Things to Do ok Koh Lipe

Aren’t you here just for enjoying some sea-sand-sun? Well, in fact, Koh Lipe does not go much farther than that. You can expect the usual water-related activities menu, including some good snorkelling and diving opportunities, souvenir shopping and massage treatments. A perfect classic island getaway, that is what Koh Lipe about.

Snorkelling on Koh Lipe

Snorkelling is everyone’s favourite pastime in Koh Lipe. Even though you can snorkel right off the beach and find some pretty decent spots, the best way to do it is to spend a day hopping between the islands of the Tarutao National Park.

The first option you have is to join one of the day trips which any of the travel agencies will sell more or less at the same price. The cheapest option is THB550 for a full day program with a longtail boat but you can spend up to THB1500 if you prefer a speedboat.

You are usually taken to 4 or 5 different snorkelling spots as well as to a nice beach to chill out for a bit and have lunch.

If you want to avoid the crowd, then a better option is to hire a longtail boat just for your group. We tried this option ourselves and for the four of us we spent THB2300 with lunch included (optional). The big advantage of this solution is that you can decide where to go and how much time to spend in each place, and you can as well avoid the most crowded beaches already occupied by some other package tour groups.

Diving around Koh Lipe

Diving is a big thing on Koh Lipe and it’s one of the best places in Thailand to get initiated, too. There’s a lot less competition here between diving shops than in places like Koh Tao resulting in a slightly higher prices for certification but the good news is that there’s a lot less people diving here, the diving spots are almost never crowded and the instructors will have more time to dedicate to you.

We talked to a few different shops on the island just to get an idea and all them looked really professional and competent. The prices are more or less the same in every diving shop so just walk around Pattaya Beach and Walking Street and find the one that suits your schedule. If you’re already a certified diver don’t miss a trip to the 8 mile rock. It’s a fantastic spot one hour away from Koh Lipe and in the right season you can see whale sharks.

Kayaking on Koh Lipe

Kayaking is a fantastic way to explore the island and to stay fit during your lazy holiday on the beach. It is better done in the morning or late afternoon to avoid the heat.

Facing Sunrise Beach you can see a couple of islands which you can easily reach after about half an hour of paddling. Some of them have small and amazing deserted beaches to enjoy. Bring water and some food with you and you can easily spend the whole day there, all by yourself or with your loved one. Kayaks can be rented everywhere on the beach for THB100 per hour or THB300 for the whole day.

Massage and spa

Is there a better and more relaxed way to finish your day spent on the beach than a nice massage session to relieve your sunburned skin and stretch your muscles? Massage shops dot the island, so you are never too far from it. Prices are exactly the same in every shop – expect to pay THB300 for Thai massage or THB400 for oil massage.

Overall we found that the massage shops in Pattaya Beach are definitely not the best ones – too tourist-oriented with lady masseurs often a bit lazy and unfriendly.

Instead head to the Walking Street where there is an abundance of massage shops to choose from – we tried several of them and had very good experience. Just to name one try Soi Buri massage. You’ll find it on your left in Walking Street half way from Pattaya to Sunrise.

Joining Trash Heroes Project

If you have some spare time on Monday morning and you feel like helping out a little bit, join the Trash Hero Project volunteers who meet every Monday at 10am in Pattaya Beach to clean the beaches from plastic and rubbish in general. It is a good chance to do something good and meet some great people while hanging out after cleaning.