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After a week of beach hopping around the tiny island and soaking up the tropical vibe, we’ve crafted this Koh Lipe beach guide, which includes all of our favourite spots that we recommend checking out!
Koh Lipe’s beaches were the first, and hands down some of the best, we visited during our three months in Thailand!
The powdery white sand settled under overhanging coconut palms, the turquoise water gently lapping on the shore, and rows of picturesque longtail boats all combined to make the introduction to Thailand we’d been dreaming of!
As we walked along the shore on our first day, the damp white sand crunching between our toes, we genuinely thought we’d found paradise.
But this was late August during the low season.
A time we specifically chose to gamble on the weather at a chance of avoiding the insane crowds and roar of longtail boat motors we’d heard had dampened the bliss during the winter high season.
And ok, we had a few overcast days mixed in with the sunny ones and some spots of rain here and there, but overall we had a fantastic week on Koh Lipe doing exactly what we’d hoped, which was spending a lot of time discovering the beaches!
But Are They Still A Paradise?
There’s absolutely no doubt that the postcard-worthy beaches on Koh Lipe look like paradise, but do they still feel like paradise?
Well, their days as hidden gems have definitely sailed as the onslaught of ever-increasing tourism has the island bursting in the high season.
So the real answer comes down to the time of year you visit.
For us, our trip to the tiny Andaman island during the low season in August was the paradise we’d imagined it would be.
During the sunny spells, we found stretches of white sand without anyone else around, even on the main beaches!
And with fewer people came less demand for longtail boat water taxis, so we thankfully didn’t encounter much of a racket from their engines. Instead, we had a week of peaceful beach walks and quiet sunbathing.
However, don’t expect this in December and January, though. During the height of the peak season, the paradise is still there; it just depends on whether you can appreciate it through the busyness of that time of year.
The high season footfall is immense considering the tiny size of the island, and even though it’s escaped the party scene that’s taken over the likes of Haad Rin Beach on Koh Phangan, I can understand why the paradise feeling falters at this time of year.
So, if we were to return to the beaches of Koh Lipe again, which we hope to, the shoulder season of early November or March is when we’d go for the ultimate balance between weather, crowds, facilities, and peaceful paradise.
Locations Of Koh Lipe’s Top Beaches + How To Reach Them
The main beaches sit on the island’s northern, southern, and eastern coastlines, while a few lesser-visited bays are located down in the southwestern corner.
But one thing we loved about all the beaches is that we managed to visit them all on foot.
No taxi needed!
Conveniently, the two main beaches (Sunrise and Pattaya) are connected by Walking Street, the central hub of the island, and it took us just 10 minutes to walk between them.
In short, the beaches on Koh Lipe are super easy to get to and you can see our favourites all pinned on the map below.
The Best Beaches On Koh Lipe: Our Top Picks
When we heard Koh Lipe was known as the ‘Maldives of Thailand’ it only raised our expectations.
And after discovering large and developed bays to small hidden coves, we were far from disappointed with Koh Lipe’s sandy shores! Whether we fancied sunbathing, snorkelling, or sipping on an ice-cold Chang at a beach bar, Koh Lipe had us covered!
Out of all the islands we visited in Thailand, we only rank the beaches of Koh Phangan higher!
And these are the ones we loved the most!
Ten Moons Beach / Maricilla Beach
If we could only choose one beach to let the island time slip away on, we’d easily go for the small but scenic bay outside the Ten Moons Koh Lipe Resort!
Free for everyone to enjoy, it’s the most picturesque beach we found on the island, with the granite boulders surrounding the bay and the view of the tiny island of Koh Usen just off the shore completing the tropical scene.
I won’t disclose how long we spent here capturing our Koh Lipe Instagram posts!
But as well as being photogenic, Ten Moons Beach was our favourite spot to get away from the crowds attracted to the more developed beaches.
And thankfully we brought our snorkels too, as there were colourful coral and fish to spot close to the shore. We were snorkelling in only waist-deep water, so it’s ideal even if you aren’t adventurous!
Just bear in mind that much of the beach disappears at high tide.
Facilities-wise, On The Rocks restaurant overlooks the beach, although prices are higher than elsewhere on the island, and sun beds can be rented for 100 baht during the high season.
Ten Moons Beach is located a short distance past the southern point of Sunrise Beach, and we actually stumbled across it by accident. We’d wandered down to where the big boulders mark the end of Sunrise Beach and saw a path that kept going through the trees, so of course our curiosity had us needing to know what lay on the other side.
And thank goodness it did, as the short walk took us through to the beautiful rock-scattered beach!
Recommended stay:
Discover a paradise hideaway at Ten Moons Lipe Resort
You might also like: Best Beaches On Koh Phangan
Bulow Beach
At the opposite end of Sunrise Beach, we wandered north in search of another white sandy shore we’d heard great things about.
And as we rounded the northern corner, we were welcomed by the paradise shores of Bulow Beach.
We spent an afternoon lounging on the stunning sandbar, admiring the magnificent view of the towering Koh Adang across the sea and diving in and out of the refreshing water.
The mesmerisingly turquoise water here was the most inviting we found on the island, and we can see why it was the most popular sunbathing spot!
It was ideal for swimming as not only was it shallow and calm but there were no longtail boats anchored around here. However, we did hear that when the wind switches direction, Pattaya Beach is more sheltered.
Backed by a single luxury resort, there weren’t any facilities on the beach itself and it was open to the elements with no shaded areas. However, there are beach bars, like Zodiac, nearby and since our visit, there’s even a restaurant opened here too (Bulow Cafe and Restaurant).
As I mentioned, we got here by walking along Sunrise Beach to its most northernly point, but we couldn’t actually find direct access that wasn’t through a resort. So we retraced our steps after enjoying the sunset.
Note: Bulow Beach is also known as North Point Beach or Karma Beach.
Recommended stay:
Relax on the beach with 5-star luxury at Bulow Casa Grand View Resort
Sunrise Beach
One of the two main beaches on Koh Lipe, Sunrise Beach’s silky white sand stretches for around 1.5km and covers most of the eastern coastline.
It’s famous, it’s developed with beach bars and bungalow resorts, and it’s lined with traditional longtail boats anchored in the shallow water. Combined with views of tiny Koh Usen and Koh Kra, as well as the larger Koh Adang, Sunrise Beach was the picturesque tropical scene we’d been dreaming of laying eyes on!
If we were to do it all again, we’d up our budget to one of Sunrise Beach’s beachfront bungalows so we could be surrounded by the laid-back yet buzzing holiday atmosphere.
But even though our budget kept us inland this time, it was one of the easiest beaches for us to get to. There is an official access road near Polysiam Pier (where we arrived on the ferry), or from Walking Street, we walked through the Varin Village Resort without issue.
Even though we thought that Ten Moons and Bulow Beaches were better for a beach day, we did like the quiet southern corner of Sunrise for swimming (just before the path through to Ten Moons).
We had also planned to rent a kayak from Castaway Resort and make our way over to the little islands, but honestly, we were in full chill mode after some busy travels through Malaysia!
Another confession is that even though everyone recommends taking in at least one sunrise here, we slept through them all, as honestly, we’re just not early birds!
Such bad travellers, I know!
Recommended stay:
Enjoy a beachfront resort and luxury cabana at Idyllic Concept Resort
Pattaya Beach
Firstly, don’t confuse Koh Lip’s Pattaya Beach with the coastal city that’s just south of Bangkok. We found out that it’s, shall we say, a completely different vibe!
Pattaya Beach, on Koh Lipe, is a beautiful 1km long sweeping crescent on the southwestern coastline, on the opposite side to Sunrise Beach.
This was the closest beach to our accommodation, so it was our go-to for a peaceful morning stroll along the shoreline as we headed towards Walking Street. We especially loved the chilled atmosphere in the northern end of this bay, which, when the wind played ball, was a lovely place to sunbathe!
However, the wind often picked up by late morning, resulting in some choppy afternoons. But we were told that this is to be expected in the low season and is why the ferries come into Sunrise Beach instead.
If you’re travelling in the high season, though, this will probably be where you’ll take your first steps on Koh Lipe as it’s where all the ferries and speed boats arrive and depart from. It’s also where the immigration office is located for travellers arriving from the nearby Malaysian island of Langkawi, so we’ve heard it can get a bit hectic and noisy!
Like Sunrise Beach, Pattaya Beach is also lined with bungalow resorts, beach bars, and restaurants, and I’d say it becomes an extension of Walking Street after dark with its lively atmosphere and fire shows!
Recommended stay:
Step straight onto the sand from your wooden bungalow at Chareena Beach Hill Resort
Sunset Beach
Looking for the best beach on Koh Lipe to watch the sunset? This one’s easy, head to the fittingly named Sunset Beach in the northwest of the island!
Apparently, it is even up there with some of Thailand’s best sunset beaches!
Sunset Beach is the third largest on the island but it’s definitely more rustic than Sunrise and Pattaya Beaches, and during our low-season visit, we found no facilities and the only beach bar was closed.
It also wasn’t as pristine, with trash and empty coconuts strewn around.
Still, with 200m of white sand and the same turquoise water as the rest of the island, we were able to appreciate it’s stripped back beauty! The view of the western end of the beach, with Bay View Sunset Resort built into the corner, was particularly scenic.
Another positive is that there is a lot of shade during the day which is more difficult to come by on the eastern and southern shorelines.
To get to Sunset Beach from Walking Street, it took us 10 minutes along the main road heading northwest. Unsure exactly where we were going, we eventually came across a sign for Sunset Beach at a junction. We followed this unkept trail for a few minutes before finally stepping out onto Sunset Beach!
On the return, we instead followed the coast north and around onto Sunrise Beach.
Recommended stay:
Overlook Sunset Beach and Koh Adang from Bayview Sunset Resort
Don’t miss a full-day Koh Lipe snorkelling tour!
Pitiusas Beach
If you need a break from the bustling beach bars, massage parlours, and longtail boats, then I recommend venturing west as we did.
In particular, one of the most peaceful beaches I found was Pitiusas Beach, when one afternoon I went exploring without Lucy. On my solo adventure through the centre of the island, I came across a sign for Pitiusas beach opposite Forever Restaurant and followed the steps which led me down to the sand.
This took me about half an hour from Walking Street, but you could always take a moto taxi if you don’t fancy the walk.
With neighbouring Koh Adang in the distance, a single longtail boat anchored in the water, and just one other family to share the beach with, I wish I brought my beach towel and a book to really unwind!
However, instead, I hiked back along the coast towards Sunrise Beach, which was a fantastic way to see all the tiny bays that are hidden along the northern coastline. It was a pleasant walk as the sun was getting ready to go down but, as the tide was now in, I had to scramble over some boulders at points.
Recommended stay:
The Cliff Lipe is a heavenly escape with uninterrupted sea views from every room!
Our Favourites For Swimming
Bulow Beach was our absolute favourite beach for swimming. With a shallow sandy shoreline that gradually gets deeper and calmer water than other beaches we visited, it was just perfect!
It also isn’t packed with longtail boats and even at low tide, when many of Koh Lipe’s beaches become too shallow to swim properly, Bulow Beach remains deep enough to swim for most of the day.
This is closely followed by Ten Moons Beach, which was a nice intimate and laid-back beach to swim at while also being sheltered from the westerly winds that hit the island during our stay. Although depending on where the tide is, just be careful of the large rocks dotted around the sand and also of the current, which can be strong.
Travel tip: Pattaya Beach bore the brunt of most of the westerly winds we had during our trip, so it tended to be quite choppy, but this can switch during the high season, so you may find it more sheltered and suitable for swimming than Bulow Beach.
Top Beaches For Snorkelling
As I mentioned, Ten Moons Beach was our personal favourite for snorkelling as we didn’t have to swim too far to see some incredible underwater life. The only negative was that we’d recently broken our GoPro, so we couldn’t capture what we were seeing! Visibility was great while we were there, but again, this is completely dependent on the winds and waves!
Unfortunately, we didn’t manage to snorkel at Sunset Beach, as it was just too choppy during our trip, but we heard it’s the best spot for deeper snorkelling, especially in the western end of the bay.
Beaches We Recommend Staying On (+ Which We’d Avoid)
If we had the budget, we’d 100% stay at Bulow Casa Grand View Resort, located right on Bulow Beach! Not only is it in a prime spot on one of our favourite beaches, but there’s nowhere else on Koh Lipe that you can stay in such luxury!
Our second choice would be Ten Moons Beach for its chilled atmosphere. But it would be a tough choice between the popular Ten Moons Resort and Serendipity Resort, which both overlook the beach.
Sunrise and Pattaya Beaches are also great options, no less because of the number of accommodation options they have along their shores. But I’d be careful about the season. I’d actually avoid Pattaya Beach in the high season as it’s busy with ferries and speedboats and the same can be said for Sunrise Beach in the low season.
The Beach Bar We Loved The Most
We frequented a couple of different beach bars during our time on Koh Lipe, on Sunrise and Pattaya beaches, but our favourite was no doubt Zodiac See Sun Beach Bar!
Located at the far north of Sunrise Beach, the atmosphere here was unmatched! With its driftwood bar, castaway vibe, and bean bags, one of our Koh Lipe highlights was sipping on an icy Chang beer while the sun went down. But the fun didn’t stop at sunset though, the after-dark fire show was also epic!
To Finish
We absolutely loved our time on the white sands of Koh Lipe and managed to discover the paradise we’d hoped to find.
However, seasonality plays a big role here and, while you can still find paradise, you just can’t expect the same tranquillity during the winter high season anymore!
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Hi Sam, very amazing post!
My wife and I will travel to Koh Lipe on April 2025, could you suggest us a massage center in the island?
Thank you.
Linus.
Hi Linus, I’m glad you liked the post! For a massage, I’d recommend Salisa Health Massage for a great beachfront location or Soi Buri Massage which conveniently located on Walking Street.
I hope you and your wife have a great trip in April!
Hi,
Thanks for all this great information. Where would you suggest for a week at Xmas Beach and Hotel – 4 adults. Few bars and restaurants within walking distance and a good beach for swimming?
Thanks so much
Kathy
Hi Kathy,
I’d suggest any of the hotels or bungalow resorts along Sunrise Beach as this avoids the ferries which all come into Koh Lipe on the opposite side of the island (Pattaya Beach) at that time of year. This is a really nice long beach with great swimming at the northern and southern corners and also not too far from the restaurants and bars of Walking Street. Also, my favourite beach bar for sunset is Zodiac at the northern end of Sunrise beach which has a great fire show!
I hope you all have a great trip!
Sam
Hi Sam,
Really enjoyed reading your post. Have you been to Langkawi? If so, which out of the two do you suggest? I read another post about Ko Lipe and they mentioned the non stop noise from the tail boats which spoilt the calmness of this island.
Best wishes Narrinder
Hi Narrinder,
I’m glad to hear you enjoyed reading the post! I have been to Langkawi too and personally I prefer Koh Lipe for its tiny, sandy street, and remote island feel. Langkawi was nice but less beautiful in our eyes – but it’s larger and has more to explore. In the high season Koh Lipe can get busy with ferries on Pattaya Beach so I’d suggest staying on the other side (Sunrise Beach) if staying in this time. It should still be nice and relaxing for a beach day at the north or south of Sunrise Beach, or round at Sunset Beach.
I hope that helps.
Sam