Koh Adang
Chado Cliff, the View Over All of Koh Lipe

🔄 Updated 21 Jun 2026

Koh Lipe is a small island — crowded, packed with shops — but the moment you cross over to Adang the mood changes completely. This island is much bigger, and almost all of it is still rainforest with rows of pine trees along the beach, because it's inside Tarutao National Park. There are no roads and no convenience stores, just the park headquarters and a couple of small resorts. Most people who come here come for two things: to hike up Chado Cliff for the view, and to sit on a quiet beach — something you can't really find on Lipe anymore.

Chado Cliff — the viewpoint you have to climb for

Chado Cliff is a peak on Koh Adang about 600 meters high. The story goes that pirates once used it to watch for cargo ships passing through the strait, and once you're up top you understand why — you can see the sea in every direction, all of Koh Lipe floating on turquoise water, and Adang's own white-sand beach stretching out below. It's a view plenty of people are happy to sweat for.

The trail starts from the beach in front of the park headquarters. It's a steep jungle path with three viewpoints set at rising levels. The first one takes about 15–30 minutes to reach, and you can already see Lipe from there. The second and third open up wider and are even better. Reaching the very top takes around 45 minutes to an hour all up, depending on your fitness. Toward the end there are a few spots where you scramble over rock and pull on a rope to help — not very hard, but it's no smooth path either.

Quiet beaches and clear water around the island

The main beach where the boats land is Laem Son Beach, in front of the park headquarters — a long stretch of white sand with shady pines and water so clear you can see the sand on the bottom. Unlike Lipe's beaches, which are crowded all the time, some days here there are only a handful of groups. Walk a little farther along the shore and you'll find quiet corners with almost no one — perfect for an easy swim or for laying out a mat under the pines.

The water around Adang is very clear, and you can snorkel right off the beach to see coral and fish. You can rent a mask from the park's service point for around 50 THB a day. If you want to reach a hidden beach or a quiet bay you can't walk to, you can hire a longtail boat to take you around the island, stopping at the different bays.

• Laem Son Beach — the main beach in front of the headquarters: white sand, pines, clear water. The Chado Cliff trailhead is around here too.
• Quiet stretches along the shore — just a short walk from the main beach, far fewer people, good for sitting in peace.
• Hidden bays around the island — you'll need to hire a longtail boat. Some bays have black-sand beaches and lovely snorkeling spots.

Jungle waterfalls on Koh Adang

Koh Adang has waterfalls tucked away in the jungle. The one people talk about is Pirate Waterfall, north of the resort, along with Kinnari Waterfall deeper in the forest. These aren't easy to reach — you have to push through the jungle a fair bit. Pirate Waterfall is about a 50-minute round trip or more. In the dry season the water can be low, so it looks best early in the season. If you plan to go, ask the park rangers about the route first, because the forest is dense and the trail isn't clearly signed everywhere.

How to get to Koh Adang from Koh Lipe

Adang sits directly across from Koh Lipe's Sunrise Beach — a longtail boat crosses over in just about 5–10 minutes. Boats leave from Sunrise Beach and Pattaya Beach, and the round-trip fare runs roughly 100–200 THB per person depending on the season and your bargaining. Agree on the price clearly for both directions, and fix a firm pickup time, because phone signal doesn't reach everywhere on the island.

Adang is inside Tarutao National Park, so you'll pay a park entry fee — about 200 THB for adults and 100 THB for children (the ticket is valid for several days). There are no ATMs on the island and few shops, so bring enough cash for the boat, the park fee, gear rental, and food. Electricity on the island is limited (the accommodation zone only has power from evening to morning).

• Longtail boat across from Sunrise Beach ~5–10 min · round trip roughly 100–200 THB/person
• Tarutao park entry fee adults ~200 THB, children ~100 THB (valid for several days)
• Snorkel mask rental at the park service point ~50 THB/day
• No ATM on the island — bring enough cash

Staying overnight on Koh Adang

Most people visit Adang as a there-and-back day trip from Lipe, but if you want to stay over for real quiet, the park has accommodation — both camping and fan bungalows. Pitching your own tent is around 80 THB per person, renting a tent with gear is about 340 THB, and bungalows start around 1,500 THB per night. Book directly with the park in advance. There's also one small private resort on the island. Staying here is very quiet and the night sky is gorgeous, but you have to be okay with limited electricity and few amenities.

Sample trip — Koh Adang from Koh Lipe

When you can go, and the honest caveats

The big thing to know up front is that Koh Lipe and Koh Adang run on a season. The visiting window is the dry season, roughly mid-November to mid-May. Once the monsoon sets in around May to October, the sea gets rough with high waves, several ferry operators stop running, and many of the island's accommodations and shops close. The park itself closes Adang during this time for safety. If you're planning to come in this period, check ahead carefully.

• Every time before you cross to Adang, check the weather and the swell — on rough-sea days the longtail boats may not run.
• Food and supplies on the island cost more than on the mainland because everything has to be hauled across the sea — you can bring your own water and snacks from Lipe.
• Phone signal doesn't cover everywhere — settle a pickup time with your boat before you head up the island.
• The Chado Cliff hike means assessing your own fitness — it's steep with scrambling sections, not great for small children or anyone with bad knees.