Ko Lipe
4.5
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The area
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Restaurants
85 within 5 kms
Attractions
11 within 10 kms
See what travellers are saying
- Peter BLeuven, Belgium310 contributionsParadise - and certainly not lost. Picture Perfect and Reasonably priced.A beautiful place that brings all elements of a Thailand holiday perfectly together: spectacular sunset, clear blue/green sea, white beaches and super-fresh seafood at very reasonable prices. The resorts will take care of anything else. It is not easy to get to, but that is probably more of a blessing then a curse, as it helps limit tourist influx. Even though it has been developed to cater to tourism, it still has a lot of Southern Thai characteristics. That includes stray dogs and a more casual approach to cleanliness, but it is certainly not above what you normally find in Thailand, except for the very high-end hotels and resorts. All in all a must-do if you want the best holiday pics money can buy.Visited November 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 16 November 2023
- Alex TJapan41 contributionsIt's a difficult island to get to, but it's worth it.There may be few Thai people who have ever been there. There is a way to get there from the Malaysian side, but that is also a difficult path. After doing a lot of research, I decided to approach from Bangkok. The week we spent here was a wonderful place that was well worth the effort.Visited February 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 5 January 2024
- Teresa F2 contributionsAn okay island overallKoh Lipe has grown on me over the last several days, but it's my least favorite of stops in Thailand after Chiang Mai, Koh Lanta and Koh Tao. It was a tough 3+ hr high speed ferry that broke down in the middle of the sea and was an hour late to start. We arrived to see mostly dirt streets aside from walking street, which is nice, and significantly more trash around. The diving at Stonehenge was fantastic. Everything is more expensive here and generally not the same quality. Loved Elephant's lattes, homemade bread, and banana smoothies. A long way to come for an okay island overall.Visited January 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 29 January 2024
- Ali C27 contributionsStunning and crazy!Highlight of my month tour around Thailand. You arrive on a manically busy beach… slightly alarming with Long tail boats coming and going (making the sound of revved up scooters!) but then you walk a little left or a little right and it’s a wonderful oasis. Beautifully clear turquoise water with crystal white sand … paradise. Loved the busy ‘walking’ street behind the beach offering everything! Snorkelling wasn’t brilliant but the surroundings more than made up for it! I will definitely return.Visited February 2024Travelled soloWritten 14 March 2024
- Michells M9 contributionsKoh LipeBeautiful beaches and snorkeling. Walking street easy to walk across islands and wide variety of foods offered. Fresh, flavorful foods! Several Thai massage places available. The most beautiful colors at sunset from sunset beach and at night off 10 moons beach.Visited April 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 29 April 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
2,285 reviews
Excellent
1,392
Very good
485
Average
243
Poor
95
Terrible
70
steve5819
Norwich, UK34 contributions
Feb 2020 • Couples
This is my second visit to Lipe in the past two years and how it seems to have changed. The first visit, I must admit was at the beginning of the season was wonderful, clear beaches all pristine.
On my second visit, I was stunned at the amount of boats anchored at the beached, were once you could swim out a snorkel from pattaya beach now has tiny corralled areas to swim in with the whole beach given over to morings for long boats, most of which sit there all day doing nothing.
On sunrise beach we spent 25 minutes walking passed boats with no chance of swimming.
Commercialism rules and I think they will regret it in time.
As for the rest of the island, walking street remains the same, lots of bars and restaurant all quite fun.
On my second visit, I was stunned at the amount of boats anchored at the beached, were once you could swim out a snorkel from pattaya beach now has tiny corralled areas to swim in with the whole beach given over to morings for long boats, most of which sit there all day doing nothing.
On sunrise beach we spent 25 minutes walking passed boats with no chance of swimming.
Commercialism rules and I think they will regret it in time.
As for the rest of the island, walking street remains the same, lots of bars and restaurant all quite fun.
Written 17 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Steven S
Pattaya, Thailand782 contributions
Dec 2020
Totally overdeveloped island with little thought given to any preplanning. Basically, any waterfront property is overpriced for what you get when you compare to accommodation at other islands. Pattaya beach and more so Sunrise beach are full of boats. You virtually have to walk through a resort to access Sunrise beach.
Most of the businesses around the island are open. If you want to avoid the crowds then avoid weekends.
I would recommend only visiting for as long as it takes to do 1 or 2 boat trips. Koh Lipe is the proverbial tourist trap of southern Thailand. Note that the racist Marine Park fee is only valid for 5 days. This was a once only visit for me.
Most of the businesses around the island are open. If you want to avoid the crowds then avoid weekends.
I would recommend only visiting for as long as it takes to do 1 or 2 boat trips. Koh Lipe is the proverbial tourist trap of southern Thailand. Note that the racist Marine Park fee is only valid for 5 days. This was a once only visit for me.
Written 23 December 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Shreya Saha
Phitsanulok, Thailand925 contributions
Mar 2019
Koh Lipe is also known as “Maldives of Thailand”, now I know why. It is located in the deep south of Thailand in Satun province, very close to Langkawi island of Malaysia. I spent two heavenly nights here. Sunrise beach has the best white sand and clear turquoise water in the island – if in Koh Lipe, stay nowhere but here.
Written 21 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
iamzarap
1 contribution
Feb 2020 • Friends
Feels very uncomfortable and not safe. There are at least three huge packs of stray dogs wandering around randomly howling days and nights in the Sunset beach area. I counted one of the packs yesterday - over 14 dogs! I truly believe it’s unacceptable for any tourist destination and it’s very clear that local businesses and governors aren’t doing anything about it, just making money on the island fool of trash and stray dogs. Maybe Lipe was a wonderful island one day.. but apparently not anymore. Two other beaches Sunrise and Pattaya maybe have a little bit better situation with nicer sand and water to swim if you find a spot between boats. Plus, hundreds of annoying motorbikes chaotically run from 6am to midnight with local teens speeding like crazy between walking tourists. I find Koh Lipe a terrible place to relax and stay and really regret bringing my family here for the entire week. Thailand has many more beautiful not crowded safe and friendly islands. People of Koh Lipe just can’t cope with current situation.
Written 24 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Santa Barbara
1 contribution
Dec 2019
Koh Lipe island.
(A) What we like:
1) The massage is good and affordable.
2) The beaches are nice and water is clear.
3) Good view of sunrise & sunset along skyline.
4) Everything is with 15mins walking distance, save alot on traveling.
5) Only a few good restaurant, very long queue.
6) suitable to very short stay.
(B) What we dislike :
1) The retailer are very hardcore & prices are not negiotiable.
2) Things are not value for money.
3) Too crowded during peak season.
4) Accomodation are small & costly during peak season.
5) Cheap food are not fantastic.
6) Thailand icon : female guy (personal dislike).
7) People who doesn't like watersports, nothing to do.
(A) What we like:
1) The massage is good and affordable.
2) The beaches are nice and water is clear.
3) Good view of sunrise & sunset along skyline.
4) Everything is with 15mins walking distance, save alot on traveling.
5) Only a few good restaurant, very long queue.
6) suitable to very short stay.
(B) What we dislike :
1) The retailer are very hardcore & prices are not negiotiable.
2) Things are not value for money.
3) Too crowded during peak season.
4) Accomodation are small & costly during peak season.
5) Cheap food are not fantastic.
6) Thailand icon : female guy (personal dislike).
7) People who doesn't like watersports, nothing to do.
Written 5 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sarahfellows
Wrexham, UK34 contributions
Jan 2020 • Couples
Beautiful island at risk of being overrun by development, go now before they build any more! We had a fantastic 10 day stay on ko lipe at wapi beach resort sunrise beach. The resort was spotless and well run, very relaxed. The island had some amazing beaches, lovely people and local restaurants including Thai Thais and Family Song which were great value for money with beautiful fresh fish.
The walking street is much larger than I expected with a wide choice of bars and restaurants. It’s more expensive than some places in Thailand but everything has to be taken there by small boats so it’s to be expected.
It also has its fare share of rubbish all over the island which was sad to see, very few bins as they have to pay for the rubbish by weight to again be removed by boat. Every Monday there is a beach clean at a local beach, 10am at Pattaya beach lunch and equipment provided run by do it be heart save ko lipe.
Bioluminescent plankton amazing to see just ion the shore if you can find somewhere dark enough!
Coffee at Blooms lovely, elephant a good bar with amazing food too.
The walking street is much larger than I expected with a wide choice of bars and restaurants. It’s more expensive than some places in Thailand but everything has to be taken there by small boats so it’s to be expected.
It also has its fare share of rubbish all over the island which was sad to see, very few bins as they have to pay for the rubbish by weight to again be removed by boat. Every Monday there is a beach clean at a local beach, 10am at Pattaya beach lunch and equipment provided run by do it be heart save ko lipe.
Bioluminescent plankton amazing to see just ion the shore if you can find somewhere dark enough!
Coffee at Blooms lovely, elephant a good bar with amazing food too.
Written 29 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SunnyMangoMac
239 contributions
Aug 2020 • Couples
It takes a long time to get here from Bangkok but I think it is worth it. The water is so clear and the snorkeling amazing. I would highly recommend doing a half day snorkeling around the island. The island itself is pretty small and definitely not a party island. There's not much else to do here, so despite the long journey we just stayed four nights and then headed on to Khao Sok. We paid 4k from the pier to our hotel in Khao Sok for a private taxi door to door and just arranged with the ladies at the pier.
Written 17 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
martin3300
Thailand18 contributions
Jan 2020 • Couples
This is a really nice island. Tourists cannot rent scooters because it is a very small island. You can get really good street meat on walking street and wicked breakfast at the elephant. Just be warned everything on this island is very expensive compare to the mainland or Koa toa. And the tattoos are twice the price
Written 13 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JonnyM
Croyde, UK169 contributions
Jan 2020 • Couples
One of the less populated islands and everything is so easy! Even tuk Tuks don’t hassle you. There are many paradise beaches giving you plenty of options. Walking street is great fun every night with so many great street food stalls and great quality shopping! It has a lot more quality items than nearby islands... The quality of the fish restaurants is off the scale although a little pricier than some nearby places due to it being a little more remote!
Written 27 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Patrik L
Uppsala County, Sweden277 contributions
Nov 2019
Koh Lipe was the first place I visited arriving to Thailand after a 23 hour trip involving bus, airplane, minivan and speedboat. A real paradise island, but be aware that the prices are very different from mainland Thailand. Very different... With that said, it's still not expensive...
The double room was €35 and a "cheap" dinner was €10.
The double room was €35 and a "cheap" dinner was €10.
Written 2 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hoe many day visa do i get arriving on koh lipe 15 or 30? I know officially a get 15 days but last year i got 30 days
Written 5 March 2024
Hoe many day visa do i get arriving on koh lipe 15 or 30? I know officially a get 15 days but last year i got 30 days
Written 5 March 2024
Puis-je faire "visa-run" de Koh Lipe vers Longkawi et vice-versa ? Si oui, quels sont les frais svp ?
Written 25 November 2023
Hello, does anyone know if it possible to do a visa covid extension in the Ko Lipe immigration office ?
Many thanks in advance
Written 10 November 2021
How can we go to koh lipe from Langkawi in August?
Written 2 February 2020
Hello ☺️ you Can go in ferry or in speedboat, about 2 hours ☺️
Written 5 February 2020
what is the availability of the ferries from langkawi to koh lipe return, as i want to go in December for two days and need to book accommodation there. would i need to book a ferry now and if so are there more than one company travelling between the islands please.
Written 29 January 2020
Daily ferries at least 2 trips a day. No meed to book ferry too early. Book a few days or weeks before. No problem
Written 5 February 2020
Can I do the visa extension in Koh Lipe immigration office? Thanks a lot for your help
Written 22 January 2020
Hi , we are staying on Koh Lipe then heading back to Bangkok for our flight home on the following day. I am unsure if it makes any difference to fly from hat yai or from Trang. Any advice welcome. Also How much of a time buffer is it best to allow for ferries being late? Thank you
Written 18 January 2020
Hi,
We stayed in and flew in to and out of Hat Yai so cant answer about Trang! We found flying in and out of Hat Yai wonderful though! Our ferry wasn’t delayed at all but it will depend massively on the weather conditions! That said even if the conditions are choppy they still tend to depart bang on time!
It takes a couple of hours to get from Pak Bara (the port) to Hat Yai but it’s a nice journey!
Enjoy it.......you will :)
Written 18 January 2020
Hey, we're arriving to Langkawi airport from Singapore on the 4th January at 12;15. From reading up I think the last ferry to Lipe will be at 2:30, can anybody advise if they think this could be too tight and how long is it from the airport to the port?
Thanks
Written 6 November 2019
Sorry unsure on that as we flew into Hat Yai :(
Hope you find the answer though!
Written 6 November 2019
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