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last updated Jan 2015
last visited March 2013
Pattaya Beach - Lipe's most pop from the western headland. Shot from a Pattaya Song (aka Pattaya 2) 2d row bungalow balcony. Daya in addition to luxury Sita Resort are inwards the close department upwardly to the commencement longtail close the beach. Leepae Resort is next the 2d set of beach longtails. The cross isle rail "Walking Street" in addition to Varin are just past times the distant longtails (you are maybe two-thirds along the beach here). Popular Bundhaya's large reception eating theatre roof tin live just seen left of the right tree foliage. The eastern most 15% of the beach was undeveloped except for a eating theatre upwardly against the far headland when I took this shot inwards 2009. My latest trip saw novel Bundhaya stuff right to the far end. This is a prissy shot to click-expand - may live dependent on your browser.
I've redone this page after my latest (5th) see inwards March 2013. Before that was belatedly November-early Dec 09. The commencement was inwards March 99, the 2d inwards March 07 in addition to the tertiary inwards belatedly Nov 08.
Lipe really much to a greater extent than developed since I was commencement there, (and has seen a lot of novel structure since my belatedly 2009 stay) but it remains a pretty prissy identify to see with several skilful white sand beaches, some fairly prissy snorkeling, skilful diving in addition to a multifariousness of accommodation, restaurants in addition to bars. Some of the latter tin larn a chip lively, so people seeking some night-life won't go without. There are exclusively a few narrow roads in addition to non also many motorcycles. Hey, in addition to at that spot are few dogs! It is fairly compact - I did a circumnavigation of the settled eastern ii thirds of the isle inwards around 3 hours.
It is soundless like shooting fish in a barrel to detect a quiet, set dorsum beach expanse away from busy Pattaya.
In recent years it has got a fair chip of criticism virtually overbuilding, rubbish problems, high prices in addition to overcrowding at peak. I take away hold a department on each work downwards page.
Map from Pooh Bungalow
I modified this Google world epitome to demonstrate most of the beaches mentioned below. The xanthous line which goes thru the ch of Pattaya Bch is Walking Street, the primary cross isle route in addition to shopping/eats zone.
Area map from Sea Canoe
BEACHES
Which is the best beach on Lipe? Depends on personal preferences.
Maybe the most pristine chip of sand is at the far northern destination of Andaman (Sunrise) beach just before it curves around to the spit inwards forepart of Mountain Resort. Lovely white sand, really clear H2O with some okay snorkelling in addition to at that spot are plenty of trees inwards dorsum of beach for shade. Doesn't larn really crowded. One downside is a fair few passing longtail boats, but few nation on this beach.
You similar a neat piffling self-contained non busy beach? Viewpoin'ts/Serendipity's beach, Sanom Beach, Bila Beach in addition to Pitisusas's beach do this. So do a few other little patches of sand along the northern coast although most tend to live a chip scratchy inwards character (lotsa rocks, sand disappears at high tide). An exception is Sunset (Porn's/Fisheries Dept's beach) which may live a chip large for some, although it is little compared to Pattaya in addition to specially Andaman.
All-rounders - prissy sand, water, okay snorkelling, lots of accommodation, restaurants, bars etc. Both Pattaya beach in addition to the residual of loooong Andaman beach agree the bill. Pattaya likely wins just virtually all these categories but may live too busy for some.
Most sheltered beach inwards moisture season? Andaman in addition to Viewpoint/Serendipity are sheltered from the monsoon winds on blustery days (Andaman tin live a chip windy in early high season. When the air current changes out of the western quadrant around to the eastern it tin ofttimes larn pretty potent several days a calendar month - nosotros are usually talking November/December). This air current is offshore at Pattaya in addition to gives no problems - inwards moisture flavour mid in addition to western sections of Pattaya are sheltered past times the high headland. I think I would avoid the northward coast beaches inwards moisture flavour - they tin ofttimes live pretty exposed.
H5N1 beach for hard partying campers? La Luna on the northward coast would do it well.
Thing is I wouldn't stress virtually trying to detect accommodation on what yous consider the best beach for you. Lipe is so little that all beaches are within 20 minutes walk wherever yous are staying - most closer. My March 2013 accommodation at Gipsy 2 Rivendell was off the beach close Walking Street five minutes from both Pattaya in addition to Andaman. I picked it on a value/design/good reviews basis, non on beingness at the beach.
South Coast beaches
PATTAYA BEACH
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Nice swimming enclosure inwards forepart of Varin Resort close where the cross isle rail WALKING STREET hits Pattaya Beach. Some pretty reasonable coral in addition to fish 70m out from the sand. Young Lady inwards centre has the large vacation volume - click to enlarge.
Pattaya on the southward side of the isle is the primary beach in addition to has gone from one-third built on when I commencement visited to pretty fully built out now. Nevertheless it is soundless quite attractive** with white sand, pretty create clean H2O which is deep at all tides except at the far western end, some trees for shade at some parts of the beach in addition to interesting patches of coral at both ends which are okay for snorkeling.
Pattaya gets fifty-fifty nicer at nighttime when several outfits set upwardly restaurants in addition to bars with candle-lit tables etc on the sand.
Dining tables appearing on the sand before long after sunset - Pattaya has a prissy vibe at night.
** I'm a chip conflicted hither - after my 08 trip I position inwards a department hither proverb Pattaya had jumped the shark - ie got past times the dot of no return, beingness also crowded with longtails for peace in addition to quiet. But inwards 2009 I made a dot of genuinely staying on Pattaya for the commencement fourth dimension inwards years - at Varin, in addition to although I take away hold mixed feelings virtually that joint, I had to revise my sentiment - Pattaya inwards belatedly 2009 was the nicest beach on the isle unless yous were looking for somewhere completely out of the way - Pattaya's sand was cleanest, its H2O clearest in addition to there's a really skilful attain of restaurants in addition to shops on the beach or nearby which keeps prices lower. They take away hold several sections partitioned off for swimming in addition to the beach is sheltered from those over-brisk north-easterlies which sometimes cutting inwards during dry out season. The fundamental in addition to western sections tend to live largely protected from the moisture flavour westerlies unless at that spot is to a greater extent than than usual southward inwards them, although Andaman in addition to Viewpoint beaches are amend inwards this respect. Most of my 2009 see was inwards shoulder flavour in addition to the beach was uncrowded in addition to the longtails somehow seemed to a greater extent than orderly - even so 2 days coincided with the King's Birthday vacation in addition to heaps of Thais hitting the island. The beach itself was soundless non Bondi busy but the boat congestion was pretty high - around dusk I counted xiii large speedboats backed into the beach, a heap of those bigger old vogue ferries the Thai packagers love in addition to five cruising yachts - usually at that spot are i or two.
Lady Tezza on her commencement see to Lipe, declared Pattaya i of her favourite beaches to rest on anywhere. Lady Tezza equally an ex surfer-babe has seen a few beaches.
UPDATE 2013 - unfortunately Pattaya wasn't equally pristine equally 2009. The primary work was longtail congestion - at that spot was so piffling room left inwards their designated beach parking areas that they were crowding into the swimming enclosures, specially the fundamental i inwards forepart of Walking St-Varin. More longtails hateful to a greater extent than bilge H2O etc - the sea H2O unopen to the sand just didn't seem equally sparkling clear equally inwards belatedly '99. However I soundless charge per unit of measurement Pattaya equally a pretty prissy beach.
Pattaya Beach Ko Lipe March 2013 - those longtail boats are genuinely within the fundamental swimming area. I noticed the swim expanse farther eastward exterior Bundhaya Resort seemed largely costless of this problem. Maybe Budhaya has to a greater extent than muscle. The tertiary swimming expanse inwards the central-western portion of the beach maybe 200m behind photographic tv camera was non also bad either.
There are lots of places to rest along hither - inwards my depression budget range, the ones I similar the looks of most are the headland bungalows of PATTAYA SONG aka Pattaya 2 - high upwardly overlooking the beach at the western destination - consider opening pic.
Pattaya Song also has some substantial looking concrete bungalows inwards a piffling valley behind their beach-level eating theatre which tend to live some of the cheapest at this beach.
I stayed inwards i of the headland forepart rowers for a few nights on my commencement isle see when they were new, in addition to the see was great.
Note that Pattaya Song has a reputation for skilful Italian nutrient - in addition to the Italian possessor has a reputation for eccentricity when he gets tanked.
Pattaya Beach - existent prissy at nighttime when the restaurants on the sand set upwardly - non also shabby past times twenty-four hours either (image Poh Bungalows)
Nov 08 shot. The headland concrete bungalows of Pattaya Song on the western destination of Pattaya Beach. This angle from the corner of the beach is deceptive because the bungalows genuinely expression straight downwards the beach. There is a bunch of cheaper to a greater extent than trad vogue ones with similar views behind in addition to higher.
Departing Lipe, my boat went past times the seaward side of this headland (well duh!) in addition to at that spot were similar prissy looking trad vogue bungalows high upwardly looking straight out to sea. UPDATE 2013 - these seem to at nowadays live run past times a split outfit, Brother Seaview Resort which has expanded W across the hillside to inwards a higher identify next Sanom Beach.
Pattaya Song's rather skilful eating theatre is at beach bird tucked inwards against the headland to the right of the far beach umbrella.
DAYA RESORT has some prissy trad looking beach bird forepart in addition to 2d row bungalows to the right of photographic tv camera with the pop eating theatre to their eastward - but hell, K in addition to 800 no brekka for what was soundless genuinely 2008 shoulder season? Daya has some cheaper bungalows inland behind the eating theatre but dummy forgot to inquire the price.
Pleasingly both Daya in addition to Pattaya Song were soundless going stong inwards March 2013. Most of the other cheapies take away hold been replaced past times high destination joints. But how long volition the inwards a higher identify 2 last? Pattaya Song likely has the best spot on the isle - the nation must live worth a fortune.
The inwards a higher identify destination of Pattaya used to live busiest, but at nowadays is a quieter department - so if yous desire to rest on Pattaya, this could live the region. The SITA luxury resort in addition to its novel high-end neighbours would live just the thing for all yous big-mover bond traders. Umm - on reflection, after the Global Financial Crisis in addition to the Euro implosion maybe yous Masters of the Universe volition live staying at a 500b Walking Street cheapie with tezza.
Cheapest beachfront bungalows inwards 2009 on Pattaya were the funky HANDICRAFT to the eastward of the Walking Street cross isle path at 500 early Dec 09 - in addition to the guy told me they would non go upwardly inwards peak. I didn't inquire inwards 2013 - equally a thing of fact I think the identify may live re-named. Shot shows their peachy bar expanse - has an upstairs deck. They also set upwardly mats in addition to chairs on the beach after black in addition to play funky music, but the next REGGAE BAR does the same, in addition to has a bigger audio system. May non live the best location for those wishing to hitting the sack early, but peachy for ragers on a budget.
The next best cope inwards early Dec 2009 seemed to live GREENVIEW which had a sign upwardly quest 500 for their rather large, attractive in addition to newish trad bungalows dorsum from the beach. In 2013 I noticed the booking websites had this identify at relatively cope prices.
2013 also showed a lot of novel evolution from my 2009 visit. Luxury SITA has expanded farther upwardly the hill. There are several novel midrange or amend places mainly inwards the western department of the beach - BU-NA, Z -TOUCH, SEALON AND MALI. Sure expression prissy - I just checked them on Agoda: sure are expensive. BUNDHAYA inwards the eastern department has expanded eastward to just virtually beach-end.
Far eastern destination of Pattaya. The final Bundhaya chalet tin live seen just past times that tree (may live clearer if yous click-expand). In March 2013 at that spot was a large evolution nether structure off beach 100m to right of photographic tv camera - to a greater extent than Bundhaya accommodation?
Back at my commencement see the shaded expanse inwards shot was serene. There was a neat piffling beach bar called Sunset Bar behind photographic tv camera in addition to the staff kept the sand hither pristine. There was/is some coral in addition to rocks to the left of frame for snorkelling. There was also a funky looking invitee theatre type identify a small distance right of frame where the islands cool travellers seemed to mitt out. Long gone.
Note at that spot is at nowadays a Navy Bar below the headland 100m behind/left of photographic tv camera - the route going upwardly the colina to the armed services base of operations starts there. The bar sells to tourists.
Note also my on my commencement visit, the whole dorsum of beach zone this side of Walking Street consisted of sand dunes. The southern one-half of Walking Street itself was a sandy track.
I've shown yous pix of the eastern in addition to western ends of Pattaya. This i is taken from the fundamental portion of the beach. Pretty sweetness in addition to non overcrowded inwards early March 2013 which for an isle similar Lipe is towards the destination of high season.
VARIN ON PATTAYA
Beach at Varin is existent prissy - some skilful trees for shade out of frame to left.
Lady Tezza aint a bum similar me, prefers aircon in addition to hot H2O if she tin larn it, so for our 2009 trip I did some enquiry on lower priced aircon rooms on Pattaya. LEEPAE's cheapest was also expensive although this old identify keeps getting updated in addition to did expression existent prissy latest visit. BUNDHAYA has a grand beach frontage reception/restaurant expanse in addition to is inwards a prissy department towards the eastern destination of the beach, but user reviews were quite savage virtually the cheaper bungalows. Reviews of VARIN were a chip amend so nosotros went for that, although The Lady tin forget virtually the hot H2O inwards our cost range. This identify has a huge position out of bungalows in addition to rooms closely packed behind the large reception-restaurant area.
Good points - Great spot fairly fundamental to the beach in addition to next to the cross isle rail with its abundance of restaurants in addition to shops. The beach inwards forepart is existent prissy with costless beach lounges for invitee (and no shortage), some prissy trees for shade in addition to beach umbrellas for hire summation a boueyed-off department for swimming with crystal clear H2O in addition to some quite skilful coral in addition to fishies relatively unopen to the beach for snorkellers. Use room towel equally beach towel in addition to and so swap at reception for fresh one.
Good buffet breakfasts - Varin gets a lot of parcel Thai tourists in addition to runs a really efficient brekka with a large attain of tasty stuff which tends to live pretty hot because novel trays are constantly arriving from the kitchen. But create sure yous go far early before the Thais are loaded onto longtails in addition to boats for the day's excursion - late-comers may detect the trays take away hold cooled. Other meals seeemed to live virtually 10-20% dearer than exterior restaurants - nosotros gave them a miss, at that spot is a huge attain of skilful alternatives nearby. Drink prices out of the refrigerator seemed pretty reasonable - at that spot is a store 3 minutes walk away at the start of Walking Street keeps them honest.
VARIN has a rep for rude service, but nosotros works life Aom2 in addition to the other people at reception charming in addition to efficient.
Bad points - our aircon/cold H2O bungalow was crap. It was genuinely an old backpackers' fan bungalow which had been tarted summation having an aircon added. Okay, it was inwards fine status in addition to create clean in addition to had flashpacker inclusions similar towels, soap, shampoo etc, a pretty comfy manful someone monarch size bed in addition to was situated inwards a sparsely planted but soundless prissy garden setting. But it was tiny, with just plenty room for 2 in addition to their gear, was packed unopen together with other bungalows in addition to worst characteristic - the bath was non a split room out back but portion of the primary room, partitioned off past times a concrete barrier which didn't go to the ceiling - in addition to a shower curtain. Better live on skilful olfactory in addition to auditory terms with your travelling partner. This seemed to live a characteristic of all the cheaper measure aircon in addition to fan rooms. Once yous go higher yous larn a split bathroom. And a bigger room. Spacing soundless fairly tight though.
At to the lowest degree Varin gives some warning. This shot was on their brochure (but non website) - that's the bath behind the white concrete wall. Note skilful mirror - but non inwards bath which makes shaving a hassle. Big manful someone monarch sized matress on right fills consummate expanse to forepart wall - these are non large bungalows.
Our squeezy measure aircon bungalow at Varin. Fan cottages seem identical apart from no compressor cranking thru the night.
So value - at 1300 shoulder flavour in addition to 1500 high flavour 2009 including brekka they take away hold to live kidding . Our peachy room at COOKIES on Phangan with fabulous beach views, hot water, TV, heaps of infinite in addition to a lovely puddle was cheaper at 1200 the previous August, high flavour on that side of the peninsula. But this is a characteristic of Lipe - similar Phi Phi, yous pay considerably to a greater extent than than at most islands for accommodation.
Newest rooms at Varin were what they telephone call upwardly their garden rooms inwards a large U shaped block - 64 units inwards total. Looked similar within to prissy western motel rooms. Asking 2100 high season.
SANOM BEACH
New to me inwards 2008, Sanom Beach Resort, which looks trad budget inwards style, has been built on a little cove behind the western headland of Pattaya Beach, accessed past times a bamboo in addition to timber walkway along the rocks from the corner of the beach below Pattaya Song. You take away hold to rock-hop the commencement 15m before reaching the walkway. This is a genuinely prissy piffling beach. Prices are inwards keeping with Lipe - 800 for a fan with bath early Dec09.
Brother Seaview Resort on the hillside behind Sanom beach (and with access to Pattay beach via Pattaya Song). I reckon budget travellers who detect Pattaya booked out inwards peak flavour should cheque this relatively hidden identify - at that spot are a fair few bungalows although exclusively a few take away hold actual sea views.
North Coast Beaches
This expanse seems to take away hold undergone a flurry of evolution since my final visit. In 2009 the exclusively northward coast bungalow places were Mountain View, an old rundown articulation directly to its west, Porn in addition to Fisheries Dept on Sunset Beach in addition to Bila Beach Bungalows farther W again.
There are several other strips of sand along here, most small/rocky/disappearing at high tide - in addition to inwards 2013 it seemed nearly all of them had a novel accommodation articulation usually perched on the hillside inwards a higher identify the beach - sometimes to a greater extent than than one.
Plus the route that goes eastward W slightly inland from the coast, at nowadays paved, had a few novel places.
Note pricing given their spot seemed a chip steep to me maybe accounting for few guests inwards early March 2013 when most of the isle was pretty busy. (although wonderingstar works life recent shoulder flavour pricing at some of these much to a greater extent than agreeable). So do people wander across hither inwards peak hoping to detect a vacancy? Maybe, but I did consider a few of these joints advertised at move agents on Walking St in addition to I'm sure a some volition go online to detect guests.
The northward coast from the east....
MOUNTAIN RESORT BEACH
Best see on Lipe? Outlook from Mountain Resort's eating theatre overlooking the prissy northern destination of Andaman (Sunrise) Beach where it wraps around the NE corner of the island, in addition to Ko Adang. Actually I regard Mountain equally an Andaman Beach resort in addition to take away hold a lot to a greater extent than information inwards that beach's department downwards page.
BETWEEN MOUNTAIN AND SUNSET BEACH
Next to Mountain Resort is an expanse which used to take away hold an old run-down no-name place. This has been cleared in addition to at that spot seems to live 2 novel places....
Closest to the water, Susanna Bungalow with prissy novel places on the colina overlooking the beach which tends to disappear at high tide (but a relatively small walk to the beach at Mountain Resort). Sign pinned upwardly at deserted reception inwards March 2013 - "beachfront" bungalows 400/500. H5N1 cope for Lipe.
Up-slope, closer the road, Cozy Cove Resort. Prices seemed no cope hither but sure they volition take away hold to come upwardly downwards to attract guests.
Further W is some other strip of similar sand which similar novel joints perched on the colina above. Interestingly these places are claiming the call SUNSET BEACH for their patch - the identify popularly know equally Sunset Beach at Porn Resort/Fishery Dept Bungalow just over the headland to the W is genuinely called HAT PRAMONG....seems visitors started calling it Sunset Beach on concern human relationship of the..um..sunsets.
Anyway the novel places are called Morgan Sunset Beach Resort and Lipe Sunset Beach Resort.
I'd live googling these places if I was trying to detect a non also flash vacancy at peak season.
SUNSET BEACH - um good the i nosotros all know equally Sunset Beach.
- is pretty fundamental to the settled portion of the northward coast, reached past times taking the rail to the left side (facing inland) of Daya Restaurant close Pattaya Song in addition to walking moderate slopes past times a few locals' houses in addition to so after five minutes turning right at the top of the little colina in addition to next the PORN signs for some other five minutes. You tin also access this beach from a rail inland from Brother Seaview Resort inwards a higher identify Sanom beach in addition to turning right when yous hitting the northward coast road. Sunset is a smaller, much quieter beach than Pattaya with 2 accomm places, PORN in addition to FISHERIES DEPT BUNGALOWS. Update - good there's some other 2 inwards March 2013, NO-NAME (see below) on the hillside to the northward in addition to KAFAIR HUT inland with the route leading across past times the temple to the primary angling hamlet area.
Sunset Beach and Porn take away hold a skilful rep inwards the guide books in addition to I had a peachy rest at that spot inwards the commencement portion of my initial see to the isle (in i of Porn's overflow tents!), but inwards early Dec 2009 things had deteriorated from that visit and from my pass-by inwards 2008. For a start they must take away hold had a hard 2009 moisture flavour because the beach was heavily eroded. Plus it was non all that create clean - it had manifestly been cleared upwardly at the start of dry out flavour but maybe exclusively in i lawsuit because at that spot was a lot of flotsam in addition to jetsam at dorsum of the beach. And for some argue the H2O was non equally clear equally previous visits. I was also disappointed to consider some broken bottles exposed past times erosion on i of the entry paths in addition to a heap of pigment tins in addition to an old bathroom bowl piled upwardly behind some bungalows. Maybe Porn is relaxing behind its skilful publicity - in addition to maybe things volition live a lot amend past times high season. By the way, beaches which take away hold lost mass sand past times tempest erosion tin recover inwards a thing of weeks given fine weather, so I wouldn't worry virtually this element if I had already booked for Christmas/New Year.
Wet flavour tempest moving ridge erosion on Sunset Beach inwards early Dec 09 - if yous expression carefully yous tin consider the moving ridge swash inwards the background inwards this high tide shot - the beach is pretty narrow. But the shot inwards a higher identify this was taken a few days after at total depression tide, so early Dec visitors soundless had a fair stretch of sand a lot of the time. See my comments virtually drinking glass on the beach inwards the RUBBISH department downwards page.
March 2013 - beach inwards much amend status - an extra 3/4 months since the destination of the moisture flavour saw whatever erosion at the top of the beach filled in addition to really piffling glass. Sand looks less white partly because much is wet, to a greater extent than due to the miserable color resolution of my latest elcheapo Olympus dot in addition to snap. Excuse - it was cheap.
Porn's forepart row fan with bath bungalows were going for 1200 inwards March 2013 with 2d rowers K - expensive but cheaper than many similar places on other beaches. The prissy lady inwards accuse told me they no longer do tents - "...have many novel bungalows" - in addition to they do. The eating theatre has okay nutrient at slightly higher than average Lipe prices. Service was a chip dour when I had a repast inwards 2009 but genuinely friendly inwards 2013.
Nice outlook from Porn's eating theatre - that is Adang nearest in addition to Rawi behind - both National Park islands.
Late extra! Alas, Porn is no more. In a late Jan 2015 article virtually changes at Lipe, Travelfish shows a shot of demolished Porn - apparently a flash resort is planned.
FISHERIES DEPT is exclusively abt 100m farther north-east, with a similar eating theatre in addition to a reputation for the cheapest non-inland accommodation on the isle inwards high flavour inwards what seems to live rooms inwards concrete blocks rather than bungalows. However inwards 2009 they were non yet opened upwardly inwards early December. The eating theatre looked to take away hold been refurbished since 08. They were opened upwardly inwards March 2013 - but prices quoted me were no longer cope basement - a chip higher than nearby Porn.
Just inland from PORN/FISHERIES (take the walkway inwards from SUBAYE SPORTS (diving) is FLOUR POWER BAKERY with some yummy pastries, skilful normal meals in addition to peachy shakes etc. Prices are non budget-bungalow cheap, but the stuff is existent nice.
Follow the walkway less than five minutes inland to accomplish JACK'S JUNGLE - which has prissy bungalows in addition to gets skilful reports for nutrient in addition to for lively times at the Jungle Bar. KAFAIR HUT is a chip closer inwards the same full general direction.
A tezza shot Nov 08 - Porn's bungalows in addition to eating theatre are behind the trees to the right, but take away hold skilful sea-views. There was major constuction work** going on at Fisheries Dept at the far destination which made the beach less pristine than I think it - but it soundless doesn't expression also bad at all. I had a existent prissy swim in addition to some sun-time.
**actually I works life out this latest see that the Thai Princess had a large beach theatre built on the headland ridge north-west of Fisheries with peachy views of Adang in addition to Rawi - there's also a line of prissy looking chalets presumably for her buddies built on a little cove the other side of the headland.
Thai Princess's identify on headland southward destination of Sunset Beach. Bigger than it looks hither but soundless pretty small-scale compared to some of her vacation joints. Sign says NO ENTRANCE.
NEW TO SUNSET BEACH 2013
The happy dude from Kafair Hut some distance inland eastward of the beach had set upwardly a neat piffling snack stand upwardly at the far northern destination of Sunset Beach.
For at nowadays I'll telephone call upwardly these NO NAME bungalows (like a dummy I didn't ask) - novel places on the colina northward of the beach with tree-interrupted views of the sand. Prices seemed a chip high.
Continuing westward of Sunset Beach, the next km or so has at to the lowest degree five little patches of sand, many of which had some sort of identify to rest most novel to me on this latest trip. I noticed 2 bungalow outfits similar to NO NAME over the commencement 400m. Not much farther is La Luna Beach aka Mia Luna/Mid Luna. The Mid Luna Bar there has been an on/off suggestion for years, but latest trip I also noticed they had a camping ground area.
LA LUNA BEACH
La Luna beach typical of little northward coast jobs.
La Luna looks the identify for yous camping ground enthusiasts. Apparently some are permanent tents for rent.
Speaking of camping, cheque the tent nether the trees just right of center. This is next the spit close Mountain Resort. The nicest department of beach on Lipe IMHO is along that far shore. Note nearest bungalows are just out of frame to right, belonging to Andaman Resort - but I dubiety they ain the nation nether the trees. All Thai beaches are owned past times the manful someone monarch in addition to he doesn't hear his subjects in addition to visitors camping ground on them. btw quite a few bungalow joints don't hear yous camping ground on their nation equally long equally yous utilization the restaurant.
In unopen succession heading W in i lawsuit to a greater extent than from La Luna are ii or 3 similar little beaches. One is Bila Beach...
BILA BEACH
This prissy piffling beach is virtually 500m W of Sunset Beach. There has been a beach bar hither for years but I was delighted inwards 2008 to detect the owners had refurbished it in addition to built a handful of prissy traditional bungalows summation H5N1 DORM. .
New fan/bathroom bungalows at Bila Bar in addition to Resort built on the gradient inwards a higher identify the beach. That's ex-New Yorker co-owner Emily cleaning on the verandah. Those 4 doors opened upwardly to a bigger than normal bungalow with similarly large bath behind. The dorm is similar - has 2 double bunks with thick manful someone monarch sized unmarried matresses Emily told me she had to fellowship specially.
Dorms 300, normal bungalows around 700.
UPDATE 2013 - Bila Beach Bungalows seems to take away hold headed upmarket. The dorm has gone although the bungalows inwards a higher identify the beach looked much the same (note wonderingstar in his excellent update on Lipe places done inwards Dec 2012 says they take away hold some newer, flasher bungalows a chip farther west, but I didn't consider them). Prices inwards the eating theatre were decidedly midrange* cheque them below. Emily had gone also although her ex-boyfriend was soundless running the joint.
300 baht for mains! Same inwards 2013 would live 100 at Porn, lxxx on Walking Street.
* most midrange places I take away hold stayed at on the islands would non go over 150 for most of these dishes. The inwards a higher identify are to a greater extent than five star hotel prices.
Heading W again, within a really small distance at that spot is some other little beach with some concrete bungalows high on the cliffs - wonderingstar says they are at nowadays owned past times the the resort on the next beach (Pitiusas) in addition to were unfinished 4 months before my visit. I was also lazy to hike upwardly in addition to cheque them out. H5N1 small stone hop farther W (also accessible from the road) is an attractive newish to a greater extent than midrange-looking resort on a slightly bigger less rocky beach than most along here.
PITISUSAS BEACH
Pitiusus resort looked pretty sweet. The beach was to a greater extent than expansive than all the others W of Sunset too.
Pricing at fourth dimension of writing (April 2013) aint inexpensive - 2500 peak, 200 high, 1200 depression from the website) but if user reviews on Trip Adviser etc are positive this could live the identify for yous flashpacker dudes wanting somewhere away from the madding crowds. I notice Agoda is listing this articulation too.
Continuing on at that spot is a serial of tiny scrappy beaches (with no accommodation at the fourth dimension of writing) right along the coast to the western tip of the island. These are best accessed past times boat - the route turns into a dirt rail in addition to before long peters out.
East Coast Beaches
ANDAMAN BEACH - aka SUNRISE BEACH
Andaman Beach (Sunrise Beach) southward - portion of angling hamlet right, hillside bungalows of Viewpoint/ Serendipity, far left (image Castaway Resort) - the northern tertiary is out of frame to the right but tin live seen 2 shots below.
Andaman is the long beach which takes upwardly most of the eastern side of the island. The department inwards the middle used to live dominated past times the angling hamlet in addition to crowded with long tails, angling traps etc making it the to the lowest degree attractive section, but over the years the hamlet section, at to the lowest degree fronting the beach, has progressively shrunk equally resorts take away hold over the area. Now it takes upwardly exclusively 150m or the beach, the isle directly northward a similar distance.
2013 - the beach inwards forepart of the hamlet soundless messy. Disappointingly the department inwards forepart of the schoolhouse was non much better.
As yous caput northward from the schoolhouse things gets progressively nicer. There are virtually 3 resorts inwards this direction. ANDAMAN RESORT is the northern most i (discounting Mountain Resort around the corner) in addition to has a huge attain of bungalows.
The nicest section of beach on the isle IMHO is right at the northern tip of the eastward coast just before in addition to where Andaman beach wraps around the northward eastward corner of the island, turning W to cast a lovely white sand spit which extends outwards a small distance towards Ko Adang.
The northern destination of Andaman is nicest - Andaman Resort's eating theatre is to the left equally are the to a greater extent than expensive bungalows. The traditional fan jobs are nether those casuarina trees farther from camera. The beach turns hard left towards Mountain Resort at the destination - that is mountainous Ko Adang yous tin consider background right.
Best of the best. The far northward destination Andaman just before it turns around to the left towards the spit in addition to Mountain Resort.
MOUNTAIN RESORT is situated at the top of a depression cliff overlooking this wrap-around department at the northward destination of Andaman beach, in addition to has a rep for beingness i the most attractive accommodation paces on the island.
I've ever wanted to rest hither in addition to with The Lady seeking comfort, nosotros went for this inwards the commencement one-half of the early Dec 2009 visit.
Approaching Mountain Resort inwards our longtail. Guys run downwards in addition to alternative upwardly your luggage. Great clifftop eating theatre to right. Clifftop in addition to beachlevel bungalows were most expensive, other bungalows are ranged upwardly hillside inwards the trees behind. Beach-level edifice closest the stairway is the famous Karma Bar - no longer called that in addition to nether novel management. 2013 - at that spot is a bungalow at that spot now.
There is some other stairway upwardly from the beach out of frame to left.
The eating theatre serves upwardly pretty skilful nutrient at prices maybe 20% upwardly on budget bungalow average.
Inclusive buffet breakfasts were pretty good, but tended to cool pretty chop-chop if the heating flames below the dishes blew out inwards the wind.
Wind was a work on 2 of our 4 early Dec days - the infamous early dry out flavour north-easterlies kicked inwards strongly, so much so that conditions genuinely became unpleasant inwards the restaurant. I take away hold spent a fair fourth dimension inwards the Andaman but to a greater extent than ofttimes than non on sheltered beaches - exposed beaches are fewer but of the xxx odd days I've spent on exposed beaches exclusively these 2 were windy plenty to live unpleasant. (I take away hold noticed since that quite a few days inwards Nov in addition to Dec tin larn blustery. Not such a skilful fourth dimension to live taking a long speedboat trip - tin larn existent bumpy in addition to wet. As dry out flavour progresses this becomes less of a problem).
The nearest alternative eating theatre to Mountain is Andaman Resort's, maybe 10 minutes away on the beach. You tin hold walking the beach past times Andaman Resort in addition to accomplish the start of the cross isle WALKING STREET inwards virtually some other 10 behind Varin 2 aka Varin Village - plenty of skilful value restaurants here.
You tin walk out the dorsum of Andaman in addition to take away hold a to a greater extent than direct inland route to WALKING STREET in addition to maybe salve five minutes - you'll demand a torch at night. And past times turning right when walking out the dorsum yous tin accomplish Sunrise Beach farther W on the northward coast inwards around 10-15 minutes (you tin also beach/rock hop upwardly to Sunrise below virtually i quarter tide).
This is Chez Tezza at Mountain, the cheapest aircon bungalow at 1400 shoulder - 1600 high including brekka. Note mutual frigidness H2O - but some of Mountain's fan bungalows take away hold hot H2O - go figure. Pay to a greater extent than in addition to yous tin larn a much nicer newer bigger aircon bungalow with hot water, TV etc.
The cheapest aircon bungalows were situated inwards the 3rd in addition to higher rows away from the cliffside - most were staggered to give some glimpses of the sea in addition to neighbouring Ko Adang.
The bungalows were non also bad - inwards skilful condition, normal flashpacker inclusions similar towels, lather etc, large plenty for ii summation gear - a tertiary invitee would live a chip squeezy but possible.
I thought the biggest letdown was the lack of paths - the heavily erosion from moisture flavour had left lots of exposed roots, gulleys, fifty-fifty a few H2O pipes in addition to fifty-fifty though lighting of the grounds at nighttime is non also bad, the shadows of the holes in addition to gullies create visibility hard in addition to at i phase Lady Tezza tripped in addition to fell. Not skilful plenty for 1400-1600 inwards 2009. UPDATE - I checked these bungalows inwards 2013. The expanse looked identical.
Note the newer expanse on the western side of the eating theatre had skilful paths inwards 2009.
Quite a few of the fan bungalows take away hold prime number spot inwards the 2d row where isle sea views are less interrupted.
Panoramic shot from Mountain Resort's eating theatre - Ko Adang inwards background. That's the northern most department of Andaman beach forming a spit on the right - Andaman Resort has bungalows really unopen to the beach there (images Mountain Resort )
Same department of beach from the eating theatre inwards before years.
Below is a belatedly Nov 09 shot of Mountain's beach - spot the difference.
2009. Indications of a tough moisture flavour - the recurved destination of the spit has been washed away. It's hard to consider inwards this shot but the H2O closest to the eating theatre had a plume. This is non odd on resort beaches, waste materials H2O is ofttimes non fully filtered past times the asset tanks in addition to sand - Bila had a little one, parts of Sunset seemed specially bad that year, parts of the primary portion of Andaman were a chip suss. Interestingly busiest Pattaya was pristine.
Anyway, I did all my swimming at Mountain towards the destination of the spit were the H2O was really nice. There are some interesting lumps of coral off-shore.
UPDATE - LATER SHOT
Steve Manklow sent me this pic taken inwards Feb 2010 - 2 months after my shot inwards a higher identify this one. Note how the recurved destination of the spit has regrown. Doesn't take away hold long.
Steve also gave this information on Mountain Resort: Just got dorsum from Lipe in addition to tin study that the sand bar is dorsum on Mountain resort beach.
We had a forepart row hut @ mount view, really prissy see but resort was lacking inwards many areas (service, food, breakfast, theatre keeping, staff mood) even so i knew this to live the representative before booking in addition to the see to a greater extent than than made upwardly for it.
The isle has certainly changed since our final see inwards 2003 but it remains a prissy identify to visit.
UPDATE - LATEST SHOT
March 2013. I just had to larn dorsum to Mountain Resort's eating theatre for a meal. That dead H2O department this side of the spit soundless doesn't expression pristine. Water splendid far side.
UPDATE - NEW ACCOMMODATION
Starting directly behind Mountain's eating theatre in addition to also ranging across its top border were these rather flash modern accommodation blocks, novel to me inwards 2013
ANDAMAN RESORT
If yous cheque the far right of the the shot 4 upwardly from this (above Steve's) yous tin consider what looks to live ii people standing close the grass in addition to trees (if yous click-expand the shot yous volition consider it is genuinely a sign - for Andaman resort). In the trees just to the right of the sign are the the most northerly of Andaman Resort's bungalows which stretch through the trees in addition to around the corner of the beach for maybe 400m to the eating theatre area. I've ever reckoned the most northerly bungalows take away hold a fabulous postion genuinely fronting Mountain's beach - in addition to ever seem largely vacant inwards shoulder season, but when I came dorsum from Adang inwards Nov08 heavy pelting had created a little lake inwards forepart of them, so I took a similar bungalow much closer to the restaurant. The next beach around the corner at that spot is equally said the best stretch of sand on the island.
I ever seek to rest inwards a novel identify when I revisit in addition to was determined that trip to try Andaman Resort with its peachy position, despite bad reviews inwards the various forums. Um 500 for a not-too-flash trad fan bungalow inwards the dorsum (3rd) row inwards shoulder flavour 08. And world-champ haggler tezza can’t bring down this a baht. This is directly on crossing from Adang where I had a gorgeous, huge almost create novel tile-floor in addition to concrete fan bungalow with skylight, dormer windows, tinted sliding doors in addition to fabulous views for 600.
BTW - apart from the exxy bungalows, Andaman Resort wasn’t also bad at all. Maybe I’m easily pleased.
This is a front-rower at Andaman Resort, identical inwards all other ways to my back-rower. Basically just a traditional bamboo thatch walled fan task with a bath in addition to verandah - 600b inwards belatedly Nov shoulder - 700 come upwardly Dec. Nice spot - the beach out forepart is peachy in addition to at that spot are prissy views across to Adang which yous tin consider inwards the background - in addition to to Tarutao in addition to Langkawi if yous are a chip farther southward around the bend of the beach. H5N1 fair few longtails during the twenty-four hours (but nowhere close equally painful equally on Pattaya Beach) but I noticed it was pretty peaceful at night.
It aint equally black nether the trees equally this shot appears - my elcheapo point-and-shoot Olympus of the fourth dimension couldn't handgrip contrast variations.
Andaman also has some attractive concrete beachfront bungalows unopen to the eating theatre which expression to live aircon.
I can't think the eating theatre beingness anything special nutrient in addition to cost wise in addition to this was confirmed on my next 09 trip when nosotros walked around from Mountain for dinner.
Between the Andaman Resort in addition to the angling hamlet is the smaller LIPE BEACH RESORT (traditional vogue budget bungalows) in addition to the school. The beach exterior the angling hamlet is pretty messy with lots of rubbish, broken glass, boat mooring ropes etc - at to the lowest degree they take away hold cleared away the old broken boat motors etc.
MID ANDAMAN BEACH
The department of Andaman Beach south of the angling hamlet improves, although it tin larn a chip shallow along hither at lowest tide. There are virtually some other one-half dozen bungalow places, inluding the huge TARUTAO CABANA, VARIN VILLAGE aka Varin 2, GIPSY RESORT, FORRA DIVE SUNSET.
Beach inwards forepart of Varin Village. Nice department of beach inwards a skilful spot - the cross-island path which becomes Walking Street is inwards dorsum of the resort. About six rows x 12 trad vogue bungalows here. Popular.
SOUTH ANDAMAN BEACH
This is taken from the large stone which separates Andaman beach from Viewpoint's 2 piffling beaches farther south. For my commencement few visits nix much was happening hither - inwards 2009 several novel places were nether structure in addition to inwards this 2013 shot it is just virtually fullly built out. Some of the novel places include the attractive upmarket CASTAWAY, ZANON SUNRISE, in addition to the really upmarket IDYLLLIC. If yous click-expand yous may notice the beach way upwardly the top inwards this close high-tide pic gets REAL skinny.
Castaways Resort. I've never seen a identify attract so many conflicting reports on move forums*, in addition to a expression at its website shows it aint just budget. But those 2 storey bungalows expression pretty cool to me. The beach hither aint peachy or bad, but Viewpoint's/Serendipity's skilful beach is less than five minutes farther southward in addition to the prissy destination of Andaman close Andaman Resort/Mountain Resort is 10 minutes north.
* that was when I checked inwards 2009 - may take away hold lifted its game.
VIEWPOINT BUNGALOWS’ TWO LITTLE BEACHES
Websites ofttimes refer to these equally portion of Andaman (Sunrise) beach but these are just southward inwards little twin bays (take the path behind the stone I was standing on 2 shots upwardly page) in addition to are really nice, specially the further, most southerly i which Viewpoint Bungalow at nowadays shares with Serendipity Resort.
Back when I commencement visited the isle at that spot was no resort hither or nearby, yet the farther beach was soundless pop with travelers.
Note at depression tide the twin bays tin larn existent shallow, specially inwards the northern bay where the coral was exposed right across to the little forested islet virtually 150m offshore (in a month’s lowest [no moon] tide). The same tide inwards the southern bay saw okay swimming inwards the sandy sections betwixt coral outcrops in addition to wading possible right out to the reef drop-off. Snorkeling was skilful along the drop-off at all tides in addition to fairly interesting closer to the beach at higher tide levels.
Note at that spot was a slight tidal electrical flow moving thru this expanse at higher tide levels - I works life it like shooting fish in a barrel to swim against but parents should hold an oculus on kids. The same electrical flow moves along the reef drop-off at depression tide in addition to is stronger. Note tidal currents tend to live strongest mid-tide.
Viewpont's southern beach.
My favourite Lipe location is VIEWPOINT BUNGALOW where I stayed inwards March 07. This identify reads upwardly existent prissy inwards the move guides in addition to on travelfish.
I wasn’t disappointed. As belatedly equally 2009 it was an old vogue beach-hut type place, with rustic bungalows built upwardly the steep hillside overlooking twin compact bays just southward of a little headland at the destination of the large eastern beach, Andaman. When I returned inwards 2013 at that spot were some prissy novel aircon beachfront bungalows summation a lot of rebuilding of the hillside area.
Most of the hilside bungalows take away hold really prissy views from their verandas. Mine was the 2d highest, cutting into the rainforest upwardly a pretty awesome set of stairs, in addition to was panoramic - Koh Usen, a little islet just offshore, Tarutao inwards the far distance, mountainous Ko Adang unopen to the northward with the sweep of Andaman Bay between.
View from my bungalow straight east.
....and north.
2013 - the novel bungalows directly behind Viewpoint's to a greater extent than northern beach. Aircon at 1500baht in high flavour (well I consider early March start of shoulder season) is a reasonable cope for Lipe where anything fronting a beach is becoming seriously expensive.
Also novel to me inwards 2013, a flash articulation called SERENDIPITY built upwardly the hillside just southward of Viewpoint. I had a wander around, really prissy bungalows in addition to atmospheric high set eating theatre with viewing platforms nearby. I think it was opened inwards 2011 or 12.
The nicer to a greater extent than southern beach viewed from Serendipity's wooden walkway/stairs.
ANOTHER NEW JOINT IN THE AREA
The costless isle map available everywhere on arrival showed some other articulation POOH'S GARDEN RESORT fifty-fifty farther southward than Serendipity. So I went in addition to had a look, accessing via the jungle rail which leads from the route behind the resorts on southward Sunrise beach. In March 2013 this novel articulation looked a piece of work inwards progress. H5N1 steep expanse downwards the hillside to the sea had been largely cleared but at that spot was exclusively a few crude oil bungalows at the top in addition to these looked to live staff/builder occupied.
There was no beach access hither - just a rocky mini-cove. I tried to rock-hop northward to Viewpoint/Serendipi'tys best beach but it was also difficult. I think edifice a walkway along at that spot may encroach on Serendipity land. Nevertheless this i bears rechecking - several lovely places on Ko Tao larn past times with just rocky coves in addition to this novel articulation is beingness developed past times the famous Pooh's back on Walking Street, an isle establishment which has ever been a degree act.
WALKING AROUND THE SOUTH EAST CORNER OF THE ISLAND TO PATTAYA BEACH:
DON’T!
I saw a few people walking on past times VIEWPOINT’S bays at depression tide inwards an elbow grease to larn around to Pattaya Beach. I saw them walking back. It is really hard in addition to dangerous. I did it on my commencement see - it took me virtually ninety minutes (I had figured 10), at that spot are several cliffs which yous must climb upwardly or down, in addition to on i my hand-hold broke off (weathered stone - d'oh, what a surprise with all that common salt air about!) in addition to I nearly brutal in addition to broke my neck.
The best way is to go dorsum to Andaman/Sunrise beach fundamental in addition to utilization Walking Street.
You tin also climb the steep stairs thru VIEWPOINT/SERENDIPITY/POOH'S GARDEN - at the top the rail drops thu the jungle, goes past times a few local residential areas, joins the route behind the southward Sunset Beach resorts in addition to comes out close Poh’s on Walking Street - but this aint genuinely whatever shorter. Nice walk though.
Avert your eyes if the long term French daughter resident of the highest Viewpoint bungalow is walking around her veranda naked. I was shocked at this affront to Thai cultural standards - but I didn’t tell anything, partly to non embarrass her. But mainly because she had a totally hot body.
EXCURSIONS
On my commencement see in addition to in i lawsuit to a greater extent than in March 2013 I took i of the snorkeling trips offered all around the isle to the surrounding area. This took a one-half twenty-four hours in addition to nosotros commencement snorkeled a reef mid way betwixt Lipe in addition to Ko Rawi, in addition to and so did fringing reefs on islets close Rawi in addition to Ko Adang. The coral in addition to fish life were pretty skilful past times Thai standards. There are also total twenty-four hours trips which offering an extra snorkelling halt in addition to tiffin on i of the beaches.
First halt was a mid-ocean reef betwixt Ko Lipe in addition to Ko Rawi. Frankly this is a chip disappointing - the H2O is deep in addition to non all that clear. When I dived downwards to the bottom the coral in addition to fishies didn't whelm me. People inwards shot are domestic tourists. Most Thais can't swim - thence the life-jackets.
Much amend were the next 2 stops inwards the lee of little Ko Hing Nam - the H2O was pretty shallow hither in addition to visibility good. So also were the coral in addition to fish.
Our beach halt was on i of the long strips of sand which line the western coast of large mountainous Ko Adang. Adang is a national commons isle so these beaches tend to take away hold few people although our cruise downwards the coast showed sea gypsies had set upwardly little camps inwards a few places.
Our trip was labelled a HALF DAY SUNSET SNORKELLING CRUISE.
Lipe has a position out of dive operators in addition to at that spot are many dive sites inwards the surrounding area.
It's dead like shooting fish in a barrel to grab a longtail at 50b per someone in addition to pass fourth dimension on Adang's lovely beach. There is a peachy scenic picket which exclusively takes xxx minutes to access in addition to a less than whelming waterfall after an threescore minutes or so's prissy rainforest walk which turns into a circus river stone hop the final 300m. See my Adang page.
FOOD
I'm non a gourmet. Being a budget traveller, if it's cheap, fills me in addition to tastes okay, I'm happy. But for nutrient lovers Sbruny provided this inwards Feb 09- "Koh Lipe is express for splendid food. The best thai is at the Jungle Bar inwards the middle of the island. For seafood seek the sea gypsy identify on Pattaya beach. For prissy see with repast the Mountain Resort can't live beat. For tasty fried chicken seek the muslim ladies behind the local schoolhouse early inwards the morning. Overall, I would tell the nutrient on Koh Lipe really average compared to the residual of Thailand. However, the isle in addition to surrounding are spectacular."
I'll add together that several users take away hold reported Pattaya Song's eating theatre does peachy Italian nutrient - The Lady in addition to I shared a pizza when nosotros stayed at Varin on Pattaya in addition to it seemed pretty skilful to me.
UPDATE - Lipe has expanded so much since 2009 specially inwards the mid-range in addition to amend that I'm sure at that spot is at nowadays a bunch of character places to eat.
RUBBISH PROBLEMS ON LIPE
Lipe gets bad press from some visitors for high amounts of trash on beaches, around edifice sites in addition to dumped beside hinterland tracks in addition to the angling hamlet outskirts.
Early dry out flavour beach junk on northward destination of Andaman (Sunrise) Beach (image WEBME - click the link for other similar shots)
Bigger epitome from THEMANZOMANDISTARSQUADRON - soundless Andaman Beach.
Beach rubbish is largely a seasonal thing.
Most of it is Thai domestic rubbish + rainforest debris carried to the sea past times flooding wet-season streams + an amazing amount of angling boat detritus. H5N1 lot of this stuff gets moved considerable distances past times currents in addition to air current in addition to dumped on Lipe.
In dry out flavour much less rubbish gets washed in addition to blown onshore - in addition to a greater proportion is angling junk. In this flavour most bungalows are pretty conscientious inwards cleaning beaches each morning. Few places are opened upwardly inwards moisture season, so things are allow go. If yous occur to go far very early inwards dry out flavour before locals larn around to clearing the build-up, in addition to so WEBME's pix is the result. My Andaman beach shot upwardly page (the i with the speedboat inwards midground) was taken exclusively 2 weeks after WEBME's - a pretty large contrast.
Beach dump of cement bags early dry out flavour (image WEBME)
Many people larn upset virtually unsightly edifice activity. ISLANDBOI has some skilful edifice shots here.
Wet flavour in addition to early dry out flavour sees frantic edifice activeness to destination projects for high flavour - so unsightly dumps of edifice materials in addition to edifice sites are non uncommon at these times. CHANCHAO has pointed out that yous can't larn somewhere to slumber in addition to take away hold a repast if no edifice takes place. Hardliners tell at that spot is already also much evolution in addition to the reply is to avoid the island.
Note I saw much less than normal edifice activeness this latest trip - virtually nix on the beaches in addition to the novel shop-fronts had been completed on the cross isle rail (and don't they expression so much amend than the messy old collection of ramshackle joints that used to live there). Most novel edifice was taking identify on the side roads away from the primary rail - the concern expanse is expanding laterally.
Environmentally aware travellers tin larn depressed past times the amount of domestic in addition to bungalow/restaurant trash dumped with tracks inwards the hinterland, on the outskirts of the hamlet in addition to fifty-fifty behind sure bungalows. This is non a seasonal work - it's 365/12, but seemed less evident inwards the lates trip. Maybe that 20baht trash taxation on entry is having some impact.
Like many islands, Lipe for a long fourth dimension had no organised rubbish collection in addition to disposal - it was left to resorts in addition to households to cart their stuff to the dump. And unfortunately some Thais are pretty lazy when disposing of identify in addition to tourist generated trash.
Possible answers are environmental didactics (directed at the angling manufacture too), less laxity, to a greater extent than money in addition to resources (Lipe is portion of Satun local regime area) in addition to an elbow grease past times tourists themselves to cutting downwards on trash generating activities. Suggestions include a national commons type visitor quota organization - hard to implement for an isle which is non administered past times the National Park.
Hardline environmentalists urge travellers to avoid the island. Your call. Note that dumped rubbish is mutual throughout SE Asia - maybe sensitive travellers should avoid the expanse equally a whole. I'm so used to it I didn't detect Lipe anything out of the ordinary - but certainly if yous take away hold just arrived from Lanta, Phuket, Langkawi or other islands where trash collection inwards most areas is amend organised, yous could think Lipe looks messy inwards comparison.
PROGRESS 09
The promised rubbish removal service past times the Satun provincial regime has started. This large barge was beached inwards the centre of Pattaya close Leepae Resort in addition to a shuttle of trucks was transferring both domestic rubbish in addition to edifice cloth cast-offs from the fundamental isle tip. The same "Lipe is a rubbish dump" moaners volition likely at nowadays complain virtually visual in addition to olfactory pollution to the beach.
The barge was loading for a skilful five hours. Later inwards our trip a smaller boat was receiving the same type of cargo.
Rubbish bins similar these on the cross isle WALKING STREET were set upwardly inwards several parts of the isle - if yous click to enlarge yous tin consider they cater for the usual general, organic in addition to recycle waste.
The hamlet itself seems a lot neater. I think this is largely the effect of concrete paving of a few of the cross streets leading off the cross isle rail - formerly these were dusty wayfares which turned to mud (or pools where the drainage was poor).
REGRESSION
The beach at the hamlet had gone downhill since 08. H5N1 tempest surge coupled with a manful someone monarch tide (as occured inwards Oct 09) would launder most of this junk into the sea, including the bottles - in addition to thus nosotros larn hereafter broken glass.
BROKEN GLASS
Lady Tezza's underprivileged childhood has made her world champion at finding stuff on the ground - I in i lawsuit saw her scoop upwardly a heap of coins inwards shin-high grass on a black nighttime - in addition to the amount of drinking glass she in addition to I managed to collect on our early Dec trip to Lipe was amazing. On Sunset Beach nosotros loaded a washed upwardly 10 litre plastic handbag (Malaysian inwards source) half-way with with the stuff in addition to had several unbroken bottles separate. It was worse on the scaggy low-tide-only beach behind the Thai Princess' hangers-on chalets (I bet the violet dogsbodies do a large clean-up of both this in addition to Sunset before each of her visits). Disappointingly the beach at Mountain yielded quite a supply. But Andaman/Sunrise Beach was worst - nosotros had to create several unloads at bins inwards resorts equally nosotros moved downwards the beach - with the hamlet expanse worst of all. The best? Maligned Pattaya - inwards several total length walks I managed to detect exclusively a few pieces of drinking glass in addition to no bottles.
The sources of most of this drinking glass are Thai fishermen who throw their Red Bull in addition to beer bottles overboard in addition to lazy Thai villagers who chuck bottles onto the beach or dump them inwards a higher identify the normal tide grade (where a tempest surge tin soundless larn them) - the bottles nail on seaside rocks (wind + currents + moving ridge swash in addition to the long-shore drift volition take away hold them there) in addition to and so beach drifting/wave swash volition distribute the broken drinking glass onto the beach. BTW if yous are picking up, include those sand-rounded bits - nosotros after met a Swedish daughter who stepped on i of these which in addition to so broke in addition to cutting her.
Eradicating these dumping practices is the best solution - inwards the hateful time, resort owners take away hold to RAKE the beach each morn to sift out the drinking glass in addition to other rubbish. Note drinking glass was a little work on nearby Bulon Lae in addition to Langkawi where resorts in addition to other beach businesses do this conscientiously.
Now I wonder if my see to Lipe was also early for many of the resorts to start this sifting - I can't believe places similar Mountain in addition to Porn resorts volition desire visitor complaints in addition to injury when things larn genuinely busy. They should live doing this right from the start of the flavour - it was obvious many Pattaya places were. I wonder too, if I'm lucky - I've wandered the beaches/waded inwards the H2O for 4 visits bare-footed in addition to never cutting myself. I've never noticed much drinking glass - but in addition to so I wouldn't notice Paris Hilton sunbathing naked on the sand unless I tripped over her.
Maybe peak flavour visitors could post inwards in addition to comment on the drinking glass situation.
UPDATE MARCH 2013 - March is after peak season, giving the isle an extra 2 months to clear drinking glass - in addition to yep, things were pretty good.
Broken beer bottle works life directly on hitting the Princess' dorsum beach (this is the i for which novel bungalows inwards a higher identify the beach take away hold stolen the call SUNSET BEACH from the amend beach next west) - interestingly I take away hold it sitting on the supports for the H2O pipeline which comes onshore hither from nearby Ko Adang waterfall. Lipe has few permanent streams - I know of none inwards the settled eastern one-half of the island.
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Water pipeline from Adang. Some of yous cynics mightiness think it is a sewage pipe, but trust me, it is good away from the Princess' joint, at that spot were no other resorts inwards line at the fourth dimension of the shot in addition to it is pointing straight at the waterfall expanse on Adang's southern slopes. I take away hold hiked upwardly to these falls - at that spot are 3 similar pipes to a little pondage expanse a chip higher than the falls.
THE RUBBISH-GLASS SITUATION MARCH 2013 - Lipe has done a Phi Phi in addition to at nowadays imposes a 20bhat trash avoidance fee on entry. Main comport on I saw was a daily run of garbage collection along Walking Street. However I must acknowledge the residual of the isle did non seem to take away hold equally much trash roadside etc. The drinking glass province of affairs on the beaches was amend also - but this could live that my March see had five months of high flavour for the broken stuff to live picked upwardly past times conscientious people similar Lady Tezza in addition to of course of study past times resort beach clean-up crews.
I reckon the best fourth dimension to guess the comport on of the novel trash fee would live early high season, tell mid Nov - do they pass some of the taxation on organised piece of work gangs to clear the beaches of the moisture flavour air current blown stuff pictured upwardly page? Or is this left to private resorts to eventually larn around to equally inwards the past?
OVERBUILDING
People returning to Lipe after some fourth dimension larn a stupor at the amount of novel places. It seems most obvious that most beach places take away hold been taken - but I reckon nosotros volition start to consider to a greater extent than joints on sea-side rocks, headlands similar Tao, Phangan etc.
The other procedure nosotros volition consider is to a greater extent than of the knock downwards the inexpensive articulation in addition to build a flasher identify - similar at Sita on western Pattaya - in addition to of course of study expand in addition to redevelop the articulation equally Varin has so successfully done on its Pattaya site. (I wrote that inwards 2009 - notation the novel northward coast places 2013 I cite upwardly page. And the knockdown in addition to redevelopment of existing beach places I saw same trip. Jeez. I'm psychic! ....Um, non genuinely - both are no-brainers).
Even the most anti-development traveller volition welcome some of the newer edifice activeness such equally the paving of the cross-island WALKING STREET in addition to the neater shop-fronts along it summation the concreting of some of the formerly dire hamlet streets that intesect it.
The paved rail on Walking Street - virtually time! The biggest negative on Lipe eliminated IMHO. Note this is a belatedly 08 shot when the paving was exclusively a few months old - i yr after it was considerably sandier in addition to dustier inwards parts. Still a huge improvement on the daggy mess before.
UPDATE 2013 - route paving has continued. Now all the hamlet cross-streets seems to live concrete. H5N1 lot of the narrow route leading away from the hamlet expanse towards the northward in addition to W of the isle ditto.
My 2013 see reinforced the fact that I genuinely similar Walking Street these days. There is a huge array of restaurants, shops, move agents, supermarkets, bakeries, tattoo joints, bars etc. Competition keeps prices competitive in addition to its closed to motorcycles etc from early afternoon to mid-night. The identify has a prissy vibe IMHO.
If yous desire a inexpensive identify to rest unopen to the fundamental Pattaya beach boat landing point, Walking Street in addition to the lanes leading off it take away hold the pick. Simply walk along in addition to cheque the signs: at that spot were several places around 500 inwards belatedly high flavour 2013.
GIPSY 2 RIVENDELL
I was after a relatively inexpensive identify (not botttom budget) for March 2013 I could volume online - I was a chip spooked past times move forums talking virtually how busy the isle had larn in addition to only wanted something with quick access off the boat without having to trudge around finding a vacancy. Knowing what a skilful location the full general Walking Street expanse has become, I had no hesitation inwards booking G2R after reading skilful user reports online.
Like a dummy I didn't take away hold whatever pix of the articulation - had to pinch this i of the website.
This tiny boutique resort is inwards a peachy spot – 50m upwardly a small lane from the highest portion of walking street with its large array of restaurants, shops in addition to other businesses - in addition to less than five minutes stroll from Lipe’s 2 primary beaches, Pattaya in addition to Sunset/Andaman.
In the past times it's been hard to alternative the relatively narrow gap where the rail starts on Andaman from similar sized Bungalow entrances, but they at nowadays take away hold a large overhead banner sign: WALKING STREET - so named because the busiest department is blocked off to motorcycles afternoon in addition to inwards the evening.
Hard to immature adult woman Walking St from the Pattaya Beach destination - virtually 150m right (facing inland) from beach-central. 10 minutes stroll across to Andaman/Sunrise Beach.
Walking St ends where it hits the hamlet virtually 3 minutes from Andaman/Sunrise. The continuing road
doesn't quite accomplish the beach - but it's a small distance through the novel Varin Village to the beach - nobody seems to hear outsiders strolling thru. There is an access lane to the northward side of Varin Village - this looks like portion of a resort also (looks like but I don't think it is).
HIGH PRICES
I take away hold already indicated that high bungalow prices are a characteristic of Lipe. It is doing a Phi Phi inwards this respect. Prices to me seem 20 to 50% higher than yous would pay on many pop islands. K or to a greater extent than for a fan bungalow with bath inwards a budget beach resort is outrageous compared to similar places on tell Phangan or large Chang, in addition to specially to the skilful value islands similar piffling Chang, Phayam, Jum. But I'm a peachy believer inwards the marketplace - if people are prepared to pay these prices they can't live wrong, tin they? And I hold going dorsum in addition to paying those prices, don't I?
OVERCROWDING
All my visits take away hold been inwards November/early Dec in addition to March, hardly peak season. Except for my final see when the primary beaches seemed to live around two-thirds capacity, things were really uncrowded with pop resorts running around 30% - many others less. In belatedly Nov08 my favourite budget articulation VIEWPOINT had no guests! (I was pleased for the possessor that a quite a few of his peachy hillside bungalows were occupied on after trips. Those novel aircon beachfront jobs I demonstrate up-page were undrstandably all taken inwards March 2013.)
I did larn a gustatory modality of to a greater extent than busy periods inwards 2009 because the King's Birthday Holiday Weekend coincided with 2 of our days on the isle in addition to Lipe is existent pop with Thai locals. I'd tell Varin was running 70%. However Pattaya Beach was uncrowded people wise, but equally I said before at that spot was a bunch of extra boats.
Despite this I take away hold seen posts proverb Peak-Peak at destination of Dec into Jan has been VERY busy these final few years with unbooked poeple sometimes non finding a bed. Note Christmas is non a large cope with Thai holidayers, but New Year's Day is.
SO SHOULD YOU AVOID LIPE?
No way inwards my sentiment unless yous are actively environmentally-sensitive.
For other people who don't similar messy beaches, maybe yous should avoid genuinely early dry out flavour (say upwardly to the 2d calendar week of Dec) until the beaches are probable to take away hold been cleared. The trash in addition to drinking glass seems amend cleared after inwards the dry out flavour - but alway hold an oculus out for the abrupt stuff.
Repeat visitors who think Pattaya equally ii thirds unbuilt with a bunch of little dunes backing the beach inwards the eastern one-half may prefer to rest somewhere else on the isle to a greater extent than set dorsum - on Viewpoint’s/Serendipity's beach, Sunset Beach, Bila Beach etc or the piffling beach over the headland from Pattaya Song where Sanom Beach Resort has been built.
However I works life latest trip Pattaya non also bad although regressed a chip from 2009, The top destination of Andaman around Mountain in addition to Andaman Resorts is nicest. Viewpoint's/Serendipity's beach is a peachy piffling spot in addition to the southern department of Andaman/Sunrise beach nearby looked way amend than inwards previous years - due I'd tell to careful tending past times the novel resorts there. Who said evolution ever makes a spot worse?
Or inwards hereafter disappointed repeat visitors could rest on Adang in addition to cross to Lipe for daytrips. The boaties inwards 2009 were charging 50baht per someone (and they don‘t hold off for a total boat, ofttimes I was the exclusively passenger, in addition to so usually it becomes 100baht) - a charge per unit of measurement that was a apartment fee per someone all around Lipe. Makes those guys at Ao Nang expression similar the thieves they are.
LIPE IS H5N1 LONG WAY FROM BANGKOK - is it worth the distance in addition to cost?
Often asked. My reply to the inwards a higher identify - NOT ON ITS OWN*. But it is good worth it if yous combine some of the nearby islands. Adang is a 10 infinitesimal longtail ride away. You tin do a loop of Tarutao-Lipe-Bulon Lae using the scheduled tourist boats originating out of Pak Bara on the mainland.
Easy isle hop makes going all that way to the far southward really worthwhile
People visiting Langkawi inwards Malaysia tin speedboat across to Lipe for a gustatory modality of staying on a Thai isle (and Lipe is a skilful contrast to Langkawi) - in addition to of course of study Langkawi-Lipe is a peachy way for tourists wanting to displace from the western side of the Malaysian peninsula into Thailand. They tin go on via the mainland at Pak Bara or proceed isle hopping all the way to Krabi or Phuket.
* Lipe is non large enough, various plenty nor has the fantastic landscape of tell Phi Phi to live a must consider destination inwards itself unless yous are a dead set isle tragic similar me who has to consider them all. You tin larn much the same equally Lipe nearer to Bangkok - I'd tell the closest isle inwards vogue to Lipe I know is Ko Samet. Ko Tao is non a lot unlike although its landscape is to a greater extent than rugged in addition to attractive, the beaches a chip inferior.
GETTING THERE
The biggest alter I saw my latest 2013 see was the destination of the old deadening ferries - at nowadays either speedboats or novel faster ferries. In high flavour yous tin larn these from a position out of operators out of PAK BARA virtually midway betwixt Trang in addition to Satun. Depending on the operator these also telephone call upwardly inwards at Taruatao or Bulon Lae.
They sure do pack them inwards - at that spot were some other 4 people closer to me inwards this cloak-and-dagger section. I had to stand upwardly on this Nov 08 Taruatao to Lipe trip, but I didn't hear - if the sea is bumpy it tin live hard on the bum. The bow department was packed also - I counted eleven passengers out there. I haven't tried the novel fast ferries out of Pak Bara but I imagine they are way to a greater extent than comfortable.
The SPD speedboat has run for yearS from KO LANTA, picking upwardly at Kos Muk, Ngai in addition to Bulon Lae - inwards recent years it has extended to a PHUKET start, calling inwards at PHI PHI. btw this is a hell of a long way inwards a speedboat - could live existent crude oil in addition to moisture inwards early high season. I reckon I'd go past times Tigerline. I think Bundhaya Speedboat run a similar service Lipe-Bulon-Lanta. Google volition detect the latest situation.
Tigerline ferries now runs from PHUKET via PHI PHI/LANTA to Lipe in addition to on to Langkawi - stopping at several islands in addition to the mainland pier at Hat Yao southward of Trang on the way down. Tigerline also has a minibus service from Surathani, Krabi/Ao Nang in addition to Khao Lak to connect with its ferries at the Hat Yao pier. Note that inwards early Dec 09 Tigerline was non running to Langkawi.
I take away hold details of how to larn to the Hat Yao pier at Ban Chao Mai independently on my Libong page, although Tigerline's minibus volition transfer yous from Trang railway station in addition to airport.
On Tigerline boundary for Lipe out of Ko Muk 2013. Note top deck tin larn a chip moisture on crude oil or choppy sea days - lower enclosed deck has old-style aircraft seats in addition to partial aircon. Tigerline is expensive but worth it on this route - took me less than 3 hours. The commencement fourth dimension I did Lipe-Trang islands took me to a greater extent than than a twenty-four hours - despite catching the commencement boat out of Lipe to Pak Bara I arrived inwards the Trang expanse also belatedly for the final boat to to the island: had to rest inwards Trang overnight.
For the budget witting boat carry costs growth significantly out of (in order) Pak Bara, Langkawi in addition to Lanta/further north.
Note that at that spot is no pier at Lipe. Most boats halt offshore in addition to people are ferried to the beach past times longtails - 50 baht. There is ofttimes a longtail from Ko Adang to run across boats and whatever longtail coming together the ferry volition take away hold yous over to Adang for 50 baht per someone - in addition to anywhere around Lipe isle for the same - this is a genuinely skilful service. The apartment 50 baht per someone applies to whatever trip around Lipe off the beach too.
Some ferries in addition to speedboats trace into a pontoon off Pattaya Beach - or a pontoon non also far off Porn at Sunset Beach (I think this may live weather condition dependent - the i off Sunset beach was non beingness used inwards March 2012).
There is a speedboat straight from LANGKAWI - emigration at the Telaga Harbour operate - immigration at the beach operate which is next to Bundhaya resort on eastern Pattaya Beach. We used this i on our 2009 trip - it seemed to live a articulation elbow grease between Telaga Shuttle and SPB Speedboat using the latter's boats. In early Dec 09 at that spot were 2 services per twenty-four hours in addition to nosotros works life if yous don't volume good ahead they may live booked out.**
There is also at to the lowest degree i slower ferry out of Langkawi, I think from some other pier. Travel desks on Lankawi wiill take away hold the latest info.
**If the direct speedboat in addition to slower ferries are booked out in addition to yous take away hold to utilization the 4 a twenty-four hours Langkawi - Thammalang ferries it volition take away hold yous maybe ninety minutes to accomplish Pak Bara from Thammalang which is the first Thailand pier on the mainland across the border. Cheapest is a motorbike taxi or songthaew the 10km or so to Satun in addition to and so a regular autobus or songthaew to La Ngu in addition to and so a motorbike taxi or songthaew across to Pak Bara.
Immigration/emigration office, eastward Pattaya Beach, Ko Lipe.
FERRY TIMETABLE - really good, tends to take away hold all of the services in addition to is kept pretty good upwardly to date.
GETTING TO PAK BARA FROM OTHER MAINLAND SPOTS.
From Hat Yai - minibuses run roughly hourly from the novel fundamental minibus station to the pier expanse - abt 2 hours. You tin also larn a autobus from the autobus station but this volition live slower. UPDATE 2013 - I noticed trip agents on Lipe were advertising minibus connections from Pak Bara to Hat Yai station in addition to drome - so it mightiness live a skilful thought to inquire at the drome or station virtually the contrary trips.
From Trang - the move agents inwards the street parallel to the railway station run minibuses downwards to the pier (abt 2 hours) in addition to volition provide yous with a bus/ferry ticket. They tin volume bungalows - I detect them really efficient. Apparently reps run across flights at the drome in addition to shuttle people downwards to the agencies to volume in addition to alternative upwardly a minibus.
If yous desire to do it independently grab a Satun boundary bus, larn off at La Ngu (Langu) in addition to and so larn a motorcyle taxi or songthaew the 10km or so to Pak Bara.
From Bangkok - best bet is to fly. Bucks-down travellers may detect Bangkok to Satun buses go thru La-Ngu, but maybe they go via Hat Yai. Trains run Bangkok to Hat Yai - likely at to the lowest degree i is a sleeper train. For sure at that spot are 2 sleeper trains from Bangkok into Trang each day.
From other Andaman locations in addition to the southern Gulf (Samui etc) - every tourist destination has signs upwardly advertising transfers to Lipe, with many using minibuses to Pak Bara. You tin larn world buses from most southern mainland towns to Satun - larn off inwards La-Ngue etc.
FLY INTO HAT YAI OR TRANG? - Hat Yai has to a greater extent than flights in addition to I believe the carry across to Pak Bara is to a greater extent than frequent in addition to a chip shorter. But at that spot is non a lot of difference.
LEAVING THE ISLAND
Basically it's just a thing of using the same fast ferry in addition to speedboat providers mentioned upwardly page. Note move desks at resorts in addition to on Walking Street tin volume these for yous - prices tin vary. These places tin also volume onward carry if yous are going across to the mainland at Pak Bara to your next destination.
One move agent's pricing inwards March 2013 - details clearer if yous click-expand.
ARRIVING BACK AT PAK BARA FROM LIPE
Many people grab i of the travelers’ minivans from Pak Bara northward to Trang where yous tin alter minivans for Lanta, Krabi etc on the i ticket Um - my latest 2013 Pak Bara-Ao Nang (Krabi) minivan blew straight past times Trang on the by-pass saving at to the lowest degree a one-half hour). These vans ofttimes hold off for after boats to come upwardly in, in addition to so if yous take away hold early ones yous could live sitting around inwards Pak Bara for a while. I used to think Pak Bara was a existent hole but these days the expanse next the pier is non a bad piffling (maybe non so little) concern area. Plenty of restaurants, inexpensive internet, move agents etc in addition to way less dusty in addition to scappy than inwards years past.
In 2013 at that spot was a large novel move terminal at the pier - if yous take away hold bought onward tickets on Lipe, reps from your carry provider volition run across yous at the pier. If yous haven't got a ticket yous tin cutting a cope with these people - they will come upwardly downwards inwards cost for minivan in addition to ferry tickets if yous are a skilful bargainer.
You tin also larn to Trang past times catching a songthaew or motorcycle-taxi the 10km or so to La Ngu, where the Satun-Trang world buses come upwardly thru roughly hourly. Last fourth dimension I caught i of these it terminated inwards southern Trang virtually 2km from the middle in addition to 4km from the primary autobus station for buses farther north.
If yous are going to Hat Yai, world minibuses larn out hourly. I believe the move companies also run independent minibuses to Hat Yai, timed to a greater extent than to boat arrivals from Lipe - in addition to these are to a greater extent than probable to drib yous at the airport, autobus station in addition to prepare station.
You tin alternative upwardly world buses into Hat Yai from La Ngu - but notation Hat Yai drome is some distance out of town.
Speedboats seem to take away hold taken over most of the carry to Lipe. This is our Langkawi speedboat inwards 2009. Note it reverses into Pattaya beach when the tide allows - all the other speedboat services moor with the pontoons where the longtails transfer passengers to the beaches. I think the authorities don' t desire people from Langkawi shooting off on longtails before they do immigration.
BE CAREFUL ON SPEEDBOATS!
It's a skilful thought to waterproof baggage specially if yous are travelling inwards those ofttimes blowy early high flavour months or of course of study inwards moisture flavour (I take away hold a large 50+ liter lean plastic bin liner handbag I chuck everything into in addition to and so stuff into my move bag) - our identical boat to the inwards a higher identify after going Lipe to Bulon Lae hitting such choppy seas that everything including me, crouched behind the elevated driver's chair for cover, got soaking wet. If yous are susceptible to seasickness take away hold some displace sickness tablets in addition to expression at the horizon.
DO NOT sit down out the forepart if yous are susceptible to dorsum injury (a daughter on our render journeying to Langkawi wound her dorsum on a vicious bump hitting at speed inwards lighter chop in addition to had to live wheelchaired off to infirmary on arrival).
Um - good the inwards a higher identify is the move province of affairs equally I know it at March 2013. But this expanse is fluid - I can't believe how much easier it is to displace around the islands fifty-fifty from a duad of years ago. Who knows what volition live on offering inwards the future? Thing is, many accommodation in addition to other isle websites tend to hold data upwardly to appointment - the 2d i below has been specially skilful over the years.
A GOOD LIPE WEBSITE
ANOTHER GOOD WEBSITE
USER REPORT FROM LATE DEC O7
JimmyK just filed this study virtually his Dec see to Lipe:
"I had booked a calendar week at Mountain Resort on the quieter side of the isle at Sunrise Beach. It looked idyllic in addition to I’d read some skilful reviews on hither virtually the place. I wasn’t disappointed initially. The location was amazing with the huts perched on the border of a little cliff human face upwardly overlooking a beautiful beach in addition to Koh Adang inwards the background. I splashed for the Deluxe Cabin, 2200 Baht a night, equally I’m on vacation in addition to with the missus in addition to I take away hold to create my life equally like shooting fish in a barrel equally possible when she’s inwards tow. Ok, commencement the positives virtually Mountain Resort. It has a peachy location with beautiful views. The rooms are create clean in addition to good thought-out with hot H2O in addition to satellite TV. And Karma bar is great, really chilled identify for a drinkable or ii inwards the evening.
One thing I had heard virtually this identify was that it is owned past times a big-shot Thai who is responsible for a lot of the evolution on Koh Lipe in addition to the exclusion of the local Chao Ley people (please right me if I’m wrong). However, I was quite impressed past times the relative low-impact of the resort. It isn’t an eye-sore in addition to at that spot isn’t rubbish scattered everywhere. The beach is kept create clean in addition to at that spot is an active recycling scheme inwards place, fifty-fifty downwards to having a water-bottle refilling station to bring down plastic waste. (Not whatever to a greater extent than - tezza) In contrast when I walked along the beach to the Chao Ley village, the beach inwards forepart of the hamlet is strewn with litter left past times the local people. Empty diesel fuel canisters, metallic battery parts etc.
Anyway, dorsum to Mountain Resort in addition to I’m afraid that’s where the positives end. The eating theatre has peachy views but resembles a canteen with no atmosphere whatsoever. Also, the service is really very deadening in addition to non specially friendly. Food in addition to drinkable is expensive compared to resorts at Pattaya beach. The Thai nutrient is average in addition to the western nutrient is awful, maybe the worst I’ve had inwards Thailand. And it doesn’t destination there. From early inwards the morning, around 7am onwards the longtails create a hell of a lot of dissonance which tin live heard from anywhere inwards the resort in addition to sounds similar yous are sleeping next to the world’s loudest snorer. So, nosotros exclusively stayed 3 nights of the planned calendar week in addition to after visiting Pattaya beach for the day, decided to relocate there.
But before I go into that I volition destination with Sunrise beach first, in addition to specially a novel resort called Castaway.We had a duad of meals at Castaway Resort but didn’t rest there. It’s newly opened in addition to seems to live run past times an English linguistic communication guy. The accommodation looks genuinely prissy with large huts just set dorsum from the beach. The eating theatre expanse is also nicely designed with a raised expanse with hammocks in addition to cushions. The nutrient hither is really good, both Thai in addition to Western in addition to the service is friendly in addition to attentive. Castaway is exclusively a small walk coming from Pattaya beach past times Pooh’s bar, with the path coming out right at Castaways on the beach. Also, it’s worth noting that the snorkelling is splendid off the beach betwixt the ii little islands 100m inwards forepart of Castaway. Beware though of the electrical flow equally this side of the isle is especially windy in addition to the sea tin larn choppy. Another cool thing to do is scramble across the rocks on the headland that connects Sunrise beach to Pattaya beach. It took us virtually 2 hours in addition to it involves a chip of actual climbing with decent climbing shoes but it’s a skilful way to kill a few hours.
And so to Pattaya beach. I expected this beach to live busy beingness the primary drag, in addition to it seemed to live running at total occupancy when I checked out places but it was soundless pretty low-key. Kinda similar Koh Chang’s White Sand Beach 8 years agone before it got bought upwardly in addition to trashed. Bundhaya Resort seems to live the biggy with most families staying here. Nice identify though with skilful nutrient in addition to service in addition to reasonably priced. We stayed at Varins inwards a regular air-conditioning villa for 1500 Baht. Loved it. One thing yous genuinely notice after staying on a quieter beach equally portion of a captive audience is service is so much amend in addition to the prices lower when there’s a chip of competition. The bay hither tin live busy with boats but go to either destination past times the rocks for calm rubber H2O in addition to skilful snorkelling.Walking inland towards the infamous Pooh’s bar you’ll transcend little shops selling the usual tourist tack in addition to offering massages, tattoos etc. There’s to a greater extent than beingness built in addition to I’m sure inwards a few years it volition resemble the alleys of Phi Phi. Pooh’s is apparently an establishment in addition to rightly so. The bar is total of atmosphere, with alive music, puddle table. The eating theatre does peachy nutrient in addition to the service from Pooh himself in addition to his staff is exceptional. Highly recommended.
Anyway, that’s it. Koh Lipe was great, soundless a serenity island, maybe non for long, in addition to yous mightiness fence that reviews similar mine volition exclusively create it worse, but at that spot yous go. It volition occur eventually anyway, unless regulations are position inwards place."
Okay, some other person's perpective is ever skilful value - in addition to it looks similar Jimmy is a amend appreciator of nutrient than me. Longtail dissonance is the bane of many otherwise peachy Thai beach locations.
ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE
- Hans Meier has an entertaining concern human relationship of Lipe HERE - he is really skilful on personalities, has some prissy pix in addition to I kinda got the impression he was less than gruntled virtually Pattaya Beach.
Taking it like shooting fish in a barrel on Viewpoint's beach - notation patches of coral inwards the H2O which create this a pretty skilful spot for snorkelling away from depression tide.
Julie has a Lipe Trip Report from Dec 09 inwards the novel
Trip Reports Section.
wondersingstar wonderingstar works life recent shoulder flavour pricing at some of these much to a greater extent than agreeable). So do people wander across hither inwards peak hoping to detect a vacancy? Maybe, but I did consider a few of these joints advertised at move agents on Walking St in addition to I'm sure a some volition go online to detect guests.
The northward coast from the east....
MOUNTAIN RESORT BEACH
Best see on Lipe? Outlook from Mountain Resort's eating theatre overlooking the prissy northern destination of Andaman (Sunrise) Beach where it wraps around the NE corner of the island, in addition to Ko Adang. Actually I regard Mountain equally an Andaman Beach resort in addition to take away hold a lot to a greater extent than information inwards that beach's department downwards page.
BETWEEN MOUNTAIN AND SUNSET BEACH
Next to Mountain Resort is an expanse which used to take away hold an old run-down no-name place. This has been cleared in addition to at that spot seems to live 2 novel places....
Closest to the water, Susanna Bungalow with prissy novel places on the colina overlooking the beach which tends to disappear at high tide (but a relatively small walk to the beach at Mountain Resort). Sign pinned upwardly at deserted reception inwards March 2013 - "beachfront" bungalows 400/500. H5N1 cope for Lipe.
Up-slope, closer the road, Cozy Cove Resort. Prices seemed no cope hither but sure they volition take away hold to come upwardly downwards to attract guests.
Further W is some other strip of similar sand which similar novel joints perched on the colina above. Interestingly these places are claiming the call SUNSET BEACH for their patch - the identify popularly know equally Sunset Beach at Porn Resort/Fishery Dept Bungalow just over the headland to the W is genuinely called HAT PRAMONG....seems visitors started calling it Sunset Beach on concern human relationship of the..um..sunsets.
Anyway the novel places are called Morgan Sunset Beach Resort and Lipe Sunset Beach Resort.
I'd live googling these places if I was trying to detect a non also flash vacancy at peak season.
SUNSET BEACH - um good the i nosotros all know equally Sunset Beach.
- is pretty fundamental to the settled portion of the northward coast, reached past times taking the rail to the left side (facing inland) of Daya Restaurant close Pattaya Song in addition to walking moderate slopes past times a few locals' houses in addition to so after five minutes turning right at the top of the little colina in addition to next the PORN signs for some other five minutes. You tin also access this beach from a rail inland from Brother Seaview Resort inwards a higher identify Sanom beach in addition to turning right when yous hitting the northward coast road. Sunset is a smaller, much quieter beach than Pattaya with 2 accomm places, PORN in addition to FISHERIES DEPT BUNGALOWS. Update - good there's some other 2 inwards March 2013, NO-NAME (see below) on the hillside to the northward in addition to KAFAIR HUT inland with the route leading across past times the temple to the primary angling hamlet area.
Sunset Beach and Porn take away hold a skilful rep inwards the guide books in addition to I had a peachy rest at that spot inwards the commencement portion of my initial see to the isle (in i of Porn's overflow tents!), but inwards early Dec 2009 things had deteriorated from that visit and from my pass-by inwards 2008. For a start they must take away hold had a hard 2009 moisture flavour because the beach was heavily eroded. Plus it was non all that create clean - it had manifestly been cleared upwardly at the start of dry out flavour but maybe exclusively in i lawsuit because at that spot was a lot of flotsam in addition to jetsam at dorsum of the beach. And for some argue the H2O was non equally clear equally previous visits. I was also disappointed to consider some broken bottles exposed past times erosion on i of the entry paths in addition to a heap of pigment tins in addition to an old bathroom bowl piled upwardly behind some bungalows. Maybe Porn is relaxing behind its skilful publicity - in addition to maybe things volition live a lot amend past times high season. By the way, beaches which take away hold lost mass sand past times tempest erosion tin recover inwards a thing of weeks given fine weather, so I wouldn't worry virtually this element if I had already booked for Christmas/New Year.
Wet flavour tempest moving ridge erosion on Sunset Beach inwards early Dec 09 - if yous expression carefully yous tin consider the moving ridge swash inwards the background inwards this high tide shot - the beach is pretty narrow. But the shot inwards a higher identify this was taken a few days after at total depression tide, so early Dec visitors soundless had a fair stretch of sand a lot of the time. See my comments virtually drinking glass on the beach inwards the RUBBISH department downwards page.
March 2013 - beach inwards much amend status - an extra 3/4 months since the destination of the moisture flavour saw whatever erosion at the top of the beach filled in addition to really piffling glass. Sand looks less white partly because much is wet, to a greater extent than due to the miserable color resolution of my latest elcheapo Olympus dot in addition to snap. Excuse - it was cheap.
Porn's forepart row fan with bath bungalows were going for 1200 inwards March 2013 with 2d rowers K - expensive but cheaper than many similar places on other beaches. The prissy lady inwards accuse told me they no longer do tents - "...have many novel bungalows" - in addition to they do. The eating theatre has okay nutrient at slightly higher than average Lipe prices. Service was a chip dour when I had a repast inwards 2009 but genuinely friendly inwards 2013.
Nice outlook from Porn's eating theatre - that is Adang nearest in addition to Rawi behind - both National Park islands.
Late extra! Alas, Porn is no more. In a late Jan 2015 article virtually changes at Lipe, Travelfish shows a shot of demolished Porn - apparently a flash resort is planned.
FISHERIES DEPT is exclusively abt 100m farther north-east, with a similar eating theatre in addition to a reputation for the cheapest non-inland accommodation on the isle inwards high flavour inwards what seems to live rooms inwards concrete blocks rather than bungalows. However inwards 2009 they were non yet opened upwardly inwards early December. The eating theatre looked to take away hold been refurbished since 08. They were opened upwardly inwards March 2013 - but prices quoted me were no longer cope basement - a chip higher than nearby Porn.
Just inland from PORN/FISHERIES (take the walkway inwards from SUBAYE SPORTS (diving) is FLOUR POWER BAKERY with some yummy pastries, skilful normal meals in addition to peachy shakes etc. Prices are non budget-bungalow cheap, but the stuff is existent nice.
Follow the walkway less than five minutes inland to accomplish JACK'S JUNGLE - which has prissy bungalows in addition to gets skilful reports for nutrient in addition to for lively times at the Jungle Bar. KAFAIR HUT is a chip closer inwards the same full general direction.
A tezza shot Nov 08 - Porn's bungalows in addition to eating theatre are behind the trees to the right, but take away hold skilful sea-views. There was major constuction work** going on at Fisheries Dept at the far destination which made the beach less pristine than I think it - but it soundless doesn't expression also bad at all. I had a existent prissy swim in addition to some sun-time.
**actually I works life out this latest see that the Thai Princess had a large beach theatre built on the headland ridge north-west of Fisheries with peachy views of Adang in addition to Rawi - there's also a line of prissy looking chalets presumably for her buddies built on a little cove the other side of the headland.
Thai Princess's identify on headland southward destination of Sunset Beach. Bigger than it looks hither but soundless pretty small-scale compared to some of her vacation joints. Sign says NO ENTRANCE.
NEW TO SUNSET BEACH 2013
The happy dude from Kafair Hut some distance inland eastward of the beach had set upwardly a neat piffling snack stand upwardly at the far northern destination of Sunset Beach.
For at nowadays I'll telephone call upwardly these NO NAME bungalows (like a dummy I didn't ask) - novel places on the colina northward of the beach with tree-interrupted views of the sand. Prices seemed a chip high.
Continuing westward of Sunset Beach, the next km or so has at to the lowest degree five little patches of sand, many of which had some sort of identify to rest most novel to me on this latest trip. I noticed 2 bungalow outfits similar to NO NAME over the commencement 400m. Not much farther is La Luna Beach aka Mia Luna/Mid Luna. The Mid Luna Bar there has been an on/off suggestion for years, but latest trip I also noticed they had a camping ground area.
LA LUNA BEACH
La Luna beach typical of little northward coast jobs.
La Luna looks the identify for yous camping ground enthusiasts. Apparently some are permanent tents for rent.
Speaking of camping, cheque the tent nether the trees just right of center. This is next the spit close Mountain Resort. The nicest department of beach on Lipe IMHO is along that far shore. Note nearest bungalows are just out of frame to right, belonging to Andaman Resort - but I dubiety they ain the nation nether the trees. All Thai beaches are owned past times the manful someone monarch in addition to he doesn't hear his subjects in addition to visitors camping ground on them. btw quite a few bungalow joints don't hear yous camping ground on their nation equally long equally yous utilization the restaurant.
In unopen succession heading W in i lawsuit to a greater extent than from La Luna are ii or 3 similar little beaches. One is Bila Beach...
BILA BEACH
This prissy piffling beach is virtually 500m W of Sunset Beach. There has been a beach bar hither for years but I was delighted inwards 2008 to detect the owners had refurbished it in addition to built a handful of prissy traditional bungalows summation H5N1 DORM. .
New fan/bathroom bungalows at Bila Bar in addition to Resort built on the gradient inwards a higher identify the beach. That's ex-New Yorker co-owner Emily cleaning on the verandah. Those 4 doors opened upwardly to a bigger than normal bungalow with similarly large bath behind. The dorm is similar - has 2 double bunks with thick manful someone monarch sized unmarried matresses Emily told me she had to fellowship specially.
Dorms 300, normal bungalows around 700.
UPDATE 2013 - Bila Beach Bungalows seems to take away hold headed upmarket. The dorm has gone although the bungalows inwards a higher identify the beach looked much the same (note wonderingstar in his excellent update on Lipe places done inwards Dec 2012 says they take away hold some newer, flasher bungalows a chip farther west, but I didn't consider them). Prices inwards the eating theatre were decidedly midrange* cheque them below. Emily had gone also although her ex-boyfriend was soundless running the joint.
300 baht for mains! Same inwards 2013 would live 100 at Porn, lxxx on Walking Street.
* most midrange places I take away hold stayed at on the islands would non go over 150 for most of these dishes. The inwards a higher identify are to a greater extent than five star hotel prices.
Heading W again, within a really small distance at that spot is some other little beach with some concrete bungalows high on the cliffs - wonderingstar says they are at nowadays owned past times the the resort on the next beach (Pitiusas) in addition to were unfinished 4 months before my visit. I was also lazy to hike upwardly in addition to cheque them out. H5N1 small stone hop farther W (also accessible from the road) is an attractive newish to a greater extent than midrange-looking resort on a slightly bigger less rocky beach than most along here.
PITISUSAS BEACH
Pitiusus resort looked pretty sweet. The beach was to a greater extent than expansive than all the others W of Sunset too.
Pricing at fourth dimension of writing (April 2013) aint inexpensive - 2500 peak, 200 high, 1200 depression from the website) but if user reviews on Trip Adviser etc are positive this could live the identify for yous flashpacker dudes wanting somewhere away from the madding crowds. I notice Agoda is listing this articulation too.
Continuing on at that spot is a serial of tiny scrappy beaches (with no accommodation at the fourth dimension of writing) right along the coast to the western tip of the island. These are best accessed past times boat - the route turns into a dirt rail in addition to before long peters out.
East Coast Beaches
ANDAMAN BEACH - aka SUNRISE BEACH
Andaman Beach (Sunrise Beach) southward - portion of angling hamlet right, hillside bungalows of Viewpoint/ Serendipity, far left (image Castaway Resort) - the northern tertiary is out of frame to the right but tin live seen 2 shots below.
Andaman is the long beach which takes upwardly most of the eastern side of the island. The department inwards the middle used to live dominated past times the angling hamlet in addition to crowded with long tails, angling traps etc making it the to the lowest degree attractive section, but over the years the hamlet section, at to the lowest degree fronting the beach, has progressively shrunk equally resorts take away hold over the area. Now it takes upwardly exclusively 150m or the beach, the isle directly northward a similar distance.
2013 - the beach inwards forepart of the hamlet soundless messy. Disappointingly the department inwards forepart of the schoolhouse was non much better.
As yous caput northward from the schoolhouse things gets progressively nicer. There are virtually 3 resorts inwards this direction. ANDAMAN RESORT is the northern most i (discounting Mountain Resort around the corner) in addition to has a huge attain of bungalows.
The nicest section of beach on the isle IMHO is right at the northern tip of the eastward coast just before in addition to where Andaman beach wraps around the northward eastward corner of the island, turning W to cast a lovely white sand spit which extends outwards a small distance towards Ko Adang.
The northern destination of Andaman is nicest - Andaman Resort's eating theatre is to the left equally are the to a greater extent than expensive bungalows. The traditional fan jobs are nether those casuarina trees farther from camera. The beach turns hard left towards Mountain Resort at the destination - that is mountainous Ko Adang yous tin consider background right.
Best of the best. The far northward destination Andaman just before it turns around to the left towards the spit in addition to Mountain Resort.
MOUNTAIN RESORT is situated at the top of a depression cliff overlooking this wrap-around department at the northward destination of Andaman beach, in addition to has a rep for beingness i the most attractive accommodation paces on the island.
I've ever wanted to rest hither in addition to with The Lady seeking comfort, nosotros went for this inwards the commencement one-half of the early Dec 2009 visit.
Approaching Mountain Resort inwards our longtail. Guys run downwards in addition to alternative upwardly your luggage. Great clifftop eating theatre to right. Clifftop in addition to beachlevel bungalows were most expensive, other bungalows are ranged upwardly hillside inwards the trees behind. Beach-level edifice closest the stairway is the famous Karma Bar - no longer called that in addition to nether novel management. 2013 - at that spot is a bungalow at that spot now.
There is some other stairway upwardly from the beach out of frame to left.
The eating theatre serves upwardly pretty skilful nutrient at prices maybe 20% upwardly on budget bungalow average.
Inclusive buffet breakfasts were pretty good, but tended to cool pretty chop-chop if the heating flames below the dishes blew out inwards the wind.
Wind was a work on 2 of our 4 early Dec days - the infamous early dry out flavour north-easterlies kicked inwards strongly, so much so that conditions genuinely became unpleasant inwards the restaurant. I take away hold spent a fair fourth dimension inwards the Andaman but to a greater extent than ofttimes than non on sheltered beaches - exposed beaches are fewer but of the xxx odd days I've spent on exposed beaches exclusively these 2 were windy plenty to live unpleasant. (I take away hold noticed since that quite a few days inwards Nov in addition to Dec tin larn blustery. Not such a skilful fourth dimension to live taking a long speedboat trip - tin larn existent bumpy in addition to wet. As dry out flavour progresses this becomes less of a problem).
The nearest alternative eating theatre to Mountain is Andaman Resort's, maybe 10 minutes away on the beach. You tin hold walking the beach past times Andaman Resort in addition to accomplish the start of the cross isle WALKING STREET inwards virtually some other 10 behind Varin 2 aka Varin Village - plenty of skilful value restaurants here.
You tin walk out the dorsum of Andaman in addition to take away hold a to a greater extent than direct inland route to WALKING STREET in addition to maybe salve five minutes - you'll demand a torch at night. And past times turning right when walking out the dorsum yous tin accomplish Sunrise Beach farther W on the northward coast inwards around 10-15 minutes (you tin also beach/rock hop upwardly to Sunrise below virtually i quarter tide).
This is Chez Tezza at Mountain, the cheapest aircon bungalow at 1400 shoulder - 1600 high including brekka. Note mutual frigidness H2O - but some of Mountain's fan bungalows take away hold hot H2O - go figure. Pay to a greater extent than in addition to yous tin larn a much nicer newer bigger aircon bungalow with hot water, TV etc.
The cheapest aircon bungalows were situated inwards the 3rd in addition to higher rows away from the cliffside - most were staggered to give some glimpses of the sea in addition to neighbouring Ko Adang.
The bungalows were non also bad - inwards skilful condition, normal flashpacker inclusions similar towels, lather etc, large plenty for ii summation gear - a tertiary invitee would live a chip squeezy but possible.
I thought the biggest letdown was the lack of paths - the heavily erosion from moisture flavour had left lots of exposed roots, gulleys, fifty-fifty a few H2O pipes in addition to fifty-fifty though lighting of the grounds at nighttime is non also bad, the shadows of the holes in addition to gullies create visibility hard in addition to at i phase Lady Tezza tripped in addition to fell. Not skilful plenty for 1400-1600 inwards 2009. UPDATE - I checked these bungalows inwards 2013. The expanse looked identical.
Note the newer expanse on the western side of the eating theatre had skilful paths inwards 2009.
Quite a few of the fan bungalows take away hold prime number spot inwards the 2d row where isle sea views are less interrupted.
Panoramic shot from Mountain Resort's eating theatre - Ko Adang inwards background. That's the northern most department of Andaman beach forming a spit on the right - Andaman Resort has bungalows really unopen to the beach there (images Mountain Resort )
Same department of beach from the eating theatre inwards before years.
Below is a belatedly Nov 09 shot of Mountain's beach - spot the difference.
2009. Indications of a tough moisture flavour - the recurved destination of the spit has been washed away. It's hard to consider inwards this shot but the H2O closest to the eating theatre had a plume. This is non odd on resort beaches, waste materials H2O is ofttimes non fully filtered past times the asset tanks in addition to sand - Bila had a little one, parts of Sunset seemed specially bad that year, parts of the primary portion of Andaman were a chip suss. Interestingly busiest Pattaya was pristine.
Anyway, I did all my swimming at Mountain towards the destination of the spit were the H2O was really nice. There are some interesting lumps of coral off-shore.
UPDATE - LATER SHOT
Steve Manklow sent me this pic taken inwards Feb 2010 - 2 months after my shot inwards a higher identify this one. Note how the recurved destination of the spit has regrown. Doesn't take away hold long.
Steve also gave this information on Mountain Resort: Just got dorsum from Lipe in addition to tin study that the sand bar is dorsum on Mountain resort beach.
We had a forepart row hut @ mount view, really prissy see but resort was lacking inwards many areas (service, food, breakfast, theatre keeping, staff mood) even so i knew this to live the representative before booking in addition to the see to a greater extent than than made upwardly for it.
The isle has certainly changed since our final see inwards 2003 but it remains a prissy identify to visit.
UPDATE - LATEST SHOT
March 2013. I just had to larn dorsum to Mountain Resort's eating theatre for a meal. That dead H2O department this side of the spit soundless doesn't expression pristine. Water splendid far side.
UPDATE - NEW ACCOMMODATION
Starting directly behind Mountain's eating theatre in addition to also ranging across its top border were these rather flash modern accommodation blocks, novel to me inwards 2013
ANDAMAN RESORT
If yous cheque the far right of the the shot 4 upwardly from this (above Steve's) yous tin consider what looks to live ii people standing close the grass in addition to trees (if yous click-expand the shot yous volition consider it is genuinely a sign - for Andaman resort). In the trees just to the right of the sign are the the most northerly of Andaman Resort's bungalows which stretch through the trees in addition to around the corner of the beach for maybe 400m to the eating theatre area. I've ever reckoned the most northerly bungalows take away hold a fabulous postion genuinely fronting Mountain's beach - in addition to ever seem largely vacant inwards shoulder season, but when I came dorsum from Adang inwards Nov08 heavy pelting had created a little lake inwards forepart of them, so I took a similar bungalow much closer to the restaurant. The next beach around the corner at that spot is equally said the best stretch of sand on the island.
I ever seek to rest inwards a novel identify when I revisit in addition to was determined that trip to try Andaman Resort with its peachy position, despite bad reviews inwards the various forums. Um 500 for a not-too-flash trad fan bungalow inwards the dorsum (3rd) row inwards shoulder flavour 08. And world-champ haggler tezza can’t bring down this a baht. This is directly on crossing from Adang where I had a gorgeous, huge almost create novel tile-floor in addition to concrete fan bungalow with skylight, dormer windows, tinted sliding doors in addition to fabulous views for 600.
BTW - apart from the exxy bungalows, Andaman Resort wasn’t also bad at all. Maybe I’m easily pleased.
This is a front-rower at Andaman Resort, identical inwards all other ways to my back-rower. Basically just a traditional bamboo thatch walled fan task with a bath in addition to verandah - 600b inwards belatedly Nov shoulder - 700 come upwardly Dec. Nice spot - the beach out forepart is peachy in addition to at that spot are prissy views across to Adang which yous tin consider inwards the background - in addition to to Tarutao in addition to Langkawi if yous are a chip farther southward around the bend of the beach. H5N1 fair few longtails during the twenty-four hours (but nowhere close equally painful equally on Pattaya Beach) but I noticed it was pretty peaceful at night.
It aint equally black nether the trees equally this shot appears - my elcheapo point-and-shoot Olympus of the fourth dimension couldn't handgrip contrast variations.
Andaman also has some attractive concrete beachfront bungalows unopen to the eating theatre which expression to live aircon.
I can't think the eating theatre beingness anything special nutrient in addition to cost wise in addition to this was confirmed on my next 09 trip when nosotros walked around from Mountain for dinner.
Between the Andaman Resort in addition to the angling hamlet is the smaller LIPE BEACH RESORT (traditional vogue budget bungalows) in addition to the school. The beach exterior the angling hamlet is pretty messy with lots of rubbish, broken glass, boat mooring ropes etc - at to the lowest degree they take away hold cleared away the old broken boat motors etc.
MID ANDAMAN BEACH
The department of Andaman Beach south of the angling hamlet improves, although it tin larn a chip shallow along hither at lowest tide. There are virtually some other one-half dozen bungalow places, inluding the huge TARUTAO CABANA, VARIN VILLAGE aka Varin 2, GIPSY RESORT, FORRA DIVE SUNSET.
Beach inwards forepart of Varin Village. Nice department of beach inwards a skilful spot - the cross-island path which becomes Walking Street is inwards dorsum of the resort. About six rows x 12 trad vogue bungalows here. Popular.
SOUTH ANDAMAN BEACH
This is taken from the large stone which separates Andaman beach from Viewpoint's 2 piffling beaches farther south. For my commencement few visits nix much was happening hither - inwards 2009 several novel places were nether structure in addition to inwards this 2013 shot it is just virtually fullly built out. Some of the novel places include the attractive upmarket CASTAWAY, ZANON SUNRISE, in addition to the really upmarket IDYLLLIC. If yous click-expand yous may notice the beach way upwardly the top inwards this close high-tide pic gets REAL skinny.
Castaways Resort. I've never seen a identify attract so many conflicting reports on move forums*, in addition to a expression at its website shows it aint just budget. But those 2 storey bungalows expression pretty cool to me. The beach hither aint peachy or bad, but Viewpoint's/Serendipity's skilful beach is less than five minutes farther southward in addition to the prissy destination of Andaman close Andaman Resort/Mountain Resort is 10 minutes north.
* that was when I checked inwards 2009 - may take away hold lifted its game.
VIEWPOINT BUNGALOWS’ TWO LITTLE BEACHES
Websites ofttimes refer to these equally portion of Andaman (Sunrise) beach but these are just southward inwards little twin bays (take the path behind the stone I was standing on 2 shots upwardly page) in addition to are really nice, specially the further, most southerly i which Viewpoint Bungalow at nowadays shares with Serendipity Resort.
Back when I commencement visited the isle at that spot was no resort hither or nearby, yet the farther beach was soundless pop with travelers.
Note at depression tide the twin bays tin larn existent shallow, specially inwards the northern bay where the coral was exposed right across to the little forested islet virtually 150m offshore (in a month’s lowest [no moon] tide). The same tide inwards the southern bay saw okay swimming inwards the sandy sections betwixt coral outcrops in addition to wading possible right out to the reef drop-off. Snorkeling was skilful along the drop-off at all tides in addition to fairly interesting closer to the beach at higher tide levels.
Note at that spot was a slight tidal electrical flow moving thru this expanse at higher tide levels - I works life it like shooting fish in a barrel to swim against but parents should hold an oculus on kids. The same electrical flow moves along the reef drop-off at depression tide in addition to is stronger. Note tidal currents tend to live strongest mid-tide.
Viewpont's southern beach.
My favourite Lipe location is VIEWPOINT BUNGALOW where I stayed inwards March 07. This identify reads upwardly existent prissy inwards the move guides in addition to on travelfish.
I wasn’t disappointed. As belatedly equally 2009 it was an old vogue beach-hut type place, with rustic bungalows built upwardly the steep hillside overlooking twin compact bays just southward of a little headland at the destination of the large eastern beach, Andaman. When I returned inwards 2013 at that spot were some prissy novel aircon beachfront bungalows summation a lot of rebuilding of the hillside area.
Most of the hilside bungalows take away hold really prissy views from their verandas. Mine was the 2d highest, cutting into the rainforest upwardly a pretty awesome set of stairs, in addition to was panoramic - Koh Usen, a little islet just offshore, Tarutao inwards the far distance, mountainous Ko Adang unopen to the northward with the sweep of Andaman Bay between.
View from my bungalow straight east.
....and north.
2013 - the novel bungalows directly behind Viewpoint's to a greater extent than northern beach. Aircon at 1500baht in high flavour (well I consider early March start of shoulder season) is a reasonable cope for Lipe where anything fronting a beach is becoming seriously expensive.
Also novel to me inwards 2013, a flash articulation called SERENDIPITY built upwardly the hillside just southward of Viewpoint. I had a wander around, really prissy bungalows in addition to atmospheric high set eating theatre with viewing platforms nearby. I think it was opened inwards 2011 or 12.
The nicer to a greater extent than southern beach viewed from Serendipity's wooden walkway/stairs.
ANOTHER NEW JOINT IN THE AREA
The costless isle map available everywhere on arrival showed some other articulation POOH'S GARDEN RESORT fifty-fifty farther southward than Serendipity. So I went in addition to had a look, accessing via the jungle rail which leads from the route behind the resorts on southward Sunrise beach. In March 2013 this novel articulation looked a piece of work inwards progress. H5N1 steep expanse downwards the hillside to the sea had been largely cleared but at that spot was exclusively a few crude oil bungalows at the top in addition to these looked to live staff/builder occupied.
There was no beach access hither - just a rocky mini-cove. I tried to rock-hop northward to Viewpoint/Serendipi'tys best beach but it was also difficult. I think edifice a walkway along at that spot may encroach on Serendipity land. Nevertheless this i bears rechecking - several lovely places on Ko Tao larn past times with just rocky coves in addition to this novel articulation is beingness developed past times the famous Pooh's back on Walking Street, an isle establishment which has ever been a degree act.
WALKING AROUND THE SOUTH EAST CORNER OF THE ISLAND TO PATTAYA BEACH:
DON’T!
I saw a few people walking on past times VIEWPOINT’S bays at depression tide inwards an elbow grease to larn around to Pattaya Beach. I saw them walking back. It is really hard in addition to dangerous. I did it on my commencement see - it took me virtually ninety minutes (I had figured 10), at that spot are several cliffs which yous must climb upwardly or down, in addition to on i my hand-hold broke off (weathered stone - d'oh, what a surprise with all that common salt air about!) in addition to I nearly brutal in addition to broke my neck.
The best way is to go dorsum to Andaman/Sunrise beach fundamental in addition to utilization Walking Street.
You tin also climb the steep stairs thru VIEWPOINT/SERENDIPITY/POOH'S GARDEN - at the top the rail drops thu the jungle, goes past times a few local residential areas, joins the route behind the southward Sunset Beach resorts in addition to comes out close Poh’s on Walking Street - but this aint genuinely whatever shorter. Nice walk though.
Avert your eyes if the long term French daughter resident of the highest Viewpoint bungalow is walking around her veranda naked. I was shocked at this affront to Thai cultural standards - but I didn’t tell anything, partly to non embarrass her. But mainly because she had a totally hot body.
EXCURSIONS
On my commencement see in addition to in i lawsuit to a greater extent than in March 2013 I took i of the snorkeling trips offered all around the isle to the surrounding area. This took a one-half twenty-four hours in addition to nosotros commencement snorkeled a reef mid way betwixt Lipe in addition to Ko Rawi, in addition to and so did fringing reefs on islets close Rawi in addition to Ko Adang. The coral in addition to fish life were pretty skilful past times Thai standards. There are also total twenty-four hours trips which offering an extra snorkelling halt in addition to tiffin on i of the beaches.
First halt was a mid-ocean reef betwixt Ko Lipe in addition to Ko Rawi. Frankly this is a chip disappointing - the H2O is deep in addition to non all that clear. When I dived downwards to the bottom the coral in addition to fishies didn't whelm me. People inwards shot are domestic tourists. Most Thais can't swim - thence the life-jackets.
Much amend were the next 2 stops inwards the lee of little Ko Hing Nam - the H2O was pretty shallow hither in addition to visibility good. So also were the coral in addition to fish.
Our beach halt was on i of the long strips of sand which line the western coast of large mountainous Ko Adang. Adang is a national commons isle so these beaches tend to take away hold few people although our cruise downwards the coast showed sea gypsies had set upwardly little camps inwards a few places.
Our trip was labelled a HALF DAY SUNSET SNORKELLING CRUISE.
Lipe has a position out of dive operators in addition to at that spot are many dive sites inwards the surrounding area.
It's dead like shooting fish in a barrel to grab a longtail at 50b per someone in addition to pass fourth dimension on Adang's lovely beach. There is a peachy scenic picket which exclusively takes xxx minutes to access in addition to a less than whelming waterfall after an threescore minutes or so's prissy rainforest walk which turns into a circus river stone hop the final 300m. See my Adang page.
FOOD
I'm non a gourmet. Being a budget traveller, if it's cheap, fills me in addition to tastes okay, I'm happy. But for nutrient lovers Sbruny provided this inwards Feb 09- "Koh Lipe is express for splendid food. The best thai is at the Jungle Bar inwards the middle of the island. For seafood seek the sea gypsy identify on Pattaya beach. For prissy see with repast the Mountain Resort can't live beat. For tasty fried chicken seek the muslim ladies behind the local schoolhouse early inwards the morning. Overall, I would tell the nutrient on Koh Lipe really average compared to the residual of Thailand. However, the isle in addition to surrounding are spectacular."
I'll add together that several users take away hold reported Pattaya Song's eating theatre does peachy Italian nutrient - The Lady in addition to I shared a pizza when nosotros stayed at Varin on Pattaya in addition to it seemed pretty skilful to me.
UPDATE - Lipe has expanded so much since 2009 specially inwards the mid-range in addition to amend that I'm sure at that spot is at nowadays a bunch of character places to eat.
RUBBISH PROBLEMS ON LIPE
Lipe gets bad press from some visitors for high amounts of trash on beaches, around edifice sites in addition to dumped beside hinterland tracks in addition to the angling hamlet outskirts.
Early dry out flavour beach junk on northward destination of Andaman (Sunrise) Beach (image WEBME - click the link for other similar shots)
Bigger epitome from THEMANZOMANDISTARSQUADRON - soundless Andaman Beach.
Beach rubbish is largely a seasonal thing.
Most of it is Thai domestic rubbish + rainforest debris carried to the sea past times flooding wet-season streams + an amazing amount of angling boat detritus. H5N1 lot of this stuff gets moved considerable distances past times currents in addition to air current in addition to dumped on Lipe.
In dry out flavour much less rubbish gets washed in addition to blown onshore - in addition to a greater proportion is angling junk. In this flavour most bungalows are pretty conscientious inwards cleaning beaches each morning. Few places are opened upwardly inwards moisture season, so things are allow go. If yous occur to go far very early inwards dry out flavour before locals larn around to clearing the build-up, in addition to so WEBME's pix is the result. My Andaman beach shot upwardly page (the i with the speedboat inwards midground) was taken exclusively 2 weeks after WEBME's - a pretty large contrast.
Beach dump of cement bags early dry out flavour (image WEBME)
Many people larn upset virtually unsightly edifice activity. ISLANDBOI has some skilful edifice shots here.
Wet flavour in addition to early dry out flavour sees frantic edifice activeness to destination projects for high flavour - so unsightly dumps of edifice materials in addition to edifice sites are non uncommon at these times. CHANCHAO has pointed out that yous can't larn somewhere to slumber in addition to take away hold a repast if no edifice takes place. Hardliners tell at that spot is already also much evolution in addition to the reply is to avoid the island.
Note I saw much less than normal edifice activeness this latest trip - virtually nix on the beaches in addition to the novel shop-fronts had been completed on the cross isle rail (and don't they expression so much amend than the messy old collection of ramshackle joints that used to live there). Most novel edifice was taking identify on the side roads away from the primary rail - the concern expanse is expanding laterally.
Environmentally aware travellers tin larn depressed past times the amount of domestic in addition to bungalow/restaurant trash dumped with tracks inwards the hinterland, on the outskirts of the hamlet in addition to fifty-fifty behind sure bungalows. This is non a seasonal work - it's 365/12, but seemed less evident inwards the lates trip. Maybe that 20baht trash taxation on entry is having some impact.
Like many islands, Lipe for a long fourth dimension had no organised rubbish collection in addition to disposal - it was left to resorts in addition to households to cart their stuff to the dump. And unfortunately some Thais are pretty lazy when disposing of identify in addition to tourist generated trash.
Possible answers are environmental didactics (directed at the angling manufacture too), less laxity, to a greater extent than money in addition to resources (Lipe is portion of Satun local regime area) in addition to an elbow grease past times tourists themselves to cutting downwards on trash generating activities. Suggestions include a national commons type visitor quota organization - hard to implement for an isle which is non administered past times the National Park.
Hardline environmentalists urge travellers to avoid the island. Your call. Note that dumped rubbish is mutual throughout SE Asia - maybe sensitive travellers should avoid the expanse equally a whole. I'm so used to it I didn't detect Lipe anything out of the ordinary - but certainly if yous take away hold just arrived from Lanta, Phuket, Langkawi or other islands where trash collection inwards most areas is amend organised, yous could think Lipe looks messy inwards comparison.
PROGRESS 09
The promised rubbish removal service past times the Satun provincial regime has started. This large barge was beached inwards the centre of Pattaya close Leepae Resort in addition to a shuttle of trucks was transferring both domestic rubbish in addition to edifice cloth cast-offs from the fundamental isle tip. The same "Lipe is a rubbish dump" moaners volition likely at nowadays complain virtually visual in addition to olfactory pollution to the beach.
The barge was loading for a skilful five hours. Later inwards our trip a smaller boat was receiving the same type of cargo.
Rubbish bins similar these on the cross isle WALKING STREET were set upwardly inwards several parts of the isle - if yous click to enlarge yous tin consider they cater for the usual general, organic in addition to recycle waste.
The hamlet itself seems a lot neater. I think this is largely the effect of concrete paving of a few of the cross streets leading off the cross isle rail - formerly these were dusty wayfares which turned to mud (or pools where the drainage was poor).
REGRESSION
The beach at the hamlet had gone downhill since 08. H5N1 tempest surge coupled with a manful someone monarch tide (as occured inwards Oct 09) would launder most of this junk into the sea, including the bottles - in addition to thus nosotros larn hereafter broken glass.
BROKEN GLASS
Lady Tezza's underprivileged childhood has made her world champion at finding stuff on the ground - I in i lawsuit saw her scoop upwardly a heap of coins inwards shin-high grass on a black nighttime - in addition to the amount of drinking glass she in addition to I managed to collect on our early Dec trip to Lipe was amazing. On Sunset Beach nosotros loaded a washed upwardly 10 litre plastic handbag (Malaysian inwards source) half-way with with the stuff in addition to had several unbroken bottles separate. It was worse on the scaggy low-tide-only beach behind the Thai Princess' hangers-on chalets (I bet the violet dogsbodies do a large clean-up of both this in addition to Sunset before each of her visits). Disappointingly the beach at Mountain yielded quite a supply. But Andaman/Sunrise Beach was worst - nosotros had to create several unloads at bins inwards resorts equally nosotros moved downwards the beach - with the hamlet expanse worst of all. The best? Maligned Pattaya - inwards several total length walks I managed to detect exclusively a few pieces of drinking glass in addition to no bottles.
The sources of most of this drinking glass are Thai fishermen who throw their Red Bull in addition to beer bottles overboard in addition to lazy Thai villagers who chuck bottles onto the beach or dump them inwards a higher identify the normal tide grade (where a tempest surge tin soundless larn them) - the bottles nail on seaside rocks (wind + currents + moving ridge swash in addition to the long-shore drift volition take away hold them there) in addition to and so beach drifting/wave swash volition distribute the broken drinking glass onto the beach. BTW if yous are picking up, include those sand-rounded bits - nosotros after met a Swedish daughter who stepped on i of these which in addition to so broke in addition to cutting her.
Eradicating these dumping practices is the best solution - inwards the hateful time, resort owners take away hold to RAKE the beach each morn to sift out the drinking glass in addition to other rubbish. Note drinking glass was a little work on nearby Bulon Lae in addition to Langkawi where resorts in addition to other beach businesses do this conscientiously.
Now I wonder if my see to Lipe was also early for many of the resorts to start this sifting - I can't believe places similar Mountain in addition to Porn resorts volition desire visitor complaints in addition to injury when things larn genuinely busy. They should live doing this right from the start of the flavour - it was obvious many Pattaya places were. I wonder too, if I'm lucky - I've wandered the beaches/waded inwards the H2O for 4 visits bare-footed in addition to never cutting myself. I've never noticed much drinking glass - but in addition to so I wouldn't notice Paris Hilton sunbathing naked on the sand unless I tripped over her.
Maybe peak flavour visitors could post inwards in addition to comment on the drinking glass situation.
UPDATE MARCH 2013 - March is after peak season, giving the isle an extra 2 months to clear drinking glass - in addition to yep, things were pretty good.
Broken beer bottle works life directly on hitting the Princess' dorsum beach (this is the i for which novel bungalows inwards a higher identify the beach take away hold stolen the call SUNSET BEACH from the amend beach next west) - interestingly I take away hold it sitting on the supports for the H2O pipeline which comes onshore hither from nearby Ko Adang waterfall. Lipe has few permanent streams - I know of none inwards the settled eastern one-half of the island.
Water pipeline from Adang. Some of yous cynics mightiness think it is a sewage pipe, but trust me, it is good away from the Princess' joint, at that spot were no other resorts inwards line at the fourth dimension of the shot in addition to it is pointing straight at the waterfall expanse on Adang's southern slopes. I take away hold hiked upwardly to these falls - at that spot are 3 similar pipes to a little pondage expanse a chip higher than the falls.
THE RUBBISH-GLASS SITUATION MARCH 2013 - Lipe has done a Phi Phi in addition to at nowadays imposes a 20bhat trash avoidance fee on entry. Main comport on I saw was a daily run of garbage collection along Walking Street. However I must acknowledge the residual of the isle did non seem to take away hold equally much trash roadside etc. The drinking glass province of affairs on the beaches was amend also - but this could live that my March see had five months of high flavour for the broken stuff to live picked upwardly past times conscientious people similar Lady Tezza in addition to of course of study past times resort beach clean-up crews.
I reckon the best fourth dimension to guess the comport on of the novel trash fee would live early high season, tell mid Nov - do they pass some of the taxation on organised piece of work gangs to clear the beaches of the moisture flavour air current blown stuff pictured upwardly page? Or is this left to private resorts to eventually larn around to equally inwards the past?
OVERBUILDING
People returning to Lipe after some fourth dimension larn a stupor at the amount of novel places. It seems most obvious that most beach places take away hold been taken - but I reckon nosotros volition start to consider to a greater extent than joints on sea-side rocks, headlands similar Tao, Phangan etc.
The other procedure nosotros volition consider is to a greater extent than of the knock downwards the inexpensive articulation in addition to build a flasher identify - similar at Sita on western Pattaya - in addition to of course of study expand in addition to redevelop the articulation equally Varin has so successfully done on its Pattaya site. (I wrote that inwards 2009 - notation the novel northward coast places 2013 I cite upwardly page. And the knockdown in addition to redevelopment of existing beach places I saw same trip. Jeez. I'm psychic! ....Um, non genuinely - both are no-brainers).
Even the most anti-development traveller volition welcome some of the newer edifice activeness such equally the paving of the cross-island WALKING STREET in addition to the neater shop-fronts along it summation the concreting of some of the formerly dire hamlet streets that intesect it.
The paved rail on Walking Street - virtually time! The biggest negative on Lipe eliminated IMHO. Note this is a belatedly 08 shot when the paving was exclusively a few months old - i yr after it was considerably sandier in addition to dustier inwards parts. Still a huge improvement on the daggy mess before.
UPDATE 2013 - route paving has continued. Now all the hamlet cross-streets seems to live concrete. H5N1 lot of the narrow route leading away from the hamlet expanse towards the northward in addition to W of the isle ditto.
My 2013 see reinforced the fact that I genuinely similar Walking Street these days. There is a huge array of restaurants, shops, move agents, supermarkets, bakeries, tattoo joints, bars etc. Competition keeps prices competitive in addition to its closed to motorcycles etc from early afternoon to mid-night. The identify has a prissy vibe IMHO.
If yous desire a inexpensive identify to rest unopen to the fundamental Pattaya beach boat landing point, Walking Street in addition to the lanes leading off it take away hold the pick. Simply walk along in addition to cheque the signs: at that spot were several places around 500 inwards belatedly high flavour 2013.
GIPSY 2 RIVENDELL
I was after a relatively inexpensive identify (not botttom budget) for March 2013 I could volume online - I was a chip spooked past times move forums talking virtually how busy the isle had larn in addition to only wanted something with quick access off the boat without having to trudge around finding a vacancy. Knowing what a skilful location the full general Walking Street expanse has become, I had no hesitation inwards booking G2R after reading skilful user reports online.
Like a dummy I didn't take away hold whatever pix of the articulation - had to pinch this i of the website.
This tiny boutique resort is inwards a peachy spot – 50m upwardly a small lane from the highest portion of walking street with its large array of restaurants, shops in addition to other businesses - in addition to less than five minutes stroll from Lipe’s 2 primary beaches, Pattaya in addition to Sunset/Andaman.
In the past times it's been hard to alternative the relatively narrow gap where the rail starts on Andaman from similar sized Bungalow entrances, but they at nowadays take away hold a large overhead banner sign: WALKING STREET - so named because the busiest department is blocked off to motorcycles afternoon in addition to inwards the evening.
Hard to immature adult woman Walking St from the Pattaya Beach destination - virtually 150m right (facing inland) from beach-central. 10 minutes stroll across to Andaman/Sunrise Beach.
Walking St ends where it hits the hamlet virtually 3 minutes from Andaman/Sunrise. The continuing road
doesn't quite accomplish the beach - but it's a small distance through the novel Varin Village to the beach - nobody seems to hear outsiders strolling thru. There is an access lane to the northward side of Varin Village - this looks like portion of a resort also (looks like but I don't think it is).
HIGH PRICES
I take away hold already indicated that high bungalow prices are a characteristic of Lipe. It is doing a Phi Phi inwards this respect. Prices to me seem 20 to 50% higher than yous would pay on many pop islands. K or to a greater extent than for a fan bungalow with bath inwards a budget beach resort is outrageous compared to similar places on tell Phangan or large Chang, in addition to specially to the skilful value islands similar piffling Chang, Phayam, Jum. But I'm a peachy believer inwards the marketplace - if people are prepared to pay these prices they can't live wrong, tin they? And I hold going dorsum in addition to paying those prices, don't I?
OVERCROWDING
All my visits take away hold been inwards November/early Dec in addition to March, hardly peak season. Except for my final see when the primary beaches seemed to live around two-thirds capacity, things were really uncrowded with pop resorts running around 30% - many others less. In belatedly Nov08 my favourite budget articulation VIEWPOINT had no guests! (I was pleased for the possessor that a quite a few of his peachy hillside bungalows were occupied on after trips. Those novel aircon beachfront jobs I demonstrate up-page were undrstandably all taken inwards March 2013.)
I did larn a gustatory modality of to a greater extent than busy periods inwards 2009 because the King's Birthday Holiday Weekend coincided with 2 of our days on the isle in addition to Lipe is existent pop with Thai locals. I'd tell Varin was running 70%. However Pattaya Beach was uncrowded people wise, but equally I said before at that spot was a bunch of extra boats.
Despite this I take away hold seen posts proverb Peak-Peak at destination of Dec into Jan has been VERY busy these final few years with unbooked poeple sometimes non finding a bed. Note Christmas is non a large cope with Thai holidayers, but New Year's Day is.
SO SHOULD YOU AVOID LIPE?
No way inwards my sentiment unless yous are actively environmentally-sensitive.
For other people who don't similar messy beaches, maybe yous should avoid genuinely early dry out flavour (say upwardly to the 2d calendar week of Dec) until the beaches are probable to take away hold been cleared. The trash in addition to drinking glass seems amend cleared after inwards the dry out flavour - but alway hold an oculus out for the abrupt stuff.
Repeat visitors who think Pattaya equally ii thirds unbuilt with a bunch of little dunes backing the beach inwards the eastern one-half may prefer to rest somewhere else on the isle to a greater extent than set dorsum - on Viewpoint’s/Serendipity's beach, Sunset Beach, Bila Beach etc or the piffling beach over the headland from Pattaya Song where Sanom Beach Resort has been built.
However I works life latest trip Pattaya non also bad although regressed a chip from 2009, The top destination of Andaman around Mountain in addition to Andaman Resorts is nicest. Viewpoint's/Serendipity's beach is a peachy piffling spot in addition to the southern department of Andaman/Sunrise beach nearby looked way amend than inwards previous years - due I'd tell to careful tending past times the novel resorts there. Who said evolution ever makes a spot worse?
Or inwards hereafter disappointed repeat visitors could rest on Adang in addition to cross to Lipe for daytrips. The boaties inwards 2009 were charging 50baht per someone (and they don‘t hold off for a total boat, ofttimes I was the exclusively passenger, in addition to so usually it becomes 100baht) - a charge per unit of measurement that was a apartment fee per someone all around Lipe. Makes those guys at Ao Nang expression similar the thieves they are.
LIPE IS H5N1 LONG WAY FROM BANGKOK - is it worth the distance in addition to cost?
Often asked. My reply to the inwards a higher identify - NOT ON ITS OWN*. But it is good worth it if yous combine some of the nearby islands. Adang is a 10 infinitesimal longtail ride away. You tin do a loop of Tarutao-Lipe-Bulon Lae using the scheduled tourist boats originating out of Pak Bara on the mainland.
Easy isle hop makes going all that way to the far southward really worthwhile
People visiting Langkawi inwards Malaysia tin speedboat across to Lipe for a gustatory modality of staying on a Thai isle (and Lipe is a skilful contrast to Langkawi) - in addition to of course of study Langkawi-Lipe is a peachy way for tourists wanting to displace from the western side of the Malaysian peninsula into Thailand. They tin go on via the mainland at Pak Bara or proceed isle hopping all the way to Krabi or Phuket.
* Lipe is non large enough, various plenty nor has the fantastic landscape of tell Phi Phi to live a must consider destination inwards itself unless yous are a dead set isle tragic similar me who has to consider them all. You tin larn much the same equally Lipe nearer to Bangkok - I'd tell the closest isle inwards vogue to Lipe I know is Ko Samet. Ko Tao is non a lot unlike although its landscape is to a greater extent than rugged in addition to attractive, the beaches a chip inferior.
GETTING THERE
The biggest alter I saw my latest 2013 see was the destination of the old deadening ferries - at nowadays either speedboats or novel faster ferries. In high flavour yous tin larn these from a position out of operators out of PAK BARA virtually midway betwixt Trang in addition to Satun. Depending on the operator these also telephone call upwardly inwards at Taruatao or Bulon Lae.
They sure do pack them inwards - at that spot were some other 4 people closer to me inwards this cloak-and-dagger section. I had to stand upwardly on this Nov 08 Taruatao to Lipe trip, but I didn't hear - if the sea is bumpy it tin live hard on the bum. The bow department was packed also - I counted eleven passengers out there. I haven't tried the novel fast ferries out of Pak Bara but I imagine they are way to a greater extent than comfortable.
The SPD speedboat has run for yearS from KO LANTA, picking upwardly at Kos Muk, Ngai in addition to Bulon Lae - inwards recent years it has extended to a PHUKET start, calling inwards at PHI PHI. btw this is a hell of a long way inwards a speedboat - could live existent crude oil in addition to moisture inwards early high season. I reckon I'd go past times Tigerline. I think Bundhaya Speedboat run a similar service Lipe-Bulon-Lanta. Google volition detect the latest situation.
Tigerline ferries now runs from PHUKET via PHI PHI/LANTA to Lipe in addition to on to Langkawi - stopping at several islands in addition to the mainland pier at Hat Yao southward of Trang on the way down. Tigerline also has a minibus service from Surathani, Krabi/Ao Nang in addition to Khao Lak to connect with its ferries at the Hat Yao pier. Note that inwards early Dec 09 Tigerline was non running to Langkawi.
I take away hold details of how to larn to the Hat Yao pier at Ban Chao Mai independently on my Libong page, although Tigerline's minibus volition transfer yous from Trang railway station in addition to airport.
On Tigerline boundary for Lipe out of Ko Muk 2013. Note top deck tin larn a chip moisture on crude oil or choppy sea days - lower enclosed deck has old-style aircraft seats in addition to partial aircon. Tigerline is expensive but worth it on this route - took me less than 3 hours. The commencement fourth dimension I did Lipe-Trang islands took me to a greater extent than than a twenty-four hours - despite catching the commencement boat out of Lipe to Pak Bara I arrived inwards the Trang expanse also belatedly for the final boat to to the island: had to rest inwards Trang overnight.last updated Jan 2015
last visited March 2013
I've redone this page after my latest (5th) see inwards March 2013. Before that was belatedly November-early Dec 09. The commencement was inwards March 99, the 2d inwards March 07 in addition to the tertiary inwards belatedly Nov 08.
Lipe really much to a greater extent than developed since I was commencement there, (and has seen a lot of novel structure since my belatedly 2009 stay) but it remains a pretty prissy identify to see with several skilful white sand beaches, some fairly prissy snorkeling, skilful diving in addition to a multifariousness of accommodation, restaurants in addition to bars. Some of the latter tin larn a chip lively, so people seeking some night-life won't go without. There are exclusively a few narrow roads in addition to non also many motorcycles. Hey, in addition to at that spot are few dogs! It is fairly compact - I did a circumnavigation of the settled eastern ii thirds of the isle inwards around 3 hours.
It is soundless like shooting fish in a barrel to detect a quiet, set dorsum beach expanse away from busy Pattaya.
In recent years it has got a fair chip of criticism virtually overbuilding, rubbish problems, high prices in addition to overcrowding at peak. I take away hold a department on each work downwards page.
Map from Pooh Bungalow
Area map from Sea CanoeBEACHES
Which is the best beach on Lipe? Depends on personal preferences.
Maybe the most pristine chip of sand is at the far northern destination of Andaman (Sunrise) beach just before it curves around to the spit inwards forepart of Mountain Resort. Lovely white sand, really clear H2O with some okay snorkelling in addition to at that spot are plenty of trees inwards dorsum of beach for shade. Doesn't larn really crowded. One downside is a fair few passing longtail boats, but few nation on this beach.
You similar a neat piffling self-contained non busy beach? Viewpoin'ts/Serendipity's beach, Sanom Beach, Bila Beach in addition to Pitisusas's beach do this. So do a few other little patches of sand along the northern coast although most tend to live a chip scratchy inwards character (lotsa rocks, sand disappears at high tide). An exception is Sunset (Porn's/Fisheries Dept's beach) which may live a chip large for some, although it is little compared to Pattaya in addition to specially Andaman.
All-rounders - prissy sand, water, okay snorkelling, lots of accommodation, restaurants, bars etc. Both Pattaya beach in addition to the residual of loooong Andaman beach agree the bill. Pattaya likely wins just virtually all these categories but may live too busy for some.
Most sheltered beach inwards moisture season? Andaman in addition to Viewpoint/Serendipity are sheltered from the monsoon winds on blustery days (Andaman tin live a chip windy in early high season. When the air current changes out of the western quadrant around to the eastern it tin ofttimes larn pretty potent several days a calendar month - nosotros are usually talking November/December). This air current is offshore at Pattaya in addition to gives no problems - inwards moisture flavour mid in addition to western sections of Pattaya are sheltered past times the high headland. I think I would avoid the northward coast beaches inwards moisture flavour - they tin ofttimes live pretty exposed.
H5N1 beach for hard partying campers? La Luna on the northward coast would do it well.
Thing is I wouldn't stress virtually trying to detect accommodation on what yous consider the best beach for you. Lipe is so little that all beaches are within 20 minutes walk wherever yous are staying - most closer. My March 2013 accommodation at Gipsy 2 Rivendell was off the beach close Walking Street five minutes from both Pattaya in addition to Andaman. I picked it on a value/design/good reviews basis, non on beingness at the beach.
South Coast beaches
PATTAYA BEACH
Nice swimming enclosure inwards forepart of Varin Resort close where the cross isle rail WALKING STREET hits Pattaya Beach. Some pretty reasonable coral in addition to fish 70m out from the sand. Young Lady inwards centre has the large vacation volume - click to enlarge.
Pattaya on the southward side of the isle is the primary beach in addition to has gone from one-third built on when I commencement visited to pretty fully built out now. Nevertheless it is soundless quite attractive** with white sand, pretty create clean H2O which is deep at all tides except at the far western end, some trees for shade at some parts of the beach in addition to interesting patches of coral at both ends which are okay for snorkeling.
Pattaya gets fifty-fifty nicer at nighttime when several outfits set upwardly restaurants in addition to bars with candle-lit tables etc on the sand.
** I'm a chip conflicted hither - after my 08 trip I position inwards a department hither proverb Pattaya had jumped the shark - ie got past times the dot of no return, beingness also crowded with longtails for peace in addition to quiet. But inwards 2009 I made a dot of genuinely staying on Pattaya for the commencement fourth dimension inwards years - at Varin, in addition to although I take away hold mixed feelings virtually that joint, I had to revise my sentiment - Pattaya inwards belatedly 2009 was the nicest beach on the isle unless yous were looking for somewhere completely out of the way - Pattaya's sand was cleanest, its H2O clearest in addition to there's a really skilful attain of restaurants in addition to shops on the beach or nearby which keeps prices lower. They take away hold several sections partitioned off for swimming in addition to the beach is sheltered from those over-brisk north-easterlies which sometimes cutting inwards during dry out season. The fundamental in addition to western sections tend to live largely protected from the moisture flavour westerlies unless at that spot is to a greater extent than than usual southward inwards them, although Andaman in addition to Viewpoint beaches are amend inwards this respect. Most of my 2009 see was inwards shoulder flavour in addition to the beach was uncrowded in addition to the longtails somehow seemed to a greater extent than orderly - even so 2 days coincided with the King's Birthday vacation in addition to heaps of Thais hitting the island. The beach itself was soundless non Bondi busy but the boat congestion was pretty high - around dusk I counted xiii large speedboats backed into the beach, a heap of those bigger old vogue ferries the Thai packagers love in addition to five cruising yachts - usually at that spot are i or two.
Lady Tezza on her commencement see to Lipe, declared Pattaya i of her favourite beaches to rest on anywhere. Lady Tezza equally an ex surfer-babe has seen a few beaches.
UPDATE 2013 - unfortunately Pattaya wasn't equally pristine equally 2009. The primary work was longtail congestion - at that spot was so piffling room left inwards their designated beach parking areas that they were crowding into the swimming enclosures, specially the fundamental i inwards forepart of Walking St-Varin. More longtails hateful to a greater extent than bilge H2O etc - the sea H2O unopen to the sand just didn't seem equally sparkling clear equally inwards belatedly '99. However I soundless charge per unit of measurement Pattaya equally a pretty prissy beach.
There are lots of places to rest along hither - inwards my depression budget range, the ones I similar the looks of most are the headland bungalows of PATTAYA SONG aka Pattaya 2 - high upwardly overlooking the beach at the western destination - consider opening pic.
Pattaya Song also has some substantial looking concrete bungalows inwards a piffling valley behind their beach-level eating theatre which tend to live some of the cheapest at this beach.
I stayed inwards i of the headland forepart rowers for a few nights on my commencement isle see when they were new, in addition to the see was great.
Note that Pattaya Song has a reputation for skilful Italian nutrient - in addition to the Italian possessor has a reputation for eccentricity when he gets tanked.
Pattaya Beach - existent prissy at nighttime when the restaurants on the sand set upwardly - non also shabby past times twenty-four hours either (image Poh Bungalows)Departing Lipe, my boat went past times the seaward side of this headland (well duh!) in addition to at that spot were similar prissy looking trad vogue bungalows high upwardly looking straight out to sea. UPDATE 2013 - these seem to at nowadays live run past times a split outfit, Brother Seaview Resort which has expanded W across the hillside to inwards a higher identify next Sanom Beach.
Pattaya Song's rather skilful eating theatre is at beach bird tucked inwards against the headland to the right of the far beach umbrella.
DAYA RESORT has some prissy trad looking beach bird forepart in addition to 2d row bungalows to the right of photographic tv camera with the pop eating theatre to their eastward - but hell, K in addition to 800 no brekka for what was soundless genuinely 2008 shoulder season? Daya has some cheaper bungalows inland behind the eating theatre but dummy forgot to inquire the price.
Pleasingly both Daya in addition to Pattaya Song were soundless going stong inwards March 2013. Most of the other cheapies take away hold been replaced past times high destination joints. But how long volition the inwards a higher identify 2 last? Pattaya Song likely has the best spot on the isle - the nation must live worth a fortune.
The inwards a higher identify destination of Pattaya used to live busiest, but at nowadays is a quieter department - so if yous desire to rest on Pattaya, this could live the region. The SITA luxury resort in addition to its novel high-end neighbours would live just the thing for all yous big-mover bond traders. Umm - on reflection, after the Global Financial Crisis in addition to the Euro implosion maybe yous Masters of the Universe volition live staying at a 500b Walking Street cheapie with tezza.
Cheapest beachfront bungalows inwards 2009 on Pattaya were the funky HANDICRAFT to the eastward of the Walking Street cross isle path at 500 early Dec 09 - in addition to the guy told me they would non go upwardly inwards peak. I didn't inquire inwards 2013 - equally a thing of fact I think the identify may live re-named. Shot shows their peachy bar expanse - has an upstairs deck. They also set upwardly mats in addition to chairs on the beach after black in addition to play funky music, but the next REGGAE BAR does the same, in addition to has a bigger audio system. May non live the best location for those wishing to hitting the sack early, but peachy for ragers on a budget.The next best cope inwards early Dec 2009 seemed to live GREENVIEW which had a sign upwardly quest 500 for their rather large, attractive in addition to newish trad bungalows dorsum from the beach. In 2013 I noticed the booking websites had this identify at relatively cope prices.
2013 also showed a lot of novel evolution from my 2009 visit. Luxury SITA has expanded farther upwardly the hill. There are several novel midrange or amend places mainly inwards the western department of the beach - BU-NA, Z -TOUCH, SEALON AND MALI. Sure expression prissy - I just checked them on Agoda: sure are expensive. BUNDHAYA inwards the eastern department has expanded eastward to just virtually beach-end.
Back at my commencement see the shaded expanse inwards shot was serene. There was a neat piffling beach bar called Sunset Bar behind photographic tv camera in addition to the staff kept the sand hither pristine. There was/is some coral in addition to rocks to the left of frame for snorkelling. There was also a funky looking invitee theatre type identify a small distance right of frame where the islands cool travellers seemed to mitt out. Long gone.
Note at that spot is at nowadays a Navy Bar below the headland 100m behind/left of photographic tv camera - the route going upwardly the colina to the armed services base of operations starts there. The bar sells to tourists.
Note also my on my commencement visit, the whole dorsum of beach zone this side of Walking Street consisted of sand dunes. The southern one-half of Walking Street itself was a sandy track.
VARIN ON PATTAYA
Beach at Varin is existent prissy - some skilful trees for shade out of frame to left.Lady Tezza aint a bum similar me, prefers aircon in addition to hot H2O if she tin larn it, so for our 2009 trip I did some enquiry on lower priced aircon rooms on Pattaya. LEEPAE's cheapest was also expensive although this old identify keeps getting updated in addition to did expression existent prissy latest visit. BUNDHAYA has a grand beach frontage reception/restaurant expanse in addition to is inwards a prissy department towards the eastern destination of the beach, but user reviews were quite savage virtually the cheaper bungalows. Reviews of VARIN were a chip amend so nosotros went for that, although The Lady tin forget virtually the hot H2O inwards our cost range. This identify has a huge position out of bungalows in addition to rooms closely packed behind the large reception-restaurant area.
Good points - Great spot fairly fundamental to the beach in addition to next to the cross isle rail with its abundance of restaurants in addition to shops. The beach inwards forepart is existent prissy with costless beach lounges for invitee (and no shortage), some prissy trees for shade in addition to beach umbrellas for hire summation a boueyed-off department for swimming with crystal clear H2O in addition to some quite skilful coral in addition to fishies relatively unopen to the beach for snorkellers. Use room towel equally beach towel in addition to and so swap at reception for fresh one.
Good buffet breakfasts - Varin gets a lot of parcel Thai tourists in addition to runs a really efficient brekka with a large attain of tasty stuff which tends to live pretty hot because novel trays are constantly arriving from the kitchen. But create sure yous go far early before the Thais are loaded onto longtails in addition to boats for the day's excursion - late-comers may detect the trays take away hold cooled. Other meals seeemed to live virtually 10-20% dearer than exterior restaurants - nosotros gave them a miss, at that spot is a huge attain of skilful alternatives nearby. Drink prices out of the refrigerator seemed pretty reasonable - at that spot is a store 3 minutes walk away at the start of Walking Street keeps them honest.
VARIN has a rep for rude service, but nosotros works life Aom2 in addition to the other people at reception charming in addition to efficient.
Bad points - our aircon/cold H2O bungalow was crap. It was genuinely an old backpackers' fan bungalow which had been tarted summation having an aircon added. Okay, it was inwards fine status in addition to create clean in addition to had flashpacker inclusions similar towels, soap, shampoo etc, a pretty comfy manful someone monarch size bed in addition to was situated inwards a sparsely planted but soundless prissy garden setting. But it was tiny, with just plenty room for 2 in addition to their gear, was packed unopen together with other bungalows in addition to worst characteristic - the bath was non a split room out back but portion of the primary room, partitioned off past times a concrete barrier which didn't go to the ceiling - in addition to a shower curtain. Better live on skilful olfactory in addition to auditory terms with your travelling partner. This seemed to live a characteristic of all the cheaper measure aircon in addition to fan rooms. Once yous go higher yous larn a split bathroom. And a bigger room. Spacing soundless fairly tight though.
At to the lowest degree Varin gives some warning. This shot was on their brochure (but non website) - that's the bath behind the white concrete wall. Note skilful mirror - but non inwards bath which makes shaving a hassle. Big manful someone monarch sized matress on right fills consummate expanse to forepart wall - these are non large bungalows.
Our squeezy measure aircon bungalow at Varin. Fan cottages seem identical apart from no compressor cranking thru the night.So value - at 1300 shoulder flavour in addition to 1500 high flavour 2009 including brekka they take away hold to live kidding . Our peachy room at COOKIES on Phangan with fabulous beach views, hot water, TV, heaps of infinite in addition to a lovely puddle was cheaper at 1200 the previous August, high flavour on that side of the peninsula. But this is a characteristic of Lipe - similar Phi Phi, yous pay considerably to a greater extent than than at most islands for accommodation.
Newest rooms at Varin were what they telephone call upwardly their garden rooms inwards a large U shaped block - 64 units inwards total. Looked similar within to prissy western motel rooms. Asking 2100 high season.SANOM BEACH
New to me inwards 2008, Sanom Beach Resort, which looks trad budget inwards style, has been built on a little cove behind the western headland of Pattaya Beach, accessed past times a bamboo in addition to timber walkway along the rocks from the corner of the beach below Pattaya Song. You take away hold to rock-hop the commencement 15m before reaching the walkway. This is a genuinely prissy piffling beach. Prices are inwards keeping with Lipe - 800 for a fan with bath early Dec09.
North Coast Beaches
This expanse seems to take away hold undergone a flurry of evolution since my final visit. In 2009 the exclusively northward coast bungalow places were Mountain View, an old rundown articulation directly to its west, Porn in addition to Fisheries Dept on Sunset Beach in addition to Bila Beach Bungalows farther W again.
There are several other strips of sand along here, most small/rocky/disappearing at high tide - in addition to inwards 2013 it seemed nearly all of them had a novel accommodation articulation usually perched on the hillside inwards a higher identify the beach - sometimes to a greater extent than than one.
Plus the route that goes eastward W slightly inland from the coast, at nowadays paved, had a few novel places.
Note pricing given their spot seemed a chip steep to me maybe accounting for few guests inwards early March 2013 when most of the isle was pretty busy. (although wonderingstar works life recent shoulder flavour pricing at some of these much to a greater extent than agreeable). So do people wander across hither inwards peak hoping to detect a vacancy? Maybe, but I did consider a few of these joints advertised at move agents on Walking St in addition to I'm sure a some volition go online to detect guests.
The northward coast from the east....
MOUNTAIN RESORT BEACH
BETWEEN MOUNTAIN AND SUNSET BEACH
Next to Mountain Resort is an expanse which used to take away hold an old run-down no-name place. This has been cleared in addition to at that spot seems to live 2 novel places....
Further W is some other strip of similar sand which similar novel joints perched on the colina above. Interestingly these places are claiming the call SUNSET BEACH for their patch - the identify popularly know equally Sunset Beach at Porn Resort/Fishery Dept Bungalow just over the headland to the W is genuinely called HAT PRAMONG....seems visitors started calling it Sunset Beach on concern human relationship of the..um..sunsets.
Anyway the novel places are called Morgan Sunset Beach Resort and Lipe Sunset Beach Resort.
I'd live googling these places if I was trying to detect a non also flash vacancy at peak season.
SUNSET BEACH - um good the i nosotros all know equally Sunset Beach.
- is pretty fundamental to the settled portion of the northward coast, reached past times taking the rail to the left side (facing inland) of Daya Restaurant close Pattaya Song in addition to walking moderate slopes past times a few locals' houses in addition to so after five minutes turning right at the top of the little colina in addition to next the PORN signs for some other five minutes. You tin also access this beach from a rail inland from Brother Seaview Resort inwards a higher identify Sanom beach in addition to turning right when yous hitting the northward coast road. Sunset is a smaller, much quieter beach than Pattaya with 2 accomm places, PORN in addition to FISHERIES DEPT BUNGALOWS. Update - good there's some other 2 inwards March 2013, NO-NAME (see below) on the hillside to the northward in addition to KAFAIR HUT inland with the route leading across past times the temple to the primary angling hamlet area.
Sunset Beach and Porn take away hold a skilful rep inwards the guide books in addition to I had a peachy rest at that spot inwards the commencement portion of my initial see to the isle (in i of Porn's overflow tents!), but inwards early Dec 2009 things had deteriorated from that visit and from my pass-by inwards 2008. For a start they must take away hold had a hard 2009 moisture flavour because the beach was heavily eroded. Plus it was non all that create clean - it had manifestly been cleared upwardly at the start of dry out flavour but maybe exclusively in i lawsuit because at that spot was a lot of flotsam in addition to jetsam at dorsum of the beach. And for some argue the H2O was non equally clear equally previous visits. I was also disappointed to consider some broken bottles exposed past times erosion on i of the entry paths in addition to a heap of pigment tins in addition to an old bathroom bowl piled upwardly behind some bungalows. Maybe Porn is relaxing behind its skilful publicity - in addition to maybe things volition live a lot amend past times high season. By the way, beaches which take away hold lost mass sand past times tempest erosion tin recover inwards a thing of weeks given fine weather, so I wouldn't worry virtually this element if I had already booked for Christmas/New Year.
Wet flavour tempest moving ridge erosion on Sunset Beach inwards early Dec 09 - if yous expression carefully yous tin consider the moving ridge swash inwards the background inwards this high tide shot - the beach is pretty narrow. But the shot inwards a higher identify this was taken a few days after at total depression tide, so early Dec visitors soundless had a fair stretch of sand a lot of the time. See my comments virtually drinking glass on the beach inwards the RUBBISH department downwards page.
Porn's forepart row fan with bath bungalows were going for 1200 inwards March 2013 with 2d rowers K - expensive but cheaper than many similar places on other beaches. The prissy lady inwards accuse told me they no longer do tents - "...have many novel bungalows" - in addition to they do. The eating theatre has okay nutrient at slightly higher than average Lipe prices. Service was a chip dour when I had a repast inwards 2009 but genuinely friendly inwards 2013.
Nice outlook from Porn's eating theatre - that is Adang nearest in addition to Rawi behind - both National Park islands.Late extra! Alas, Porn is no more. In a late Jan 2015 article virtually changes at Lipe, Travelfish shows a shot of demolished Porn - apparently a flash resort is planned.
FISHERIES DEPT is exclusively abt 100m farther north-east, with a similar eating theatre in addition to a reputation for the cheapest non-inland accommodation on the isle inwards high flavour inwards what seems to live rooms inwards concrete blocks rather than bungalows. However inwards 2009 they were non yet opened upwardly inwards early December. The eating theatre looked to take away hold been refurbished since 08. They were opened upwardly inwards March 2013 - but prices quoted me were no longer cope basement - a chip higher than nearby Porn.
Just inland from PORN/FISHERIES (take the walkway inwards from SUBAYE SPORTS (diving) is FLOUR POWER BAKERY with some yummy pastries, skilful normal meals in addition to peachy shakes etc. Prices are non budget-bungalow cheap, but the stuff is existent nice.
Follow the walkway less than five minutes inland to accomplish JACK'S JUNGLE - which has prissy bungalows in addition to gets skilful reports for nutrient in addition to for lively times at the Jungle Bar. KAFAIR HUT is a chip closer inwards the same full general direction.
A tezza shot Nov 08 - Porn's bungalows in addition to eating theatre are behind the trees to the right, but take away hold skilful sea-views. There was major constuction work** going on at Fisheries Dept at the far destination which made the beach less pristine than I think it - but it soundless doesn't expression also bad at all. I had a existent prissy swim in addition to some sun-time.**actually I works life out this latest see that the Thai Princess had a large beach theatre built on the headland ridge north-west of Fisheries with peachy views of Adang in addition to Rawi - there's also a line of prissy looking chalets presumably for her buddies built on a little cove the other side of the headland.
NEW TO SUNSET BEACH 2013
Continuing westward of Sunset Beach, the next km or so has at to the lowest degree five little patches of sand, many of which had some sort of identify to rest most novel to me on this latest trip. I noticed 2 bungalow outfits similar to NO NAME over the commencement 400m. Not much farther is La Luna Beach aka Mia Luna/Mid Luna. The Mid Luna Bar there has been an on/off suggestion for years, but latest trip I also noticed they had a camping ground area.
LA LUNA BEACH
In unopen succession heading W in i lawsuit to a greater extent than from La Luna are ii or 3 similar little beaches. One is Bila Beach...
BILA BEACH
This prissy piffling beach is virtually 500m W of Sunset Beach. There has been a beach bar hither for years but I was delighted inwards 2008 to detect the owners had refurbished it in addition to built a handful of prissy traditional bungalows summation H5N1 DORM. .
New fan/bathroom bungalows at Bila Bar in addition to Resort built on the gradient inwards a higher identify the beach. That's ex-New Yorker co-owner Emily cleaning on the verandah. Those 4 doors opened upwardly to a bigger than normal bungalow with similarly large bath behind. The dorm is similar - has 2 double bunks with thick manful someone monarch sized unmarried matresses Emily told me she had to fellowship specially.Dorms 300, normal bungalows around 700.
UPDATE 2013 - Bila Beach Bungalows seems to take away hold headed upmarket. The dorm has gone although the bungalows inwards a higher identify the beach looked much the same (note wonderingstar in his excellent update on Lipe places done inwards Dec 2012 says they take away hold some newer, flasher bungalows a chip farther west, but I didn't consider them). Prices inwards the eating theatre were decidedly midrange* cheque them below. Emily had gone also although her ex-boyfriend was soundless running the joint.
* most midrange places I take away hold stayed at on the islands would non go over 150 for most of these dishes. The inwards a higher identify are to a greater extent than five star hotel prices.
Heading W again, within a really small distance at that spot is some other little beach with some concrete bungalows high on the cliffs - wonderingstar says they are at nowadays owned past times the the resort on the next beach (Pitiusas) in addition to were unfinished 4 months before my visit. I was also lazy to hike upwardly in addition to cheque them out. H5N1 small stone hop farther W (also accessible from the road) is an attractive newish to a greater extent than midrange-looking resort on a slightly bigger less rocky beach than most along here.
PITISUSAS BEACH
Pricing at fourth dimension of writing (April 2013) aint inexpensive - 2500 peak, 200 high, 1200 depression from the website) but if user reviews on Trip Adviser etc are positive this could live the identify for yous flashpacker dudes wanting somewhere away from the madding crowds. I notice Agoda is listing this articulation too.
Continuing on at that spot is a serial of tiny scrappy beaches (with no accommodation at the fourth dimension of writing) right along the coast to the western tip of the island. These are best accessed past times boat - the route turns into a dirt rail in addition to before long peters out.
East Coast Beaches
ANDAMAN BEACH - aka SUNRISE BEACH
Andaman Beach (Sunrise Beach) southward - portion of angling hamlet right, hillside bungalows of Viewpoint/ Serendipity, far left (image Castaway Resort) - the northern tertiary is out of frame to the right but tin live seen 2 shots below.
Andaman is the long beach which takes upwardly most of the eastern side of the island. The department inwards the middle used to live dominated past times the angling hamlet in addition to crowded with long tails, angling traps etc making it the to the lowest degree attractive section, but over the years the hamlet section, at to the lowest degree fronting the beach, has progressively shrunk equally resorts take away hold over the area. Now it takes upwardly exclusively 150m or the beach, the isle directly northward a similar distance.
As yous caput northward from the schoolhouse things gets progressively nicer. There are virtually 3 resorts inwards this direction. ANDAMAN RESORT is the northern most i (discounting Mountain Resort around the corner) in addition to has a huge attain of bungalows.
The nicest section of beach on the isle IMHO is right at the northern tip of the eastward coast just before in addition to where Andaman beach wraps around the northward eastward corner of the island, turning W to cast a lovely white sand spit which extends outwards a small distance towards Ko Adang.
The northern destination of Andaman is nicest - Andaman Resort's eating theatre is to the left equally are the to a greater extent than expensive bungalows. The traditional fan jobs are nether those casuarina trees farther from camera. The beach turns hard left towards Mountain Resort at the destination - that is mountainous Ko Adang yous tin consider background right.
MOUNTAIN RESORT is situated at the top of a depression cliff overlooking this wrap-around department at the northward destination of Andaman beach, in addition to has a rep for beingness i the most attractive accommodation paces on the island.
I've ever wanted to rest hither in addition to with The Lady seeking comfort, nosotros went for this inwards the commencement one-half of the early Dec 2009 visit.
Approaching Mountain Resort inwards our longtail. Guys run downwards in addition to alternative upwardly your luggage. Great clifftop eating theatre to right. Clifftop in addition to beachlevel bungalows were most expensive, other bungalows are ranged upwardly hillside inwards the trees behind. Beach-level edifice closest the stairway is the famous Karma Bar - no longer called that in addition to nether novel management. 2013 - at that spot is a bungalow at that spot now.There is some other stairway upwardly from the beach out of frame to left.
The eating theatre serves upwardly pretty skilful nutrient at prices maybe 20% upwardly on budget bungalow average.
Inclusive buffet breakfasts were pretty good, but tended to cool pretty chop-chop if the heating flames below the dishes blew out inwards the wind.
Wind was a work on 2 of our 4 early Dec days - the infamous early dry out flavour north-easterlies kicked inwards strongly, so much so that conditions genuinely became unpleasant inwards the restaurant. I take away hold spent a fair fourth dimension inwards the Andaman but to a greater extent than ofttimes than non on sheltered beaches - exposed beaches are fewer but of the xxx odd days I've spent on exposed beaches exclusively these 2 were windy plenty to live unpleasant. (I take away hold noticed since that quite a few days inwards Nov in addition to Dec tin larn blustery. Not such a skilful fourth dimension to live taking a long speedboat trip - tin larn existent bumpy in addition to wet. As dry out flavour progresses this becomes less of a problem).
The nearest alternative eating theatre to Mountain is Andaman Resort's, maybe 10 minutes away on the beach. You tin hold walking the beach past times Andaman Resort in addition to accomplish the start of the cross isle WALKING STREET inwards virtually some other 10 behind Varin 2 aka Varin Village - plenty of skilful value restaurants here.
You tin walk out the dorsum of Andaman in addition to take away hold a to a greater extent than direct inland route to WALKING STREET in addition to maybe salve five minutes - you'll demand a torch at night. And past times turning right when walking out the dorsum yous tin accomplish Sunrise Beach farther W on the northward coast inwards around 10-15 minutes (you tin also beach/rock hop upwardly to Sunrise below virtually i quarter tide).
This is Chez Tezza at Mountain, the cheapest aircon bungalow at 1400 shoulder - 1600 high including brekka. Note mutual frigidness H2O - but some of Mountain's fan bungalows take away hold hot H2O - go figure. Pay to a greater extent than in addition to yous tin larn a much nicer newer bigger aircon bungalow with hot water, TV etc.The cheapest aircon bungalows were situated inwards the 3rd in addition to higher rows away from the cliffside - most were staggered to give some glimpses of the sea in addition to neighbouring Ko Adang.
The bungalows were non also bad - inwards skilful condition, normal flashpacker inclusions similar towels, lather etc, large plenty for ii summation gear - a tertiary invitee would live a chip squeezy but possible.
I thought the biggest letdown was the lack of paths - the heavily erosion from moisture flavour had left lots of exposed roots, gulleys, fifty-fifty a few H2O pipes in addition to fifty-fifty though lighting of the grounds at nighttime is non also bad, the shadows of the holes in addition to gullies create visibility hard in addition to at i phase Lady Tezza tripped in addition to fell. Not skilful plenty for 1400-1600 inwards 2009. UPDATE - I checked these bungalows inwards 2013. The expanse looked identical.
Note the newer expanse on the western side of the eating theatre had skilful paths inwards 2009.
Quite a few of the fan bungalows take away hold prime number spot inwards the 2d row where isle sea views are less interrupted.
Panoramic shot from Mountain Resort's eating theatre - Ko Adang inwards background. That's the northern most department of Andaman beach forming a spit on the right - Andaman Resort has bungalows really unopen to the beach there (images Mountain Resort )
Same department of beach from the eating theatre inwards before years.
Below is a belatedly Nov 09 shot of Mountain's beach - spot the difference.
2009. Indications of a tough moisture flavour - the recurved destination of the spit has been washed away. It's hard to consider inwards this shot but the H2O closest to the eating theatre had a plume. This is non odd on resort beaches, waste materials H2O is ofttimes non fully filtered past times the asset tanks in addition to sand - Bila had a little one, parts of Sunset seemed specially bad that year, parts of the primary portion of Andaman were a chip suss. Interestingly busiest Pattaya was pristine.Anyway, I did all my swimming at Mountain towards the destination of the spit were the H2O was really nice. There are some interesting lumps of coral off-shore.
UPDATE - LATER SHOT
Steve Manklow sent me this pic taken inwards Feb 2010 - 2 months after my shot inwards a higher identify this one. Note how the recurved destination of the spit has regrown. Doesn't take away hold long.Steve also gave this information on Mountain Resort: Just got dorsum from Lipe in addition to tin study that the sand bar is dorsum on Mountain resort beach.
We had a forepart row hut @ mount view, really prissy see but resort was lacking inwards many areas (service, food, breakfast, theatre keeping, staff mood) even so i knew this to live the representative before booking in addition to the see to a greater extent than than made upwardly for it.
The isle has certainly changed since our final see inwards 2003 but it remains a prissy identify to visit.
UPDATE - LATEST SHOT
UPDATE - NEW ACCOMMODATION
ANDAMAN RESORT
If yous cheque the far right of the the shot 4 upwardly from this (above Steve's) yous tin consider what looks to live ii people standing close the grass in addition to trees (if yous click-expand the shot yous volition consider it is genuinely a sign - for Andaman resort). In the trees just to the right of the sign are the the most northerly of Andaman Resort's bungalows which stretch through the trees in addition to around the corner of the beach for maybe 400m to the eating theatre area. I've ever reckoned the most northerly bungalows take away hold a fabulous postion genuinely fronting Mountain's beach - in addition to ever seem largely vacant inwards shoulder season, but when I came dorsum from Adang inwards Nov08 heavy pelting had created a little lake inwards forepart of them, so I took a similar bungalow much closer to the restaurant. The next beach around the corner at that spot is equally said the best stretch of sand on the island.
I ever seek to rest inwards a novel identify when I revisit in addition to was determined that trip to try Andaman Resort with its peachy position, despite bad reviews inwards the various forums. Um 500 for a not-too-flash trad fan bungalow inwards the dorsum (3rd) row inwards shoulder flavour 08. And world-champ haggler tezza can’t bring down this a baht. This is directly on crossing from Adang where I had a gorgeous, huge almost create novel tile-floor in addition to concrete fan bungalow with skylight, dormer windows, tinted sliding doors in addition to fabulous views for 600.
BTW - apart from the exxy bungalows, Andaman Resort wasn’t also bad at all. Maybe I’m easily pleased.
This is a front-rower at Andaman Resort, identical inwards all other ways to my back-rower. Basically just a traditional bamboo thatch walled fan task with a bath in addition to verandah - 600b inwards belatedly Nov shoulder - 700 come upwardly Dec. Nice spot - the beach out forepart is peachy in addition to at that spot are prissy views across to Adang which yous tin consider inwards the background - in addition to to Tarutao in addition to Langkawi if yous are a chip farther southward around the bend of the beach. H5N1 fair few longtails during the twenty-four hours (but nowhere close equally painful equally on Pattaya Beach) but I noticed it was pretty peaceful at night.It aint equally black nether the trees equally this shot appears - my elcheapo point-and-shoot Olympus of the fourth dimension couldn't handgrip contrast variations.
Andaman also has some attractive concrete beachfront bungalows unopen to the eating theatre which expression to live aircon.
I can't think the eating theatre beingness anything special nutrient in addition to cost wise in addition to this was confirmed on my next 09 trip when nosotros walked around from Mountain for dinner.
Between the Andaman Resort in addition to the angling hamlet is the smaller LIPE BEACH RESORT (traditional vogue budget bungalows) in addition to the school. The beach exterior the angling hamlet is pretty messy with lots of rubbish, broken glass, boat mooring ropes etc - at to the lowest degree they take away hold cleared away the old broken boat motors etc.
MID ANDAMAN BEACH
The department of Andaman Beach south of the angling hamlet improves, although it tin larn a chip shallow along hither at lowest tide. There are virtually some other one-half dozen bungalow places, inluding the huge TARUTAO CABANA, VARIN VILLAGE aka Varin 2, GIPSY RESORT, FORRA DIVE SUNSET.
SOUTH ANDAMAN BEACH
Castaways Resort. I've never seen a identify attract so many conflicting reports on move forums*, in addition to a expression at its website shows it aint just budget. But those 2 storey bungalows expression pretty cool to me. The beach hither aint peachy or bad, but Viewpoint's/Serendipity's skilful beach is less than five minutes farther southward in addition to the prissy destination of Andaman close Andaman Resort/Mountain Resort is 10 minutes north.* that was when I checked inwards 2009 - may take away hold lifted its game.
VIEWPOINT BUNGALOWS’ TWO LITTLE BEACHES
Websites ofttimes refer to these equally portion of Andaman (Sunrise) beach but these are just southward inwards little twin bays (take the path behind the stone I was standing on 2 shots upwardly page) in addition to are really nice, specially the further, most southerly i which Viewpoint Bungalow at nowadays shares with Serendipity Resort.
Back when I commencement visited the isle at that spot was no resort hither or nearby, yet the farther beach was soundless pop with travelers.
Note at depression tide the twin bays tin larn existent shallow, specially inwards the northern bay where the coral was exposed right across to the little forested islet virtually 150m offshore (in a month’s lowest [no moon] tide). The same tide inwards the southern bay saw okay swimming inwards the sandy sections betwixt coral outcrops in addition to wading possible right out to the reef drop-off. Snorkeling was skilful along the drop-off at all tides in addition to fairly interesting closer to the beach at higher tide levels.
Note at that spot was a slight tidal electrical flow moving thru this expanse at higher tide levels - I works life it like shooting fish in a barrel to swim against but parents should hold an oculus on kids. The same electrical flow moves along the reef drop-off at depression tide in addition to is stronger. Note tidal currents tend to live strongest mid-tide.
Viewpont's southern beach.My favourite Lipe location is VIEWPOINT BUNGALOW where I stayed inwards March 07. This identify reads upwardly existent prissy inwards the move guides in addition to on travelfish.
I wasn’t disappointed. As belatedly equally 2009 it was an old vogue beach-hut type place, with rustic bungalows built upwardly the steep hillside overlooking twin compact bays just southward of a little headland at the destination of the large eastern beach, Andaman. When I returned inwards 2013 at that spot were some prissy novel aircon beachfront bungalows summation a lot of rebuilding of the hillside area.
Most of the hilside bungalows take away hold really prissy views from their verandas. Mine was the 2d highest, cutting into the rainforest upwardly a pretty awesome set of stairs, in addition to was panoramic - Koh Usen, a little islet just offshore, Tarutao inwards the far distance, mountainous Ko Adang unopen to the northward with the sweep of Andaman Bay between.
View from my bungalow straight east.....and north.
Also novel to me inwards 2013, a flash articulation called SERENDIPITY built upwardly the hillside just southward of Viewpoint. I had a wander around, really prissy bungalows in addition to atmospheric high set eating theatre with viewing platforms nearby. I think it was opened inwards 2011 or 12.
ANOTHER NEW JOINT IN THE AREA
The costless isle map available everywhere on arrival showed some other articulation POOH'S GARDEN RESORT fifty-fifty farther southward than Serendipity. So I went in addition to had a look, accessing via the jungle rail which leads from the route behind the resorts on southward Sunrise beach. In March 2013 this novel articulation looked a piece of work inwards progress. H5N1 steep expanse downwards the hillside to the sea had been largely cleared but at that spot was exclusively a few crude oil bungalows at the top in addition to these looked to live staff/builder occupied.
There was no beach access hither - just a rocky mini-cove. I tried to rock-hop northward to Viewpoint/Serendipi'tys best beach but it was also difficult. I think edifice a walkway along at that spot may encroach on Serendipity land. Nevertheless this i bears rechecking - several lovely places on Ko Tao larn past times with just rocky coves in addition to this novel articulation is beingness developed past times the famous Pooh's back on Walking Street, an isle establishment which has ever been a degree act.
WALKING AROUND THE SOUTH EAST CORNER OF THE ISLAND TO PATTAYA BEACH:
DON’T!
I saw a few people walking on past times VIEWPOINT’S bays at depression tide inwards an elbow grease to larn around to Pattaya Beach. I saw them walking back. It is really hard in addition to dangerous. I did it on my commencement see - it took me virtually ninety minutes (I had figured 10), at that spot are several cliffs which yous must climb upwardly or down, in addition to on i my hand-hold broke off (weathered stone - d'oh, what a surprise with all that common salt air about!) in addition to I nearly brutal in addition to broke my neck.
The best way is to go dorsum to Andaman/Sunrise beach fundamental in addition to utilization Walking Street.
You tin also climb the steep stairs thru VIEWPOINT/SERENDIPITY/POOH'S GARDEN - at the top the rail drops thu the jungle, goes past times a few local residential areas, joins the route behind the southward Sunset Beach resorts in addition to comes out close Poh’s on Walking Street - but this aint genuinely whatever shorter. Nice walk though.
Avert your eyes if the long term French daughter resident of the highest Viewpoint bungalow is walking around her veranda naked. I was shocked at this affront to Thai cultural standards - but I didn’t tell anything, partly to non embarrass her. But mainly because she had a totally hot body.
EXCURSIONS
On my commencement see in addition to in i lawsuit to a greater extent than in March 2013 I took i of the snorkeling trips offered all around the isle to the surrounding area. This took a one-half twenty-four hours in addition to nosotros commencement snorkeled a reef mid way betwixt Lipe in addition to Ko Rawi, in addition to and so did fringing reefs on islets close Rawi in addition to Ko Adang. The coral in addition to fish life were pretty skilful past times Thai standards. There are also total twenty-four hours trips which offering an extra snorkelling halt in addition to tiffin on i of the beaches.
Much amend were the next 2 stops inwards the lee of little Ko Hing Nam - the H2O was pretty shallow hither in addition to visibility good. So also were the coral in addition to fish.
Lipe has a position out of dive operators in addition to at that spot are many dive sites inwards the surrounding area.
It's dead like shooting fish in a barrel to grab a longtail at 50b per someone in addition to pass fourth dimension on Adang's lovely beach. There is a peachy scenic picket which exclusively takes xxx minutes to access in addition to a less than whelming waterfall after an threescore minutes or so's prissy rainforest walk which turns into a circus river stone hop the final 300m. See my Adang page.
FOOD
I'm non a gourmet. Being a budget traveller, if it's cheap, fills me in addition to tastes okay, I'm happy. But for nutrient lovers Sbruny provided this inwards Feb 09- "Koh Lipe is express for splendid food. The best thai is at the Jungle Bar inwards the middle of the island. For seafood seek the sea gypsy identify on Pattaya beach. For prissy see with repast the Mountain Resort can't live beat. For tasty fried chicken seek the muslim ladies behind the local schoolhouse early inwards the morning. Overall, I would tell the nutrient on Koh Lipe really average compared to the residual of Thailand. However, the isle in addition to surrounding are spectacular."
I'll add together that several users take away hold reported Pattaya Song's eating theatre does peachy Italian nutrient - The Lady in addition to I shared a pizza when nosotros stayed at Varin on Pattaya in addition to it seemed pretty skilful to me.
UPDATE - Lipe has expanded so much since 2009 specially inwards the mid-range in addition to amend that I'm sure at that spot is at nowadays a bunch of character places to eat.
RUBBISH PROBLEMS ON LIPE
Lipe gets bad press from some visitors for high amounts of trash on beaches, around edifice sites in addition to dumped beside hinterland tracks in addition to the angling hamlet outskirts.
Early dry out flavour beach junk on northward destination of Andaman (Sunrise) Beach (image WEBME - click the link for other similar shots)
Bigger epitome from THEMANZOMANDISTARSQUADRON - soundless Andaman Beach.
Beach rubbish is largely a seasonal thing.
Most of it is Thai domestic rubbish + rainforest debris carried to the sea past times flooding wet-season streams + an amazing amount of angling boat detritus. H5N1 lot of this stuff gets moved considerable distances past times currents in addition to air current in addition to dumped on Lipe.
In dry out flavour much less rubbish gets washed in addition to blown onshore - in addition to a greater proportion is angling junk. In this flavour most bungalows are pretty conscientious inwards cleaning beaches each morning. Few places are opened upwardly inwards moisture season, so things are allow go. If yous occur to go far very early inwards dry out flavour before locals larn around to clearing the build-up, in addition to so WEBME's pix is the result. My Andaman beach shot upwardly page (the i with the speedboat inwards midground) was taken exclusively 2 weeks after WEBME's - a pretty large contrast.
Beach dump of cement bags early dry out flavour (image WEBME)Many people larn upset virtually unsightly edifice activity. ISLANDBOI has some skilful edifice shots here.
Wet flavour in addition to early dry out flavour sees frantic edifice activeness to destination projects for high flavour - so unsightly dumps of edifice materials in addition to edifice sites are non uncommon at these times. CHANCHAO has pointed out that yous can't larn somewhere to slumber in addition to take away hold a repast if no edifice takes place. Hardliners tell at that spot is already also much evolution in addition to the reply is to avoid the island.
Note I saw much less than normal edifice activeness this latest trip - virtually nix on the beaches in addition to the novel shop-fronts had been completed on the cross isle rail (and don't they expression so much amend than the messy old collection of ramshackle joints that used to live there). Most novel edifice was taking identify on the side roads away from the primary rail - the concern expanse is expanding laterally.
Environmentally aware travellers tin larn depressed past times the amount of domestic in addition to bungalow/restaurant trash dumped with tracks inwards the hinterland, on the outskirts of the hamlet in addition to fifty-fifty behind sure bungalows. This is non a seasonal work - it's 365/12, but seemed less evident inwards the lates trip. Maybe that 20baht trash taxation on entry is having some impact.
Like many islands, Lipe for a long fourth dimension had no organised rubbish collection in addition to disposal - it was left to resorts in addition to households to cart their stuff to the dump. And unfortunately some Thais are pretty lazy when disposing of identify in addition to tourist generated trash.
Possible answers are environmental didactics (directed at the angling manufacture too), less laxity, to a greater extent than money in addition to resources (Lipe is portion of Satun local regime area) in addition to an elbow grease past times tourists themselves to cutting downwards on trash generating activities. Suggestions include a national commons type visitor quota organization - hard to implement for an isle which is non administered past times the National Park.
Hardline environmentalists urge travellers to avoid the island. Your call. Note that dumped rubbish is mutual throughout SE Asia - maybe sensitive travellers should avoid the expanse equally a whole. I'm so used to it I didn't detect Lipe anything out of the ordinary - but certainly if yous take away hold just arrived from Lanta, Phuket, Langkawi or other islands where trash collection inwards most areas is amend organised, yous could think Lipe looks messy inwards comparison.
PROGRESS 09
The promised rubbish removal service past times the Satun provincial regime has started. This large barge was beached inwards the centre of Pattaya close Leepae Resort in addition to a shuttle of trucks was transferring both domestic rubbish in addition to edifice cloth cast-offs from the fundamental isle tip. The same "Lipe is a rubbish dump" moaners volition likely at nowadays complain virtually visual in addition to olfactory pollution to the beach.The barge was loading for a skilful five hours. Later inwards our trip a smaller boat was receiving the same type of cargo.
Rubbish bins similar these on the cross isle WALKING STREET were set upwardly inwards several parts of the isle - if yous click to enlarge yous tin consider they cater for the usual general, organic in addition to recycle waste.The hamlet itself seems a lot neater. I think this is largely the effect of concrete paving of a few of the cross streets leading off the cross isle rail - formerly these were dusty wayfares which turned to mud (or pools where the drainage was poor).
REGRESSION
The beach at the hamlet had gone downhill since 08. H5N1 tempest surge coupled with a manful someone monarch tide (as occured inwards Oct 09) would launder most of this junk into the sea, including the bottles - in addition to thus nosotros larn hereafter broken glass.BROKEN GLASS
Lady Tezza's underprivileged childhood has made her world champion at finding stuff on the ground - I in i lawsuit saw her scoop upwardly a heap of coins inwards shin-high grass on a black nighttime - in addition to the amount of drinking glass she in addition to I managed to collect on our early Dec trip to Lipe was amazing. On Sunset Beach nosotros loaded a washed upwardly 10 litre plastic handbag (Malaysian inwards source) half-way with with the stuff in addition to had several unbroken bottles separate. It was worse on the scaggy low-tide-only beach behind the Thai Princess' hangers-on chalets (I bet the violet dogsbodies do a large clean-up of both this in addition to Sunset before each of her visits). Disappointingly the beach at Mountain yielded quite a supply. But Andaman/Sunrise Beach was worst - nosotros had to create several unloads at bins inwards resorts equally nosotros moved downwards the beach - with the hamlet expanse worst of all. The best? Maligned Pattaya - inwards several total length walks I managed to detect exclusively a few pieces of drinking glass in addition to no bottles.
The sources of most of this drinking glass are Thai fishermen who throw their Red Bull in addition to beer bottles overboard in addition to lazy Thai villagers who chuck bottles onto the beach or dump them inwards a higher identify the normal tide grade (where a tempest surge tin soundless larn them) - the bottles nail on seaside rocks (wind + currents + moving ridge swash in addition to the long-shore drift volition take away hold them there) in addition to and so beach drifting/wave swash volition distribute the broken drinking glass onto the beach. BTW if yous are picking up, include those sand-rounded bits - nosotros after met a Swedish daughter who stepped on i of these which in addition to so broke in addition to cutting her.
Eradicating these dumping practices is the best solution - inwards the hateful time, resort owners take away hold to RAKE the beach each morn to sift out the drinking glass in addition to other rubbish. Note drinking glass was a little work on nearby Bulon Lae in addition to Langkawi where resorts in addition to other beach businesses do this conscientiously.
Now I wonder if my see to Lipe was also early for many of the resorts to start this sifting - I can't believe places similar Mountain in addition to Porn resorts volition desire visitor complaints in addition to injury when things larn genuinely busy. They should live doing this right from the start of the flavour - it was obvious many Pattaya places were. I wonder too, if I'm lucky - I've wandered the beaches/waded inwards the H2O for 4 visits bare-footed in addition to never cutting myself. I've never noticed much drinking glass - but in addition to so I wouldn't notice Paris Hilton sunbathing naked on the sand unless I tripped over her.
Maybe peak flavour visitors could post inwards in addition to comment on the drinking glass situation.
UPDATE MARCH 2013 - March is after peak season, giving the isle an extra 2 months to clear drinking glass - in addition to yep, things were pretty good.
Broken beer bottle works life directly on hitting the Princess' dorsum beach (this is the i for which novel bungalows inwards a higher identify the beach take away hold stolen the call SUNSET BEACH from the amend beach next west) - interestingly I take away hold it sitting on the supports for the H2O pipeline which comes onshore hither from nearby Ko Adang waterfall. Lipe has few permanent streams - I know of none inwards the settled eastern one-half of the island.
Water pipeline from Adang. Some of yous cynics mightiness think it is a sewage pipe, but trust me, it is good away from the Princess' joint, at that spot were no other resorts inwards line at the fourth dimension of the shot in addition to it is pointing straight at the waterfall expanse on Adang's southern slopes. I take away hold hiked upwardly to these falls - at that spot are 3 similar pipes to a little pondage expanse a chip higher than the falls.THE RUBBISH-GLASS SITUATION MARCH 2013 - Lipe has done a Phi Phi in addition to at nowadays imposes a 20bhat trash avoidance fee on entry. Main comport on I saw was a daily run of garbage collection along Walking Street. However I must acknowledge the residual of the isle did non seem to take away hold equally much trash roadside etc. The drinking glass province of affairs on the beaches was amend also - but this could live that my March see had five months of high flavour for the broken stuff to live picked upwardly past times conscientious people similar Lady Tezza in addition to of course of study past times resort beach clean-up crews.
I reckon the best fourth dimension to guess the comport on of the novel trash fee would live early high season, tell mid Nov - do they pass some of the taxation on organised piece of work gangs to clear the beaches of the moisture flavour air current blown stuff pictured upwardly page? Or is this left to private resorts to eventually larn around to equally inwards the past?
OVERBUILDING
People returning to Lipe after some fourth dimension larn a stupor at the amount of novel places. It seems most obvious that most beach places take away hold been taken - but I reckon nosotros volition start to consider to a greater extent than joints on sea-side rocks, headlands similar Tao, Phangan etc.
The other procedure nosotros volition consider is to a greater extent than of the knock downwards the inexpensive articulation in addition to build a flasher identify - similar at Sita on western Pattaya - in addition to of course of study expand in addition to redevelop the articulation equally Varin has so successfully done on its Pattaya site. (I wrote that inwards 2009 - notation the novel northward coast places 2013 I cite upwardly page. And the knockdown in addition to redevelopment of existing beach places I saw same trip. Jeez. I'm psychic! ....Um, non genuinely - both are no-brainers).
Even the most anti-development traveller volition welcome some of the newer edifice activeness such equally the paving of the cross-island WALKING STREET in addition to the neater shop-fronts along it summation the concreting of some of the formerly dire hamlet streets that intesect it.
The paved rail on Walking Street - virtually time! The biggest negative on Lipe eliminated IMHO. Note this is a belatedly 08 shot when the paving was exclusively a few months old - i yr after it was considerably sandier in addition to dustier inwards parts. Still a huge improvement on the daggy mess before.UPDATE 2013 - route paving has continued. Now all the hamlet cross-streets seems to live concrete. H5N1 lot of the narrow route leading away from the hamlet expanse towards the northward in addition to W of the isle ditto.
My 2013 see reinforced the fact that I genuinely similar Walking Street these days. There is a huge array of restaurants, shops, move agents, supermarkets, bakeries, tattoo joints, bars etc. Competition keeps prices competitive in addition to its closed to motorcycles etc from early afternoon to mid-night. The identify has a prissy vibe IMHO.
If yous desire a inexpensive identify to rest unopen to the fundamental Pattaya beach boat landing point, Walking Street in addition to the lanes leading off it take away hold the pick. Simply walk along in addition to cheque the signs: at that spot were several places around 500 inwards belatedly high flavour 2013.
GIPSY 2 RIVENDELL
I was after a relatively inexpensive identify (not botttom budget) for March 2013 I could volume online - I was a chip spooked past times move forums talking virtually how busy the isle had larn in addition to only wanted something with quick access off the boat without having to trudge around finding a vacancy. Knowing what a skilful location the full general Walking Street expanse has become, I had no hesitation inwards booking G2R after reading skilful user reports online.
This tiny boutique resort is inwards a peachy spot – 50m upwardly a small lane from the highest portion of walking street with its large array of restaurants, shops in addition to other businesses - in addition to less than five minutes stroll from Lipe’s 2 primary beaches, Pattaya in addition to Sunset/Andaman.
The bamboo thatch in addition to whitewashed-stone bungalows go a measuring or ii farther than normal inwards this cost attain (1300baht 2013). We are looking at lots of little artistic touches summation extras similar multiple towels, incense sticks, mozzie coils + lighters in addition to beach mats/sarongs on demand. Inside are paintings, wall hangings, lots of black stained wood in addition to whitewash, nicely tiled floors inwards the bath room which has hot water, non all that mutual inwards bungalows of this cost level. There is plenty of infinite for ii people in addition to their gear. The firmish double bed was comfy in addition to the meshing a skilful one. The large veranda with hammock in addition to chairs looked out on a garden setting although this contains a lot of bare earth. Main complaints were a lack of storage for luggage (the owners told me tables are on order) although at that spot is plenty of little storage space; no wifi inwards rooms although costless at reception; in addition to the bungalows were a chip black within during daytlight. Some people volition complain virtually the lack of restauants – but at that spot is a vast array of really skilful value places nearby on Walking Sreet. The beachfront restaurants in addition to sand bars with candles on mats are non also much further. One reviewer mentioned nearby bar dissonance but I could hear exclusively distant music which was no agency intrusive, in addition to I’m a chip fussy inwards this respect.
The immature Castilian duad running Gipsy are friendly in addition to obliging.
In the past times it's been hard to alternative the relatively narrow gap where the rail starts on Andaman from similar sized Bungalow entrances, but they at nowadays take away hold a large overhead banner sign: WALKING STREET - so named because the busiest department is blocked off to motorcycles afternoon in addition to inwards the evening.
Walking St ends where it hits the hamlet virtually 3 minutes from Andaman/Sunrise. The continuing road
doesn't quite accomplish the beach - but it's a small distance through the novel Varin Village to the beach - nobody seems to hear outsiders strolling thru. There is an access lane to the northward side of Varin Village - this looks like portion of a resort also (looks like but I don't think it is).
HIGH PRICES
I take away hold already indicated that high bungalow prices are a characteristic of Lipe. It is doing a Phi Phi inwards this respect. Prices to me seem 20 to 50% higher than yous would pay on many pop islands. K or to a greater extent than for a fan bungalow with bath inwards a budget beach resort is outrageous compared to similar places on tell Phangan or large Chang, in addition to specially to the skilful value islands similar piffling Chang, Phayam, Jum. But I'm a peachy believer inwards the marketplace - if people are prepared to pay these prices they can't live wrong, tin they? And I hold going dorsum in addition to paying those prices, don't I?
OVERCROWDING
All my visits take away hold been inwards November/early Dec in addition to March, hardly peak season. Except for my final see when the primary beaches seemed to live around two-thirds capacity, things were really uncrowded with pop resorts running around 30% - many others less. In belatedly Nov08 my favourite budget articulation VIEWPOINT had no guests! (I was pleased for the possessor that a quite a few of his peachy hillside bungalows were occupied on after trips. Those novel aircon beachfront jobs I demonstrate up-page were undrstandably all taken inwards March 2013.)
I did larn a gustatory modality of to a greater extent than busy periods inwards 2009 because the King's Birthday Holiday Weekend coincided with 2 of our days on the isle in addition to Lipe is existent pop with Thai locals. I'd tell Varin was running 70%. However Pattaya Beach was uncrowded people wise, but equally I said before at that spot was a bunch of extra boats.
Despite this I take away hold seen posts proverb Peak-Peak at destination of Dec into Jan has been VERY busy these final few years with unbooked poeple sometimes non finding a bed. Note Christmas is non a large cope with Thai holidayers, but New Year's Day is.
SO SHOULD YOU AVOID LIPE?
No way inwards my sentiment unless yous are actively environmentally-sensitive.
For other people who don't similar messy beaches, maybe yous should avoid genuinely early dry out flavour (say upwardly to the 2d calendar week of Dec) until the beaches are probable to take away hold been cleared. The trash in addition to drinking glass seems amend cleared after inwards the dry out flavour - but alway hold an oculus out for the abrupt stuff.
Repeat visitors who think Pattaya equally ii thirds unbuilt with a bunch of little dunes backing the beach inwards the eastern one-half may prefer to rest somewhere else on the isle to a greater extent than set dorsum - on Viewpoint’s/Serendipity's beach, Sunset Beach, Bila Beach etc or the piffling beach over the headland from Pattaya Song where Sanom Beach Resort has been built.
However I works life latest trip Pattaya non also bad although regressed a chip from 2009, The top destination of Andaman around Mountain in addition to Andaman Resorts is nicest. Viewpoint's/Serendipity's beach is a peachy piffling spot in addition to the southern department of Andaman/Sunrise beach nearby looked way amend than inwards previous years - due I'd tell to careful tending past times the novel resorts there. Who said evolution ever makes a spot worse?
Or inwards hereafter disappointed repeat visitors could rest on Adang in addition to cross to Lipe for daytrips. The boaties inwards 2009 were charging 50baht per someone (and they don‘t hold off for a total boat, ofttimes I was the exclusively passenger, in addition to so usually it becomes 100baht) - a charge per unit of measurement that was a apartment fee per someone all around Lipe. Makes those guys at Ao Nang expression similar the thieves they are.
LIPE IS H5N1 LONG WAY FROM BANGKOK - is it worth the distance in addition to cost?
Often asked. My reply to the inwards a higher identify - NOT ON ITS OWN*. But it is good worth it if yous combine some of the nearby islands. Adang is a 10 infinitesimal longtail ride away. You tin do a loop of Tarutao-Lipe-Bulon Lae using the scheduled tourist boats originating out of Pak Bara on the mainland.
People visiting Langkawi inwards Malaysia tin speedboat across to Lipe for a gustatory modality of staying on a Thai isle (and Lipe is a skilful contrast to Langkawi) - in addition to of course of study Langkawi-Lipe is a peachy way for tourists wanting to displace from the western side of the Malaysian peninsula into Thailand. They tin go on via the mainland at Pak Bara or proceed isle hopping all the way to Krabi or Phuket.
* Lipe is non large enough, various plenty nor has the fantastic landscape of tell Phi Phi to live a must consider destination inwards itself unless yous are a dead set isle tragic similar me who has to consider them all. You tin larn much the same equally Lipe nearer to Bangkok - I'd tell the closest isle inwards vogue to Lipe I know is Ko Samet. Ko Tao is non a lot unlike although its landscape is to a greater extent than rugged in addition to attractive, the beaches a chip inferior.
GETTING THERE
The biggest alter I saw my latest 2013 see was the destination of the old deadening ferries - at nowadays either speedboats or novel faster ferries. In high flavour yous tin larn these from a position out of operators out of PAK BARA virtually midway betwixt Trang in addition to Satun. Depending on the operator these also telephone call upwardly inwards at Taruatao or Bulon Lae.
The SPD speedboat has run for yearS from KO LANTA, picking upwardly at Kos Muk, Ngai in addition to Bulon Lae - inwards recent years it has extended to a PHUKET start, calling inwards at PHI PHI. btw this is a hell of a long way inwards a speedboat - could live existent crude oil in addition to moisture inwards early high season. I reckon I'd go past times Tigerline. I think Bundhaya Speedboat run a similar service Lipe-Bulon-Lanta. Google volition detect the latest situation.
Tigerline ferries now runs from PHUKET via PHI PHI/LANTA to Lipe in addition to on to Langkawi - stopping at several islands in addition to the mainland pier at Hat Yao southward of Trang on the way down. Tigerline also has a minibus service from Surathani, Krabi/Ao Nang in addition to Khao Lak to connect with its ferries at the Hat Yao pier. Note that inwards early Dec 09 Tigerline was non running to Langkawi.
I take away hold details of how to larn to the Hat Yao pier at Ban Chao Mai independently on my Libong page, although Tigerline's minibus volition transfer yous from Trang railway station in addition to airport.
For the budget witting boat carry costs growth significantly out of (in order) Pak Bara, Langkawi in addition to Lanta/further north.
Note that at that spot is no pier at Lipe. Most boats halt offshore in addition to people are ferried to the beach past times longtails - 50 baht. There is ofttimes a longtail from Ko Adang to run across boats and whatever longtail coming together the ferry volition take away hold yous over to Adang for 50 baht per someone - in addition to anywhere around Lipe isle for the same - this is a genuinely skilful service. The apartment 50 baht per someone applies to whatever trip around Lipe off the beach too.
Some ferries in addition to speedboats trace into a pontoon off Pattaya Beach - or a pontoon non also far off Porn at Sunset Beach (I think this may live weather condition dependent - the i off Sunset beach was non beingness used inwards March 2012).
There is a speedboat straight from LANGKAWI - emigration at the Telaga Harbour operate - immigration at the beach operate which is next to Bundhaya resort on eastern Pattaya Beach. We used this i on our 2009 trip - it seemed to live a articulation elbow grease between Telaga Shuttle and SPB Speedboat using the latter's boats. In early Dec 09 at that spot were 2 services per twenty-four hours in addition to nosotros works life if yous don't volume good ahead they may live booked out.**
There is also at to the lowest degree i slower ferry out of Langkawi, I think from some other pier. Travel desks on Lankawi wiill take away hold the latest info.
**If the direct speedboat in addition to slower ferries are booked out in addition to yous take away hold to utilization the 4 a twenty-four hours Langkawi - Thammalang ferries it volition take away hold yous maybe ninety minutes to accomplish Pak Bara from Thammalang which is the first Thailand pier on the mainland across the border. Cheapest is a motorbike taxi or songthaew the 10km or so to Satun in addition to and so a regular autobus or songthaew to La Ngu in addition to and so a motorbike taxi or songthaew across to Pak Bara.
FERRY TIMETABLE - really good, tends to take away hold all of the services in addition to is kept pretty good upwardly to date.
WET SEASON TRANSPORT - for some fourth dimension at that spot was exclusively i moisture flavour ferry per calendar week from Pak Bara to Lipe - Fridays at 1100 in addition to dorsum Sundays at 0930. There was also a cargo boat yous could larn a ride on - out Midweek 1100, dorsum Fri 1000.
However belatedly inwards moisture flavour 08 a daily ferry service from Pak Bara kicked in, summation a daily speedboat service, weather condition permitting.
There are no services moisture flavour from Langkawi or on Tigerline's island-hopper out of Phuket. Tigerline tends to start belatedly November/early Dec - the website has upwardly to appointment starting dates.
GETTING TO PAK BARA FROM OTHER MAINLAND SPOTS.
From Hat Yai - minibuses run roughly hourly from the novel fundamental minibus station to the pier expanse - abt 2 hours. You tin also larn a autobus from the autobus station but this volition live slower. UPDATE 2013 - I noticed trip agents on Lipe were advertising minibus connections from Pak Bara to Hat Yai station in addition to drome - so it mightiness live a skilful thought to inquire at the drome or station virtually the contrary trips.
From Trang - the move agents inwards the street parallel to the railway station run minibuses downwards to the pier (abt 2 hours) in addition to volition provide yous with a bus/ferry ticket. They tin volume bungalows - I detect them really efficient. Apparently reps run across flights at the drome in addition to shuttle people downwards to the agencies to volume in addition to alternative upwardly a minibus.
If yous desire to do it independently grab a Satun boundary bus, larn off at La Ngu (Langu) in addition to and so larn a motorcyle taxi or songthaew the 10km or so to Pak Bara.
From Bangkok - best bet is to fly. Bucks-down travellers may detect Bangkok to Satun buses go thru La-Ngu, but maybe they go via Hat Yai. Trains run Bangkok to Hat Yai - likely at to the lowest degree i is a sleeper train. For sure at that spot are 2 sleeper trains from Bangkok into Trang each day.
From other Andaman locations in addition to the southern Gulf (Samui etc) - every tourist destination has signs upwardly advertising transfers to Lipe, with many using minibuses to Pak Bara. You tin larn world buses from most southern mainland towns to Satun - larn off inwards La-Ngue etc.
FLY INTO HAT YAI OR TRANG? - Hat Yai has to a greater extent than flights in addition to I believe the carry across to Pak Bara is to a greater extent than frequent in addition to a chip shorter. But at that spot is non a lot of difference.
LEAVING THE ISLAND
Basically it's just a thing of using the same fast ferry in addition to speedboat providers mentioned upwardly page. Note move desks at resorts in addition to on Walking Street tin volume these for yous - prices tin vary. These places tin also volume onward carry if yous are going across to the mainland at Pak Bara to your next destination.
ARRIVING BACK AT PAK BARA FROM LIPE
Many people grab i of the travelers’ minivans from Pak Bara northward to Trang where yous tin alter minivans for Lanta, Krabi etc on the i ticket Um - my latest 2013 Pak Bara-Ao Nang (Krabi) minivan blew straight past times Trang on the by-pass saving at to the lowest degree a one-half hour). These vans ofttimes hold off for after boats to come upwardly in, in addition to so if yous take away hold early ones yous could live sitting around inwards Pak Bara for a while. I used to think Pak Bara was a existent hole but these days the expanse next the pier is non a bad piffling (maybe non so little) concern area. Plenty of restaurants, inexpensive internet, move agents etc in addition to way less dusty in addition to scappy than inwards years past.
In 2013 at that spot was a large novel move terminal at the pier - if yous take away hold bought onward tickets on Lipe, reps from your carry provider volition run across yous at the pier. If yous haven't got a ticket yous tin cutting a cope with these people - they will come upwardly downwards inwards cost for minivan in addition to ferry tickets if yous are a skilful bargainer.
You tin also larn to Trang past times catching a songthaew or motorcycle-taxi the 10km or so to La Ngu, where the Satun-Trang world buses come upwardly thru roughly hourly. Last fourth dimension I caught i of these it terminated inwards southern Trang virtually 2km from the middle in addition to 4km from the primary autobus station for buses farther north.
If yous are going to Hat Yai, world minibuses larn out hourly. I believe the move companies also run independent minibuses to Hat Yai, timed to a greater extent than to boat arrivals from Lipe - in addition to these are to a greater extent than probable to drib yous at the airport, autobus station in addition to prepare station.
You tin alternative upwardly world buses into Hat Yai from La Ngu - but notation Hat Yai drome is some distance out of town.
Speedboats seem to take away hold taken over most of the carry to Lipe. This is our Langkawi speedboat inwards 2009. Note it reverses into Pattaya beach when the tide allows - all the other speedboat services moor with the pontoons where the longtails transfer passengers to the beaches. I think the authorities don' t desire people from Langkawi shooting off on longtails before they do immigration.BE CAREFUL ON SPEEDBOATS!
It's a skilful thought to waterproof baggage specially if yous are travelling inwards those ofttimes blowy early high flavour months or of course of study inwards moisture flavour (I take away hold a large 50+ liter lean plastic bin liner handbag I chuck everything into in addition to and so stuff into my move bag) - our identical boat to the inwards a higher identify after going Lipe to Bulon Lae hitting such choppy seas that everything including me, crouched behind the elevated driver's chair for cover, got soaking wet. If yous are susceptible to seasickness take away hold some displace sickness tablets in addition to expression at the horizon.
DO NOT sit down out the forepart if yous are susceptible to dorsum injury (a daughter on our render journeying to Langkawi wound her dorsum on a vicious bump hitting at speed inwards lighter chop in addition to had to live wheelchaired off to infirmary on arrival).
Um - good the inwards a higher identify is the move province of affairs equally I know it at March 2013. But this expanse is fluid - I can't believe how much easier it is to displace around the islands fifty-fifty from a duad of years ago. Who knows what volition live on offering inwards the future? Thing is, many accommodation in addition to other isle websites tend to hold data upwardly to appointment - the 2d i below has been specially skilful over the years.
A GOOD LIPE WEBSITE
ANOTHER GOOD WEBSITE
USER REPORT FROM LATE DEC O7
JimmyK just filed this study virtually his Dec see to Lipe:
"I had booked a calendar week at Mountain Resort on the quieter side of the isle at Sunrise Beach. It looked idyllic in addition to I’d read some skilful reviews on hither virtually the place. I wasn’t disappointed initially. The location was amazing with the huts perched on the border of a little cliff human face upwardly overlooking a beautiful beach in addition to Koh Adang inwards the background. I splashed for the Deluxe Cabin, 2200 Baht a night, equally I’m on vacation in addition to with the missus in addition to I take away hold to create my life equally like shooting fish in a barrel equally possible when she’s inwards tow. Ok, commencement the positives virtually Mountain Resort. It has a peachy location with beautiful views. The rooms are create clean in addition to good thought-out with hot H2O in addition to satellite TV. And Karma bar is great, really chilled identify for a drinkable or ii inwards the evening.
One thing I had heard virtually this identify was that it is owned past times a big-shot Thai who is responsible for a lot of the evolution on Koh Lipe in addition to the exclusion of the local Chao Ley people (please right me if I’m wrong). However, I was quite impressed past times the relative low-impact of the resort. It isn’t an eye-sore in addition to at that spot isn’t rubbish scattered everywhere. The beach is kept create clean in addition to at that spot is an active recycling scheme inwards place, fifty-fifty downwards to having a water-bottle refilling station to bring down plastic waste. (Not whatever to a greater extent than - tezza) In contrast when I walked along the beach to the Chao Ley village, the beach inwards forepart of the hamlet is strewn with litter left past times the local people. Empty diesel fuel canisters, metallic battery parts etc.
Anyway, dorsum to Mountain Resort in addition to I’m afraid that’s where the positives end. The eating theatre has peachy views but resembles a canteen with no atmosphere whatsoever. Also, the service is really very deadening in addition to non specially friendly. Food in addition to drinkable is expensive compared to resorts at Pattaya beach. The Thai nutrient is average in addition to the western nutrient is awful, maybe the worst I’ve had inwards Thailand. And it doesn’t destination there. From early inwards the morning, around 7am onwards the longtails create a hell of a lot of dissonance which tin live heard from anywhere inwards the resort in addition to sounds similar yous are sleeping next to the world’s loudest snorer. So, nosotros exclusively stayed 3 nights of the planned calendar week in addition to after visiting Pattaya beach for the day, decided to relocate there.
But before I go into that I volition destination with Sunrise beach first, in addition to specially a novel resort called Castaway.We had a duad of meals at Castaway Resort but didn’t rest there. It’s newly opened in addition to seems to live run past times an English linguistic communication guy. The accommodation looks genuinely prissy with large huts just set dorsum from the beach. The eating theatre expanse is also nicely designed with a raised expanse with hammocks in addition to cushions. The nutrient hither is really good, both Thai in addition to Western in addition to the service is friendly in addition to attentive. Castaway is exclusively a small walk coming from Pattaya beach past times Pooh’s bar, with the path coming out right at Castaways on the beach. Also, it’s worth noting that the snorkelling is splendid off the beach betwixt the ii little islands 100m inwards forepart of Castaway. Beware though of the electrical flow equally this side of the isle is especially windy in addition to the sea tin larn choppy. Another cool thing to do is scramble across the rocks on the headland that connects Sunrise beach to Pattaya beach. It took us virtually 2 hours in addition to it involves a chip of actual climbing with decent climbing shoes but it’s a skilful way to kill a few hours.
And so to Pattaya beach. I expected this beach to live busy beingness the primary drag, in addition to it seemed to live running at total occupancy when I checked out places but it was soundless pretty low-key. Kinda similar Koh Chang’s White Sand Beach 8 years agone before it got bought upwardly in addition to trashed. Bundhaya Resort seems to live the biggy with most families staying here. Nice identify though with skilful nutrient in addition to service in addition to reasonably priced. We stayed at Varins inwards a regular air-conditioning villa for 1500 Baht. Loved it. One thing yous genuinely notice after staying on a quieter beach equally portion of a captive audience is service is so much amend in addition to the prices lower when there’s a chip of competition. The bay hither tin live busy with boats but go to either destination past times the rocks for calm rubber H2O in addition to skilful snorkelling.Walking inland towards the infamous Pooh’s bar you’ll transcend little shops selling the usual tourist tack in addition to offering massages, tattoos etc. There’s to a greater extent than beingness built in addition to I’m sure inwards a few years it volition resemble the alleys of Phi Phi. Pooh’s is apparently an establishment in addition to rightly so. The bar is total of atmosphere, with alive music, puddle table. The eating theatre does peachy nutrient in addition to the service from Pooh himself in addition to his staff is exceptional. Highly recommended.
Anyway, that’s it. Koh Lipe was great, soundless a serenity island, maybe non for long, in addition to yous mightiness fence that reviews similar mine volition exclusively create it worse, but at that spot yous go. It volition occur eventually anyway, unless regulations are position inwards place."
Okay, some other person's perpective is ever skilful value - in addition to it looks similar Jimmy is a amend appreciator of nutrient than me. Longtail dissonance is the bane of many otherwise peachy Thai beach locations.
ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE
- Hans Meier has an entertaining concern human relationship of Lipe HERE - he is really skilful on personalities, has some prissy pix in addition to I kinda got the impression he was less than gruntled virtually Pattaya Beach.
Taking it like shooting fish in a barrel on Viewpoint's beach - notation patches of coral inwards the H2O which create this a pretty skilful spot for snorkelling away from depression tide.Julie has a Lipe Trip Report from Dec 09 inwards the novel
Trip Reports Section.wondersingstar wonderingstar works life recent shoulder flavour pricing at some of these much to a greater extent than agreeable). So do people wander across hither inwards peak hoping to detect a vacancy? Maybe, but I did consider a few of these joints advertised at move agents on Walking St in addition to I'm sure a some volition go online to detect guests.
The northward coast from the east....
MOUNTAIN RESORT BEACH
BETWEEN MOUNTAIN AND SUNSET BEACH
Next to Mountain Resort is an expanse which used to take away hold an old run-down no-name place. This has been cleared in addition to at that spot seems to live 2 novel places....
Further W is some other strip of similar sand which similar novel joints perched on the colina above. Interestingly these places are claiming the call SUNSET BEACH for their patch - the identify popularly know equally Sunset Beach at Porn Resort/Fishery Dept Bungalow just over the headland to the W is genuinely called HAT PRAMONG....seems visitors started calling it Sunset Beach on concern human relationship of the..um..sunsets.
Anyway the novel places are called Morgan Sunset Beach Resort and Lipe Sunset Beach Resort.
I'd live googling these places if I was trying to detect a non also flash vacancy at peak season.
SUNSET BEACH - um good the i nosotros all know equally Sunset Beach.
- is pretty fundamental to the settled portion of the northward coast, reached past times taking the rail to the left side (facing inland) of Daya Restaurant close Pattaya Song in addition to walking moderate slopes past times a few locals' houses in addition to so after five minutes turning right at the top of the little colina in addition to next the PORN signs for some other five minutes. You tin also access this beach from a rail inland from Brother Seaview Resort inwards a higher identify Sanom beach in addition to turning right when yous hitting the northward coast road. Sunset is a smaller, much quieter beach than Pattaya with 2 accomm places, PORN in addition to FISHERIES DEPT BUNGALOWS. Update - good there's some other 2 inwards March 2013, NO-NAME (see below) on the hillside to the northward in addition to KAFAIR HUT inland with the route leading across past times the temple to the primary angling hamlet area.
Sunset Beach and Porn take away hold a skilful rep inwards the guide books in addition to I had a peachy rest at that spot inwards the commencement portion of my initial see to the isle (in i of Porn's overflow tents!), but inwards early Dec 2009 things had deteriorated from that visit and from my pass-by inwards 2008. For a start they must take away hold had a hard 2009 moisture flavour because the beach was heavily eroded. Plus it was non all that create clean - it had manifestly been cleared upwardly at the start of dry out flavour but maybe exclusively in i lawsuit because at that spot was a lot of flotsam in addition to jetsam at dorsum of the beach. And for some argue the H2O was non equally clear equally previous visits. I was also disappointed to consider some broken bottles exposed past times erosion on i of the entry paths in addition to a heap of pigment tins in addition to an old bathroom bowl piled upwardly behind some bungalows. Maybe Porn is relaxing behind its skilful publicity - in addition to maybe things volition live a lot amend past times high season. By the way, beaches which take away hold lost mass sand past times tempest erosion tin recover inwards a thing of weeks given fine weather, so I wouldn't worry virtually this element if I had already booked for Christmas/New Year.
Wet flavour tempest moving ridge erosion on Sunset Beach inwards early Dec 09 - if yous expression carefully yous tin consider the moving ridge swash inwards the background inwards this high tide shot - the beach is pretty narrow. But the shot inwards a higher identify this was taken a few days after at total depression tide, so early Dec visitors soundless had a fair stretch of sand a lot of the time. See my comments virtually drinking glass on the beach inwards the RUBBISH department downwards page.Porn's forepart row fan with bath bungalows were going for 1200 inwards March 2013 with 2d rowers K - expensive but cheaper than many similar places on other beaches. The prissy lady inwards accuse told me they no longer do tents - "...have many novel bungalows" - in addition to they do. The eating theatre has okay nutrient at slightly higher than average Lipe prices. Service was a chip dour when I had a repast inwards 2009 but genuinely friendly inwards 2013.
Nice outlook from Porn's eating theatre - that is Adang nearest in addition to Rawi behind - both National Park islands.Late extra! Alas, Porn is no more. In a late Jan 2015 article virtually changes at Lipe, Travelfish shows a shot of demolished Porn - apparently a flash resort is planned.
FISHERIES DEPT is exclusively abt 100m farther north-east, with a similar eating theatre in addition to a reputation for the cheapest non-inland accommodation on the isle inwards high flavour inwards what seems to live rooms inwards concrete blocks rather than bungalows. However inwards 2009 they were non yet opened upwardly inwards early December. The eating theatre looked to take away hold been refurbished since 08. They were opened upwardly inwards March 2013 - but prices quoted me were no longer cope basement - a chip higher than nearby Porn.
Just inland from PORN/FISHERIES (take the walkway inwards from SUBAYE SPORTS (diving) is FLOUR POWER BAKERY with some yummy pastries, skilful normal meals in addition to peachy shakes etc. Prices are non budget-bungalow cheap, but the stuff is existent nice.
Follow the walkway less than five minutes inland to accomplish JACK'S JUNGLE - which has prissy bungalows in addition to gets skilful reports for nutrient in addition to for lively times at the Jungle Bar. KAFAIR HUT is a chip closer inwards the same full general direction.
A tezza shot Nov 08 - Porn's bungalows in addition to eating theatre are behind the trees to the right, but take away hold skilful sea-views. There was major constuction work** going on at Fisheries Dept at the far destination which made the beach less pristine than I think it - but it soundless doesn't expression also bad at all. I had a existent prissy swim in addition to some sun-time.**actually I works life out this latest see that the Thai Princess had a large beach theatre built on the headland ridge north-west of Fisheries with peachy views of Adang in addition to Rawi - there's also a line of prissy looking chalets presumably for her buddies built on a little cove the other side of the headland.
NEW TO SUNSET BEACH 2013
Continuing westward of Sunset Beach, the next km or so has at to the lowest degree five little patches of sand, many of which had some sort of identify to rest most novel to me on this latest trip. I noticed 2 bungalow outfits similar to NO NAME over the commencement 400m. Not much farther is La Luna Beach aka Mia Luna/Mid Luna. The Mid Luna Bar there has been an on/off suggestion for years, but latest trip I also noticed they had a camping ground area.
LA LUNA BEACH
In unopen succession heading W in i lawsuit to a greater extent than from La Luna are ii or 3 similar little beaches. One is Bila Beach...
BILA BEACH
This prissy piffling beach is virtually 500m W of Sunset Beach. There has been a beach bar hither for years but I was delighted inwards 2008 to detect the owners had refurbished it in addition to built a handful of prissy traditional bungalows summation H5N1 DORM. .New fan/bathroom bungalows at Bila Bar in addition to Resort built on the gradient inwards a higher identify the beach. That's ex-New Yorker co-owner Emily cleaning on the verandah. Those 4 doors opened upwardly to a bigger than normal bungalow with similarly large bath behind. The dorm is similar - has 2 double bunks with thick manful someone monarch sized unmarried matresses Emily told me she had to fellowship specially.Dorms 300, normal bungalows around 700.
UPDATE 2013 - Bila Beach Bungalows seems to take away hold headed upmarket. The dorm has gone although the bungalows inwards a higher identify the beach looked much the same (note wonderingstar in his excellent update on Lipe places done inwards Dec 2012 says they take away hold some newer, flasher bungalows a chip farther west, but I didn't consider them). Prices inwards the eating theatre were decidedly midrange* cheque them below. Emily had gone also although her ex-boyfriend was soundless running the joint.
* most midrange places I take away hold stayed at on the islands would non go over 150 for most of these dishes. The inwards a higher identify are to a greater extent than five star hotel prices.
Heading W again, within a really small distance at that spot is some other little beach with some concrete bungalows high on the cliffs - wonderingstar says they are at nowadays owned past times the the resort on the next beach (Pitiusas) in addition to were unfinished 4 months before my visit. I was also lazy to hike upwardly in addition to cheque them out. H5N1 small stone hop farther W (also accessible from the road) is an attractive newish to a greater extent than midrange-looking resort on a slightly bigger less rocky beach than most along here.
PITISUSAS BEACH
Pricing at fourth dimension of writing (April 2013) aint inexpensive - 2500 peak, 200 high, 1200 depression from the website) but if user reviews on Trip Adviser etc are positive this could live the identify for yous flashpacker dudes wanting somewhere away from the madding crowds. I notice Agoda is listing this articulation too.
Continuing on at that spot is a serial of tiny scrappy beaches (with no accommodation at the fourth dimension of writing) right along the coast to the western tip of the island. These are best accessed past times boat - the route turns into a dirt rail in addition to before long peters out.
East Coast Beaches
ANDAMAN BEACH - aka SUNRISE BEACH
Andaman Beach (Sunrise Beach) southward - portion of angling hamlet right, hillside bungalows of Viewpoint/ Serendipity, far left (image Castaway Resort) - the northern tertiary is out of frame to the right but tin live seen 2 shots below.
Andaman is the long beach which takes upwardly most of the eastern side of the island. The department inwards the middle used to live dominated past times the angling hamlet in addition to crowded with long tails, angling traps etc making it the to the lowest degree attractive section, but over the years the hamlet section, at to the lowest degree fronting the beach, has progressively shrunk equally resorts take away hold over the area. Now it takes upwardly exclusively 150m or the beach, the isle directly northward a similar distance.
As yous caput northward from the schoolhouse things gets progressively nicer. There are virtually 3 resorts inwards this direction. ANDAMAN RESORT is the northern most i (discounting Mountain Resort around the corner) in addition to has a huge attain of bungalows.
The nicest section of beach on the isle IMHO is right at the northern tip of the eastward coast just before in addition to where Andaman beach wraps around the northward eastward corner of the island, turning W to cast a lovely white sand spit which extends outwards a small distance towards Ko Adang.
The northern destination of Andaman is nicest - Andaman Resort's eating theatre is to the left equally are the to a greater extent than expensive bungalows. The traditional fan jobs are nether those casuarina trees farther from camera. The beach turns hard left towards Mountain Resort at the destination - that is mountainous Ko Adang yous tin consider background right.MOUNTAIN RESORT is situated at the top of a depression cliff overlooking this wrap-around department at the northward destination of Andaman beach, in addition to has a rep for beingness i the most attractive accommodation paces on the island.
I've ever wanted to rest hither in addition to with The Lady seeking comfort, nosotros went for this inwards the commencement one-half of the early Dec 2009 visit.
Approaching Mountain Resort inwards our longtail. Guys run downwards in addition to alternative upwardly your luggage. Great clifftop eating theatre to right. Clifftop in addition to beachlevel bungalows were most expensive, other bungalows are ranged upwardly hillside inwards the trees behind. Beach-level edifice closest the stairway is the famous Karma Bar - no longer called that in addition to nether novel management. 2013 - at that spot is a bungalow at that spot now.There is some other stairway upwardly from the beach out of frame to left.
The eating theatre serves upwardly pretty skilful nutrient at prices maybe 20% upwardly on budget bungalow average.
Inclusive buffet breakfasts were pretty good, but tended to cool pretty chop-chop if the heating flames below the dishes blew out inwards the wind.
Wind was a work on 2 of our 4 early Dec days - the infamous early dry out flavour north-easterlies kicked inwards strongly, so much so that conditions genuinely became unpleasant inwards the restaurant. I take away hold spent a fair fourth dimension inwards the Andaman but to a greater extent than ofttimes than non on sheltered beaches - exposed beaches are fewer but of the xxx odd days I've spent on exposed beaches exclusively these 2 were windy plenty to live unpleasant. (I take away hold noticed since that quite a few days inwards Nov in addition to Dec tin larn blustery. Not such a skilful fourth dimension to live taking a long speedboat trip - tin larn existent bumpy in addition to wet. As dry out flavour progresses this becomes less of a problem).
The nearest alternative eating theatre to Mountain is Andaman Resort's, maybe 10 minutes away on the beach. You tin hold walking the beach past times Andaman Resort in addition to accomplish the start of the cross isle WALKING STREET inwards virtually some other 10 behind Varin 2 aka Varin Village - plenty of skilful value restaurants here.
You tin walk out the dorsum of Andaman in addition to take away hold a to a greater extent than direct inland route to WALKING STREET in addition to maybe salve five minutes - you'll demand a torch at night. And past times turning right when walking out the dorsum yous tin accomplish Sunrise Beach farther W on the northward coast inwards around 10-15 minutes (you tin also beach/rock hop upwardly to Sunrise below virtually i quarter tide).
This is Chez Tezza at Mountain, the cheapest aircon bungalow at 1400 shoulder - 1600 high including brekka. Note mutual frigidness H2O - but some of Mountain's fan bungalows take away hold hot H2O - go figure. Pay to a greater extent than in addition to yous tin larn a much nicer newer bigger aircon bungalow with hot water, TV etc.The cheapest aircon bungalows were situated inwards the 3rd in addition to higher rows away from the cliffside - most were staggered to give some glimpses of the sea in addition to neighbouring Ko Adang.
The bungalows were non also bad - inwards skilful condition, normal flashpacker inclusions similar towels, lather etc, large plenty for ii summation gear - a tertiary invitee would live a chip squeezy but possible.
I thought the biggest letdown was the lack of paths - the heavily erosion from moisture flavour had left lots of exposed roots, gulleys, fifty-fifty a few H2O pipes in addition to fifty-fifty though lighting of the grounds at nighttime is non also bad, the shadows of the holes in addition to gullies create visibility hard in addition to at i phase Lady Tezza tripped in addition to fell. Not skilful plenty for 1400-1600 inwards 2009. UPDATE - I checked these bungalows inwards 2013. The expanse looked identical.
Note the newer expanse on the western side of the eating theatre had skilful paths inwards 2009.
Quite a few of the fan bungalows take away hold prime number spot inwards the 2d row where isle sea views are less interrupted.
Panoramic shot from Mountain Resort's eating theatre - Ko Adang inwards background. That's the northern most department of Andaman beach forming a spit on the right - Andaman Resort has bungalows really unopen to the beach there (images Mountain Resort )Same department of beach from the eating theatre inwards before years.
Below is a belatedly Nov 09 shot of Mountain's beach - spot the difference.
2009. Indications of a tough moisture flavour - the recurved destination of the spit has been washed away. It's hard to consider inwards this shot but the H2O closest to the eating theatre had a plume. This is non odd on resort beaches, waste materials H2O is ofttimes non fully filtered past times the asset tanks in addition to sand - Bila had a little one, parts of Sunset seemed specially bad that year, parts of the primary portion of Andaman were a chip suss. Interestingly busiest Pattaya was pristine.Anyway, I did all my swimming at Mountain towards the destination of the spit were the H2O was really nice. There are some interesting lumps of coral off-shore.
UPDATE - LATER SHOT
Steve Manklow sent me this pic taken inwards Feb 2010 - 2 months after my shot inwards a higher identify this one. Note how the recurved destination of the spit has regrown. Doesn't take away hold long.Steve also gave this information on Mountain Resort: Just got dorsum from Lipe in addition to tin study that the sand bar is dorsum on Mountain resort beach.
We had a forepart row hut @ mount view, really prissy see but resort was lacking inwards many areas (service, food, breakfast, theatre keeping, staff mood) even so i knew this to live the representative before booking in addition to the see to a greater extent than than made upwardly for it.
The isle has certainly changed since our final see inwards 2003 but it remains a prissy identify to visit.
UPDATE - LATEST SHOT
UPDATE - NEW ACCOMMODATION
ANDAMAN RESORT
If yous cheque the far right of the the shot 4 upwardly from this (above Steve's) yous tin consider what looks to live ii people standing close the grass in addition to trees (if yous click-expand the shot yous volition consider it is genuinely a sign - for Andaman resort). In the trees just to the right of the sign are the the most northerly of Andaman Resort's bungalows which stretch through the trees in addition to around the corner of the beach for maybe 400m to the eating theatre area. I've ever reckoned the most northerly bungalows take away hold a fabulous postion genuinely fronting Mountain's beach - in addition to ever seem largely vacant inwards shoulder season, but when I came dorsum from Adang inwards Nov08 heavy pelting had created a little lake inwards forepart of them, so I took a similar bungalow much closer to the restaurant. The next beach around the corner at that spot is equally said the best stretch of sand on the island.
I ever seek to rest inwards a novel identify when I revisit in addition to was determined that trip to try Andaman Resort with its peachy position, despite bad reviews inwards the various forums. Um 500 for a not-too-flash trad fan bungalow inwards the dorsum (3rd) row inwards shoulder flavour 08. And world-champ haggler tezza can’t bring down this a baht. This is directly on crossing from Adang where I had a gorgeous, huge almost create novel tile-floor in addition to concrete fan bungalow with skylight, dormer windows, tinted sliding doors in addition to fabulous views for 600.
BTW - apart from the exxy bungalows, Andaman Resort wasn’t also bad at all. Maybe I’m easily pleased.
This is a front-rower at Andaman Resort, identical inwards all other ways to my back-rower. Basically just a traditional bamboo thatch walled fan task with a bath in addition to verandah - 600b inwards belatedly Nov shoulder - 700 come upwardly Dec. Nice spot - the beach out forepart is peachy in addition to at that spot are prissy views across to Adang which yous tin consider inwards the background - in addition to to Tarutao in addition to Langkawi if yous are a chip farther southward around the bend of the beach. H5N1 fair few longtails during the twenty-four hours (but nowhere close equally painful equally on Pattaya Beach) but I noticed it was pretty peaceful at night.It aint equally black nether the trees equally this shot appears - my elcheapo point-and-shoot Olympus of the fourth dimension couldn't handgrip contrast variations.
Andaman also has some attractive concrete beachfront bungalows unopen to the eating theatre which expression to live aircon.
I can't think the eating theatre beingness anything special nutrient in addition to cost wise in addition to this was confirmed on my next 09 trip when nosotros walked around from Mountain for dinner.
Between the Andaman Resort in addition to the angling hamlet is the smaller LIPE BEACH RESORT (traditional vogue budget bungalows) in addition to the school. The beach exterior the angling hamlet is pretty messy with lots of rubbish, broken glass, boat mooring ropes etc - at to the lowest degree they take away hold cleared away the old broken boat motors etc.
MID ANDAMAN BEACH
The department of Andaman Beach south of the angling hamlet improves, although it tin larn a chip shallow along hither at lowest tide. There are virtually some other one-half dozen bungalow places, inluding the huge TARUTAO CABANA, VARIN VILLAGE aka Varin 2, GIPSY RESORT, FORRA DIVE SUNSET.
SOUTH ANDAMAN BEACH
Castaways Resort. I've never seen a identify attract so many conflicting reports on move forums*, in addition to a expression at its website shows it aint just budget. But those 2 storey bungalows expression pretty cool to me. The beach hither aint peachy or bad, but Viewpoint's/Serendipity's skilful beach is less than five minutes farther southward in addition to the prissy destination of Andaman close Andaman Resort/Mountain Resort is 10 minutes north.* that was when I checked inwards 2009 - may take away hold lifted its game.
VIEWPOINT BUNGALOWS’ TWO LITTLE BEACHES
Websites ofttimes refer to these equally portion of Andaman (Sunrise) beach but these are just southward inwards little twin bays (take the path behind the stone I was standing on 2 shots upwardly page) in addition to are really nice, specially the further, most southerly i which Viewpoint Bungalow at nowadays shares with Serendipity Resort.
Back when I commencement visited the isle at that spot was no resort hither or nearby, yet the farther beach was soundless pop with travelers.
Note at depression tide the twin bays tin larn existent shallow, specially inwards the northern bay where the coral was exposed right across to the little forested islet virtually 150m offshore (in a month’s lowest [no moon] tide). The same tide inwards the southern bay saw okay swimming inwards the sandy sections betwixt coral outcrops in addition to wading possible right out to the reef drop-off. Snorkeling was skilful along the drop-off at all tides in addition to fairly interesting closer to the beach at higher tide levels.
Note at that spot was a slight tidal electrical flow moving thru this expanse at higher tide levels - I works life it like shooting fish in a barrel to swim against but parents should hold an oculus on kids. The same electrical flow moves along the reef drop-off at depression tide in addition to is stronger. Note tidal currents tend to live strongest mid-tide.
Viewpont's southern beach.My favourite Lipe location is VIEWPOINT BUNGALOW where I stayed inwards March 07. This identify reads upwardly existent prissy inwards the move guides in addition to on travelfish.
I wasn’t disappointed. As belatedly equally 2009 it was an old vogue beach-hut type place, with rustic bungalows built upwardly the steep hillside overlooking twin compact bays just southward of a little headland at the destination of the large eastern beach, Andaman. When I returned inwards 2013 at that spot were some prissy novel aircon beachfront bungalows summation a lot of rebuilding of the hillside area.
Most of the hilside bungalows take away hold really prissy views from their verandas. Mine was the 2d highest, cutting into the rainforest upwardly a pretty awesome set of stairs, in addition to was panoramic - Koh Usen, a little islet just offshore, Tarutao inwards the far distance, mountainous Ko Adang unopen to the northward with the sweep of Andaman Bay between.
View from my bungalow straight east.....and north.Also novel to me inwards 2013, a flash articulation called SERENDIPITY built upwardly the hillside just southward of Viewpoint. I had a wander around, really prissy bungalows in addition to atmospheric high set eating theatre with viewing platforms nearby. I think it was opened inwards 2011 or 12.
ANOTHER NEW JOINT IN THE AREA
The costless isle map available everywhere on arrival showed some other articulation POOH'S GARDEN RESORT fifty-fifty farther southward than Serendipity. So I went in addition to had a look, accessing via the jungle rail which leads from the route behind the resorts on southward Sunrise beach. In March 2013 this novel articulation looked a piece of work inwards progress. H5N1 steep expanse downwards the hillside to the sea had been largely cleared but at that spot was exclusively a few crude oil bungalows at the top in addition to these looked to live staff/builder occupied.
There was no beach access hither - just a rocky mini-cove. I tried to rock-hop northward to Viewpoint/Serendipi'tys best beach but it was also difficult. I think edifice a walkway along at that spot may encroach on Serendipity land. Nevertheless this i bears rechecking - several lovely places on Ko Tao larn past times with just rocky coves in addition to this novel articulation is beingness developed past times the famous Pooh's back on Walking Street, an isle establishment which has ever been a degree act.
WALKING AROUND THE SOUTH EAST CORNER OF THE ISLAND TO PATTAYA BEACH:
DON’T!
I saw a few people walking on past times VIEWPOINT’S bays at depression tide inwards an elbow grease to larn around to Pattaya Beach. I saw them walking back. It is really hard in addition to dangerous. I did it on my commencement see - it took me virtually ninety minutes (I had figured 10), at that spot are several cliffs which yous must climb upwardly or down, in addition to on i my hand-hold broke off (weathered stone - d'oh, what a surprise with all that common salt air about!) in addition to I nearly brutal in addition to broke my neck.
The best way is to go dorsum to Andaman/Sunrise beach fundamental in addition to utilization Walking Street.
You tin also climb the steep stairs thru VIEWPOINT/SERENDIPITY/POOH'S GARDEN - at the top the rail drops thu the jungle, goes past times a few local residential areas, joins the route behind the southward Sunset Beach resorts in addition to comes out close Poh’s on Walking Street - but this aint genuinely whatever shorter. Nice walk though.
Avert your eyes if the long term French daughter resident of the highest Viewpoint bungalow is walking around her veranda naked. I was shocked at this affront to Thai cultural standards - but I didn’t tell anything, partly to non embarrass her. But mainly because she had a totally hot body.
EXCURSIONS
On my commencement see in addition to in i lawsuit to a greater extent than in March 2013 I took i of the snorkeling trips offered all around the isle to the surrounding area. This took a one-half twenty-four hours in addition to nosotros commencement snorkeled a reef mid way betwixt Lipe in addition to Ko Rawi, in addition to and so did fringing reefs on islets close Rawi in addition to Ko Adang. The coral in addition to fish life were pretty skilful past times Thai standards. There are also total twenty-four hours trips which offering an extra snorkelling halt in addition to tiffin on i of the beaches.
Much amend were the next 2 stops inwards the lee of little Ko Hing Nam - the H2O was pretty shallow hither in addition to visibility good. So also were the coral in addition to fish.
Lipe has a position out of dive operators in addition to at that spot are many dive sites inwards the surrounding area.
It's dead like shooting fish in a barrel to grab a longtail at 50b per someone in addition to pass fourth dimension on Adang's lovely beach. There is a peachy scenic picket which exclusively takes xxx minutes to access in addition to a less than whelming waterfall after an threescore minutes or so's prissy rainforest walk which turns into a circus river stone hop the final 300m. See my Adang page.
FOOD
I'm non a gourmet. Being a budget traveller, if it's cheap, fills me in addition to tastes okay, I'm happy. But for nutrient lovers Sbruny provided this inwards Feb 09- "Koh Lipe is express for splendid food. The best thai is at the Jungle Bar inwards the middle of the island. For seafood seek the sea gypsy identify on Pattaya beach. For prissy see with repast the Mountain Resort can't live beat. For tasty fried chicken seek the muslim ladies behind the local schoolhouse early inwards the morning. Overall, I would tell the nutrient on Koh Lipe really average compared to the residual of Thailand. However, the isle in addition to surrounding are spectacular."
I'll add together that several users take away hold reported Pattaya Song's eating theatre does peachy Italian nutrient - The Lady in addition to I shared a pizza when nosotros stayed at Varin on Pattaya in addition to it seemed pretty skilful to me.
UPDATE - Lipe has expanded so much since 2009 specially inwards the mid-range in addition to amend that I'm sure at that spot is at nowadays a bunch of character places to eat.
RUBBISH PROBLEMS ON LIPE
Lipe gets bad press from some visitors for high amounts of trash on beaches, around edifice sites in addition to dumped beside hinterland tracks in addition to the angling hamlet outskirts.
Early dry out flavour beach junk on northward destination of Andaman (Sunrise) Beach (image WEBME - click the link for other similar shots)
Bigger epitome from THEMANZOMANDISTARSQUADRON - soundless Andaman Beach.
Beach rubbish is largely a seasonal thing.
Most of it is Thai domestic rubbish + rainforest debris carried to the sea past times flooding wet-season streams + an amazing amount of angling boat detritus. H5N1 lot of this stuff gets moved considerable distances past times currents in addition to air current in addition to dumped on Lipe.
In dry out flavour much less rubbish gets washed in addition to blown onshore - in addition to a greater proportion is angling junk. In this flavour most bungalows are pretty conscientious inwards cleaning beaches each morning. Few places are opened upwardly inwards moisture season, so things are allow go. If yous occur to go far very early inwards dry out flavour before locals larn around to clearing the build-up, in addition to so WEBME's pix is the result. My Andaman beach shot upwardly page (the i with the speedboat inwards midground) was taken exclusively 2 weeks after WEBME's - a pretty large contrast.
Beach dump of cement bags early dry out flavour (image WEBME)Many people larn upset virtually unsightly edifice activity. ISLANDBOI has some skilful edifice shots here.
Wet flavour in addition to early dry out flavour sees frantic edifice activeness to destination projects for high flavour - so unsightly dumps of edifice materials in addition to edifice sites are non uncommon at these times. CHANCHAO has pointed out that yous can't larn somewhere to slumber in addition to take away hold a repast if no edifice takes place. Hardliners tell at that spot is already also much evolution in addition to the reply is to avoid the island.
Note I saw much less than normal edifice activeness this latest trip - virtually nix on the beaches in addition to the novel shop-fronts had been completed on the cross isle rail (and don't they expression so much amend than the messy old collection of ramshackle joints that used to live there). Most novel edifice was taking identify on the side roads away from the primary rail - the concern expanse is expanding laterally.
Environmentally aware travellers tin larn depressed past times the amount of domestic in addition to bungalow/restaurant trash dumped with tracks inwards the hinterland, on the outskirts of the hamlet in addition to fifty-fifty behind sure bungalows. This is non a seasonal work - it's 365/12, but seemed less evident inwards the lates trip. Maybe that 20baht trash taxation on entry is having some impact.
Like many islands, Lipe for a long fourth dimension had no organised rubbish collection in addition to disposal - it was left to resorts in addition to households to cart their stuff to the dump. And unfortunately some Thais are pretty lazy when disposing of identify in addition to tourist generated trash.
Possible answers are environmental didactics (directed at the angling manufacture too), less laxity, to a greater extent than money in addition to resources (Lipe is portion of Satun local regime area) in addition to an elbow grease past times tourists themselves to cutting downwards on trash generating activities. Suggestions include a national commons type visitor quota organization - hard to implement for an isle which is non administered past times the National Park.
Hardline environmentalists urge travellers to avoid the island. Your call. Note that dumped rubbish is mutual throughout SE Asia - maybe sensitive travellers should avoid the expanse equally a whole. I'm so used to it I didn't detect Lipe anything out of the ordinary - but certainly if yous take away hold just arrived from Lanta, Phuket, Langkawi or other islands where trash collection inwards most areas is amend organised, yous could think Lipe looks messy inwards comparison.
PROGRESS 09
The promised rubbish removal service past times the Satun provincial regime has started. This large barge was beached inwards the centre of Pattaya close Leepae Resort in addition to a shuttle of trucks was transferring both domestic rubbish in addition to edifice cloth cast-offs from the fundamental isle tip. The same "Lipe is a rubbish dump" moaners volition likely at nowadays complain virtually visual in addition to olfactory pollution to the beach.The barge was loading for a skilful five hours. Later inwards our trip a smaller boat was receiving the same type of cargo.
Rubbish bins similar these on the cross isle WALKING STREET were set upwardly inwards several parts of the isle - if yous click to enlarge yous tin consider they cater for the usual general, organic in addition to recycle waste.The hamlet itself seems a lot neater. I think this is largely the effect of concrete paving of a few of the cross streets leading off the cross isle rail - formerly these were dusty wayfares which turned to mud (or pools where the drainage was poor).
REGRESSION
The beach at the hamlet had gone downhill since 08. H5N1 tempest surge coupled with a manful someone monarch tide (as occured inwards Oct 09) would launder most of this junk into the sea, including the bottles - in addition to thus nosotros larn hereafter broken glass.BROKEN GLASS
Lady Tezza's underprivileged childhood has made her world champion at finding stuff on the ground - I in i lawsuit saw her scoop upwardly a heap of coins inwards shin-high grass on a black nighttime - in addition to the amount of drinking glass she in addition to I managed to collect on our early Dec trip to Lipe was amazing. On Sunset Beach nosotros loaded a washed upwardly 10 litre plastic handbag (Malaysian inwards source) half-way with with the stuff in addition to had several unbroken bottles separate. It was worse on the scaggy low-tide-only beach behind the Thai Princess' hangers-on chalets (I bet the violet dogsbodies do a large clean-up of both this in addition to Sunset before each of her visits). Disappointingly the beach at Mountain yielded quite a supply. But Andaman/Sunrise Beach was worst - nosotros had to create several unloads at bins inwards resorts equally nosotros moved downwards the beach - with the hamlet expanse worst of all. The best? Maligned Pattaya - inwards several total length walks I managed to detect exclusively a few pieces of drinking glass in addition to no bottles.
The sources of most of this drinking glass are Thai fishermen who throw their Red Bull in addition to beer bottles overboard in addition to lazy Thai villagers who chuck bottles onto the beach or dump them inwards a higher identify the normal tide grade (where a tempest surge tin soundless larn them) - the bottles nail on seaside rocks (wind + currents + moving ridge swash in addition to the long-shore drift volition take away hold them there) in addition to and so beach drifting/wave swash volition distribute the broken drinking glass onto the beach. BTW if yous are picking up, include those sand-rounded bits - nosotros after met a Swedish daughter who stepped on i of these which in addition to so broke in addition to cutting her.
Eradicating these dumping practices is the best solution - inwards the hateful time, resort owners take away hold to RAKE the beach each morn to sift out the drinking glass in addition to other rubbish. Note drinking glass was a little work on nearby Bulon Lae in addition to Langkawi where resorts in addition to other beach businesses do this conscientiously.
Now I wonder if my see to Lipe was also early for many of the resorts to start this sifting - I can't believe places similar Mountain in addition to Porn resorts volition desire visitor complaints in addition to injury when things larn genuinely busy. They should live doing this right from the start of the flavour - it was obvious many Pattaya places were. I wonder too, if I'm lucky - I've wandered the beaches/waded inwards the H2O for 4 visits bare-footed in addition to never cutting myself. I've never noticed much drinking glass - but in addition to so I wouldn't notice Paris Hilton sunbathing naked on the sand unless I tripped over her.
Maybe peak flavour visitors could post inwards in addition to comment on the drinking glass situation.
UPDATE MARCH 2013 - March is after peak season, giving the isle an extra 2 months to clear drinking glass - in addition to yep, things were pretty good.
Broken beer bottle works life directly on hitting the Princess' dorsum beach (this is the i for which novel bungalows inwards a higher identify the beach take away hold stolen the call SUNSET BEACH from the amend beach next west) - interestingly I take away hold it sitting on the supports for the H2O pipeline which comes onshore hither from nearby Ko Adang waterfall. Lipe has few permanent streams - I know of none inwards the settled eastern one-half of the island.Water pipeline from Adang. Some of yous cynics mightiness think it is a sewage pipe, but trust me, it is good away from the Princess' joint, at that spot were no other resorts inwards line at the fourth dimension of the shot in addition to it is pointing straight at the waterfall expanse on Adang's southern slopes. I take away hold hiked upwardly to these falls - at that spot are 3 similar pipes to a little pondage expanse a chip higher than the falls.THE RUBBISH-GLASS SITUATION MARCH 2013 - Lipe has done a Phi Phi in addition to at nowadays imposes a 20bhat trash avoidance fee on entry. Main comport on I saw was a daily run of garbage collection along Walking Street. However I must acknowledge the residual of the isle did non seem to take away hold equally much trash roadside etc. The drinking glass province of affairs on the beaches was amend also - but this could live that my March see had five months of high flavour for the broken stuff to live picked upwardly past times conscientious people similar Lady Tezza in addition to of course of study past times resort beach clean-up crews.
I reckon the best fourth dimension to guess the comport on of the novel trash fee would live early high season, tell mid Nov - do they pass some of the taxation on organised piece of work gangs to clear the beaches of the moisture flavour air current blown stuff pictured upwardly page? Or is this left to private resorts to eventually larn around to equally inwards the past?
OVERBUILDING
People returning to Lipe after some fourth dimension larn a stupor at the amount of novel places. It seems most obvious that most beach places take away hold been taken - but I reckon nosotros volition start to consider to a greater extent than joints on sea-side rocks, headlands similar Tao, Phangan etc.
The other procedure nosotros volition consider is to a greater extent than of the knock downwards the inexpensive articulation in addition to build a flasher identify - similar at Sita on western Pattaya - in addition to of course of study expand in addition to redevelop the articulation equally Varin has so successfully done on its Pattaya site. (I wrote that inwards 2009 - notation the novel northward coast places 2013 I cite upwardly page. And the knockdown in addition to redevelopment of existing beach places I saw same trip. Jeez. I'm psychic! ....Um, non genuinely - both are no-brainers).
Even the most anti-development traveller volition welcome some of the newer edifice activeness such equally the paving of the cross-island WALKING STREET in addition to the neater shop-fronts along it summation the concreting of some of the formerly dire hamlet streets that intesect it.
The paved rail on Walking Street - virtually time! The biggest negative on Lipe eliminated IMHO. Note this is a belatedly 08 shot when the paving was exclusively a few months old - i yr after it was considerably sandier in addition to dustier inwards parts. Still a huge improvement on the daggy mess before.UPDATE 2013 - route paving has continued. Now all the hamlet cross-streets seems to live concrete. H5N1 lot of the narrow route leading away from the hamlet expanse towards the northward in addition to W of the isle ditto.
My 2013 see reinforced the fact that I genuinely similar Walking Street these days. There is a huge array of restaurants, shops, move agents, supermarkets, bakeries, tattoo joints, bars etc. Competition keeps prices competitive in addition to its closed to motorcycles etc from early afternoon to mid-night. The identify has a prissy vibe IMHO.
If yous desire a inexpensive identify to rest unopen to the fundamental Pattaya beach boat landing point, Walking Street in addition to the lanes leading off it take away hold the pick. Simply walk along in addition to cheque the signs: at that spot were several places around 500 inwards belatedly high flavour 2013.
GIPSY 2 RIVENDELL
I was after a relatively inexpensive identify (not botttom budget) for March 2013 I could volume online - I was a chip spooked past times move forums talking virtually how busy the isle had larn in addition to only wanted something with quick access off the boat without having to trudge around finding a vacancy. Knowing what a skilful location the full general Walking Street expanse has become, I had no hesitation inwards booking G2R after reading skilful user reports online.
This tiny boutique resort is inwards a peachy spot – 50m upwardly a small lane from the highest portion of walking street with its large array of restaurants, shops in addition to other businesses - in addition to less than five minutes stroll from Lipe’s 2 primary beaches, Pattaya in addition to Sunset/Andaman.
The bamboo thatch in addition to whitewashed-stone bungalows go a measuring or ii farther than normal inwards this cost attain (1300baht 2013). We are looking at lots of little artistic touches summation extras similar multiple towels, incense sticks, mozzie coils + lighters in addition to beach mats/sarongs on demand. Inside are paintings, wall hangings, lots of black stained wood in addition to whitewash, nicely tiled floors inwards the bath room which has hot water, non all that mutual inwards bungalows of this cost level. There is plenty of infinite for ii people in addition to their gear. The firmish double bed was comfy in addition to the meshing a skilful one. The large veranda with hammock in addition to chairs looked out on a garden setting although this contains a lot of bare earth. Main complaints were a lack of storage for luggage (the owners told me tables are on order) although at that spot is plenty of little storage space; no wifi inwards rooms although costless at reception; in addition to the bungalows were a chip black within during daytlight. Some people volition complain virtually the lack of restauants – but at that spot is a vast array of really skilful value places nearby on Walking Sreet. The beachfront restaurants in addition to sand bars with candles on mats are non also much further. One reviewer mentioned nearby bar dissonance but I could hear exclusively distant music which was no agency intrusive, in addition to I’m a chip fussy inwards this respect.
The immature Castilian duad running Gipsy are friendly in addition to obliging.
In the past times it's been hard to alternative the relatively narrow gap where the rail starts on Andaman from similar sized Bungalow entrances, but they at nowadays take away hold a large overhead banner sign: WALKING STREET - so named because the busiest department is blocked off to motorcycles afternoon in addition to inwards the evening.
Walking St ends where it hits the hamlet virtually 3 minutes from Andaman/Sunrise. The continuing road
doesn't quite accomplish the beach - but it's a small distance through the novel Varin Village to the beach - nobody seems to hear outsiders strolling thru. There is an access lane to the northward side of Varin Village - this looks like portion of a resort also (looks like but I don't think it is).
HIGH PRICES
I take away hold already indicated that high bungalow prices are a characteristic of Lipe. It is doing a Phi Phi inwards this respect. Prices to me seem 20 to 50% higher than yous would pay on many pop islands. K or to a greater extent than for a fan bungalow with bath inwards a budget beach resort is outrageous compared to similar places on tell Phangan or large Chang, in addition to specially to the skilful value islands similar piffling Chang, Phayam, Jum. But I'm a peachy believer inwards the marketplace - if people are prepared to pay these prices they can't live wrong, tin they? And I hold going dorsum in addition to paying those prices, don't I?
OVERCROWDING
All my visits take away hold been inwards November/early Dec in addition to March, hardly peak season. Except for my final see when the primary beaches seemed to live around two-thirds capacity, things were really uncrowded with pop resorts running around 30% - many others less. In belatedly Nov08 my favourite budget articulation VIEWPOINT had no guests! (I was pleased for the possessor that a quite a few of his peachy hillside bungalows were occupied on after trips. Those novel aircon beachfront jobs I demonstrate up-page were undrstandably all taken inwards March 2013.)
I did larn a gustatory modality of to a greater extent than busy periods inwards 2009 because the King's Birthday Holiday Weekend coincided with 2 of our days on the isle in addition to Lipe is existent pop with Thai locals. I'd tell Varin was running 70%. However Pattaya Beach was uncrowded people wise, but equally I said before at that spot was a bunch of extra boats.
Despite this I take away hold seen posts proverb Peak-Peak at destination of Dec into Jan has been VERY busy these final few years with unbooked poeple sometimes non finding a bed. Note Christmas is non a large cope with Thai holidayers, but New Year's Day is.
SO SHOULD YOU AVOID LIPE?
No way inwards my sentiment unless yous are actively environmentally-sensitive.
For other people who don't similar messy beaches, maybe yous should avoid genuinely early dry out flavour (say upwardly to the 2d calendar week of Dec) until the beaches are probable to take away hold been cleared. The trash in addition to drinking glass seems amend cleared after inwards the dry out flavour - but alway hold an oculus out for the abrupt stuff.
Repeat visitors who think Pattaya equally ii thirds unbuilt with a bunch of little dunes backing the beach inwards the eastern one-half may prefer to rest somewhere else on the isle to a greater extent than set dorsum - on Viewpoint’s/Serendipity's beach, Sunset Beach, Bila Beach etc or the piffling beach over the headland from Pattaya Song where Sanom Beach Resort has been built.
However I works life latest trip Pattaya non also bad although regressed a chip from 2009, The top destination of Andaman around Mountain in addition to Andaman Resorts is nicest. Viewpoint's/Serendipity's beach is a peachy piffling spot in addition to the southern department of Andaman/Sunrise beach nearby looked way amend than inwards previous years - due I'd tell to careful tending past times the novel resorts there. Who said evolution ever makes a spot worse?
Or inwards hereafter disappointed repeat visitors could rest on Adang in addition to cross to Lipe for daytrips. The boaties inwards 2009 were charging 50baht per someone (and they don‘t hold off for a total boat, ofttimes I was the exclusively passenger, in addition to so usually it becomes 100baht) - a charge per unit of measurement that was a apartment fee per someone all around Lipe. Makes those guys at Ao Nang expression similar the thieves they are.
LIPE IS H5N1 LONG WAY FROM BANGKOK - is it worth the distance in addition to cost?
Often asked. My reply to the inwards a higher identify - NOT ON ITS OWN*. But it is good worth it if yous combine some of the nearby islands. Adang is a 10 infinitesimal longtail ride away. You tin do a loop of Tarutao-Lipe-Bulon Lae using the scheduled tourist boats originating out of Pak Bara on the mainland.
People visiting Langkawi inwards Malaysia tin speedboat across to Lipe for a gustatory modality of staying on a Thai isle (and Lipe is a skilful contrast to Langkawi) - in addition to of course of study Langkawi-Lipe is a peachy way for tourists wanting to displace from the western side of the Malaysian peninsula into Thailand. They tin go on via the mainland at Pak Bara or proceed isle hopping all the way to Krabi or Phuket.
* Lipe is non large enough, various plenty nor has the fantastic landscape of tell Phi Phi to live a must consider destination inwards itself unless yous are a dead set isle tragic similar me who has to consider them all. You tin larn much the same equally Lipe nearer to Bangkok - I'd tell the closest isle inwards vogue to Lipe I know is Ko Samet. Ko Tao is non a lot unlike although its landscape is to a greater extent than rugged in addition to attractive, the beaches a chip inferior.
GETTING THERE
The biggest alter I saw my latest 2013 see was the destination of the old deadening ferries - at nowadays either speedboats or novel faster ferries. In high flavour yous tin larn these from a position out of operators out of PAK BARA virtually midway betwixt Trang in addition to Satun. Depending on the operator these also telephone call upwardly inwards at Taruatao or Bulon Lae.
The SPD speedboat has run for yearS from KO LANTA, picking upwardly at Kos Muk, Ngai in addition to Bulon Lae - inwards recent years it has extended to a PHUKET start, calling inwards at PHI PHI. btw this is a hell of a long way inwards a speedboat - could live existent crude oil in addition to moisture inwards early high season. I reckon I'd go past times Tigerline. I think Bundhaya Speedboat run a similar service Lipe-Bulon-Lanta. Google volition detect the latest situation.
Tigerline ferries now runs from PHUKET via PHI PHI/LANTA to Lipe in addition to on to Langkawi - stopping at several islands in addition to the mainland pier at Hat Yao southward of Trang on the way down. Tigerline also has a minibus service from Surathani, Krabi/Ao Nang in addition to Khao Lak to connect with its ferries at the Hat Yao pier. Note that inwards early Dec 09 Tigerline was non running to Langkawi.
I take away hold details of how to larn to the Hat Yao pier at Ban Chao Mai independently on my Libong page, although Tigerline's minibus volition transfer yous from Trang railway station in addition to airport.
For the budget witting boat carry costs growth significantly out of (in order) Pak Bara, Langkawi in addition to Lanta/further north.
Note that at that spot is no pier at Lipe. Most boats halt offshore in addition to people are ferried to the beach past times longtails - 50 baht. There is ofttimes a longtail from Ko Adang to run across boats and whatever longtail coming together the ferry volition take away hold yous over to Adang for 50 baht per someone - in addition to anywhere around Lipe isle for the same - this is a genuinely skilful service. The apartment 50 baht per someone applies to whatever trip around Lipe off the beach too.
Some ferries in addition to speedboats trace into a pontoon off Pattaya Beach - or a pontoon non also far off Porn at Sunset Beach (I think this may live weather condition dependent - the i off Sunset beach was non beingness used inwards March 2012).
There is a speedboat straight from LANGKAWI - emigration at the Telaga Harbour operate - immigration at the beach operate which is next to Bundhaya resort on eastern Pattaya Beach. We used this i on our 2009 trip - it seemed to live a articulation elbow grease between Telaga Shuttle and SPB Speedboat using the latter's boats. In early Dec 09 at that spot were 2 services per twenty-four hours in addition to nosotros works life if yous don't volume good ahead they may live booked out.**
There is also at to the lowest degree i slower ferry out of Langkawi, I think from some other pier. Travel desks on Lankawi wiill take away hold the latest info.
**If the direct speedboat in addition to slower ferries are booked out in addition to yous take away hold to utilization the 4 a twenty-four hours Langkawi - Thammalang ferries it volition take away hold yous maybe ninety minutes to accomplish Pak Bara from Thammalang which is the first Thailand pier on the mainland across the border. Cheapest is a motorbike taxi or songthaew the 10km or so to Satun in addition to and so a regular autobus or songthaew to La Ngu in addition to and so a motorbike taxi or songthaew across to Pak Bara.
FERRY TIMETABLE - really good, tends to take away hold all of the services in addition to is kept pretty good upwardly to date.
WET SEASON TRANSPORT - for some fourth dimension at that spot was exclusively i moisture flavour ferry per calendar week from Pak Bara to Lipe - Fridays at 1100 in addition to dorsum Sundays at 0930. There was also a cargo boat yous could larn a ride on - out Midweek 1100, dorsum Fri 1000.
However belatedly inwards moisture flavour 08 a daily ferry service from Pak Bara kicked in, summation a daily speedboat service, weather condition permitting.
There are no services moisture flavour from Langkawi or on Tigerline's island-hopper out of Phuket. Tigerline tends to start belatedly November/early Dec - the website has upwardly to appointment starting dates.
GETTING TO PAK BARA FROM OTHER MAINLAND SPOTS.
From Hat Yai - minibuses run roughly hourly from the novel fundamental minibus station to the pier expanse - abt 2 hours. You tin also larn a autobus from the autobus station but this volition live slower. UPDATE 2013 - I noticed trip agents on Lipe were advertising minibus connections from Pak Bara to Hat Yai station in addition to drome - so it mightiness live a skilful thought to inquire at the drome or station virtually the contrary trips.
From Trang - the move agents inwards the street parallel to the railway station run minibuses downwards to the pier (abt 2 hours) in addition to volition provide yous with a bus/ferry ticket. They tin volume bungalows - I detect them really efficient. Apparently reps run across flights at the drome in addition to shuttle people downwards to the agencies to volume in addition to alternative upwardly a minibus.
If yous desire to do it independently grab a Satun boundary bus, larn off at La Ngu (Langu) in addition to and so larn a motorcyle taxi or songthaew the 10km or so to Pak Bara.
From Bangkok - best bet is to fly. Bucks-down travellers may detect Bangkok to Satun buses go thru La-Ngu, but maybe they go via Hat Yai. Trains run Bangkok to Hat Yai - likely at to the lowest degree i is a sleeper train. For sure at that spot are 2 sleeper trains from Bangkok into Trang each day.
From other Andaman locations in addition to the southern Gulf (Samui etc) - every tourist destination has signs upwardly advertising transfers to Lipe, with many using minibuses to Pak Bara. You tin larn world buses from most southern mainland towns to Satun - larn off inwards La-Ngue etc.
FLY INTO HAT YAI OR TRANG? - Hat Yai has to a greater extent than flights in addition to I believe the carry across to Pak Bara is to a greater extent than frequent in addition to a chip shorter. But at that spot is non a lot of difference.
LEAVING THE ISLAND
Basically it's just a thing of using the same fast ferry in addition to speedboat providers mentioned upwardly page. Note move desks at resorts in addition to on Walking Street tin volume these for yous - prices tin vary. These places tin also volume onward carry if yous are going across to the mainland at Pak Bara to your next destination.
ARRIVING BACK AT PAK BARA FROM LIPE
Many people grab i of the travelers’ minivans from Pak Bara northward to Trang where yous tin alter minivans for Lanta, Krabi etc on the i ticket Um - my latest 2013 Pak Bara-Ao Nang (Krabi) minivan blew straight past times Trang on the by-pass saving at to the lowest degree a one-half hour). These vans ofttimes hold off for after boats to come upwardly in, in addition to so if yous take away hold early ones yous could live sitting around inwards Pak Bara for a while. I used to think Pak Bara was a existent hole but these days the expanse next the pier is non a bad piffling (maybe non so little) concern area. Plenty of restaurants, inexpensive internet, move agents etc in addition to way less dusty in addition to scappy than inwards years past.
In 2013 at that spot was a large novel move terminal at the pier - if yous take away hold bought onward tickets on Lipe, reps from your carry provider volition run across yous at the pier. If yous haven't got a ticket yous tin cutting a cope with these people - they will come upwardly downwards inwards cost for minivan in addition to ferry tickets if yous are a skilful bargainer.
You tin also larn to Trang past times catching a songthaew or motorcycle-taxi the 10km or so to La Ngu, where the Satun-Trang world buses come upwardly thru roughly hourly. Last fourth dimension I caught i of these it terminated inwards southern Trang virtually 2km from the middle in addition to 4km from the primary autobus station for buses farther north.
If yous are going to Hat Yai, world minibuses larn out hourly. I believe the move companies also run independent minibuses to Hat Yai, timed to a greater extent than to boat arrivals from Lipe - in addition to these are to a greater extent than probable to drib yous at the airport, autobus station in addition to prepare station.
You tin alternative upwardly world buses into Hat Yai from La Ngu - but notation Hat Yai drome is some distance out of town.
Speedboats seem to take away hold taken over most of the carry to Lipe. This is our Langkawi speedboat inwards 2009. Note it reverses into Pattaya beach when the tide allows - all the other speedboat services moor with the pontoons where the longtails transfer passengers to the beaches. I think the authorities don' t desire people from Langkawi shooting off on longtails before they do immigration.BE CAREFUL ON SPEEDBOATS!
It's a skilful thought to waterproof baggage specially if yous are travelling inwards those ofttimes blowy early high flavour months or of course of study inwards moisture flavour (I take away hold a large 50+ liter lean plastic bin liner handbag I chuck everything into in addition to and so stuff into my move bag) - our identical boat to the inwards a higher identify after going Lipe to Bulon Lae hitting such choppy seas that everything including me, crouched behind the elevated driver's chair for cover, got soaking wet. If yous are susceptible to seasickness take away hold some displace sickness tablets in addition to expression at the horizon.
DO NOT sit down out the forepart if yous are susceptible to dorsum injury (a daughter on our render journeying to Langkawi wound her dorsum on a vicious bump hitting at speed inwards lighter chop in addition to had to live wheelchaired off to infirmary on arrival).
Um - good the inwards a higher identify is the move province of affairs equally I know it at March 2013. But this expanse is fluid - I can't believe how much easier it is to displace around the islands fifty-fifty from a duad of years ago. Who knows what volition live on offering inwards the future? Thing is, many accommodation in addition to other isle websites tend to hold data upwardly to appointment - the 2d i below has been specially skilful over the years.
A GOOD LIPE WEBSITE
ANOTHER GOOD WEBSITE
USER REPORT FROM LATE DEC O7
JimmyK just filed this study virtually his Dec see to Lipe:
"I had booked a calendar week at Mountain Resort on the quieter side of the isle at Sunrise Beach. It looked idyllic in addition to I’d read some skilful reviews on hither virtually the place. I wasn’t disappointed initially. The location was amazing with the huts perched on the border of a little cliff human face upwardly overlooking a beautiful beach in addition to Koh Adang inwards the background. I splashed for the Deluxe Cabin, 2200 Baht a night, equally I’m on vacation in addition to with the missus in addition to I take away hold to create my life equally like shooting fish in a barrel equally possible when she’s inwards tow. Ok, commencement the positives virtually Mountain Resort. It has a peachy location with beautiful views. The rooms are create clean in addition to good thought-out with hot H2O in addition to satellite TV. And Karma bar is great, really chilled identify for a drinkable or ii inwards the evening.
One thing I had heard virtually this identify was that it is owned past times a big-shot Thai who is responsible for a lot of the evolution on Koh Lipe in addition to the exclusion of the local Chao Ley people (please right me if I’m wrong). However, I was quite impressed past times the relative low-impact of the resort. It isn’t an eye-sore in addition to at that spot isn’t rubbish scattered everywhere. The beach is kept create clean in addition to at that spot is an active recycling scheme inwards place, fifty-fifty downwards to having a water-bottle refilling station to bring down plastic waste. (Not whatever to a greater extent than - tezza) In contrast when I walked along the beach to the Chao Ley village, the beach inwards forepart of the hamlet is strewn with litter left past times the local people. Empty diesel fuel canisters, metallic battery parts etc.
Anyway, dorsum to Mountain Resort in addition to I’m afraid that’s where the positives end. The eating theatre has peachy views but resembles a canteen with no atmosphere whatsoever. Also, the service is really very deadening in addition to non specially friendly. Food in addition to drinkable is expensive compared to resorts at Pattaya beach. The Thai nutrient is average in addition to the western nutrient is awful, maybe the worst I’ve had inwards Thailand. And it doesn’t destination there. From early inwards the morning, around 7am onwards the longtails create a hell of a lot of dissonance which tin live heard from anywhere inwards the resort in addition to sounds similar yous are sleeping next to the world’s loudest snorer. So, nosotros exclusively stayed 3 nights of the planned calendar week in addition to after visiting Pattaya beach for the day, decided to relocate there.
But before I go into that I volition destination with Sunrise beach first, in addition to specially a novel resort called Castaway.We had a duad of meals at Castaway Resort but didn’t rest there. It’s newly opened in addition to seems to live run past times an English linguistic communication guy. The accommodation looks genuinely prissy with large huts just set dorsum from the beach. The eating theatre expanse is also nicely designed with a raised expanse with hammocks in addition to cushions. The nutrient hither is really good, both Thai in addition to Western in addition to the service is friendly in addition to attentive. Castaway is exclusively a small walk coming from Pattaya beach past times Pooh’s bar, with the path coming out right at Castaways on the beach. Also, it’s worth noting that the snorkelling is splendid off the beach betwixt the ii little islands 100m inwards forepart of Castaway. Beware though of the electrical flow equally this side of the isle is especially windy in addition to the sea tin larn choppy. Another cool thing to do is scramble across the rocks on the headland that connects Sunrise beach to Pattaya beach. It took us virtually 2 hours in addition to it involves a chip of actual climbing with decent climbing shoes but it’s a skilful way to kill a few hours.
And so to Pattaya beach. I expected this beach to live busy beingness the primary drag, in addition to it seemed to live running at total occupancy when I checked out places but it was soundless pretty low-key. Kinda similar Koh Chang’s White Sand Beach 8 years agone before it got bought upwardly in addition to trashed. Bundhaya Resort seems to live the biggy with most families staying here. Nice identify though with skilful nutrient in addition to service in addition to reasonably priced. We stayed at Varins inwards a regular air-conditioning villa for 1500 Baht. Loved it. One thing yous genuinely notice after staying on a quieter beach equally portion of a captive audience is service is so much amend in addition to the prices lower when there’s a chip of competition. The bay hither tin live busy with boats but go to either destination past times the rocks for calm rubber H2O in addition to skilful snorkelling.Walking inland towards the infamous Pooh’s bar you’ll transcend little shops selling the usual tourist tack in addition to offering massages, tattoos etc. There’s to a greater extent than beingness built in addition to I’m sure inwards a few years it volition resemble the alleys of Phi Phi. Pooh’s is apparently an establishment in addition to rightly so. The bar is total of atmosphere, with alive music, puddle table. The eating theatre does peachy nutrient in addition to the service from Pooh himself in addition to his staff is exceptional. Highly recommended.
Anyway, that’s it. Koh Lipe was great, soundless a serenity island, maybe non for long, in addition to yous mightiness fence that reviews similar mine volition exclusively create it worse, but at that spot yous go. It volition occur eventually anyway, unless regulations are position inwards place."
Okay, some other person's perpective is ever skilful value - in addition to it looks similar Jimmy is a amend appreciator of nutrient than me. Longtail dissonance is the bane of many otherwise peachy Thai beach locations.
ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE
- Hans Meier has an entertaining concern human relationship of Lipe HERE - he is really skilful on personalities, has some prissy pix in addition to I kinda got the impression he was less than gruntled virtually Pattaya Beach.
Taking it like shooting fish in a barrel on Viewpoint's beach - notation patches of coral inwards the H2O which create this a pretty skilful spot for snorkelling away from depression tide.Julie from Dec 2010
wonderingstar has an fifty-fifty to a greater extent than comprehensive update wonderingstar works life recent shoulder flavour pricing at some of these much to a greater extent than agreeable). So do people wander across hither inwards peak hoping to detect a vacancy? Maybe, but I did consider a few of these joints advertised at move agents on Walking St in addition to I'm sure a some volition go online to detect guests.
The northward coast from the east....
MOUNTAIN RESORT BEACH
BETWEEN MOUNTAIN AND SUNSET BEACH
Next to Mountain Resort is an expanse which used to take away hold an old run-down no-name place. This has been cleared in addition to at that spot seems to live 2 novel places....
Further W is some other strip of similar sand which similar novel joints perched on the colina above. Interestingly these places are claiming the call SUNSET BEACH for their patch - the identify popularly know equally Sunset Beach at Porn Resort/Fishery Dept Bungalow just over the headland to the W is genuinely called HAT PRAMONG....seems visitors started calling it Sunset Beach on concern human relationship of the..um..sunsets.
Anyway the novel places are called Morgan Sunset Beach Resort and Lipe Sunset Beach Resort.
I'd live googling these places if I was trying to detect a non also flash vacancy at peak season.
SUNSET BEACH - um good the i nosotros all know equally Sunset Beach.
- is pretty fundamental to the settled portion of the northward coast, reached past times taking the rail to the left side (facing inland) of Daya Restaurant close Pattaya Song in addition to walking moderate slopes past times a few locals' houses in addition to so after five minutes turning right at the top of the little colina in addition to next the PORN signs for some other five minutes. You tin also access this beach from a rail inland from Brother Seaview Resort inwards a higher identify Sanom beach in addition to turning right when yous hitting the northward coast road. Sunset is a smaller, much quieter beach than Pattaya with 2 accomm places, PORN in addition to FISHERIES DEPT BUNGALOWS. Update - good there's some other 2 inwards March 2013, NO-NAME (see below) on the hillside to the northward in addition to KAFAIR HUT inland with the route leading across past times the temple to the primary angling hamlet area.
Sunset Beach and Porn take away hold a skilful rep inwards the guide books in addition to I had a peachy rest at that spot inwards the commencement portion of my initial see to the isle (in i of Porn's overflow tents!), but inwards early Dec 2009 things had deteriorated from that visit and from my pass-by inwards 2008. For a start they must take away hold had a hard 2009 moisture flavour because the beach was heavily eroded. Plus it was non all that create clean - it had manifestly been cleared upwardly at the start of dry out flavour but maybe exclusively in i lawsuit because at that spot was a lot of flotsam in addition to jetsam at dorsum of the beach. And for some argue the H2O was non equally clear equally previous visits. I was also disappointed to consider some broken bottles exposed past times erosion on i of the entry paths in addition to a heap of pigment tins in addition to an old bathroom bowl piled upwardly behind some bungalows. Maybe Porn is relaxing behind its skilful publicity - in addition to maybe things volition live a lot amend past times high season. By the way, beaches which take away hold lost mass sand past times tempest erosion tin recover inwards a thing of weeks given fine weather, so I wouldn't worry virtually this element if I had already booked for Christmas/New Year.
Wet flavour tempest moving ridge erosion on Sunset Beach inwards early Dec 09 - if yous expression carefully yous tin consider the moving ridge swash inwards the background inwards this high tide shot - the beach is pretty narrow. But the shot inwards a higher identify this was taken a few days after at total depression tide, so early Dec visitors soundless had a fair stretch of sand a lot of the time. See my comments virtually drinking glass on the beach inwards the RUBBISH department downwards page.Porn's forepart row fan with bath bungalows were going for 1200 inwards March 2013 with 2d rowers K - expensive but cheaper than many similar places on other beaches. The prissy lady inwards accuse told me they no longer do tents - "...have many novel bungalows" - in addition to they do. The eating theatre has okay nutrient at slightly higher than average Lipe prices. Service was a chip dour when I had a repast inwards 2009 but genuinely friendly inwards 2013.
Nice outlook from Porn's eating theatre - that is Adang nearest in addition to Rawi behind - both National Park islands.Late extra! Alas, Porn is no more. In a late Jan 2015 article virtually changes at Lipe, Travelfish shows a shot of demolished Porn - apparently a flash resort is planned.
FISHERIES DEPT is exclusively abt 100m farther north-east, with a similar eating theatre in addition to a reputation for the cheapest non-inland accommodation on the isle inwards high flavour inwards what seems to live rooms inwards concrete blocks rather than bungalows. However inwards 2009 they were non yet opened upwardly inwards early December. The eating theatre looked to take away hold been refurbished since 08. They were opened upwardly inwards March 2013 - but prices quoted me were no longer cope basement - a chip higher than nearby Porn.
Just inland from PORN/FISHERIES (take the walkway inwards from SUBAYE SPORTS (diving) is FLOUR POWER BAKERY with some yummy pastries, skilful normal meals in addition to peachy shakes etc. Prices are non budget-bungalow cheap, but the stuff is existent nice.
Follow the walkway less than five minutes inland to accomplish JACK'S JUNGLE - which has prissy bungalows in addition to gets skilful reports for nutrient in addition to for lively times at the Jungle Bar. KAFAIR HUT is a chip closer inwards the same full general direction.
A tezza shot Nov 08 - Porn's bungalows in addition to eating theatre are behind the trees to the right, but take away hold skilful sea-views. There was major constuction work** going on at Fisheries Dept at the far destination which made the beach less pristine than I think it - but it soundless doesn't expression also bad at all. I had a existent prissy swim in addition to some sun-time.**actually I works life out this latest see that the Thai Princess had a large beach theatre built on the headland ridge north-west of Fisheries with peachy views of Adang in addition to Rawi - there's also a line of prissy looking chalets presumably for her buddies built on a little cove the other side of the headland.
NEW TO SUNSET BEACH 2013
Continuing westward of Sunset Beach, the next km or so has at to the lowest degree five little patches of sand, many of which had some sort of identify to rest most novel to me on this latest trip. I noticed 2 bungalow outfits similar to NO NAME over the commencement 400m. Not much farther is La Luna Beach aka Mia Luna/Mid Luna. The Mid Luna Bar there has been an on/off suggestion for years, but latest trip I also noticed they had a camping ground area.
LA LUNA BEACH
In unopen succession heading W in i lawsuit to a greater extent than from La Luna are ii or 3 similar little beaches. One is Bila Beach...
BILA BEACH
This prissy piffling beach is virtually 500m W of Sunset Beach. There has been a beach bar hither for years but I was delighted inwards 2008 to detect the owners had refurbished it in addition to built a handful of prissy traditional bungalows summation H5N1 DORM. .New fan/bathroom bungalows at Bila Bar in addition to Resort built on the gradient inwards a higher identify the beach. That's ex-New Yorker co-owner Emily cleaning on the verandah. Those 4 doors opened upwardly to a bigger than normal bungalow with similarly large bath behind. The dorm is similar - has 2 double bunks with thick manful someone monarch sized unmarried matresses Emily told me she had to fellowship specially.Dorms 300, normal bungalows around 700.
UPDATE 2013 - Bila Beach Bungalows seems to take away hold headed upmarket. The dorm has gone although the bungalows inwards a higher identify the beach looked much the same (note wonderingstar in his excellent update on Lipe places done inwards Dec 2012 says they take away hold some newer, flasher bungalows a chip farther west, but I didn't consider them). Prices inwards the eating theatre were decidedly midrange* cheque them below. Emily had gone also although her ex-boyfriend was soundless running the joint.
* most midrange places I take away hold stayed at on the islands would non go over 150 for most of these dishes. The inwards a higher identify are to a greater extent than five star hotel prices.
Heading W again, within a really small distance at that spot is some other little beach with some concrete bungalows high on the cliffs - wonderingstar says they are at nowadays owned past times the the resort on the next beach (Pitiusas) in addition to were unfinished 4 months before my visit. I was also lazy to hike upwardly in addition to cheque them out. H5N1 small stone hop farther W (also accessible from the road) is an attractive newish to a greater extent than midrange-looking resort on a slightly bigger less rocky beach than most along here.
PITISUSAS BEACH
Pricing at fourth dimension of writing (April 2013) aint inexpensive - 2500 peak, 200 high, 1200 depression from the website) but if user reviews on Trip Adviser etc are positive this could live the identify for yous flashpacker dudes wanting somewhere away from the madding crowds. I notice Agoda is listing this articulation too.
Continuing on at that spot is a serial of tiny scrappy beaches (with no accommodation at the fourth dimension of writing) right along the coast to the western tip of the island. These are best accessed past times boat - the route turns into a dirt rail in addition to before long peters out.
East Coast Beaches
ANDAMAN BEACH - aka SUNRISE BEACH
Andaman Beach (Sunrise Beach) southward - portion of angling hamlet right, hillside bungalows of Viewpoint/ Serendipity, far left (image Castaway Resort) - the northern tertiary is out of frame to the right but tin live seen 2 shots below.
Andaman is the long beach which takes upwardly most of the eastern side of the island. The department inwards the middle used to live dominated past times the angling hamlet in addition to crowded with long tails, angling traps etc making it the to the lowest degree attractive section, but over the years the hamlet section, at to the lowest degree fronting the beach, has progressively shrunk equally resorts take away hold over the area. Now it takes upwardly exclusively 150m or the beach, the isle directly northward a similar distance.
As yous caput northward from the schoolhouse things gets progressively nicer. There are virtually 3 resorts inwards this direction. ANDAMAN RESORT is the northern most i (discounting Mountain Resort around the corner) in addition to has a huge attain of bungalows.
The nicest section of beach on the isle IMHO is right at the northern tip of the eastward coast just before in addition to where Andaman beach wraps around the northward eastward corner of the island, turning W to cast a lovely white sand spit which extends outwards a small distance towards Ko Adang.
The northern destination of Andaman is nicest - Andaman Resort's eating theatre is to the left equally are the to a greater extent than expensive bungalows. The traditional fan jobs are nether those casuarina trees farther from camera. The beach turns hard left towards Mountain Resort at the destination - that is mountainous Ko Adang yous tin consider background right.MOUNTAIN RESORT is situated at the top of a depression cliff overlooking this wrap-around department at the northward destination of Andaman beach, in addition to has a rep for beingness i the most attractive accommodation paces on the island.
I've ever wanted to rest hither in addition to with The Lady seeking comfort, nosotros went for this inwards the commencement one-half of the early Dec 2009 visit.
Approaching Mountain Resort inwards our longtail. Guys run downwards in addition to alternative upwardly your luggage. Great clifftop eating theatre to right. Clifftop in addition to beachlevel bungalows were most expensive, other bungalows are ranged upwardly hillside inwards the trees behind. Beach-level edifice closest the stairway is the famous Karma Bar - no longer called that in addition to nether novel management. 2013 - at that spot is a bungalow at that spot now.There is some other stairway upwardly from the beach out of frame to left.
The eating theatre serves upwardly pretty skilful nutrient at prices maybe 20% upwardly on budget bungalow average.
Inclusive buffet breakfasts were pretty good, but tended to cool pretty chop-chop if the heating flames below the dishes blew out inwards the wind.
Wind was a work on 2 of our 4 early Dec days - the infamous early dry out flavour north-easterlies kicked inwards strongly, so much so that conditions genuinely became unpleasant inwards the restaurant. I take away hold spent a fair fourth dimension inwards the Andaman but to a greater extent than ofttimes than non on sheltered beaches - exposed beaches are fewer but of the xxx odd days I've spent on exposed beaches exclusively these 2 were windy plenty to live unpleasant. (I take away hold noticed since that quite a few days inwards Nov in addition to Dec tin larn blustery. Not such a skilful fourth dimension to live taking a long speedboat trip - tin larn existent bumpy in addition to wet. As dry out flavour progresses this becomes less of a problem).
The nearest alternative eating theatre to Mountain is Andaman Resort's, maybe 10 minutes away on the beach. You tin hold walking the beach past times Andaman Resort in addition to accomplish the start of the cross isle WALKING STREET inwards virtually some other 10 behind Varin 2 aka Varin Village - plenty of skilful value restaurants here.
You tin walk out the dorsum of Andaman in addition to take away hold a to a greater extent than direct inland route to WALKING STREET in addition to maybe salve five minutes - you'll demand a torch at night. And past times turning right when walking out the dorsum yous tin accomplish Sunrise Beach farther W on the northward coast inwards around 10-15 minutes (you tin also beach/rock hop upwardly to Sunrise below virtually i quarter tide).
This is Chez Tezza at Mountain, the cheapest aircon bungalow at 1400 shoulder - 1600 high including brekka. Note mutual frigidness H2O - but some of Mountain's fan bungalows take away hold hot H2O - go figure. Pay to a greater extent than in addition to yous tin larn a much nicer newer bigger aircon bungalow with hot water, TV etc.The cheapest aircon bungalows were situated inwards the 3rd in addition to higher rows away from the cliffside - most were staggered to give some glimpses of the sea in addition to neighbouring Ko Adang.
The bungalows were non also bad - inwards skilful condition, normal flashpacker inclusions similar towels, lather etc, large plenty for ii summation gear - a tertiary invitee would live a chip squeezy but possible.
I thought the biggest letdown was the lack of paths - the heavily erosion from moisture flavour had left lots of exposed roots, gulleys, fifty-fifty a few H2O pipes in addition to fifty-fifty though lighting of the grounds at nighttime is non also bad, the shadows of the holes in addition to gullies create visibility hard in addition to at i phase Lady Tezza tripped in addition to fell. Not skilful plenty for 1400-1600 inwards 2009. UPDATE - I checked these bungalows inwards 2013. The expanse looked identical.
Note the newer expanse on the western side of the eating theatre had skilful paths inwards 2009.
Quite a few of the fan bungalows take away hold prime number spot inwards the 2d row where isle sea views are less interrupted.
Panoramic shot from Mountain Resort's eating theatre - Ko Adang inwards background. That's the northern most department of Andaman beach forming a spit on the right - Andaman Resort has bungalows really unopen to the beach there (images Mountain Resort )Same department of beach from the eating theatre inwards before years.
Below is a belatedly Nov 09 shot of Mountain's beach - spot the difference.
2009. Indications of a tough moisture flavour - the recurved destination of the spit has been washed away. It's hard to consider inwards this shot but the H2O closest to the eating theatre had a plume. This is non odd on resort beaches, waste materials H2O is ofttimes non fully filtered past times the asset tanks in addition to sand - Bila had a little one, parts of Sunset seemed specially bad that year, parts of the primary portion of Andaman were a chip suss. Interestingly busiest Pattaya was pristine.Anyway, I did all my swimming at Mountain towards the destination of the spit were the H2O was really nice. There are some interesting lumps of coral off-shore.
UPDATE - LATER SHOT
Steve Manklow sent me this pic taken inwards Feb 2010 - 2 months after my shot inwards a higher identify this one. Note how the recurved destination of the spit has regrown. Doesn't take away hold long.Steve also gave this information on Mountain Resort: Just got dorsum from Lipe in addition to tin study that the sand bar is dorsum on Mountain resort beach.
We had a forepart row hut @ mount view, really prissy see but resort was lacking inwards many areas (service, food, breakfast, theatre keeping, staff mood) even so i knew this to live the representative before booking in addition to the see to a greater extent than than made upwardly for it.
The isle has certainly changed since our final see inwards 2003 but it remains a prissy identify to visit.
UPDATE - LATEST SHOT
UPDATE - NEW ACCOMMODATION
ANDAMAN RESORT
If yous cheque the far right of the the shot 4 upwardly from this (above Steve's) yous tin consider what looks to live ii people standing close the grass in addition to trees (if yous click-expand the shot yous volition consider it is genuinely a sign - for Andaman resort). In the trees just to the right of the sign are the the most northerly of Andaman Resort's bungalows which stretch through the trees in addition to around the corner of the beach for maybe 400m to the eating theatre area. I've ever reckoned the most northerly bungalows take away hold a fabulous postion genuinely fronting Mountain's beach - in addition to ever seem largely vacant inwards shoulder season, but when I came dorsum from Adang inwards Nov08 heavy pelting had created a little lake inwards forepart of them, so I took a similar bungalow much closer to the restaurant. The next beach around the corner at that spot is equally said the best stretch of sand on the island.
I ever seek to rest inwards a novel identify when I revisit in addition to was determined that trip to try Andaman Resort with its peachy position, despite bad reviews inwards the various forums. Um 500 for a not-too-flash trad fan bungalow inwards the dorsum (3rd) row inwards shoulder flavour 08. And world-champ haggler tezza can’t bring down this a baht. This is directly on crossing from Adang where I had a gorgeous, huge almost create novel tile-floor in addition to concrete fan bungalow with skylight, dormer windows, tinted sliding doors in addition to fabulous views for 600.
BTW - apart from the exxy bungalows, Andaman Resort wasn’t also bad at all. Maybe I’m easily pleased.
This is a front-rower at Andaman Resort, identical inwards all other ways to my back-rower. Basically just a traditional bamboo thatch walled fan task with a bath in addition to verandah - 600b inwards belatedly Nov shoulder - 700 come upwardly Dec. Nice spot - the beach out forepart is peachy in addition to at that spot are prissy views across to Adang which yous tin consider inwards the background - in addition to to Tarutao in addition to Langkawi if yous are a chip farther southward around the bend of the beach. H5N1 fair few longtails during the twenty-four hours (but nowhere close equally painful equally on Pattaya Beach) but I noticed it was pretty peaceful at night.It aint equally black nether the trees equally this shot appears - my elcheapo point-and-shoot Olympus of the fourth dimension couldn't handgrip contrast variations.
Andaman also has some attractive concrete beachfront bungalows unopen to the eating theatre which expression to live aircon.
I can't think the eating theatre beingness anything special nutrient in addition to cost wise in addition to this was confirmed on my next 09 trip when nosotros walked around from Mountain for dinner.
Between the Andaman Resort in addition to the angling hamlet is the smaller LIPE BEACH RESORT (traditional vogue budget bungalows) in addition to the school. The beach exterior the angling hamlet is pretty messy with lots of rubbish, broken glass, boat mooring ropes etc - at to the lowest degree they take away hold cleared away the old broken boat motors etc.
MID ANDAMAN BEACH
The department of Andaman Beach south of the angling hamlet improves, although it tin larn a chip shallow along hither at lowest tide. There are virtually some other one-half dozen bungalow places, inluding the huge TARUTAO CABANA, VARIN VILLAGE aka Varin 2, GIPSY RESORT, FORRA DIVE SUNSET.
SOUTH ANDAMAN BEACH
Castaways Resort. I've never seen a identify attract so many conflicting reports on move forums*, in addition to a expression at its website shows it aint just budget. But those 2 storey bungalows expression pretty cool to me. The beach hither aint peachy or bad, but Viewpoint's/Serendipity's skilful beach is less than five minutes farther southward in addition to the prissy destination of Andaman close Andaman Resort/Mountain Resort is 10 minutes north.* that was when I checked inwards 2009 - may take away hold lifted its game.
VIEWPOINT BUNGALOWS’ TWO LITTLE BEACHES
Websites ofttimes refer to these equally portion of Andaman (Sunrise) beach but these are just southward inwards little twin bays (take the path behind the stone I was standing on 2 shots upwardly page) in addition to are really nice, specially the further, most southerly i which Viewpoint Bungalow at nowadays shares with Serendipity Resort.
Back when I commencement visited the isle at that spot was no resort hither or nearby, yet the farther beach was soundless pop with travelers.
Note at depression tide the twin bays tin larn existent shallow, specially inwards the northern bay where the coral was exposed right across to the little forested islet virtually 150m offshore (in a month’s lowest [no moon] tide). The same tide inwards the southern bay saw okay swimming inwards the sandy sections betwixt coral outcrops in addition to wading possible right out to the reef drop-off. Snorkeling was skilful along the drop-off at all tides in addition to fairly interesting closer to the beach at higher tide levels.
Note at that spot was a slight tidal electrical flow moving thru this expanse at higher tide levels - I works life it like shooting fish in a barrel to swim against but parents should hold an oculus on kids. The same electrical flow moves along the reef drop-off at depression tide in addition to is stronger. Note tidal currents tend to live strongest mid-tide.
Viewpont's southern beach.My favourite Lipe location is VIEWPOINT BUNGALOW where I stayed inwards March 07. This identify reads upwardly existent prissy inwards the move guides in addition to on travelfish.
I wasn’t disappointed. As belatedly equally 2009 it was an old vogue beach-hut type place, with rustic bungalows built upwardly the steep hillside overlooking twin compact bays just southward of a little headland at the destination of the large eastern beach, Andaman. When I returned inwards 2013 at that spot were some prissy novel aircon beachfront bungalows summation a lot of rebuilding of the hillside area.
Most of the hilside bungalows take away hold really prissy views from their verandas. Mine was the 2d highest, cutting into the rainforest upwardly a pretty awesome set of stairs, in addition to was panoramic - Koh Usen, a little islet just offshore, Tarutao inwards the far distance, mountainous Ko Adang unopen to the northward with the sweep of Andaman Bay between.
View from my bungalow straight east.....and north.Also novel to me inwards 2013, a flash articulation called SERENDIPITY built upwardly the hillside just southward of Viewpoint. I had a wander around, really prissy bungalows in addition to atmospheric high set eating theatre with viewing platforms nearby. I think it was opened inwards 2011 or 12.
ANOTHER NEW JOINT IN THE AREA
The costless isle map available everywhere on arrival showed some other articulation POOH'S GARDEN RESORT fifty-fifty farther southward than Serendipity. So I went in addition to had a look, accessing via the jungle rail which leads from the route behind the resorts on southward Sunrise beach. In March 2013 this novel articulation looked a piece of work inwards progress. H5N1 steep expanse downwards the hillside to the sea had been largely cleared but at that spot was exclusively a few crude oil bungalows at the top in addition to these looked to live staff/builder occupied.
There was no beach access hither - just a rocky mini-cove. I tried to rock-hop northward to Viewpoint/Serendipi'tys best beach but it was also difficult. I think edifice a walkway along at that spot may encroach on Serendipity land. Nevertheless this i bears rechecking - several lovely places on Ko Tao larn past times with just rocky coves in addition to this novel articulation is beingness developed past times the famous Pooh's back on Walking Street, an isle establishment which has ever been a degree act.
WALKING AROUND THE SOUTH EAST CORNER OF THE ISLAND TO PATTAYA BEACH:
DON’T!
I saw a few people walking on past times VIEWPOINT’S bays at depression tide inwards an elbow grease to larn around to Pattaya Beach. I saw them walking back. It is really hard in addition to dangerous. I did it on my commencement see - it took me virtually ninety minutes (I had figured 10), at that spot are several cliffs which yous must climb upwardly or down, in addition to on i my hand-hold broke off (weathered stone - d'oh, what a surprise with all that common salt air about!) in addition to I nearly brutal in addition to broke my neck.
The best way is to go dorsum to Andaman/Sunrise beach fundamental in addition to utilization Walking Street.
You tin also climb the steep stairs thru VIEWPOINT/SERENDIPITY/POOH'S GARDEN - at the top the rail drops thu the jungle, goes past times a few local residential areas, joins the route behind the southward Sunset Beach resorts in addition to comes out close Poh’s on Walking Street - but this aint genuinely whatever shorter. Nice walk though.
Avert your eyes if the long term French daughter resident of the highest Viewpoint bungalow is walking around her veranda naked. I was shocked at this affront to Thai cultural standards - but I didn’t tell anything, partly to non embarrass her. But mainly because she had a totally hot body.
EXCURSIONS
On my commencement see in addition to in i lawsuit to a greater extent than in March 2013 I took i of the snorkeling trips offered all around the isle to the surrounding area. This took a one-half twenty-four hours in addition to nosotros commencement snorkeled a reef mid way betwixt Lipe in addition to Ko Rawi, in addition to and so did fringing reefs on islets close Rawi in addition to Ko Adang. The coral in addition to fish life were pretty skilful past times Thai standards. There are also total twenty-four hours trips which offering an extra snorkelling halt in addition to tiffin on i of the beaches.
Much amend were the next 2 stops inwards the lee of little Ko Hing Nam - the H2O was pretty shallow hither in addition to visibility good. So also were the coral in addition to fish.
Lipe has a position out of dive operators in addition to at that spot are many dive sites inwards the surrounding area.
It's dead like shooting fish in a barrel to grab a longtail at 50b per someone in addition to pass fourth dimension on Adang's lovely beach. There is a peachy scenic picket which exclusively takes xxx minutes to access in addition to a less than whelming waterfall after an threescore minutes or so's prissy rainforest walk which turns into a circus river stone hop the final 300m. See my Adang page.
FOOD
I'm non a gourmet. Being a budget traveller, if it's cheap, fills me in addition to tastes okay, I'm happy. But for nutrient lovers Sbruny provided this inwards Feb 09- "Koh Lipe is express for splendid food. The best thai is at the Jungle Bar inwards the middle of the island. For seafood seek the sea gypsy identify on Pattaya beach. For prissy see with repast the Mountain Resort can't live beat. For tasty fried chicken seek the muslim ladies behind the local schoolhouse early inwards the morning. Overall, I would tell the nutrient on Koh Lipe really average compared to the residual of Thailand. However, the isle in addition to surrounding are spectacular."
I'll add together that several users take away hold reported Pattaya Song's eating theatre does peachy Italian nutrient - The Lady in addition to I shared a pizza when nosotros stayed at Varin on Pattaya in addition to it seemed pretty skilful to me.
UPDATE - Lipe has expanded so much since 2009 specially inwards the mid-range in addition to amend that I'm sure at that spot is at nowadays a bunch of character places to eat.
RUBBISH PROBLEMS ON LIPE
Lipe gets bad press from some visitors for high amounts of trash on beaches, around edifice sites in addition to dumped beside hinterland tracks in addition to the angling hamlet outskirts.
Early dry out flavour beach junk on northward destination of Andaman (Sunrise) Beach (image WEBME - click the link for other similar shots)
Bigger epitome from THEMANZOMANDISTARSQUADRON - soundless Andaman Beach.
Beach rubbish is largely a seasonal thing.
Most of it is Thai domestic rubbish + rainforest debris carried to the sea past times flooding wet-season streams + an amazing amount of angling boat detritus. H5N1 lot of this stuff gets moved considerable distances past times currents in addition to air current in addition to dumped on Lipe.
In dry out flavour much less rubbish gets washed in addition to blown onshore - in addition to a greater proportion is angling junk. In this flavour most bungalows are pretty conscientious inwards cleaning beaches each morning. Few places are opened upwardly inwards moisture season, so things are allow go. If yous occur to go far very early inwards dry out flavour before locals larn around to clearing the build-up, in addition to so WEBME's pix is the result. My Andaman beach shot upwardly page (the i with the speedboat inwards midground) was taken exclusively 2 weeks after WEBME's - a pretty large contrast.
Beach dump of cement bags early dry out flavour (image WEBME)Many people larn upset virtually unsightly edifice activity. ISLANDBOI has some skilful edifice shots here.
Wet flavour in addition to early dry out flavour sees frantic edifice activeness to destination projects for high flavour - so unsightly dumps of edifice materials in addition to edifice sites are non uncommon at these times. CHANCHAO has pointed out that yous can't larn somewhere to slumber in addition to take away hold a repast if no edifice takes place. Hardliners tell at that spot is already also much evolution in addition to the reply is to avoid the island.
Note I saw much less than normal edifice activeness this latest trip - virtually nix on the beaches in addition to the novel shop-fronts had been completed on the cross isle rail (and don't they expression so much amend than the messy old collection of ramshackle joints that used to live there). Most novel edifice was taking identify on the side roads away from the primary rail - the concern expanse is expanding laterally.
Environmentally aware travellers tin larn depressed past times the amount of domestic in addition to bungalow/restaurant trash dumped with tracks inwards the hinterland, on the outskirts of the hamlet in addition to fifty-fifty behind sure bungalows. This is non a seasonal work - it's 365/12, but seemed less evident inwards the lates trip. Maybe that 20baht trash taxation on entry is having some impact.
Like many islands, Lipe for a long fourth dimension had no organised rubbish collection in addition to disposal - it was left to resorts in addition to households to cart their stuff to the dump. And unfortunately some Thais are pretty lazy when disposing of identify in addition to tourist generated trash.
Possible answers are environmental didactics (directed at the angling manufacture too), less laxity, to a greater extent than money in addition to resources (Lipe is portion of Satun local regime area) in addition to an elbow grease past times tourists themselves to cutting downwards on trash generating activities. Suggestions include a national commons type visitor quota organization - hard to implement for an isle which is non administered past times the National Park.
Hardline environmentalists urge travellers to avoid the island. Your call. Note that dumped rubbish is mutual throughout SE Asia - maybe sensitive travellers should avoid the expanse equally a whole. I'm so used to it I didn't detect Lipe anything out of the ordinary - but certainly if yous take away hold just arrived from Lanta, Phuket, Langkawi or other islands where trash collection inwards most areas is amend organised, yous could think Lipe looks messy inwards comparison.
PROGRESS 09
The promised rubbish removal service past times the Satun provincial regime has started. This large barge was beached inwards the centre of Pattaya close Leepae Resort in addition to a shuttle of trucks was transferring both domestic rubbish in addition to edifice cloth cast-offs from the fundamental isle tip. The same "Lipe is a rubbish dump" moaners volition likely at nowadays complain virtually visual in addition to olfactory pollution to the beach.The barge was loading for a skilful five hours. Later inwards our trip a smaller boat was receiving the same type of cargo.
Rubbish bins similar these on the cross isle WALKING STREET were set upwardly inwards several parts of the isle - if yous click to enlarge yous tin consider they cater for the usual general, organic in addition to recycle waste.The hamlet itself seems a lot neater. I think this is largely the effect of concrete paving of a few of the cross streets leading off the cross isle rail - formerly these were dusty wayfares which turned to mud (or pools where the drainage was poor).
REGRESSION
The beach at the hamlet had gone downhill since 08. H5N1 tempest surge coupled with a manful someone monarch tide (as occured inwards Oct 09) would launder most of this junk into the sea, including the bottles - in addition to thus nosotros larn hereafter broken glass.BROKEN GLASS
Lady Tezza's underprivileged childhood has made her world champion at finding stuff on the ground - I in i lawsuit saw her scoop upwardly a heap of coins inwards shin-high grass on a black nighttime - in addition to the amount of drinking glass she in addition to I managed to collect on our early Dec trip to Lipe was amazing. On Sunset Beach nosotros loaded a washed upwardly 10 litre plastic handbag (Malaysian inwards source) half-way with with the stuff in addition to had several unbroken bottles separate. It was worse on the scaggy low-tide-only beach behind the Thai Princess' hangers-on chalets (I bet the violet dogsbodies do a large clean-up of both this in addition to Sunset before each of her visits). Disappointingly the beach at Mountain yielded quite a supply. But Andaman/Sunrise Beach was worst - nosotros had to create several unloads at bins inwards resorts equally nosotros moved downwards the beach - with the hamlet expanse worst of all. The best? Maligned Pattaya - inwards several total length walks I managed to detect exclusively a few pieces of drinking glass in addition to no bottles.
The sources of most of this drinking glass are Thai fishermen who throw their Red Bull in addition to beer bottles overboard in addition to lazy Thai villagers who chuck bottles onto the beach or dump them inwards a higher identify the normal tide grade (where a tempest surge tin soundless larn them) - the bottles nail on seaside rocks (wind + currents + moving ridge swash in addition to the long-shore drift volition take away hold them there) in addition to and so beach drifting/wave swash volition distribute the broken drinking glass onto the beach. BTW if yous are picking up, include those sand-rounded bits - nosotros after met a Swedish daughter who stepped on i of these which in addition to so broke in addition to cutting her.
Eradicating these dumping practices is the best solution - inwards the hateful time, resort owners take away hold to RAKE the beach each morn to sift out the drinking glass in addition to other rubbish. Note drinking glass was a little work on nearby Bulon Lae in addition to Langkawi where resorts in addition to other beach businesses do this conscientiously.
Now I wonder if my see to Lipe was also early for many of the resorts to start this sifting - I can't believe places similar Mountain in addition to Porn resorts volition desire visitor complaints in addition to injury when things larn genuinely busy. They should live doing this right from the start of the flavour - it was obvious many Pattaya places were. I wonder too, if I'm lucky - I've wandered the beaches/waded inwards the H2O for 4 visits bare-footed in addition to never cutting myself. I've never noticed much drinking glass - but in addition to so I wouldn't notice Paris Hilton sunbathing naked on the sand unless I tripped over her.
Maybe peak flavour visitors could post inwards in addition to comment on the drinking glass situation.
UPDATE MARCH 2013 - March is after peak season, giving the isle an extra 2 months to clear drinking glass - in addition to yep, things were pretty good.
Broken beer bottle works life directly on hitting the Princess' dorsum beach (this is the i for which novel bungalows inwards a higher identify the beach take away hold stolen the call SUNSET BEACH from the amend beach next west) - interestingly I take away hold it sitting on the supports for the H2O pipeline which comes onshore hither from nearby Ko Adang waterfall. Lipe has few permanent streams - I know of none inwards the settled eastern one-half of the island.Water pipeline from Adang. Some of yous cynics mightiness think it is a sewage pipe, but trust me, it is good away from the Princess' joint, at that spot were no other resorts inwards line at the fourth dimension of the shot in addition to it is pointing straight at the waterfall expanse on Adang's southern slopes. I take away hold hiked upwardly to these falls - at that spot are 3 similar pipes to a little pondage expanse a chip higher than the falls.THE RUBBISH-GLASS SITUATION MARCH 2013 - Lipe has done a Phi Phi in addition to at nowadays imposes a 20bhat trash avoidance fee on entry. Main comport on I saw was a daily run of garbage collection along Walking Street. However I must acknowledge the residual of the isle did non seem to take away hold equally much trash roadside etc. The drinking glass province of affairs on the beaches was amend also - but this could live that my March see had five months of high flavour for the broken stuff to live picked upwardly past times conscientious people similar Lady Tezza in addition to of course of study past times resort beach clean-up crews.
I reckon the best fourth dimension to guess the comport on of the novel trash fee would live early high season, tell mid Nov - do they pass some of the taxation on organised piece of work gangs to clear the beaches of the moisture flavour air current blown stuff pictured upwardly page? Or is this left to private resorts to eventually larn around to equally inwards the past?
OVERBUILDING
People returning to Lipe after some fourth dimension larn a stupor at the amount of novel places. It seems most obvious that most beach places take away hold been taken - but I reckon nosotros volition start to consider to a greater extent than joints on sea-side rocks, headlands similar Tao, Phangan etc.
The other procedure nosotros volition consider is to a greater extent than of the knock downwards the inexpensive articulation in addition to build a flasher identify - similar at Sita on western Pattaya - in addition to of course of study expand in addition to redevelop the articulation equally Varin has so successfully done on its Pattaya site. (I wrote that inwards 2009 - notation the novel northward coast places 2013 I cite upwardly page. And the knockdown in addition to redevelopment of existing beach places I saw same trip. Jeez. I'm psychic! ....Um, non genuinely - both are no-brainers).
Even the most anti-development traveller volition welcome some of the newer edifice activeness such equally the paving of the cross-island WALKING STREET in addition to the neater shop-fronts along it summation the concreting of some of the formerly dire hamlet streets that intesect it.
The paved rail on Walking Street - virtually time! The biggest negative on Lipe eliminated IMHO. Note this is a belatedly 08 shot when the paving was exclusively a few months old - i yr after it was considerably sandier in addition to dustier inwards parts. Still a huge improvement on the daggy mess before.UPDATE 2013 - route paving has continued. Now all the hamlet cross-streets seems to live concrete. H5N1 lot of the narrow route leading away from the hamlet expanse towards the northward in addition to W of the isle ditto.
My 2013 see reinforced the fact that I genuinely similar Walking Street these days. There is a huge array of restaurants, shops, move agents, supermarkets, bakeries, tattoo joints, bars etc. Competition keeps prices competitive in addition to its closed to motorcycles etc from early afternoon to mid-night. The identify has a prissy vibe IMHO.
If yous desire a inexpensive identify to rest unopen to the fundamental Pattaya beach boat landing point, Walking Street in addition to the lanes leading off it take away hold the pick. Simply walk along in addition to cheque the signs: at that spot were several places around 500 inwards belatedly high flavour 2013.
GIPSY 2 RIVENDELL
I was after a relatively inexpensive identify (not botttom budget) for March 2013 I could volume online - I was a chip spooked past times move forums talking virtually how busy the isle had larn in addition to only wanted something with quick access off the boat without having to trudge around finding a vacancy. Knowing what a skilful location the full general Walking Street expanse has become, I had no hesitation inwards booking G2R after reading skilful user reports online.
This tiny boutique resort is inwards a peachy spot – 50m upwardly a small lane from the highest portion of walking street with its large array of restaurants, shops in addition to other businesses - in addition to less than five minutes stroll from Lipe’s 2 primary beaches, Pattaya in addition to Sunset/Andaman.
The bamboo thatch in addition to whitewashed-stone bungalows go a measuring or ii farther than normal inwards this cost attain (1300baht 2013). We are looking at lots of little artistic touches summation extras similar multiple towels, incense sticks, mozzie coils + lighters in addition to beach mats/sarongs on demand. Inside are paintings, wall hangings, lots of black stained wood in addition to whitewash, nicely tiled floors inwards the bath room which has hot water, non all that mutual inwards bungalows of this cost level. There is plenty of infinite for ii people in addition to their gear. The firmish double bed was comfy in addition to the meshing a skilful one. The large veranda with hammock in addition to chairs looked out on a garden setting although this contains a lot of bare earth. Main complaints were a lack of storage for luggage (the owners told me tables are on order) although at that spot is plenty of little storage space; no wifi inwards rooms although costless at reception; in addition to the bungalows were a chip black within during daytlight. Some people volition complain virtually the lack of restauants – but at that spot is a vast array of really skilful value places nearby on Walking Sreet. The beachfront restaurants in addition to sand bars with candles on mats are non also much further. One reviewer mentioned nearby bar dissonance but I could hear exclusively distant music which was no agency intrusive, in addition to I’m a chip fussy inwards this respect.
The immature Castilian duad running Gipsy are friendly in addition to obliging.
In the past times it's been hard to alternative the relatively narrow gap where the rail starts on Andaman from similar sized Bungalow entrances, but they at nowadays take away hold a large overhead banner sign: WALKING STREET - so named because the busiest department is blocked off to motorcycles afternoon in addition to inwards the evening.
Walking St ends where it hits the hamlet virtually 3 minutes from Andaman/Sunrise. The continuing road
doesn't quite accomplish the beach - but it's a small distance through the novel Varin Village to the beach - nobody seems to hear outsiders strolling thru. There is an access lane to the northward side of Varin Village - this looks like portion of a resort also (looks like but I don't think it is).
HIGH PRICES
I take away hold already indicated that high bungalow prices are a characteristic of Lipe. It is doing a Phi Phi inwards this respect. Prices to me seem 20 to 50% higher than yous would pay on many pop islands. K or to a greater extent than for a fan bungalow with bath inwards a budget beach resort is outrageous compared to similar places on tell Phangan or large Chang, in addition to specially to the skilful value islands similar piffling Chang, Phayam, Jum. But I'm a peachy believer inwards the marketplace - if people are prepared to pay these prices they can't live wrong, tin they? And I hold going dorsum in addition to paying those prices, don't I?
OVERCROWDING
All my visits take away hold been inwards November/early Dec in addition to March, hardly peak season. Except for my final see when the primary beaches seemed to live around two-thirds capacity, things were really uncrowded with pop resorts running around 30% - many others less. In belatedly Nov08 my favourite budget articulation VIEWPOINT had no guests! (I was pleased for the possessor that a quite a few of his peachy hillside bungalows were occupied on after trips. Those novel aircon beachfront jobs I demonstrate up-page were undrstandably all taken inwards March 2013.)
I did larn a gustatory modality of to a greater extent than busy periods inwards 2009 because the King's Birthday Holiday Weekend coincided with 2 of our days on the isle in addition to Lipe is existent pop with Thai locals. I'd tell Varin was running 70%. However Pattaya Beach was uncrowded people wise, but equally I said before at that spot was a bunch of extra boats.
Despite this I take away hold seen posts proverb Peak-Peak at destination of Dec into Jan has been VERY busy these final few years with unbooked poeple sometimes non finding a bed. Note Christmas is non a large cope with Thai holidayers, but New Year's Day is.
SO SHOULD YOU AVOID LIPE?
No way inwards my sentiment unless yous are actively environmentally-sensitive.
For other people who don't similar messy beaches, maybe yous should avoid genuinely early dry out flavour (say upwardly to the 2d calendar week of Dec) until the beaches are probable to take away hold been cleared. The trash in addition to drinking glass seems amend cleared after inwards the dry out flavour - but alway hold an oculus out for the abrupt stuff.
Repeat visitors who think Pattaya equally ii thirds unbuilt with a bunch of little dunes backing the beach inwards the eastern one-half may prefer to rest somewhere else on the isle to a greater extent than set dorsum - on Viewpoint’s/Serendipity's beach, Sunset Beach, Bila Beach etc or the piffling beach over the headland from Pattaya Song where Sanom Beach Resort has been built.
However I works life latest trip Pattaya non also bad although regressed a chip from 2009, The top destination of Andaman around Mountain in addition to Andaman Resorts is nicest. Viewpoint's/Serendipity's beach is a peachy piffling spot in addition to the southern department of Andaman/Sunrise beach nearby looked way amend than inwards previous years - due I'd tell to careful tending past times the novel resorts there. Who said evolution ever makes a spot worse?
Or inwards hereafter disappointed repeat visitors could rest on Adang in addition to cross to Lipe for daytrips. The boaties inwards 2009 were charging 50baht per someone (and they don‘t hold off for a total boat, ofttimes I was the exclusively passenger, in addition to so usually it becomes 100baht) - a charge per unit of measurement that was a apartment fee per someone all around Lipe. Makes those guys at Ao Nang expression similar the thieves they are.
LIPE IS H5N1 LONG WAY FROM BANGKOK - is it worth the distance in addition to cost?
Often asked. My reply to the inwards a higher identify - NOT ON ITS OWN*. But it is good worth it if yous combine some of the nearby islands. Adang is a 10 infinitesimal longtail ride away. You tin do a loop of Tarutao-Lipe-Bulon Lae using the scheduled tourist boats originating out of Pak Bara on the mainland.
People visiting Langkawi inwards Malaysia tin speedboat across to Lipe for a gustatory modality of staying on a Thai isle (and Lipe is a skilful contrast to Langkawi) - in addition to of course of study Langkawi-Lipe is a peachy way for tourists wanting to displace from the western side of the Malaysian peninsula into Thailand. They tin go on via the mainland at Pak Bara or proceed isle hopping all the way to Krabi or Phuket.
* Lipe is non large enough, various plenty nor has the fantastic landscape of tell Phi Phi to live a must consider destination inwards itself unless yous are a dead set isle tragic similar me who has to consider them all. You tin larn much the same equally Lipe nearer to Bangkok - I'd tell the closest isle inwards vogue to Lipe I know is Ko Samet. Ko Tao is non a lot unlike although its landscape is to a greater extent than rugged in addition to attractive, the beaches a chip inferior.
GETTING THERE
The biggest alter I saw my latest 2013 see was the destination of the old deadening ferries - at nowadays either speedboats or novel faster ferries. In high flavour yous tin larn these from a position out of operators out of PAK BARA virtually midway betwixt Trang in addition to Satun. Depending on the operator these also telephone call upwardly inwards at Taruatao or Bulon Lae.
The SPD speedboat has run for yearS from KO LANTA, picking upwardly at Kos Muk, Ngai in addition to Bulon Lae - inwards recent years it has extended to a PHUKET start, calling inwards at PHI PHI. btw this is a hell of a long way inwards a speedboat - could live existent crude oil in addition to moisture inwards early high season. I reckon I'd go past times Tigerline. I think Bundhaya Speedboat run a similar service Lipe-Bulon-Lanta. Google volition detect the latest situation.
Tigerline ferries now runs from PHUKET via PHI PHI/LANTA to Lipe in addition to on to Langkawi - stopping at several islands in addition to the mainland pier at Hat Yao southward of Trang on the way down. Tigerline also has a minibus service from Surathani, Krabi/Ao Nang in addition to Khao Lak to connect with its ferries at the Hat Yao pier. Note that inwards early Dec 09 Tigerline was non running to Langkawi.
I take away hold details of how to larn to the Hat Yao pier at Ban Chao Mai independently on my Libong page, although Tigerline's minibus volition transfer yous from Trang railway station in addition to airport.