🔄 Updated 21 Jun 2026
Koh Lipe is small enough to cross from one beach to another in 15–25 minutes. The heart of the island is Walking Street, the single pedestrian lane that links Pattaya Beach on one side to a point near Sunrise Beach on the other, while Sunset Beach sits at the far end of the island. The main things to do split into two types: strolling the three beaches on the island, and taking a boat out to snorkel and hop between islands around the Adang–Rawi group.
Straight talk first — the island runs on a season
The best window is roughly November–April: calm seas, clear water, and all the shops and boat trips open. The monsoon runs roughly May–October, with rough seas, big swells, fewer or no boats from Pak Bara, and many guesthouses and dive trips closed for a long stretch. If you're going off-season, always check the weather, the boat schedule, and call your accommodation or tour ahead of time.
Three beaches on the island — all walkable
The charm of Koh Lipe is its three main beaches, each in a different corner of the island with a different feel, and all walkable from one another. Even with just one day you can easily cover all three.
Pattaya Beach
The main, busiest beach — the boat landing point, with most of the accommodation, restaurants and the entrance to Walking Street. White sand and shallow water, good for swimming during the day and watching the sunset in the evening. The most crowded of the three.
Sunrise Beach
A long beach on the east side with clear water and fine sand — the best sunrise spot on the island, looking across to Koh Adang. More laid-back than Pattaya Beach, with bars and sea-view spots scattered along it.
Sunset Beach
A small beach at the tip of the island and the quietest of the three. It's about a 10–15 minute walk from Walking Street along a forest path. A good spot to find a quiet corner and watch the sunset — few people, few places to stay.
- You can walk all three beaches in one day — the island is small and flip-flops are fine; the link to Sunset Beach is a short forest path.
- Tides matter — at low tide Pattaya Beach gets very shallow; swimming is best at high tide. You can check tide times with your accommodation.
- Strong sun — wear reef-safe sunscreen, bring a hat and water. There's not much shade on these beaches.
Want more out of Koh Lipe? Book tours & activities
Booking online ahead on Klook or GetYourGuide is usually cheaper than the gate and skips the queue. Pick only the experiences you actually want — prices and availability are shown live on each site.
Snorkeling — the highlight of Koh Lipe
The reason people travel all this way to Koh Lipe is the snorkeling: clear water and healthy coral around the Adang–Rawi islands. Boat trips come in two styles — an inner-zone 4-stop (half day) and an outer-zone 6–7 stop (full day). You can join a shared longtail boat or charter your own; prices move with the number of stops and the type of boat.
Jabang Channel
The most talked-about snorkel spot — multicoloured soft coral covers the underwater rock pinnacle in shallow water, clearly visible from the surface, with plenty of fish. The current here runs strong at times, so trips usually only let you in when the water is calm. Always listen to the guide and wear a life jacket.
Koh Hin Ngam
An island where the beach is made of smooth, round black stones instead of sand. You can walk up and take photos, the water around it is clear, and there's coral to see close to shore. Local legend says the Tarutao guardian spirit curses anyone who takes a stone home — the real reason is the park rule against removing stones from the island.
Koh Yang
A small island known for its broad stretches of staghorn and hard coral, clear water and lots of fish. It's one of the prettier snorkel spots in the zone and great for underwater photos.
Koh Rawi — White Sand Bay
A large island with a fine white-sand beach and clear shallow water, ideal for stopping off to have lunch and swim by the shore. Many trips use it as a half-day rest stop, and it's far quieter than Koh Lipe.
Ao Song / Koh Adang beach side
A shallow, clear bay on the Koh Adang side, good for relaxed snorkeling with little swell. You can see fish and coral close to shore, making it a spot kids and weaker swimmers can enjoy.
Koh Dong / Koh Hin Son (outer zone)
Part of the full-day 7-stop program. Koh Hin Son has big boulders stacked on top of each other, deep clear water and colourful coral; Koh Dong is quiet with intact nature — good for anyone who wants to get further out and away from the crowds.
Rough snorkel-trip prices
A shared (join) longtail trip starts around ฿550–650/person for the inner-zone 4-stop half-day program, while the full-day 6–7 stop program runs around ฿1,000–1,500/person. A private boat charter runs around ฿2,000–4,000/boat depending on the boat size and number of stops. These prices usually include snorkel gear and a life jacket but do not include the national park fee. Always check with a tour shop on Pattaya Beach before booking.
Koh Adang — climb Pha Chado for the view
Koh Adang sits opposite Sunrise Beach and is clearly visible from Koh Lipe — just a 5–10 minute boat ride across. It's a large island and the opposite of Koh Lipe: mountains, forest, waterfalls and quiet. The highlight is the climb up to the Pha Chado viewpoint, where you get a full view of Koh Lipe and the surrounding sea.
- Pha Chado — a steep 30–40 minute climb; wear trainers and go in the morning or late afternoon to avoid the heat. From the top you can see all of Koh Lipe.
- White sand beach on the Adang side — clear water, little swell, good for swimming and snorkeling near shore, and far quieter than Koh Lipe.
- Charter a boat both ways — a longtail from Sunrise Beach runs around ฿100–200/person; agree on a clear pickup time before you board.
- It's inside the national park — you'll need to pay the park fee, bring your own drinking water, and note there are few shops on the island.
Koh Hin Ngam — the smooth black-stone beach
Koh Hin Ngam is a small island in the Adang–Rawi group, distinctive for a beach covered with smooth, round black stones instead of sand. When the waves wash in, the stones knock together in a rhythm. The water around the island is clear, you can stop to take photos and snorkel, and almost every inner-zone snorkel trip calls here.
Don't take the stones — rule and legend both
There's a belief about the Tarutao guardian spirit cursing anyone who takes the beautiful stones home, but the real reason is the park rule against removing stones from the island. If everyone took one, the stone beach would disappear. Take all the photos you like, but always put the stones back where you found them.
A sample boat-trip and island-walking plan
If you're doing Koh Lipe as a 3-day, 2-night trip, here's a rough plan that gets you snorkeling, island-hopping and all three beaches. Adjust it around the boat schedule and the weather.
Arrive — stroll the three beaches
Snorkel trip — island hopping
Catch the sunrise — head home
Fees, getting there, and what to know
- Getting there — boats leave from Pak Bara pier in Satun province to Koh Lipe, about 1.5–2 hrs, with several departures a day. The round-trip boat fare runs around ฿1,000–1,200/person; check times and book ahead, especially in the monsoon.
- Tarutao National Park fee — around ฿40–60/person for Thai nationals and higher for foreigners, charged separately from the boat and trip fares. Keep cash ready.
- Getting around the island — it's small enough to walk between everything; if you're carrying heavy bags there are sidecar motorbikes for around ฿50/trip.
- Cash and ATMs — there are few ATMs on the island and they charge high fees, and many shops only take cash. Withdraw cash on the mainland to be safe.
- Sea safety — check the wind and swell forecast before any boat trip, wear a life jacket, listen to the guide, and don't push out if the sea is rough.
- Protect the sea — don't touch or take coral and stones, don't stand on coral, don't feed the fish, use reef-safe sunscreen, and always carry your rubbish back to shore.
Plan a full Koh Lipe island trip
See the Koh Lipe guide →