 fee for entry into the national park; save the ticket as it allows for entry to other nearby islands.

By plane The nearest airports are in Trang and Hat Yai, which is accessible by ferry then bus, or in Langkawi, accessible by ferry.

By boat In the high season of November to May, speedboats and ferries are offered to/fromLangkawi (1.5 hour), Pak Bara (1.5 hours), Ko Tarutao (45 minutes), Trang (2.5 hours), Ko Lanta (3 hours), and Phuket (5 hours). Operators to/from Thailand include Satun Pakbara Speed Boat Club, Tiger Line, and Bundhaya Speed Boat and operators to/from Langkawi include Tropical Charters and Telaga Terminal. The boats from Langkawi take your passport as condition for boarding the boat - likely to lose it and highly inefficient, spent hours at immigration whilst waiting in the sun. Ferries operate from mid of October until end of May from/to Langkawi, typically ferry schedule available in the morning and afternoon trip daily, but during shoulder season only available one trip daily, Langkawi to Koh Lipe schedule for both Kuah jetty and Telaga Harbour departure. Speedboats can often bounce off the waves at very high speeds and passengers can get quite strong jolts into the non-sprung seats, so persons with back or neck problems should not travel on the speedboats, but on ferries. There have been reports of serious back injuries happening on the speedboats.

Getting around

All of Ko Lipe can be covered on foot. A walk between the two furthest walkable points on the island, Serendipity Resort and Patai Galah Beach, takes about 45 minutes for the 3 km journey, using the roads. There are many motorcycles on the island, although none of them are for rent. The saleng are motorcycle sidecar taxis (labeled as such with drivers wearing numbered blue vests) that charge ฿50 per person for any journey or ฿300 per hour, they are typically parked near the 7-Eleven or ordered by phone (phone numbers are displayed on many of the electric poles). There are pickup trucks on the island belonging to resorts and used to transfer their customers' bags on arrival/departure and as shuttles. Certain resorts also operate golf carts as shuttles. Narrow concrete roads link the various beaches. Long-tail boats will take you from any point on the island to any other point on the island for ฿50.

See

There is a very small Buddhist temple in the center of the island.

Do

Beaches - Sunrise Beach in the east faces the sunrise; sunset views are prominent at the smaller Sunset Beach in the west, and Pattaya Beach has more nightlife. Karma Beach in the north faces the Adang/Lipe channel. There are also several smaller beaches including Galah Beach, Svedo Beach, and Batata Beach, near the "secret beach" in the southwest of the island. Fishing is illegal near the island, so stay away from fishing trips and do not purchase locally-caught fish.

Diving and snorkeling

Around Ko Lipe are some of Thailand's best reefs, all within easy reach. The reefs around Ko Lipe are largely intact; the 2004 tsunami had little impact here. The currents here are predominantly tidal which means that at certain times of the month strong currents exist. At other times, none at all. You can always find somewhere good to dive but the widest selection of dive sites is available twice a month, following the half moon. You can see sharks, whale sharks, and manta rays. Sightings of marine wildlife are more likely on sites around the edge of the marine park, nearer the deeper waters. For the best chances, try to visit 8 Mile Rock, Stonehenge or Ko Pung. The calm, clear water makes the Ko Lipe area ideal for snorkelling, with 25% of the world's tropical fish species found in the area. There are large varieties of fish around the coral 20m off all of the beaches. Ko Lipe is surrounded by over 30 islands and hundreds of reefs all within easy reach of the island. Tarutao National Park is one of Asia’s oldest marine parks thus the reefs and the islands surrounding Ko Lipe are in very good condition. Nowhere else on the Southeast Asian peninsula will you find so many excellent snorkel sites so easily reached. Snorkeling day trips on a long boat for 10-15 people, visiting 3 snorkeling locations, generally cost ฿600-700 per person.

8 Mile Rock - A true deep sea pinnacle 75 minutes away by boat. The rock can be a tough place to dive due to the strong currents, but the marin

Buy

There are three ATMs on the island. One is at 7-Eleven on Walking Street. Another is across from Pooh's at the Sunrise end of Walking Street, and the third is in front of Harmony. Many travel agencies or hotels will offer to charge your debit/credit card and give you the cash for a 5-8% fee. For currency exchange, Bundhaya Resort offers the best exchange rates for dollars, euros, pounds or ringgit, but the rate is less th