Picture by flydimePattaya Beach
"About 20 years ago, whispers of an idyllic island far out in South Thailand's Andaman Sea began to surface within the international traveller community", remembers travelfish.org. Today this small island in the Andaman Sea with its white beaches is a touristic hotspot with nearly 50 resorts for different budgets and can be very crowded during the peak season (December to February). There are three main beaches: Pattaya Beach, Sunrise Beach and Sunset Beach. A one km long walking street connects Pattaya Beach with Sunrise Beach (read Koh Lipe Walking Street) and see video by dreadnallen.
A lot of tourists leave a lot of waste - but not all the resorts are treating the waste in a proper way. According to travelfish.org there are environmentally conscious resorts like Pooh's, Castaway, Serendipity, Greenview and Jack's Jungle. Others still bury or burn their waste. Also the well water has suffered from the development and is not clean enough any more, as you can read on kohlipe.net. Follow discussions about Ko Lipe in the forum of welovekohlipe.com.
Kop Lipe is part of the Adang Archipelago and Tarutao National Marine Park ไม่ว่าจะอุทยานแห่งชาติทางทะเลหมู่เกาะตะรุเตา, that consists of 51 islands in the Southern part of the Andaman Sea. Wet season starts at the end of May when the monsoon brings plenty of rain and rough seas. Dry season starts early November.
There is no ATM on Ko Lipe, but you can get cash advance in some of the big resorts (Bundhaya Resort) and in the shop of kohlipethailand.com.
Ko Lipe was first the home of sea gipsies, who settled here, called Chao Leh or Urak Lawoi. Their story is treated in a book by Supin Wongbusarakum, which can be downloaded here. They have their own language, a dialect of Malay. Urak means "people", lawoi means "of the sea". Their houses are built on stilts, the roofs are constructed with nipa palms, the walls with woven split bamboo. They live from fishing and are very good divers. Tourism has become the next most important source of income. In 1984 the family of the village headman opened the first resort.
Pattaya Beach หาดพัทยา
The main beach, where the guests arrive from the ferries. Good snorkeling right from the beach. Popular by younger guests, lively.
Bundhaya Resort บันดาหยา รีสอร์ท: From 1200 Bath. Good reviews on tripadvisor.com and this: Try a room closer to the beach because in the back of the resort is a noisy generator.
Picture by Bundhaja ResortBlue Tribes Resort: From 600 Bath. "One of Lipe’s best mid-range resorts" with a comfortable relaxation area, comments andamanadventures.com. The two-floor Seafront Tree-House has a great view from the upper room. See video by chaolehfilm
Picture by Blue Tribes ResortDaya Resort: From 800 Bath. Basic bungalows. Don't expect TV! "This resort has some lovely-looking beachfront bungalows on offer, whose excellent Pattaya beach location doesn't however make up for their shabby interiors", comments andamanadventures.com
Picture by 247siam.comDee Zee Resort: Huts. See picture by rea-neill
Greenview Resort กรีนวิวบีชรีสอร์ท: From 800 Bath. Bamboo Bungalows with attached bathrooms with good reviews on tripadvisor.com
Picture by Greenview Resort
Picture by Greenview ResortLipe Resort หลีเป๊ะรีสอร์ท: From 1400 Bath. Critical reviews on tripadvisor.com
Moonlight Bungalows: Bungalows hidden behind a concrete shophouse. The spa on the first floor got a positive comment by neillbarker. Mixed reviews on tripadvisor.com
Pink Resort: "In a grotty state" according to andamanadventures.com
Sita Beach Resort & Spa สิตา บีช รีสอร์ท แอนด์ สปา: From 5200 Bath. Two swimming pools. Very good reviews on tripadvisor.com
Picture by Sita Beach ResortVarin Beach Resort:. From 800 Bath. See video by leffman and video by jllandrith
Picture by miserychick
Picture by Varin Beach ResortAir Villa
Z-Touch Resort ซีทัชหลีเป๊ะไอส์แลนด์รีสอร์ท: Before: Hamman Beach Resort. From 3827 Bath. Mixed reviews on tripadvisor.com
Sunrise Beach (Hat Chao Ley) หาดชาวเล
Picture by rhaddonSunrise beach
Picture by sidorenko_alexey_aSunrise beach
Picture by sidorenko_alexey_aSunrise Beach
White sandy beach, see video by dreadnallen. A small village of the Chao Ley - sea gipsies - can be found here.
Adang Sea Eco-Lodge: Good reviews on tripadvisor.com
Anda Resort อันดา รีสอร์ท: From 2500 Bath. On the South end of Sunrise beach. Mixed reviews on tripadvisor.com, there is construction noise (March 2012) and not alle guests are happy about the semi-outdoor bathrooms and the closeness of the neighbours.
Picture by Anda ResortDeluxe Villa Seaview
Andaman Resort อันดามัน รีสอร์ท:. See video by kohlipelove2dive. Mixed reviews on tripadvisor.com
Castaway Resort: Good reviews on tripadvisor.com.
Picture by hagemannandreasIdyllic Concept Resort ไอดีลลิค คอนเซปต์ รีสอร์ท: From 5950 Bath. With pool. Excellent according to reviews on tripadvisor.com
Picture Idyllic Concept Resorti-Sky seaside villa
Kaixolipe Resort ไคโชหลีเป๊ะรีสอร์ท:. See video and photostream on flickr.com. Very good reviews on tripadvisor.com
Picture by Kaixolipe ResortLipe Power Beach Resort หลีเป๊ะ พาวเวอร์ บีช รีสอร์ท:. Good reviews on tripadvisor.com
Serendipity Beach Resort: Bungalows set on a hillside with great views. If you book the Hilltop Bungalow be aware, that you need to take 160 steps to reach it. The beach vanishes at high tide and is 10 metres wide at low tide. Good reviews on tripadvisor.com
Picture by Serendipity Beach ResortKarma Beach:
Picture by ArgenbergMountain Resort เม้าน์เท้น รีสอร์ท: See video by Chapantip and The Ramsele
Sunset Beach (Hat Pramong) อ่าวประมง
Picture by rhaddonIs also called Porn Beach, because the Porn Resort is located here.
Pitiusas Beach Resort: From 1000 Bath. A new resort with wooden bungalows on Sunset beach. See video by Towkay Bandrek
Picture by Pitiusas Beach ResortPorn Resort พร รีสอร์ท: From 500 Bath. Concrete and bamboo bungalows and a thin beach with coarse sand according to andamanadventures.com: "This resort is only suitable for budget travellers who can put up with ancient mattresses, rubbish everywhere and unpleasant smells wafting around." See video by leffman
Walking Street
Picture by samuli.turkkilaWalking Street
Baan Kasirin บ้านกสิริน รีสอร์ท:
Bonus Resort โบนัสรีสอร์ท :
Gipsy Resort ยิปซี 2 ริเวนเดลล์:
Harmony Bed & Bakery ฮาโมนี่เบดแอนด์เบเกรี่:
Pooh Resort: Restaurant with live music every night.
Ricci House ริชชี่เฮ้าส์ รีสอร์ท: Quite good reviews on tripadvisor.com
Serene Resort เซเรเน่ รีสอร์ท หลีเป๊ะ:
The Box - Lipe Resort: The resort has been constructed from containers. Mixed reviews on tripadvisor.com
The Reef Hotel:
Discoveries from Ko Lipe
Picture by ArgenbergKo Lipe, seem from Ko Adang
Several nearly uninhabited islands can be reached with a long tail boat, all between 15 minutes and 1 hour away. The 2 large ones, Koh Adang หมู่เกาะเกาะอาดัง and Koh Rawi ราวี are almost completely covered with rain forest and have a ranger station, where camping is possible and you can get a quiet stay. The ranger station at Laem Son Beach on Koh Adang with information centre also has bungalows and tents, and there is a small restaurant (open from November until May). It can be booked on web3.dnp.go.th. See video by jllandrith. During the rainy season several waterfalls run from Adang into the sea. Adang has many hiking trails and view points. Pirate's Falls can be reached by a two kilometre-long walkway, Ratana waterfall by a longtail boat. See pictures on shearwaterphoto.wordpress.com and on andamancampandcruise.com. An read about sea snakes, which come to the shore in the night on Mind of Dan. You can also find small villages of Urak Lawoi people called Telo Cengan and Telo Puya on the northeast side of Adang. Read about a visit here on offtherails.com. See pictures of Urak Lawoi people by Brendan Carroll, see village by Amanda and Neil. See the traditional dance Rongeng by chaolehfilm: video 1 and video 2.
Picture by brongaehBeach on Ko Adang
Picture by grolli77Ko Rawi
Koh Ba Tuang, Koh Lek and Koh Dong offer the same jungles. You can also sail to the smaller islands of Koh Hin Sorn and Koh Hin Ngam. Koh Hin Ngam has a dark stone beach, where visitors pile up 13 stones, what should bring them luck. Koh Hin Sorn has amazing black stone formations. Then there are Koh Peung and Koh Jabang whose surrounding waters are excellent snorkelling grounds according to koh-lipe.info. Nearby is the monkey beach. Further to the east you reach Ko Klang and Ko Tarutao. Ko Khai เกาะไข่ has a stone gate, which is the Satun tourist symbol.
Picture by Uschi & Horst PixThe love stone arch on Ko Khai, promises eternal love, if two people enter.
The waters around the islands house an enormous variety of marine species, for example: dolphins, mantas and other rays, sharks, sperm whales, but also clown fish, angelfish, lion fish and all sorts of coral. See underwater discoveries:
Picture by jeffb123
Picture by jeffb123
Picture by jeffb123
Picture by jeffb123How to arrive on Ko Lipe
From Hat Yai Airport: Take a minibus from the Airport to the Train station in Hat Yai (80 Bath) and catch a minibus at one of the travel shops nearby to Pak Bara Pier (takes two hours). A taxi from the airport to Pak Bara Pier will cost around 2500 Bath. From Pak Bara ferries run to Ko Lipe all year round. See timetable of Satun Pakbara Speed Boat Club
From Lipe and other islands: From November until April Koh Lipe can be reached by boat from several islands in the Andaman Sea. A daily ferry from Koh Phi Phi (8 hours) stops also at Koh Lanta and other islands along the way. Additionally there are daily speedboats (3 hours) from Koh Lanta to Koh Lipe during high season. See timetable on lipespeedboat.com
From Langkawi, Malaysia: From the end of October until early May you can exit and enter Thailand from Koh Lipe to Langkawi island, Malaysia. The immigration office is located at the eastern part of Pattaya Beach, next to Bundhaya Resort. Book the shuttle ferry here.
Read more about Koh Lipe on www.kohlipethailand.com, www.kohlipe.net, www.welovekohlipe.com and on travelfish.org
No comments:
Post a Comment