Sanom Beach, Koh Lipe: the island's beaches compared

Sanom Beach

Sanom Beach Lipe Resort sits up on the hillside above Sanom Beach, with panoramic views of Pattaya Beach and the Andaman Sea¹. The resort’s website describes clear turquoise water and a colourful reef⁴ by its cabins.

• Who it suits: a quiet stay with a local family. The resort calls itself one of the last locally run resorts on Koh Lipe, and the owner says her family were born on Koh Lipe and are Urak Lawoi².
• Getting there: the resort puts its beach and the shopping street each a 10-minute walk² away.
• Cost: Wikivoyage lists rooms from ฿2,200¹. The resort doesn’t charge for children aged 5 or under⁵.
• Season: Wikivoyage says it is open all year, while a 2016 Island Drum article gave a season of 30 October to 31 May¹.

For a wedding, a party or a group booking, contact the resort first: with 11 cabins², it is a small place. Compare it with other Koh Lipe hotels by beach and budget.

Pattaya Beach

Pattaya Beach has more nightlife than Koh Lipe’s other beaches¹. It is hard to find a quiet spot there unless you get up early⁶.

• Who it suits: people who want bars and restaurants close by.
• Getting there: on foot. Narrow concrete roads link the island’s beaches¹.
• Nearby: Sanom Beach is a short walk¹ away. For where to eat, see food and drink.

Sunrise Beach (Hat Chao Ley)

Sunrise Beach is on the east side of the island and is bigger than Sunset Beach¹. From Sanom Beach Lipe Resort it is a 15-minute walk², and the resort says you only need your feet to get around.

Sunset Beach (Hat Pramong)

Sunset Beach is the smaller beach, on the west side, and it is the best beach for sunset views¹. It is also a place to spend a whole day without many people⁶.

Ko Adang, across the channel

Koh Lipe lies directly south of the larger islands Ko Adang and Ko Rawi³. Ko Adang has a hilly interior covered in dense jungle, with two waterfalls⁷.

• Who it suits: hikers. Pirate Falls is a 90-minute hike each way¹, and there is also Chado Cliff.
• Getting there: by boat from Lipe. See Koh Lipe snorkelling tours and boat trips, or book a join-in longtail island-hopping tour.
• Cost: Koh Lipe is on the border of Tarutao National Marine Park³. The islands around it come under the park, which charges the entrance fees below.

Koh Lipe itself stays open throughout the monsoon⁹, even when the park islands around it close. Plan for these before you go:

• Cash: there is a 7-Eleven with an ATM on Walking Street¹.
• Book boats early: Wikivoyage advises buying transport tickets as early as possible, because transport can be fully booked in high season¹.
• Low season: from mid-June to mid-October, the only way to reach Ko Lipe is by speedboat from Pak Bara³. Bundhaya Speed Boat runs that crossing in 1 hr 30 min, from ฿700 per person¹¹.
• From Malaysia: the Langkawi to Koh Lipe ferry runs 1-2 times a day from mid-October to mid-May³. Bundhaya Speed Boat lists it from ฿1,400 per person¹¹.