Ahhhh... Ko Lipe

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This blog by Lucas:

Koh Lipe was everything I thought Thailand would be - in my pre-conceived notions of an idyllic, untouched beach - but could not quite find on slightly over-developed and over-touristed Ko Lanta, Ko Phi Phi and Railay. All of the beaches on the Andaman side of Thailand are ridiculously beautiful, but Koh Lipe retains that unjaded, no-tour-package, simple island chill that we all desire to escape to (while wasting away in a small grey cubicle...)

After a 3 hour speedboat from Ko Lanta, we managed to find a nice bungalow right on the beach for $14 a night. For the record, our porch was exactly 18 strides to the water in high tide, and 122 strides in low tide. We explored the entire length and width of the island in under an hour, which afforded great views over to the unspoilt national park across the way on Ko Adang, and quickly we found the best restaurant on the beach which happened to be right next door to us. Every day we stuffed ourselves with fresh mango shakes, garlic and pepper squid stir-fry, Tom Yum seafood, wok-fried whole fish with sour chili and tamarind sauce, and
many more fresh seafood delicacies. We even found some great italian food, as there was a small colony of italians on extended stays at our end of the beach.

We spent our days snorkeling, reading (I highly recommend "Hammer of the Gods: The Led Zeppelin Saga" if you, like me, were truly meant to be a world-famous rock star but lost the genes lottery and ended up with no voice/talent/musicianship/ability to play an instrument/good looks/etc.), eating, working on our frisbee skills, playing scrabble (I scored 450, my all-time high), sleeping, hanging out at Peace & Love Bar (run by Peace and his wife Love) and doing some business at our beach front office (see photos).

We loved this little island and would definitely urge all those traveling to Thailand in the future to come here and get a little bit off the beaten path.

Recommendations in Ko Lipe:

Pattaya Song Restaurant - hands down the best on Koh Lipe - try the sour chili fish

Sunset in a hammock at Karma bar

Beachfront Bungalows at Daya Resort (location, location, location) - but don't give them your food business because they are not that friendly and Pattaya is much better food anyway

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Photos

Our beach bungalow at Daya
upon the silky white sands of Pattaya beach

Pattaya Song Bungalows
The view from our bungalow at Daya Bungalows

View from Sunlight Beach
10 minute's walk through the jungle to the other side of the island brings you to the snorkeling haven of Sunlight Beach

To all my friends at Medtronic...
...I finally found a worthy cubicle environment!

This one is for Jack Capitani
Someday you will take a trip on this boat my friend, and I will buy you a beer at Jack's Jungle Bar

Karma Bar
View of the national park across the way on Ko Adang

Moon Light Bar
Long live the King!

Jacqui on the famous striped rock beach
Supposedly you obtain a lifelong curse that may result in death if you remove one of these rocks

This black lab was our friend all week
Here he is asleep on the beach with some stray bitches

On the speedboat
from Ko Lanta to Koh Lipe

SE Asia Travel
This is the type of grueling, crowded, uncomfortable, hot traveling we have been doing on this trip

Comments

[Claire]

Soooooooooo jealous. Looks like paradise! xxxxxx

[bilby4731]

wow it looks great- is it expensive to get to and are things like snorkelling cheap enough? Also is it in the gulf of thailand? cheers