Thailand

January 4 2025

Thailand’s Secret Side: 4 Islands That Feel Like Paradise

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If you’re looking for a cheap paradise destination, look no further. Thailand is by far the most beautiful and paradisiac country I’ve ever visited!

Amazingly enough, it doesn’t come with a huge pricetag.

When it comes to planning that dream trip to Thailand, the hardest part is deciding where to go. There are more than a thousand islands in this tropical country and so many of them look like heaven.

So many of them are worth visiting, but after being in Thailand three times and visiting countless islands, I do think these are the best islands to visit in Thailand.

Koh Lipe

I’ve talked so much about Koh Lipe that sometimes I wonder if people get tired of me raving about it.

It really is one of my favorite places in the entire World, which is why I couldn’t start this list by mentioning any other place.

Koh Lipe is the southermost island in Thailand and for the tiny island that it is, it really has so much to offer. As soon as you get there, you will get the small-island-vibe that everyone falls in love with and I am sure you will want to stay for as long as possible.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE: Read This Before Visiting Koh Lipe

Koh Lipe isn’t the easiest island to reach in Thailand. It’s not located close to Bangkok, Phuket or any other ultra-popular touristic parts of the countries, which means it takes some commitment to get there.

Many people let that stop them from going there, which I think is a mistake.

Places that are slightly difficult to reach are often the most worthy of visiting, which is exactly the case here! Read the blog post above to learn how to get to Koh Lipe and I can guarantee you that you won’t regret going there.

Koh Lipe is so worth the effort to get to

The tiny paradisiac island of Koh Lipe has some of the best beaches I’ve ever seen in my life and it’s not nearly as crowded as I expected.

This paradise island is perfect for backpackers, families with small kids and couples looking for a relaxing vacation away from the overcrowded Phi Phi islands and Phuket areas. Plus, after visiting those iconic places in Thailand, I can guarantee you that Koh Lipe is a million times more beautiful than all of them put together.

🔗 10 Best Things to do in Koh Lipe

If you’re wondering if Koh Lipe is worth visiting, read more about it here. You’ll see why this island made me fall in love with Thailand and why it has to be on your travel bucket list.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE: This Tiny Island You’ve Never Heard of is Better Than the Maldives

Similan Islands

If you want to visit a place that looks exactly like the Seychelles but don‘t wanna break the budget, there’s a magical place that needs to be on your Thailand itinerary.

This place is called Similan Islands and it’s a beatiful archilepago composed by 11 islands, about 70 kms off the Phang Nga Province.

These gorgeous islands have some of the most turquoise waters I’ve ever seen and they became one of my favorite places to visit in Thailand. More than the famous Koh Phi Phi or Koh Samui, the Similan Islands will give you the untouched paradisiac vibe we are all looking for when we travel to tropical locations.

The Similan Islands in Thailand have some of the most turquoise waters I have ever seen

If you want to visit these pristine islands, keep in mind that it’s not possible to stay there overnight. The Similan Islands are not inhabited and there is almost no infrastructure there, because they are located in a Natural Park that the Government is trying to protect.

So the only way to go there is on a day tour from Phuket or Krabi.

I took this day tour and was so happy with it that I still think about going back and repeating it to this day! The staff was amazing, the places we visited for snorkeling were absolutely out of this World and the islands we went to on the Similan Archipelago were places I will never forget in my life.

Book your tour to the Similan Islands here 🛥️

Koh Mak

Even less discovered than Koh Lipe, Koh Mak is the definition of paradise on Earth to me.

This small island near the famous island of Koh Chang is home to only 700 people and the crowds of tourists have somehow not arrived there yet.

I would recommend Koh Mak especially if you want a relaxed vacation as a solo traveler, a couple or a family. The low-key vibe of this island will slow you down as soon as you get to the pier and I can guarantee you that you will feel a peaceful atmosphere like not many other places can offer.

Koh Mak is one of the most peaceful places I ever visited

The island is small but it offers some amazing beaches with coconut trees and powdery white sand that you will definitely fall in love with.

The best beach in Koh Mak is called Ao Kao Beach and you will find the dreamiest place on the whole island right in front of Lazy Day The Resort Koh Mak.

I cannot even guess how many hours I spent floating around that coconut tree, overlooking the paradisiac Ao Kao Beach. And the best part is that, even though I visited during the high season (December), I practically had the beach to myself!

To be honest, I can barely believe this island is not overcrowded with tourists by now.

Koh Mak is one of my favorite islands in Thailand

Koh Kood

Last but not least, the beautiful island of Koh Kood is one of the best places to visit in Thailand.

Especially if you’re looking for an island that is quite easily acessible from Bangkok, Koh Kood is the perfect option for you. The trip takes several hours but the transportation options are great! Click the link below to find out how to get from Bangkok to Koh Kood.

Book your transportation from Bangkok to Koh Kood 🛥️

This pristine island located in the Gulf of Thailand is full of coconut trees and some of the best beaches I have ever seen. But somehow it’s still not crowded with tourists like the famous islands of Phi Phi and the Krabi region.

It’s the perfect option for people looking for undiscovered paradise!

Koh Kood is one of the best islands to visit in Thailand

The paradisiac beaches of Koh Kood are ideal for beach bums like myself, who are more than happy to spend hours splashing around and admiring the tropical settings.

There are so many great beaches on the island, so the difficult part might be to choose which one to go to. Some great options are Bang Bao Beach and Ao Taphao Beach, but my absolute favorite was Khlong Chao Beach.

You’ll find some gorgeous coconut trees reclined by the water, straight in front of the island’s best hotel: High Season Pool Villa & Spa. That’s where I spent most of my time in Koh Kood and I just couldn’t get enough of that turquoise water.

Koh Kood has some of the most gorgeous beaches lined with coconut trees

If you want to fill your days with some action after so much relaxation, Koh Kood has you covered as well.

If you like snorkeling, Koh Kood is the perfect place for it. There are plenty of day tours that will take you to amazing snorkeling spots where you can see all the marine life that the Gulf of Thailand has to offer. This tour even includes a buffet lunch for less than 30€ per person.

If you would like to experience what many people describe as lifechanging, perhaps you would like to give diving a chance while you’re in Koh Kood. Click the links below to find options for beginners or to get a Diving Certificate.

Try Diving in Koh Kood 🐠

Get PADI certified in Koh Kood 🤿

I hope this blog post inspired you to visit Thailand and discover some of these paradisiac islands that truly deserve a visit in the Land of Smiles! Thailand will always be one of my absolute favorite countries and I am sure you will fall in love with it, no matter which of these islands you decide to visit.

Check my Free Thailand Travel Guide to help you plan your next trip to Thailand 👇🏼

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July 18 2024

10 Best Things to do in Koh Lipe

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If you’re visiting the island of Koh Lipe in Thailand, you’re in for a real treat! I spent about a week there on my 8-month trip around the World and I can honesly say it’s one of the best experiences of the whole trip, which is really saying a lot.

Even though Koh Lipe is a very tiny island, there are plenty of things to do while you’re there. Here is a list so you don’t miss out on anything on the Maldives of Thailand 👇🏼

👙 Relax on the island’s best beaches

Koh Lipe has some amazing beaches and no matter which one you go to, you will find paradise! But some of them are best at different times of the day, so let me give you some tips so that you enjoy your relaxing time at the beach to the fullest.

Best beach to relax during the day: Sunrise Beach – This is the beach where I spent most of my days in Koh Lipe and it was pure paradise! There are tree shades, the water is so turquoise and the longtail boats are so gorgeous that I just couldn’t believe the scenery I was seeing.

Most photogenic beach: North Point Beach – Even though Sunrise Beach is a perfect place to spend most of your days in Koh Lipe, I have to admit that North Point Beach might be even more perfect, at least for one reason: it’s even more Instagrammable. From North Point Beach you are able to see the bigger island of Koh Adang and the water at that place is probably the most turquoise I’ve ever seen in my whole life, so take some time for a photoshoot there and you won’t regret it.

Best beach at sunset: Pattaya Beach – There‘s a beach called Sunset beach on Koh Lipe and it‘s beautiful just like everything else on that island, but if you ask me there‘s another place on the island that‘s even better to watch the sunset. It‘s called Pattaya Beach and it‘s the most central and lively beach of Koh Lipe. That‘s the beach all the speedboats and ferries arrive to and depart from but it doesn‘t take away from its charm at all, so take a seat anywhere on that beach and enjoy the afternoon coming to an end in that Thai paradise.

Secret beach corner that feels like heaven: Maricilla Beach – this was my absolute favorite place on Koh Lipe and I was so sad that I only discovered it on my last days there! So learn from my mistake and go there as soon as you arrive. It‘s such a secluded corner with barely any people and there are even hammocks with a view to the cute island of Ko Usen.

A special corner on Koh Lipe: Maricilla Beach

🐠 Enjoy some of the best snorkeling in Thailand

Did you know that Koh Lipe has not only some of the best beaches in Thailand but also some of the best snorkeling spots in the whole country? The water around the island is pristine and crystal clear, plus it’s full of marine life and beautiful coral reefs. In other words, it’s absolutely perfect for snorkeling!

Take one of these snorkeling tours to enjoy an amazing day on the water 👇🏼

Snorkeling trip by longtail boat 🐟

Snorkeling tour with lunch included 🍴

Fishing and snorkeling tour with lunch 🎣

Snorkeling tour with Go Pro camera included 📷 (10% off with my FLIPFLOPS Promo Code)

… Or even some diving 🤿

Besides snorkeling, Koh Lipe is also famous for its amazing diving! The island is located in the Tarutao National Marine Park and there is so much to explore in those waters. With dozens of diving sites and great visibility, the diving there is popular for both experienced divers and people wanting to give it a first try.

If you have no diving experience or license but still wanna tick that item off your bucket list, check out this tour that will allow you to have a Discovery Dive experience in Koh Lipe 👇🏼

Book a Discovery Dive in Koh Lipe 🥽

🧘🏻 Take a Yoga Class

If you want to take relaxing to a whole new level while you are on Koh Lipe, there is probably no better way than to take a Yoga Class with a seaview. Do it at 8 am to start your day in the best way or at 5 pm to finish it off after a whole day enjoying the paradisiac island of Koh Lipe.

Book your Yoga class on Koh Lipe 😌

💆🏼 Take a Thai Massage by the beach

Another thing that you should probably do if you’re looking to have a relaxing vacation in Thailand is to get a Thai massage. They are World-famous and tourists just can’t resist them, especially because they are dirt cheap compared to massages in other countries.

There are several options on the island and you’ll see them by simply walking along the Main Street, but if you wanna enjoy a massage at the beach, you can find some options at Sunrise Beach.

✨ Volunteer to keep the island clean

If you are concerned about our Planet and wanna keep Nature as clean as possible, there is probably no better place to help gather trash than on a tiny island in the Andaman Sea. Koh Lipe was always kept quite clean when I was there and that was great to see, but I do know that it is thanks to the effort of local people and businesses that the island is kept like that. They regularly gather trash that comes to the island brought by the water and that is the only reason why it’s still such a beautiful place.

If you wanna help them keep Koh Lipe the pristine place it is, join Trash Hero Koh Lipe and contribute with some time from your vacation to do a good action that will benefit us all.

😋 Try the local cuisine

It’s no secret that Thai food is amazing and the one you can get on Koh Lipe is no exception! The island is so small but there are no lack of food options for all tastes: from vegetarians to people who dare to eat bugs 👀

The large majority of the island’s restaurants are located on the Main Street and that’s where you can find the most special one. It’s called Madame Yoo Hoo and it has been nicknamed like that for a funny and obvious reason: there’s a super cute old lady always sitting at the door and saying “yoo hoo” to people who pass by, trying to convince them to eat at her restaurant. It’s a low-key place where you can find cheap and delicious local food, so it should definitely be bookmarked on your Google Maps.

TIP: If you like mango, make sure you try some while you are on Koh Lipe. The mangoes in Thailand are considered to be some of the best in the whole World and I can confirm that: I don’t think I ever tasted swetter mangoes in my life 🥭

🏝️ Take a day tour to Koh Adang

Koh Lipe is quite small, so if you feel like taking a day trip to a bigger island where there are more things to explore, Koh Adang is the perfect option.

It’s the island that you can see from North Point Beach and it’s actually much bigger than Koh Lipe but also much more wild – so keep that in consideration if you wanna venture there.

The main things to do there are hiking, seeing waterfalls and admiring the view to Koh Lipe. There are barely any houses or establishments, so make sure you take food and water with you when you go there.

In order to get there, simply negotiate a price with a longtail boat driver and arrange a time for him to pick you up from Koh Adang and take you back to Koh Lipe.

🔥 Watch a fireshow at the beach

Koh Lipe might be a very small and quiet island but when night falls, there is a perfect nightlife vibe for all tastes. Since I don’t drink alcohol and bars aren’t really my favorite places to hang around in, I was happy to see that there were other options to enjoy the evenings in Koh Lipe.

My favorite was to see the fireshows at Pattaya beach every evening. They usually happen in front of the bars and are free for everyone to see, so even if you don’t wanna go to any establishment and take a seat to watch the show, you can simply enjoy it from the beach. What those guys can do with fire is quite impressive and there is no words to describe the exotic vibe of the whole show.

🍹 Enjoy some nightlife at the beach

If you’re more into bars and wanna experience some nightlife while you’re on Koh Lipe, there is a place that should definitely be on your list. It’s called Zodiac Bar and it’s the island’s most famous and trendy place.

Located right by North Point Beach, the scenery of this bar is incredible. You can literally sit on the beach and admire the water while you hang out with your travel mates or meet cool new people who just happened to find that piece of Thai paradise just like you.

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July 18 2024

Read This Before Visiting Koh Lipe

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If you have heard about Koh Lipe and decided to plan a trip to go there, you came to the right place. I’m absolutely obsessed about that island and I’m not even exaggerating when I say it’s literally my favorite place in the whole World.

I spent so much time planning my trip to Koh Lipe, so I know what you’re wondering about and I’m here to share all the information you need to know before you go there. Let’s dig into it!

Best time to visit Koh Lipe

When you‘re planning to visit a place like Koh Lipe, one of your main concerns is going to be the weather. It’s no fun going all the way to a paradiasic place just to have to sit inside the hotel room all day because it’s pouring rain 24/7.

The good news is that Koh Lipe is a tropical island, so there can be plenty of sunshine in between the heavy showers of the rainiest months – meaning one very important thing: you have a chance of getting sunshine there no matter the time of the year.

But you’re obviously much better off if you visit during peak season, when clear skies are much more common than heavy showers and you can enjoy the island in its full spledor. The absolute best months to visit are January and February, making Koh Lipe a perfect winter escape for anyone who needs a break from the cold and dark weather of their home countries.

How to get there

Koh Lipe is a very small island in the Andaman sea and there is no airport there. The only way to get there is by taking a boat and there are several routes connecting the island.

✔️ The best route: From Langkawi, in Malaysia

Langkawi is Malaysia‘s northernmost island and it‘s located just 50 kms away from Koh Lipe. It has an International Airport, so you can easily fly there and then take a 1.5-hour ferry to Koh Lipe.

Find the cheapest flights to Langkawi 🛫

Another important factor that makes this the best route to get to Koh Lipe is the fact that it’s the only ferry route going to Koh Lipe. If you decide to go to Koh Lipe from any other place, you will need to take a speedboat – and that’s not ideal, as I’ll explain later.

I took the ferry from Langkawi to Koh Lipe and it was a fast and easy experience, but please keep in mind that ferries don’t run all year round. They start running in mid-October when the rainy season is coming to an end and that route is usually operational until the end of May.

Get your ferry tickets from Langkawi to Koh Lipe here ⛴️

📅 The route that can take you there all year round: From Pak Bara

If you want to go to Koh Lipe during low season, you will have no other option than travelling from Pak Bara. It‘s located in Satun, about 60 kms away from Koh Lipe, and the speedboat ride takes around 1.5 hours.

It sounds like a short ride but I would‘t advise this option because the speedboat rides to and from Koh Lipe are notoriously bumpy and sometimes even dangerous – several of them have capsized.

I wouldn‘t recommend anyone to get on those speedboats if you have the chance to travel through Langkawi and use the slower (and safer) ferry instead, but for some people it‘s the only option.

In that case, take a flight to Trang or Hat Yai and then a mini bus to Pak Bara pier where you can take the speedboat to Koh Lipe.

Get your minivan tickets from Trang Airport to Pak Bara Pier here 🚐

Or get your minivan tickets from Hat Yai Airport to Pak Bara Pier here 🚐

Get your speedboat tickets from Pak Bara Pier to Koh Lipe here 🚤

🚤 If you’re coming from Koh Lanta, Phi Phi islands or Phuket:

If you want to travel to Koh Lipe from any of those major touristic areas of Thailand, you will have no ferry options all the way to Koh Lipe.

The distance is too long and ferry routes would take too long to get to Koh Lipe, so the only option is speedboats. You do have the option to take ferries for a part of the way, which I explain below, but you can‘t get rid of the speedboat ride to complete the rest of the journey.

Like I mentioned above, I wouldn‘t recommend those speedboats to anyone. I don‘t mean to scare you too much but to be completely honest, taking that speedboat from Koh Lipe to the Phi Phi islands was one of my scariest travel experiences of all times. If I ever visit Koh Lipe again, there‘s no question in my mind that I‘ll take the ferry back to Langkawi and then find the best route from there to where I wanna go.

With that being said, if you really want to take the speedboat from any of those destinations to Koh Lipe, here are your options:

Koh Lanta – Koh Lipe: if you are going from Koh Lanta to Koh Lipe, the only option you have is speedboats. Good luck 🍀

Get your speedboat tickets from Koh Lanta to Koh Lipe 🚤

Phi Phi islands – Koh Lanta – Koh Lipe: by either ferry + speedboat OR 2 speedboats. Even though there‘s information online about a direct speedboat, the information I got from everyone on the island is that there’s no such option, so you will need to change in Koh Lanta. The whole trip takes about 4 hours. If you wanna avoid the speedboats for the stretch where you have a ferry option, you can take a ferry to Koh Lanta (1 hour ride) and then the speedboat to Koh Lipe.

Check for ferries from Phi Phi islands to Koh Lanta ⛴️

And book a speedboat from Koh Lanta to Koh Lipe 🚤

Get your speedboat tickets from the Phi Phi islands to Koh Lipe 🚤

Phuket – Koh Lanta – Koh Lipe: by either ferry + speedboat OR 2 speedboats. There’s no direct connection to Koh Lipe from Phuket either, so if you are coming from there, you will need to transfer in Koh Lanta. The good news is that there are some ferry connections between Phuket and Koh Lanta. They take 4 hours but you can avoid the speedboats at least on that part of the journey. The stretch between Koh Lanta and Koh Lipe can only be done by speedboats though. Check both of these travel options through the links on the right.

Check for ferries from Phuket to Koh Lanta ⛴️

And book a speedboat from Koh Lanta to Koh Lipe 🚤

Get your speedboat tickets from Phuket to Koh Lipe 🚤

I‘m sure you get what I mean now, right?

Getting there really isn‘t the easiest thing ever but if you‘re willing to put up with some planning and long journeys, you will be rewarded by visiting one of the most beautiful places in the World.

Thai Immigration & visas

Koh Lipe is such a tiny island but due to its locating, it’s actually the place where many people enter Thailand. Everyone who is coming in from Langkawi in Malaysia, will have Koh Lipe as their first point of entry in Thailand and will need to clear immigration on the island.

That’s what I did and it was one of the most surreal and fun travel experiences I ever had: it’s probably the one and only time I will clear immigration with my feet on the sand.

If you take the ferry from Langkawi like I did, the staff will take your passport and keep it during the ferry ride. Once you get to Koh Lipe, simply hang out at the beach next to the Immigration and wait for your name to be called up by the staff to give you your passport back and clear immigration.

As for visa requirements, Thailand has just extended their Visa Exemption agreements, so nationals from 93 countries are currently allowed to stay up to 60 days without needing a visa. Check if you are from one of those countries here.

Here are the requirements for the Visa Exemption:

To be a national from one of those 93 countries
To have a valid passport that is valid for at least 6 more months
Pledge to be in Thailand strictly for touristic purposes
Provide proof of accommodation in Thailand
Provide proof of financial means to support yourself during your stay in Thailand (a minimum of 10000 Thai Baht for solo travelers and 20000 for a family)
Have proof of onward travel: a ticket out of Thailand at the end of your stay

There is lots of talk about these entry requirements among travellers and many people are really concerned about how strictly enforced they are.

While I do think you should follow all these requirements and have them ready to show the immigration officer, I do think that most of those requirements are rarely enforced.

I had all of those documents and was only asked for my passport – so my conclusion is: it’s usually an easier process than most people imagine and you shouldn’t stress too much about it.

Koh Lipe’s unique Immigration process

National Park Fee

Koh Lipe is a part of Tarutao Marine National Park and you need to pay a park fee when you get to the island. They will require you to pay that fee after you have cleared immigration and it costs 200 Baht, lasting for 5 days.

Payment can only be made in cash and since many people don’t have Thai Baht with them when they arrive to the island, they did accept cash payments in Malaysian Ringgit as well – it costed 35 MYR in that case.

I was with a friend I met on the ferry and she didn’t have cash in either currencies but the National Park officers allowed her to go to the ATM and come back to pay the fee, so don’t worry about it too much as you’ll surely find a way to pay.

ATMs on Koh Lipe

You will find some outdated information online claiming that there are no ATMs on Koh Lipe but I visited in November of 2023 and there were several.

This one has pretty bad reviews on Google Maps but it’s the one I used and I never had any problems with it.

Tip: all ATMs in Thailand will charge you a 220 Baht fee for any withdrawal, no matter the amount of money you wanna take. So you’re much better off taking out a lot of money at once so you don’t need to constantly make withdrawals and keep paying that annoying fee.

And, if you’re wondering if you really need cash to make payments or if you can pay by card in most places, let me tell you this: you will need cash all the time in Thailand.

Where to stay

Even though Koh Lipe is a small island, there are many accommodation options for all kinds of budgets. Here are some suggestions:

💲 Budget stays:

“The Street” Hostel: clean and stylish, this cheap hostel has really friendly staff and is located just a couple of hundred meters from the beach.
Bloom Cafe & Hostel: really centrally located hostel with great reviews and a nice cafe at the bottom. I made some friends in Koh Lipe who were staying there and they wouldn’t stop raving about this hostel.
The Chic Lipe: a fancier option that still does not cost a lot, perefct for someone who wants to stay at a hostel but doesn’t wanna compromise on style. It’s located slightly outside of the main area, which can be great to get a more quiet and relaxed vibe while still being close to everything thanks to Koh Lipe’s tiny size.

💲💲 Medium budget stays:

Wapi Resort: this is the perfect place if you wanna stay in bungalows straight in front of the water for quite a reasonable price.
Forra Dive Resort Sunrise: if you wanna stay literally at the beach without paying a fortune, this is the perfect option for you. At Forra Dive Resor Sunrise, you can stay at low-key bungalows located 50 meters from the sea. I walked past those bungalows everyday on the way to the beach and they looked so dreamy that I really wished I had decided to stay there.
Lipe Banyan Apartments: this is the perfect option for you if you want to have a sea view without paying too much for accommodation.
Bundhaya Villas Koh Lipe: this 4 star hotel with an amazing pool and beautiful rooms would cost a ton in other parts of the World. Take advantage of Thailand’s low prices and enjoy some luxury for a very reasonable price!

💲💲💲 Luxury stays:

Idyllic Concept Resort: a stylish four star hotel straight in front of the nicest beach in Koh Lipe. Choose their Deluxe Suite with a Seaview for the most gorgeous seaview you have ever seen from a hotel room.
Irene Pool Villa Resort: the most special and luxurious hotel in Koh Lipe. This 5 star hotel is located on the most beautiful stretch of sand of the whole island. All rooms have private pools and some even have pools with an absolutely gorgeous sea view. There cannot be a better hotel to choose if you wanna splurge and make sure that your time in Koh Lipe is truly unforgettable.

I hope this blog post help you plan your trip to Koh Lipe and answered the questions you might have had about the island. It’s not the absolute easiest place to get to and that’s why it requires some research and planning, but I can promise you that it’s totally worth it and you will have the time of your life there!

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July 18 2024

This Tiny Island You’ve Never Heard Of Is Better Than The Maldives

around.the.world.in.flip.flops Asia, Thailand 0

If you have been dreaming of travelling to a paradisiac place but Bora Bora or the Maldives are way out of your budget, you have found the perfect blog post for you.

I’m a budget traveler who loves paradisiac destinations and that’s not always an easy combination. Many of my dream travel destinations would burn through my savings like a wildfire and unfortunately that’s not a valid option for me just yet.

That’s why I’m over the moon when I find places that feel like a piece of paradise, without an outrageous pricetag attached to it. I recently found a place like that and it quickly became my favorite place in the whole entire World – I’m not exaggerating.

Koh Lipe

If you’ve never heard of this tiny island in Thailand, it’s time to add it to you travel bucket list. Koh Lipe is located in the Andaman Sea and it’s the southernmost island in Thailand, which means that it’s actually closer to Malaysia than to most Thai touristic hotspots.

I came to Koh Lipe from Malaysia, because it’s actually the easiest way to get there, and I have no words to describe how much I fell in love with that place instantly.

I’ve been lucky enough to visit many beautiful places around the World but not that many felt like home as soon as I laid eyes on them. Koh Lipe was one of them.

Koh Lipe feels like home to me even though it’s on the other side of the World

This idyllic island in south Thailand can be crossed on foot in only 30 minutes and it has become famous for having no cars.

I did see some small vehicles when I was there but I can confirm: no regular cars or buses will bother you during your vacation in Koh Lipe, since the traffic on the island is basically composed of small motorbike taxis carrying tourists‘ luggage from the beach to their hotels and back.

It was a truly blissful experience to be able to arrive on this island and completely forget about any transportation planning to get around for a week: literally everything can be done on foot there.

Koh Lipe basically has no other traffic other than motorbike taxis

Are you wondering if Koh Lipe really is worth all the hype? Let me tell you why it most definitely is and explain why I even started this blog post with a title claiming it’s better than the Maldives 👇🏼

🌊 Koh Lipe has the most turquoise water I’ve seen after visiting more than 40 countries

As I’ve mentioned before, I love paradisiac places. On top of that, I’m Portuguese, so let’s just say I’ve been spoiled with amazing beaches all my life and that has left me with pretty impossible standards to meet.

I’ve visited several hyped beach destinations that left me disappointed but let me tell you: Koh Lipe was not one of them.

This tiny island was like a hidden pearl I found in the Andaman Sea and it‘s by far the most paradisiac place I‘ve ever visited – even after travelling around the Caribbean and going to the Maldives.

The color of the water in Koh Lipe was something beyond belief. I had simply never seen turquoise water like that before in my whole life: it looked like an Instagram filter.

The water in Koh Lipe is the most turquoise I’ve ever seen

💰 It’s cheap

If you are convinced that you need to either be rich or spend your life’s savings in order to visit paradise on Earth, think again.

Thailand is known for being a cheap travel destination where you can get so much more for your money than you would elsewhere, and the island of Koh Lipe is no exception. It is by no means the cheapest place in Thailand, because it’s an island and island prices are always slightly higher, but it’s still cheap.

I stayed in Koh Lipe for about a week and spent less than 30€ per day.

I managed to keep costs that low because I stayed at a hostel, which costed me 10€ a night, and didn‘t go to any of the fancy restaurants on the island. If you want to stay in a more luxurious accommodation and eat at touristic places, you will obvioulsy spend more money. But even if that case, it will still be way cheaper than other paradisiac destinations.

Click here to book this cheap hostel in Koh Lipe 🏝️

“The Street” – my hostel in Koh Lipe which costed me 10€ per night

🌅 The night vibe and the sunsets are amazing

One of the things I loved the most about my time in Koh Lipe was the night vibe of the island. I don’t drink alcohol, so party places aren’t for me, which is why this laid back island in Thailand felt like the perfect fit for me.

If you want to go to bars, there are also options for you there: there are some cool bars on the main walking street and even at the beach. But in my opinion, the best thing to do at night in Koh Lipe is to simply find a quiet spot at the beach, watch the sunset and then head to the fire show that happens at Pattaya Beach every night.

📢 TIP: in my opinion, it’s best to stick to that side of the island during the night. The other side of Koh Lipe has amazing beaches that you should definitely visit during the day but they get quite windy at night and the tide becomes really high in some places.

Magical evenings in Koh Lipe

🇹🇭 Thai people and their culture will make your trip to Koh Lipe unforgettable

If you have ever visited Thailand, you know how welcoming Thai people are. I don‘t think I‘ve visited many other countries where I felt as safe and welcome as in Thailand and that‘s 100% thanks to all the friendly locals I met wherever I went in that amazing country.

Koh Lipe was no exception. If anything, the people living there are even nicer than in other places I visited in Thailand – maybe because they live in paradise or because they are isolated from most of the World‘s problems. I don‘t know exactly what it is, but the island vibe is so strong on those people.

When you‘re walking along the main street, you will meet the famous Madame Yoo hoo (a super cute lady who owns this restaurant and sits at the front saying “yoo hoo” to anyone who passes by) and a man singing “coconut cake, 10 bath” to attract people to his stall.

Further down, you‘ll see two cats who are always sleeping on top of a tourism stall selling snorkeling tours – they might be the cutest of all the habitants on that island!

That‘s just daily life on the island and it‘s amazing every single day, but sometimes Koh Lipe comes to life even more and the Thai culture will leave you with memories for a lifetime. That‘s what happened to me when I luckily refused to leave the island on the day I had planned to go to Koh Lanta and decided to stay some extra days instead. I really hit jackpot on that one: that was the exact night when the Full Moon Party was happening.

Seeing the people of Koh Lipe gather to release flower arrangements in the sea was the first time I truly experienced the Thai culture and it made me fall in love with that country forever.

My stay in Koh Lipe made me fall in love with Thailand

If you‘ve made it this far, I hope I convinced you to add Koh Lipe to your travel bucket list!

It‘s not the easiest place to get to but I‘m convinced that that‘s exactly what keeps Koh Lipe as somewhat of a hidden gem, even though it‘s such a paradisiac place.

Are you looking for more inspiration on the best places to visit in Thailand? Check my Free Thailand Travel Guides 👇🏼

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