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Info & Rooms

Koh Lipe is located 60 km from the Thai Mainland, the closest pier is in Pak Bara. It is the most Southern island in Thailand and on a clear day you can see Langkawi Island in Malaysia, which is just 30 km away.

The island is part of the Adang Archipelago, a cluster of about 10 uninhabited islands (Koh Lipe being the exception). Day trips to the surrounding islands are popular and highly recommended as they are the best way to explore the marine park.

This cluster of islands is part of the much larger Tarutao National Marine Park, a nature reserve established in 1974 as Thailand’s second National Park. It consists of about 50 islands and covers 1500 km².

Accommodation Options

Lipe has a range of accommodation options from simple bamboo huts to high end luxury resorts. They range in price from several hundred baht a night to several thousands of baht a night. There are a few apartments with kitchens also if you’re looking to stay for longer.

You can expect to pay higher rates for any goods or services in Ko Lipe than on the mainland. This is due to the very high costs associated with running any business here, electricity, water & shipping rates that Lipe businesses are subjected to.

As there is no government supplied electricity businesses pay 9 times the mainland rate. It’s a similar situation for any shipping of goods and materials to the island. As there is no pier & only private shipping companies then these costs are considerably higher also. So, if you’re travelling on a budget then staying in a fan room & eating in local thai restaurants will be far more budget friendly.

If you would like recommendations on where to stay that’s nearby then I can recommend several options.

The Nest hostel, the Street Hostel & The Chic hostel.

The Koh Lipe Homestay & The Varin beach bungalows for budget rooms.

The Bayview resort & the Wapi Resort for mid range rooms.

The Mali Sunrise, Idyllic Concept Resort, Serendipity & Akira for more high end options with pools.

Koh lipe also offers a great variety of restaurants offering a range of local & international cuisines. From basic Thai street food to a range of Italian & Spanish, Swiss & American style restaurants. There are several vegan & vegetarian restaurants, also charming cafe’s, a gelateria & a range of bars to suit all tastes.

Getting here

The main transport hub for Koh Lipe is Pak Bara with daily boats running all year. Minibuses and taxi’s are available to the closest airport in Hat Yai, or to other destinations in the south like Krabi and Ao Nang.

You will need to pay a 200 baht marine park “entrance fee” and a 20baht “pier fee” directly at the pier in Pak Bara before checking in for your speedboat. Make sure to keep this Marine park ticket because if you decide to book a snorkelling trip during your stay then the park rangers will ask to see it. If you lose it they will charge you for a new one.

There is also a 200 baht marine park “diving fee” which is only required if you choose to book a diving trip during your stay. This is paid at the dive center before you go diving and the money goes to maintaining and preserving the marine park.

In high season daily boats connect Koh Lipe to Langkawi, Koh Lanta, Koh Phi Phi, Phuket and other islands in the Andaman Sea.

Getting around

Koh Lipe is a small and relatively flat island, it’s name means “Paper Island” in the local Sea Gypsy (Chao Ley) language.

There are 3 main beaches on Koh Lipe and a handful of smaller beaches. Koh Lipe’s main street is called “Walking Street” as traffic is not allowed on it between 18:00pm until 24:00pm in the high season.

As Lipe is very developed now there is a network of concrete roads, connecting the island. It usually takes about 10 to 15 minutes to walk between the two main beaches of Pattaya and Sunrise.

Lipe is extremely safe & at night time most roads are well lit by streetlights. That said, it’s a good idea to take a flashlight if you are going off the beaten track.

Since 2013 there are official motorbike taxi’s (with a sidecar) that can take a couple of people for a fixed price of 50 baht per person. Sometimes more if you have excessive luggage. You can spot the taxi drivers by their distinctive red vests with their number listed on the back.

When to go?

Koh Lipe has seen a large increase in visitors in the last decade and has now developed into a year round destination. The island can be reached all year from Pak Bara port. In the high season boats also connect to Langkawi, Koh Lanta, Koh Phi Phi, Phuket and several smaller islands in the Andaman Sea.

Weekends tend to be more busy throughout the year on Koh Lipe as Thai and Malaysian tourists flock to the island for weekend breaks. Transport and hotel reservations are highly recommended on friday, saturday and sunday, especially when there is a national holiday.

High season is from November until early May: reservations for transport and hotels are recommended.

Peak season is from around 15 December until the end of February: most rooms and transport tickets are fully booked months in advance and arriving on Koh Lipe without a reservation can be a very stressful experience. One best avoided.

Low season, or green season as it is locally known, is from May to October. There are a lot less tourists and it is easy to find a quiet spot on any of the beaches. Although the island is now open all year with 2 boats running to and from Pak Bara every day, some of the hotels and other businesses (mainly on Pattaya beach) still choose to close for a few months. This is because Pattaya beach is the protected beach (in the high season) but the wind changes direction (in the low season) and Sunrise beach. Therefore Sunrise is the more vibrant beach in the low season due to the wind change and if you’re travelling here then the speedboats will drop you off on that side. In the high season they drop everyone on Pattaya beach.

Green season is a great time to come as the rain falls mainly in the night and in the early morning hours. The days tend to be dry with cloudy sun. It’s a great time to come if you enjoy quiet time on the beach and you can get really great hotel deals during this time also. You can also get 1 nights free accommodation in a fan room when booking any one day diving trip (2 dives) with Keirita’s yoga & diving during this time.

Yoga and scuba diving or yoga and snorkelling packages can also be arranged. As all our packages are bespoke then just us know what kind of diving or snorkeling experience you’re interested in and we will gladly put together a customized package for you.

You can choose up to 2 yoga classes and 2 dives per day and if you need help with accommodation and transfers then we can include this in your package also. Just let us know your tentative dates and approximately how many yoga classes and dives you would like to include during your stay.

  • ‘we had an amazing time!’

    I just want you to know one thing, we had an amazing time! Keira is one of a kind. We have all very much enjoyed yoga with Keira, who is a sensitive and relaxed teacher.

    Liat Tal
    Israel, January 2017
  • ‘I had an amazing week’

    I would recommend Keira without a doubt, she is such a lovely teacher. I had an amazing week and the yoga was fantastic.

    Tara Pridgeon
    UK, February 2010
Read our customer reviews and see photos of our Yoga and diving retreats.

Keirita’s Yoga Phi Phi

Tripadvisor reviews and Facebook page for Keritias Yoga Koh Phi Phi

(keiritas yoga phi phi has now moved)

Keirita’s Yoga Koh Lipe

Tripadvisor reviews and facebook page for Keritias Yoga Koh

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