Koh Lipe is a beautiful small island in the Satun Province in Thailand. It is a part of the Tarutao National Marine Park in the Southern Adang-Rawi archipelago of the Andaman Sea. It is also near the borders between Thailand and Malaysia. There are three major islands in Koh Lipe – Pattaya Beach, Sunrise Beach, and Sunset Beach.

Going to Koh Lipe and Walking Street

I was in Langkawi in Kedah, Malaysia where I took a speedboat going to Koh Lipe, Thailand from Kuah Jetty, a port in Langkawi. The boat leaves at 9 AM and after a one and a half hour, I was in Koh Lipe. The passengers were transferred to a long tail boat to get to the shores of Pattaya Beach near the Bundaya Beach Resort (Reminder, this is another Pattaya Beach, not the one near Bangkok).  There is an immigration office in Koh Lipe, and after my passport was stamped with the arrival to Thailand, I went to Seaside Resort. The resort was in the middle of Pattaya Beach. While walking in the sands, I saw Walking Street. After checking in, I explored the Walking Street.  The Walking Street is the main street, where you have access to all  – money changer, grocery stores, 7-11 shop, shopping stores, massage parlors, hotels, hostels, restaurants, and a small hospital. There are street food stalls available along the small road. There are no cars or taxis on the small island so I traveled barefooted which is the best way to enjoy the island.  Motorbikes taxi with a sidecar is seen in Walking Street and a Taxi Boat station on the beach if you want to transfer to the different area on the island which cost 50 baht.

Sunrise Beach

After exploring my first day in Walking Street and resting in the beachfront of the Seaside Resort, I went to see the Sunrise Beach. I went to Pooh Restaurant to have brunch which was along Walking Street. As I walked towards the end of Walking Street, I was directed to a privately owned resort called Varin Village to get to Sunrise Beach. The sandbar of the Sunrise beach was long so I decided to go to the left side of the island. I was enjoying the view of the beach and the different resorts. I reached the end of Sunrise beach where Kathalee Beach Resort and Spa was located. I remained there for a while and enjoyed the rock formation in front of the resort. I walked back again going to Varin Village but I decided to stay at Sea La Vie Beach Bar. I stayed at the bar for almost two hours, drinking watermelon shakes, listening to trans music and loving the view in front of me. I walked again going to the right side of the island.   At the far end of Sunrise beach is the widest sandbar which is in front of the Mountain Resort. Most of the tourists lay down on the sand enjoying the scorching sun and the water. In front of the sandbar is a mountain called Koh Adang. Sunrise Beach is more private than Pattaya Beach. The resorts are from the whole stretch of 1.5 kilometers. It is less crowded and you will enjoy the turquoise water and pristine white sands.

Sunset Beach

After enjoying half of the day at Sunrise Beach, I went back to the resort and rested for a while before going to Sunset Beach. I checked the time for the sunset and started to walk to the beach an hour before the time. From Seaside Resort, I walked to the right of the Pattaya Beach and entered the walkway of the Bella Vista, a privately owned resort towards the main street going to Sunset Beach. From the main road, I turned left and there was a hillside. After seeing The Hut and Raya resort, there was an arrow pointing to a small walkway going down the sandbar of the Sunset Beach. Going down, the first resort on the beach is the Sawan Resort. Like the other tourist who loves chasing sunset, I sat and waited until the sunset. It was a little cloudy that day but the view of the sunset was still amazing. Sunset beach has the shortest sandbar and has rocky beach front. The mountain of Koh Adang is also one of the attractions near the rock formation at the corner of the beach. On my third morning, I enjoyed my time where I was staying. Seaside Resort doesn’t have a restaurant. It has a Thai massage bungalow at the front beach. The neighboring resort, Family Song Bungalow has a restaurant. It is where I eat breakfast. Seaside accommodation is an air-conditioned bungalow with a veranda and a hammock outside. At the beachfront are beach chairs where most of the tourist enjoy the laid back life – getting tanned, resting, soothing the fresh air, swimming, playing sports, listening to music, having an outdoor massage, drinking and eating, and enjoying the view and the companion. In the afternoon, I went back to Sunrise Beach and enjoyed another 2 hours at Sea la Vie Beach Bar. It was my favorite spot. I went back to Walking Street where I found a massage parlor called Tonsai Massage for an authentic Thai massage.  After the massage, I went to the Thai Lady Pancake restaurant and ordered Thai dishes. In the evening I enjoyed the breeze as I sat at the beachfront of Seaside Resort. Pattaya Beach is the busiest beach from the three beaches. The nightlife in Pattaya Beach is set in front of the resorts and restaurants and bar gets crowded until 2 AM.   On my last day, I went to Harmony Cafe in front of Bundaya Beach Resort while I waited for the speedboat to arrive going back to Langkawi. I love Koh Lipe. I will never forget Koh Lipe, Thailand.