In the far south of Thailand (only about 30 km from the Malaysian island of Langkawi) is the island Koh Lipe. The island is located about 60 km from the mainland and belongs to the province of Satun, which is directly adjacent to Malaysia in the south. Although the island is located in the Tarutao National Park, it does not belong to this park. The Chao Leh sea nomads (formerly Malay settlers) settled in the islands of today's national park at the beginning of the 19th century. In 1974, the Thai government eventually provided the sea nomads with land on Koh Lipe. But they had to leave the surrounding islands. Since then, all islands of the Adang archipelago - except for Koh Lipe - are subject to the National Park Administration. Because Koh Lipe is located outside the park, it is also possible to build accommodation for tourists here. Since the end of the nineties, tourism on the island has continued to develop steadily and rapidly. Meanwhile, there are some larger hotel complexes and partially paved roads. Unfortunately, with increasing tourism and increasing pollution of the island has begun. In some places there are accumulations of all kinds of filth. Any waste is removed from the island by means of a supply ship. Also on Koh Lipe more and more hotels and resorts are built and there are quite a few places where hammering and drilling is going on.

There are 3 ATMs on the island: near Walking Street on 7/11, across from Pooh's Restaurant at the end of Walking Street and a third in front of Harmony Bakery, Bed & Breakfast. Currency exchange is u.a. offered at the Bundhaya Resort, however, the exchange rate is significantly lower than at a currency exchange / bank.

Although Koh Lipe is outside the National Park, a 200 THB entrance fee to the park plus a service charge of 20 THB is required. From Koh Lipe you can reach many of the smaller islands of the park. The island is a kind of "pivotal point" to continue on the islands of the Tarutao National Park.

The island is especially interesting for divers and snorkeling. The offshore reefs are largely intact and were relatively spared by the tsunami in 2004. However, it is also to be noted here, the more tourism takes place on such small islands, the more endangered are the reefs.

The Pattaya Beach is the most famous beach on the island and "Landing Point" at the same time. At some distance to the beach, the ferries arrive. The speed boats go to the beach. Visitors arriving by ferry will be picked up by long-trains as the larger boats can not reach the beach. Optionally, the longtails then drive to Pattaya Beach - or to other beaches. If you have pre-booked a room, you will be picked up at Pattaya Beach by a motorbike taxi. Here are also most of the accommodations and restaurants. Electricity is available throughout the day at the larger resorts.

At the Sunset Beach in the west of the island there are various small bars, bungalows (simple wooden huts) and also camping possibilities (tent rental). At this small beach the sunset can be observed.

Sunrise Beach is located in the east of the island. There are some small bungalow resorts here. In the neighborhood there is also the village of Chao Leh Sea Gypsies. In the off season from mid-May to late October, boats and ferries arrive here. Also located here is a small walking street with some good hostels.

We chose The Noi Familiy House near Sunrise Beach (150 meters away). The bungalows were built in late 2017 and are very large and comfortably furnished. The rooms are very stylish and modern: all rooms are equipped with air conditioning, refrigerator, safe and flat screen TV. In the bathroom is shampoo and shower and various toiletries available. Also a hair dryer is available. The welcome from the owner was very cordial. The room can sleep 3 people. The location of the area is quiet - but still very central. Walking Street is within walking distance. We enjoyed the stay there very much. For breakfast there was a special card where you could choose from different breakfast sets. We tried several different dishes and loved the quality of the food. The property has a motorbike taxi. With advance booking you will be picked up at the beach. We look forward to our next visit!

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Koh Lipe does not have its own airport. The nearest Thai airport is located in Hat Yai (100 km from Satun). Hat Yai is an international airport, but you can only travel from Germany via the metropolitan airport in Bangkok. Another nearby airport is Trang (142 km from Satun). Due to its location in the Andaman Sea, Koh Lipe can also be easily reached from Phuket, Krabi and Koh Lanta by a passenger ferry or speedboat. By car (minivan / own car / rental car) you can drive to Satun (Bangkok - Satun approx. 980 km) and from there take a ferry to Koh Lipe. From Trang airport there are also very good transfer options: Here you continue to Hat Yao Pier in the direction of Koh Lipe. There is also a train service from Bangkok to Hat Yai. From Hat Yai to Satun, there are about 100 km, which can either be driven by bus or taxi. Koh Lipe is about 60 km from the mainland.

Koh Lipe can also be reached from Langkawi (Malaysia). Langkawi has an airport and is less than 50 km away.

Transfer from Satun / Pak Bara Pier:
At Pak Bara Pier there are many different speedboat operators. Parking is available in front of the pier, parker from 10 THB for a short time, long term parker guards from 100 THB per day!

Speedboat from Bundhaya Travel (about 600 - 650 THB per person). At 11:30 am there are 2 boats all year round, only during the high season (around November to May) there are additional boats at 13.30, 14.30, 15.00 and 15.30

Speedboat from Adang Sea Tours (about 600 - 650 THB per person). Boats only during the high season (around November to May) at 11.30, 12.30 and 14.30. Adang Sea Tours makes a stopover on either Koh Tarutao or Koh Bulone.

Speedboat from Forra Speedboats (about 600 - 650 THB per person). Boats only during the high season (around November to May) at 11.30am and 1.30pm with a stopover on Koh Tarutao.

From Trang to Koh Lipe:
From Trang (Hat Yao Pier) there are direct boat connections with the Tigerline Ferry. The boat departs daily at 13.00 and arrives at 15.00 on Koh Lipe. The ticket costs 1,150 THB per person

Transfer from Krabi (Airport / Krabi Town / Ao Nang) to Koh Lipe:

1. Landing from Ao Nang with the Ao Nang Jolly Travel Office Minibus to Satun at Pak Bara Pier. Travel time by minibus daily from 6:00 to 9:30. The fare is about 500 THB. With the speedboat from Bundhaya Travel we continue to Koh Lipe (about 600 - 650 THB per person). At 11:30 am, there are 2 boats all year round, at 13:30, 14:30, 15:00 and 15:30, boats only operate during the high season (around November to May)
2. Landing from Krabi Town with the Ao Nang Jolly Travel Office Minibus to Satun at Pak Bara Pier. Travel time by minibus daily from 6.30am to 10am. The fare is about 500 THB. With the speedboat from Bundhaya Travel we continue to Koh Lipe (about 600 - 650 THB per person). At 11:30 am, there are 2 boats all year round, at 13:30, 14:30, 15:00 and 15:30, boats only operate during the high season (around November to May)

Transfer from Krabi (Airport / Krabi Town / Ao Nang) via Koh Lanta to Koh Lipe:
From Koh Lanta there are direct boat connections to Koh Lipe. Krabi Airport is located approximately 8 km northeast of the center of the provincial capital Krabi. The most convenient option for tourists is the taxi / minivan to get from Krabi or Krabi Town airport to Koh Lanta. The taxi fare from Krabi Airport (private taxi including ferry tickets) is around 1,200 THB. The minivan costs about 380 THB per person from Krabi.

1. From the Nopparat Thara Pier in Ao Nang, a boat (Ao Nang Princess) runs once a day to the Saladan pier on Koh Lanta (departure 10.30, arrival 12.45, per person about 500 THB). From Saladan Pier we continue to Koh Lipe. There are 2 daily Tigerline Ferry boats to Koh Lipe at 10:30 am and 1 boat from Satun Pakbara boat club also at 10:30 am. The tickets cost just under 2,000 THB and depending on the boat, the journey time is from 2.5 hours.
2. The Pier in Krabi Town is called Klong Jilad Pier (Departure: 11.30am, duration approx 2hrs, Address: Tha-Ruea, Klong Jilad Road, Tambon Saithai, Muang, Krabi, 81000, This boat also stops on Koh Jum / Pu, Price about 450 THB). From Saladan Pier we continue to Koh Lipe. There are 2 daily Tigerline Ferry boats to Koh Lipe at 10:30 am and 1 boat from Satun Pakbara boat club also at 10:30 am.
3. Also in Krabi Town there is the Kongka Pier (Departure: 11:00 am, Arrival at approximately 1:00 pm, Address: Pak Nam, Mueang Krabi District, Krabi Thailand, This boat also stops on Koh Jum / Pu, price about 450 THB) , From Saladan Pier we continue to Koh Lipe. There are 2 daily Tigerline Ferry boats to Koh Lipe at 10:30 am and 1 boat from Satun Pakbara boat club also at 10:30 am.

Transfer from Phuket to Koh Lipe:
From Phuket Airport it goes directly by minibus or private taxi in the direction of Satun. The price is around 6,800 THB per person. From Phuket Bus Terminal (Thepkassatri Road - near Mission Hospital) there are 2 daily buses to Satun at Pak Bara Pier. The journey takes about 6-7 hours. The ticket costs about 300-500 THB per person. From Phuket Airport you can also take the airport bus to the bus terminal (100 THB per ticket). From there take the public bus (No. 734) to Satun (500 THB per person)

At the airports (Krabi or Phuket) you can also rent a car. Here are several lenders to choose from. In addition to the common lenders AVIS and Europcar, Thailand's largest lender is Thai Rent a Car. Depending on the season, the prices vary greatly and often smaller vehicles are fully booked in the main season. The best way to book the car already in Germany. From Highway 4 and Highway 4204 (Hua Hin train), the car ferry (Hua Hin Ferry) to Koh Lanta can be reached. Here, the journey takes about 4 hours, depending on the traffic. The Songserm ferry operates between 7am and 10pm.

Arrival from Bangkok:

• Arriving from Bangkok by plane is possible to Krabi, Phuket, Trang or Hat Yai. The companies Bangkok Airways and other local airlines (PB Air, Thai AirAsia, NokAir, Thai Airways and others) serve these routes. From the airport you can take the taxi or mini bus + ferry to Koh Lipe.
• From Southern Bus Terminal in Bangkok there are daily buses going to Satun. The fare is between 760 and 900 baht. Depending on traffic, the journey takes between 12 and 14 hours to Satun. Due to the air conditioning it gets pretty cold in the buses. It is best to take a warm sweater or jacket with you for the ride. There are 2 different buses at the Southern Bus Terminal in Bangkok:

1. Aircon buses (blue, No. 988 - 3 / express bus) with approx. 40 seats (760 THB = approx. 19.- EUR)
2. VIP buses (inscription "VIP Bus 998" / Sri Suthep Tour) with approx. 60 seats (900 THB = approx. 25.- EUR)

Arrival from Koh Samui / Koh Phangan / Koh Tao:
Here it is advisable to book a ticket in one of the small travel agencies that are found everywhere in the tourist centers. The travel price includes a pick-up service directly from the hotel. The mini bus continues to the pier and from there by boat / ferry to Surat Thani. From Surat Thani we continue by bus to Satun and from there by boat to Koh Lipe. Opt to take the ferry to Hat Yai and from there to Satun and Koh Lipe. The journey takes between 12 and 15 hours.

Arrival from mainland Tailand (for example Khao Lak, Takua Pa, Ranong):
Again, you can book the pick-up service directly from the hotel again. With the mini bus it goes on to the respective bus station and from there with a larger bus to the "Bus Station" in Phuket Town or Phuket Airport or Krabi and from there further in direction Satun and with the boat further to Koh Lipe. The trip, however, takes between 13 and 15 hours.

Arrival from mainland Tailand (for example Pattaya, Hua Hin):
From here it is best to book a plane ticket to Krabi or Phuket (via Bangkok). Again, you can book a pick-up service directly from the hotel. With the mini bus it goes on to the respective bus station and from there with a larger bus up to the "bus station" in Don Muang Airport in Bangkok and from there further in the direction of Satun. The bus ride from Bangkok to Satun takes about 13 hours!

The bus routes between Phuket - Krabi and Phuket - Khao Lak are served by public buses. Here the fare is much cheaper, but is stopped at many stops.

Generally applies to all boat connections that time information is without guarantee. We waited for the boat about 50 minutes! Smaller islands are often approached only in the main season (November - May), since the sea can have high waves, especially in the rainy season. From the Pak Bara Pier in Satun there is a year-round speedboat connection. Even during the main season, individual connections may u.U. due to weather conditions.

As far as the choice of speed boat, ferry or longtail boat is concerned, everyone has to make that decision themselves. Most of the time difference is small. We prefer the ferries or longtail option, as the crossings are much quieter and more comfortable. Also, much less gas is consumed, clearly a plus for our environment. And by the way, the trips in the long tail / ferry on average are a bit more than half cheaper!

Around the island and in the adjacent national park there are some reefs. The region is especially interesting for diving and snorkeling. On Koh Lipe there are several dive centers. Canoes can also be rented on the beaches. Also a sailing school is represented on the island.

On the island is the village of Chao Leh Sea Gypsies. There are still some families who traditionally live from fishing.

There is also a small walking street near Pattaya Beach. There are a few small shops offering clothing, snorkelling supplies and souvenirs.

Boat trips can be made to the nearby islands. Trips to Koh Rawi or Koh Adang cost including snorkeling equipment about 800-1000 THB

The Pattaya Beach is the most famous beach on the island and "Landing Point" at the same time. At some distance to the beach, the ferries and speedboats arrive. The visitors are then picked up with longtails and taken to Pattaya Beach. Here are also most of the accommodations and restaurants.

On Sunset Beach in the west of the island there are various small bars and camping possibilities (tent rental). At this small beach the sunset can be observed. The end of the beach is rocky. From here you can look at Koh Adang.

Bila Beach is located on the northwest coast of the island.

Also in the northwest is the Sanom Beach. Here is a small hill (at the Sanom Beach Lupe Resort), from which one has a beautiful panoramic view of the Pattaya Beach.

Sunrise Beach is located in the east of the island. Here is also the village of Chao Leh Sea Gypsies. In the off season from mid-May to late October, boats and ferries arrive here.