Most of Thailand’s secrets have long been common knowledge, but there is still one little island - Koh Lipe - which stands out as a slice of paradise and is only now just being discovered.
 

Koh Lipe is a small island in the Andaman Sea and is a little gem 60km off the coast inside the Tarutao National Marine Park. Koh Lipe has become the southern anchor of the busy north-south Andaman tourist route and getting there these days couldn’t be easier with boats arriving from all up and down the coast including Koh Phi Phi, Koh Lanta, Krabi and Trang. Koh Lipe is also the jumping off point to Langkawi and Malaysia.

At its largest the island is only 2 km long and 1 km wide. With 2 main beaches each with their own distinct character, there is something for everyone. The busy one, Pattaya beach has a wide beach stretched in a long crescent of fine white sand. In the evening it transforms as

restaurants and bars set out chairs and bamboo mats on the sand and lit by candle light, reggae tunes drift down the beach.

On the other side of the island is Sunrise Beach with views of several small nearby islands and a cool onshore breeze most of the year. Sunrise Beach is the opposite of Pattaya beach, with just a few resorts and bars, it is very laid back. It also has a very large coral reef with the best snorkeling on the island directly from the beach.

There are no cars on the island and few motorbikes so people get around by walking. The whole island can be explored on foot in a couple of hours.

Pooh’s Bar (Web link) in the middle of the island is run by the charismatic Pooh and is almost an institution on the island. Famous for its live music in the evenings drawing a large crowd.
Karma Bar (Web link) at the north end of Sunrise Beach is well known on the back packer scene with its mellow music and great location.

At the other end of Sunrise beach is Castaway Resort
(Web link) has stunning sea and island views which viewed from its raised candle lit deck has to be the ultimate in chilled out dining and drinking.

Tarutao National Marine Park has some of the best dive sites in all of Thailand. Within easy boat reach of Koh Lipe are hundreds of coral reefs with an amazing variety of huge hard and soft corals. The corals and seas around Koh Lipe are full of marine life, offering everything from turtles to huge rays.

Even if you aren’t a diver you can enjoy the marine world drifting
along the edges of coral reefs

with a mask and snorkel. Compared to other dive and snorkel areas there is so much to see.

Koh Lipe still has a lot of cheap back packer’s accommodation, with places like Varin offering simple bamboo huts close to the beach. At the top end is Sita Beach with a swimming pool and Castaway Resort with their
2 story breezy bungalow
which was described by the Lonely Planet as ‘the most chic on Lipe’.