Ko lipe island in thailand on the map. The island of Koh Lipe is truly a piece of paradise on the edge of Thailand. Internet and cellular communications in Koh Lipe
At the southernmost point of Thailand there is a picturesque island with beautiful beaches called Koh Lipe. In recent years, it has been actively developing, and from a wild island it is gradually turning into a popular tourist resort. More and more new hotels, cafes and entertainment are appearing here. However, there are still many places with pristine nature and secluded beaches.
Lipe Island is located just 20 km from Malaysia. It is significantly removed from popular resorts: Phuket is 250 km, Krabi is 220 km, and the mainland is 70 km. The closest islands to Koh Lipe are Koh Adang and Koh Tarutao.
Lipe Island is included in the Tarutao National Park, which includes more than 50 islands. Many of them are uninhabited and have pristine nature. You can visit such islands along with an excursion, which can be purchased in Koh Lipe at any travel agency.
Lipe Island itself is inhabited; it is inhabited mainly by sea gypsies who moved here from Malaysia. The infrastructure on the island is gradually developing: there are quite a few cafes, restaurants, shops and hotels. If you wish, you can stay overnight or spend your entire vacation on the island. There are all the necessary conditions for this.
Not so long ago there were no banks or ATMs on the island, but now the situation has changed. It will not be difficult for you to change or withdraw money from your card. However, the course is completely unprofitable. Therefore, it is better to change money in Bangkok or another popular resort in Thailand.
As for prices, on the island of Lipe they are not much different from the mainland. You can dine in the restaurant at very affordable prices.
When is the best time to go to the island?
As throughout Thailand, Lipe Island is always warm and the air temperature does not drop below 20 degrees Celsius. However, tropical climates have dry and wet seasons. The most favorable weather for a holiday on the island is during the dry season, which lasts from December to March. From April the weather begins to deteriorate, the winds become stronger, the sea waves rise and relaxing in nature is no longer so pleasant.
Hotels
The island has quite a large selection of hotels and bungalows to suit every taste and budget. The cheapest accommodation will cost you an average of 500 baht per day. If you want to rent a comfortable room with all amenities, you will have to pay at least 1,500 baht per day. Prices may vary depending on the season, but are highest in winter.
If you want to rent inexpensive accommodation, it is better to stay in the center of the island near the main street. It may be noisy here and the view from the window may not be as beautiful, but the housing prices are the most affordable. For more budget options, I can recommend the Harmony Bed & Bakery Hotel, A Plus Delux Hotel, Mountain Resort Koh Lipe and Ricci House Resort.
If your budget allows, I recommend staying at one of the best hotels on the island: Idyllic Concept Resort, Bundhaya Villas or Mali Resort Sunrise Beach.
If you are going to visit Lipe Island during the dry season, then book your hotel 1-2 months in advance, because the good options are almost all booked at this time.
Beaches
There are four main beaches on Koh Lipa. These include Pattaya, Sunrise, Sunset and Karma Beach. There are two more very small beaches: Sanom and Bila Beach. Moving from one beach to another is quite convenient, as there are paths between them.
Pattaya Beach- the most important beach on the island. There is a port where all the boats arrive. However, this beach is also suitable for swimming. Near Pattaya Beach is the main street of the island - Walking Street. This is where there are many inexpensive hotels, as well as cafes, restaurants and shops.
SunsetBeach- the most secluded beach on the island. Here you can admire beautiful sunsets, relax from the hustle and bustle in solitude.
KarmaBeach located north of Sunset Beach. There is white sand, a clean and calm sea. This beach is preferred by families with children.
SunriseBeach- the longest beach on Koh Lipe. An ideal place to watch the sunrise. The sand is white, the sea is clean. This is where the best snorkeling and diving on the island is.
What to do on the island?
People come to Lipe Island to enjoy natural views, beach holidays and completely relax away from the hustle and bustle. The main entertainment on the island are excursions to neighboring uninhabited islands, relaxing on the beach, snorkeling, diving and sea fishing. There are many diving centers on Koh Lipe.
In the evening there is a wide selection of cafes, restaurants and bars available, many of them located on the seashore. Closer to midnight, all establishments close, and active life dies down until the morning.
Transport
There is no public transport on Koh Lipe, since its territory is small; you can walk around the island in a few hours. But if you wish, you can always use the services of a taxi, which is a motorbike with a sidecar. You can also rent a bicycle or a fast boat that will take you to the neighboring islands.
Video review of Lipe Island
Thanks to the video, you will see what Koh Lipe looks like, how beautiful its beaches and picturesque nature are.
How to get there?
To get to Koh Lipe from other popular resorts, the easiest way is to fly to the city of Hat Yai. Here is the closest airport in Thailand from Lipe Island. You can book a transfer from Hat Yai Airport to Koh Lipe. The road to Pakbara pier takes approximately 2 hours, then you will have to sail the same amount by sea to Lipe Island.
Only by sea can you reach Koh Lipe from the islands of Phuket, Phi Phi Don, Lanta and Krabi province. Such flights are carried out by ship. The average cost of a trip is about 1,500 baht.
Ko Lipe on the map
See the exact location of Lipe Island on this map.
If you want to diversify your holiday in Thailand, spend time away from the hustle and bustle, then go to Lipe Island. Here you will receive many new positive emotions, beautiful photographs and unforgettable impressions.
The island of Koh Lipe is located in the south of Thailand, on the border of the territorial waters of Thailand and Malaysia.
There are several options for getting to Koh Lipe
1) Any airport in Thailand-> Hat Yai (air) -> taxi to Pakbara (1800 baht). Pakbara -> Koh Lipe by high-speed ferry or speedboat 3 times a day.
For example, from Bangkok (Don Mueang) to Hat Yai Lion Air flight at 7:45.
At 9:15 in Hat Yai. Receipt of baggage.
Exit and select a transfer (group by minibus or individual by taxi) to Pakbara. Travel time 1:30.
Pakbara: buying speedboat tickets 11:30 to Koh Lipe (450 baht) + 20 baht fi pier.
Travel time to Koh Lipe is 1:30.
Disembarkation either directly onto the shore or onto a floating platform (depending on the tide).
If disembarking on the platform, then +50 baht for delivery ashore by boat at 13:00
2) Malaysia. From the island Langkawi(Langkawi), Malaysia on the ferry Langkawi - Koh Lipe ().
3) Koh Lanta. From Koh Lanta island (Krabi province) by speedboat.
4) Trang. From the pier Hat Yao Pier(Trang) on the yellow high-speed ferry http://www.tigerlinetravel.com/
5) Phuket. From the pier Rassada(Phuket) by high speed ferry with two stops Phi Phi and Hat Yao (Trang):
I described in detail how we got to Koh Lipe from Phuket
Transfer connection: morning (7:15) flight Phuket – Hat Yai +
taxi to Pakbara +
a speedboat to Koh Lipe allows you to be on Koh Lipe by lunchtime on the same day.
There are several more exotic options, but due to their exotic nature and time-consuming nature, I will not consider them here.
However, option 3 is also not interesting to describe since the transfer is on a speedboat - therefore it is very seasonal and depends on the weather (cancelled if there is a lot of bumpiness).
The most common option: a trip by speedboat or ferry (from November to May) to Koh Lipe from the pier of the village of Pakbara, Satun Province (the nearest airports are Hat Yai and Trang).
What is the village of Pakbara famous for?
It used to be a terrible hole
When I first came to Pakbara, there was not a single hotel in the fishermen's village, except for 4 rooms on the second floor of a grocery store with one toilet in the corridor for everyone. And the ship that brought tourists from Pakbara to Koh Lipe was made of wood and resembled a Spanish galleon of the 15th century (it broke down twice per voyage)
Now you won’t recognize Pakbara: a 7/11 store, ATMs, seafood restaurants (though Muslim ones with menus in Thai)
The port in Pakbar is a building made of stone and glass
It’s a pity I don’t have any photographs of the port of Pakbara-2002 at hand: on the river bank there are sandbags on which 2 boards are thrown
How to get to Pakbara
Airports closest to Pakbara:
– Trang(Trang)
– Hat Yai(Hat Yai)
Trang Airport is slightly closer to Pak Bara than Hat Yai Airport.
For example: you flew to Trang from Bangkok ()
Exit to the arrivals hall and go to the transfer counter (left side of the hall).
A taxi to Pakbara costs 2,200 baht and takes an hour and a half to travel. The price is fixed and written on the board in front of the counter.
If you have high speed ferry tickets Tigerline, then you need to take a taxi to the pier Hat Yao– it’s 50 minutes from Trang airport)
You can team up with someone and split the cost of a taxi.
You can go out onto the main road and try to find a ride or negotiate with a taxi directly.
But the fact remains: a taxi from Trang airport to Pakbara costs 2,200 baht.
Taxi ride from Trang Airport to Pakbara Pier: 1 hour 30 minutes.
Speedboat schedule from Pakbara to Koh Lipe
The schedule varies depending on the season, the weather and the number of tourists going to Koh Lipe.
In general, it is better to clarify the information on the spot.
As of August 2016, the schedule looked like this:
You can see something on the website http://kohlipethailand.com/koh-lipe/transport/boat-timetable/
Speedboats depart from Pakbara at 9:30, 11:30 and 15:30 during low season.
The best option would be to take the first speedboat at 9:30 so that you can be there (in Koh Lipe) at 11-11:30
To do this, you need to arrive in Pakbara the day before leaving for Koh Lipe.
See what flights arrive to Trang or Hat Yai at
Add 20 minutes to collect your luggage and find a taxi.
Add 1.30 for the road to Pakbara and 10 minutes for buying tickets and figure out which speedboat you have time for.
Where to stay in Pakbar
There was a simple hotel near the pier - Best House.
But in August it looked like this, although it was offered by Agoda.
But there is something nearby - Marina Resort and Restaurant.
If you want more comfort, it is better to stay in the city Langu 7 km from Pakbara.
For example, they praise Farmsuk residence and resort or Bara Resort 3 km from the pier (on the right) - not in the booking, but the houses are good.
On a small island in the south of Thailand, Ko Lipe, it’s more difficult to get to than Samui or Phuket, but it’s worth the effort and time spent on the road. From this article you will learn which transport is most convenient to get to the island of Koh Lipe from Bangkok, Krabi, Koh Lanta and other regions of Thailand, as well as from the Malaysian island of Langkawi, how much tickets cost, how and where you can buy them and how long it will take road to Koh Lipe.
Koh Lipe on the map - nearest airports and piers (seaports)
No matter how you plan to get to Koh Lipe, at least the last leg of your journey to the small island of Lipe will be by sea.
Nearest port on the territory of Thailand, from which they depart speed boats and ferries on Koh Lipe, called Pak Bara Pier(Pak Bara Pier) and the distance to Lipe Island is 63 km in a straight line. Approximately the same distance to port on the island Langkawi(Malaysia).
Nearest to Koh Lipe airports are located:
- on the island Langkawi (Malaysia)- about 60 km by sea,
- in the city Hat Yai (Thailand)- about 123 km by land to the Pak Bara pier and then another 63 km by sea.
Koh Lipe island, neighboring islands, ferry and speedboat routes
How to get to Koh Lipe from Phi Phi and Koh Lanta islands
During the calm sea season (from October 20 to May 15), there is a sea connection between Koh Lipe and other islands of the Andaman Sea - speed boats, which can take you to Koh Lipe from Phuket, Phi Phi, Koh Lanta, Koh Muk and Kradan. Using such a speedboat, you can move from one island to another, taking turns relaxing on any island you like along the route.
My advice: when buying tickets, choose a transport company that is famous for its new boats, trained staff and punctuality.
Schedule and route of speed boats from Koh Lipe to the islands of the Andaman Sea
Duration of the trip, cost of a ticket for a speedboat to Koh Lipe from other islands with links to the website where you can buy tickets:
- - the journey by speedboat will take about 5 hours and cost 3,400 baht.
- - 4.5 hours, cost - 2600 baht.
- - 3 hours, cost - 1900 baht,
- - 2.5 hours on the road, cost - 1600 baht,
- - 1 hour and 45 minutes travel time, ticket price - 1400 baht,
- - 2 hours travel time, price - 1400 baht.
Speed boat from Koh Lipe to Koh Lanta
If you decide to relax on one of the islands along the speedboat route, here are ready-made links to hotels on each island that will save your time searching for hotels:
- hotels in Ko Phi Phi: booking.com and agoda.com,
- Ko Lanta hotels: booking.com and agoda.com,
- hotels hotels Ko Ngai: booking.com and agoda.com,
- Ko Mook hotels: booking.com or agoda.com,
- hotels Ko Kradan: booking.com or agoda.com,
- Ko Lipe hotels: booking.com or agoda.com.
Pattaya Beach and Bunbhaya Villas 4* hotel on Koh Lipe
How to get to Koh Lipe Island from Bangkok
To get to Koh Lipe from Bangkok, you need to overcome three sections of the route:
- Bangkok - Hat Yai (plane, bus,),
- Hat Yai - port Pak Bara Pier (,),
- port Pak Bara Pier - Lipe Island ().
More details about each stage of the journey from Bangkok to Koh Lipe:
1. First, let's figure out how to get there from Bangkok to Hat Yai and how much are the tickets:
- tickets cost from 855 baht and depend on the class of carriage and the corresponding amenities. The train is a convenient transport option if you want to experience Thai trains and are not in a rush (the journey takes about 15 hours).
- bus from Bangkok to Hat Yai, in which you will have to travel for about 20 hours, I would not recommend (why suffer in a bus seat for 20 hours if there are other more comfortable and faster transport options),
- cheap air tickets from Bangkok to Hat Yai from 750 baht can be found on the Aviasales website and Skyscanner.
2 and 3. From the city Hat Yai to Pak Bara Pier You can get there by minibus or private taxi. From Pak Bara Pier to Koli Lipe there is only one option - a speedboat.
- for 600 - 900 baht per person includes travel minibus from Hat Yai to the pier plus a place in speedboat to Koh Lipe(the journey will take 5.5 hours).
- For families with children, companies of more than 4 people, tourists with large suitcases or those who like an individual approach, the following option is more suitable:
- from Hat Yai to Pak Bara Pier, which costs 2000 baht per car (2 hours on the road),
- , a ticket for which costs 600 baht per person (the journey takes 2 hours).
How to get to Koh Lipe from Krabi and other regions of Thailand
From Krabi or Ao Nang to Koh Lipe you can get:
- by sea:, which promises to get from the pier in the city of Krabi or the Railay Peninsula to Lipe Island in 4.5 hours for 1800 - 2400 baht.
- by land and sea: for (600 baht per person) or
Koh Lipe, Thailand: reviews of independent travel, how to get there, weather, accommodation, beaches
Date of trip: January 2015
Ko Lipe - how to get there?
Koh Lipe is a small Thai island located on the border with Malaysia. That is why a trip to the island of Langkawi is often combined with a holiday in Koh Lipe. There is no airport on the island; it can only be reached by water transport. There is a ferry from Langkawi and back, the journey time is approximately 1 hour 20 minutes. Tickets can be purchased in advance on this website www.bundhayaspeedboat.com.
Departure to Langkawi comes from the capital of the island - the city of Kuah, the port is called Jetty and is located in the city center behind the main attraction - the eagle statue. At the port you go through passport control and your passport is stamped with a stamp indicating you are leaving the country. Upon arrival in Koh Lipe, you will also go through passport control, so be careful, if you are a citizen of a country that requires a visa to Thailand (including a visa on arrival), you will need to apply for it in advance; visas are not issued on Koh Lipe. You will have to sail to Satun, apply for a visa there, after which you can enter the territory of Thailand. The only problem is that there is no connection between Satun and Koh Lipe. Therefore, you will have to think through the route, but in any case there is no convenient route.
Accommodation on Koh Lipe
We went on New Year's holidays, peak dates, so we booked accommodation in advance. But it turned out that there were quite a lot of available housing options, apparently this was due to the economic situation and a large number of cancellations. Therefore, I can’t say for sure whether it’s worth the risk and going to Koh Lipe without a hotel reservation.
In general, there are quite a lot of accommodation options, despite the small size of the island. Price category - from cheap housing to luxurious expensive hotels.
If you want a quiet and relaxing holiday, choose a hotel further from the main street - Walking Street, where all the cafes and bars with music and crowds of vacationers are concentrated. The quietest place on the island is near Sunset Beach.
We lived in exotic bungalows - with a thatched roof, a jungle on the hotel grounds and crazy birdsong every sunrise.
Weather in Koh Lipe in January
January is one of the best months for a holiday on the island. The air temperature is very comfortable, +30 during the day, +22 at night. Rains are rare and mostly short-lived. And the bad weather on Koh Lipe looks very fascinating!
Beaches on Koh Lipe
There are a total of 3 beaches on the island. Beach Pattaya Beach is a port. Tourists arrive here and this is also the departure point. Therefore, there are always a large number of boats on this beach. If you like swimming among boats, this beach might be for you. Although you can find more secluded corners if you step aside.
Sunrise Beach- the largest in length. The beach is beautiful, the water is clear, but before lunch the water goes away, it’s too shallow for swimming, the tide is high in the afternoon. There is not enough shade on the beach; there is nowhere to hide from the scorching sun.
Sunrise Beach
Sunrise Beach
Sunrise Beach
There is a hotel on the right side of the beach; if you walk through its territory, you can get into a small beautiful bay.
Cove at Sunrise Beach
Cove at Sunrise Beach
Sunset Beach
Sunset Beach is the most secluded beach; it is also good because here you can hide from the sun in the shade of trees and go snorkeling.
You can rent snorkel masks right on the beach (on the left side). The corals are mostly dead, but not much fish can be seen. A little further from the shore there are a lot of sea urchins, you need to be careful.
Sunset Beach
Island hopping around Koh Lipe
Here, where they provide snorkeling masks, they offer a one-day trip around Koh Lipe, which includes snorkeling and fishing. Duration from 9 am to 16 pm. Snorkeling is really worth it. For lovers of the underwater world, it's worth a trip. But you don’t need to count on fishing, the only equipment you have is fishing line, and of course, it all depends on luck. We caught 8 small fish and they grilled them for us in the evening. You will also visit Monkey Island with a beautiful beach.
The island of Koh Lipe is amazing; it combines the opportunity for secluded relaxation and noisy parties in colorful bars. Everything about it is cute, if not for one BUT. The only negative impression of the island is that the beautiful beaches are bordered by dirty construction sites, garbage dumps and destroyed buildings that have not been restored for 10 years after the tsunami in 2004. Local residents are not particularly clean and are in no hurry to remove garbage from the island, which, unfortunately, entails many negative consequences. Perhaps now there is still a little time to see all the beauty of the nature surrounding the island, but in 5-10 years this place will no longer be possible for a tourist holiday.
Koh Lipe is the southernmost island of Thailand, a resort that is little known among our tourists. However, on the first day in Koh Lipe we met a lot of Russian speakers. However, the very next day and until the end of our “vacation” we no longer heard our native speech. What is interesting about this island, how does it differ from other islands of Thailand?
Ko Lipe, Thailand
Sea and beaches
The most important thing that now sets Koh Lipe apart from other destinations is that the island has stunning beaches, one might even say, some of the best in Thailand. Better only on . It is for the sake of paradise beaches and the sea that tourists from all over the world come here. Just 20 years ago, the beaches were deserted and semi-wild, but now civilization has reached here. But despite the abundance of tourists and hotels, Lipe beaches are still beautiful. Thanks to the beaches, you can close your eyes to the other shortcomings of the island. We compiled our rating of the best beaches in Ko Lipe, and gave first place to a beach that is not recommended by guidebooks.
- Read:
Hotels on Koh Lipe
- AKIRA Lipe Resort
- Bundhaya Villas
- Lip Sunset Beach Resort
- Harmony Bed & Bakery
- The Reef
All hotels in Ko Lipe
That feeling when swimming in the sea is perfect
If anyone hasn’t seen it in the last article, watch our video review of the best beaches on the island.
Nature
Not to say that Koh Lipe has any particularly outstanding nature, but the views are pleasing to the eye in some corners of the island. For example, when you cross the bridge from Pattaya Beach to the secret beach. Large stones, greenery, clear turquoise water...
My favorite place on Lipe
Sand spit on Karma beach
Atmosphere of relaxation and carefree
The third thing we noticed was the atypical atmosphere for Thailand. With the onset of darkness, everything changes on the beach, music comes from dozens of cozy cafes, fire shows are held, kind, half-drunk people of all nationalities walk along the shore, intoxicated by tropical nature and the sea breeze, there are bright stars in the sky, and glowing plankton can be seen in the waves under your feet.
We came to the beach every evening and enjoyed the moment. Very reminiscent of the evening beaches of Goa. So, if you find yourself in Koh Lipe, be sure to go to Pattaya Beach after 8 pm. Feel the realization that you are at the end of the world, on a tiny tropical island in the open sea, enjoy the warm breeze and bright stars without thinking about anything else.
Here and now
This atmosphere is conveyed very well, you are instantly infected by it and are already wandering along the beach with a slight smile, as if on a high. You smile at the tourists you meet, just like you. I don’t want to think about anything bad, I don’t want to do anything. During our entire time in Ko Lipe, we did not do any work or blog, but simply relaxed; we did not have enough strength for anything else.
Walking Street
The first place everyone comes to when visiting Koh Lipe is Walking Street. The street stretches across the entire island from Pattaya Beach and almost to the opposite Sunrise Beach. On the first day, you may get the wrong impression that the whole island looks like this street - cafes, massage parlors and shops. But that's not true.
Walking Street is the most lively and cheerful street in Koh Lipe, I don’t even know what we would do if this street didn’t exist. All shops and inexpensive cafes are concentrated here. The rest of the restaurants and bars are located on the beach, and we didn’t see any shops in other parts of the island at all. Here you can buy souvenirs and shop a little, order transfers to other regions of Thailand and Malaysia, and also find inexpensive overnight accommodation.
Where can I order a transfer from the airport?
We use the service - KiwiTaxi
We ordered a taxi online and paid by card. We were met at the airport with a sign with our name on it. We were taken to the hotel in a comfortable car. You've already talked about your experience In this article.
What distinguishes Walking Street in Koh Lipe from its counterpart in Pattaya is that there are no prostitutes, lady fights, go-go bars or other debauchery here. I’m sure that you can find entertainment here if you look hard enough or ask one of the locals, but there’s nothing like that in the open.
Welcome to Koh Lipe
Walking Street during the day
Poohs bar Ko Lipe Island
Bar-cinema
Branded T-shirts with Koh Lipe inscription (250 baht)
Negative aspects of Koh Lipe
A large number of boats on all beaches
The island cannot be called paradise. There are no bounty beaches on Ko Lipe. The beaches are good, of course, but not heavenly. There are many boats on all beaches. They create inconvenience with their noise, pollute the water, and also pose a danger if swimming outside fenced areas.
Boat parking at Pattaya Beach
Longtail boats in the lagoon at Karma Beach
Low tides
At lunchtime the tide begins to ebb on all beaches. At low tide it becomes very shallow, and stones appear at the bottom that were previously at depth. On our first day we went snorkeling and were very disappointed. But when they came 2 days later in the morning, they couldn’t believe their eyes, how different everything looked here in the morning. The main thing is to go to the sea in the first half of the day. Low tides begin in the afternoon and swimming at this time will not be so pleasant.
Low tide at Sunrise beach. Knee depth
Evening low tide on Pattaya beach
High housing prices
Housing prices are approximately 2 times higher. The cheapest options are tents at campsites for 500 baht per night. Average rooms in guest rooms with a fan - 1000 baht, average hotels offering rooms with air conditioning and hot water - from 1500 baht. These are the prices for accommodation here during the season from November to March. In the low season, the price tag is lower, but who needs to go to Koh Lipe during the rainy season, when the sea waves are stronger and the sky is cloudy.
Most hotels in Koh Lipe are built in the form of bungalows. There are so many options right on the beach. But if you booked a hotel not on the beach, don’t worry, you can walk to the sea from the center of the island in 5-10 minutes.
Accommodation in Koh Lipe (2000 baht per night)
Bungalow on the beach (7000 baht per night)
Inflated prices for products
Well, as if we understand that this is an island, everything here is imported, but for some reason on other islands of Thailand, such as Koh Lanta, Koh Chang and even Koh Lan, prices are not inflated. And here most products cost exactly 2 times more than on the mainland. Especially at 7-Eleven. But the prices in the cafe do not differ from ordinary tourist restaurants in other Thai resorts.
7-eleven on Walking street Koh Lipe
Motorbikes and tuk-tuks
Their presence and movement along all pedestrian streets is very infuriating. Wherever you go, every minute someone will be driving behind or in front, and you need to move away, dodge, and then breathe in dust and exhaust fumes. It is impossible to move normally along Walking Street during the day; mopeds are constantly driving back and forth. It is especially annoying when a tuk-tuker on a motorcycle with a sidecar is driving along a narrow street, as it takes up the entire width of the street. It’s good that at least from 6 pm they are prohibited from driving Volking and they don’t go to the beach.
I remember that motorcyclists on yet another “paradise” beach in Sri Lanka caused us such irritation before.
Garbage and general filthiness
This circumstance surprised me most on the first day. Koh Lipe is part of Tarutao National Park; everyone pays 200 baht to enter the island. But then why did the locals ruin their island so much? This is a national park, is there really no control at all? The fact that tourists litter, a bull is thrown somewhere or a bottle is left - these are all little things. It is the locals who cause the greatest harm to the island, that is, the Thais and Burmese themselves who live here.
Ko Lipe is no longer the same (c)
Such landscapes are everywhere, you just need to move 20 meters away from Walking Street. You don’t have to go far to see all this garbage, devastation, and abandoned building materials. It’s not tourists who litter the island like this, as you understand, but the Thais themselves. Or the Burmese, for whom this is the norm, but then why don’t the Thais do anything?
I'm loving your NATIONAL PARK
The motto of the residents of Ko Lipe is: where I live, I live there!
Garbage and general filth are the biggest disappointment and culture shock on Koh Lipe. Okay, the crap island of Koh Larn near Pattaya, where the situation is exactly the same, but at least it’s not a national park. I don’t know if any of the tourists paid attention to this, but I have never seen such “national parks” before. The park must maintain and preserve pristine nature as much as possible. I really hope that such horror will never happen in the Similan Islands National Park, although the prerequisites already exist.
Garbage barge on Ko Lipe
And this is how they remove garbage from the island. Well done, of course, for removing it, although not all of it, but why is a garbage barge being placed in the very center of one of the best beaches? And it stands here not for 5 minutes, but for several days until it is full. It is moored exactly 50 meters from the bungalow of the Lipe Power Beach Resort. How great it is for the guests of this hotel to go out onto the porch early in the morning, admiring the sea, and take a deep breath of the fresh garbage smell...