Destination guide
Where to Stay on Koh Lipe
A small island, so the beach you wake up on is the whole decision
Koh Lipe is about 2 km long, Walking Street crosses it in about 20 minutes, and nobody rents scooters, so where you stay comes down to which beach you want outside your door. Pattaya Beach, on the south coast, is the easiest first base, with the boats landing in front of it, Walking Street behind it and the most resorts with pools. Sunrise Beach, on the east coast, has the best swimming and the most beachfront bungalows, from rustic to polished.
The north end, where Sunrise Beach meets North Point, has the pool villas and the quiet. Sunset Beach and the small west-coast coves are the quietest of all, with fewer places to stay and the island's evening sky. Below is each area with the hotels from our records worth booking, who each one suits, and the few things to know before you book.
Arriving in Koh Lipe
Where to stay in Koh Lipe
This route ends in Koh Lipe. Search Koh Lipe hotels with your dates, or narrow it to the area you're heading for. Filter for free cancellation if you want to hold a room and decide later.
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Quick Picks by Traveler Type
First visit → Pattaya Beach
The boats land here, Walking Street starts behind it, and the restaurants, dive shops and tour stands are a few minutes' walk away.
Swimming and families → Sunrise Beach
Soft sand and shallow, calm water, with shade under the trees and the longtails for the snorkeling trips waiting on the beach.
Couples and honeymoons → the north end or Sunrise's south end
Private pool villas at the north end, or hillside bungalows over the water at the south end of Sunrise Beach.
Quiet and sunsets → Sunset Beach or the west coast
Fewer hotels, fewer people and the sunset over the water, with Walking Street still within a short walk.
Divers → a resort with its own dive center
Castaway and Satun Dive Resort on Sunrise Beach and Sanom Beach Lipe Resort on the west coast all have dive centers on site.
Tight budget → a few minutes back from the sand
Lipe has few true budget rooms, and almost none on the beachfront. The cheaper rooms are inland around Walking Street and behind Sunset Beach.
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My Hotel Pick in Each Area
One well-reviewed stay in each of the four areas below, with your dates on Booking.com. The full shortlists for each area come further down.
Koh Lipe
Akira Lipe Resort4.6 (1,211 reviews)
Pattaya Beach pick, with a pool and a kids club on the beach the boats land at.
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Ten Moons Lipe Resort4.8 (562 reviews)
Sunrise Beach pick, beachfront bungalows on the best swimming beach. Book early.
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Irene Pool Villa Resort Koh Lipe4.5 (208 reviews)
North end pick, private pool villas for couples who want quiet.
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Sanom Beach Lipe Resort4.3 (309 reviews)
West coast pick, simple cabins on a small beach with its own dive center.
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Koh Lipe's Areas Compared
| Area | Best for | From the middle of Walking Street | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pattaya Beach | First visits, restaurants, the boats | Walking Street starts here | Boat traffic and the busiest sand |
| Sunrise Beach | Swimming, families, snorkeling trips | About 500 m, and Walking Street ends here | The north end is a longer walk to the restaurants |
| North end and North Point | Pool villas, quiet, a calm swim | About 600–700 m | Fewer places to eat on the doorstep |
| Sunset Beach | Quiet and the sunset | About 600 m | A rockier beach and few places to stay |
| West coast (Sanom) | Seclusion and divers | About 1 km | Small beaches and a walk to everything |
| Inland, near Walking Street | A lower budget | On the street | No beach outside your door |
Distances are straight-line, from our records' map pins. Walking Street crosses from Pattaya Beach to Sunrise Beach in about 20 minutes and the farthest corners are about 45 minutes apart. A sidecar motorbike costs about ฿50 a person if you'd rather not walk.
Pattaya Beach, the Easiest Base
A sheltered bay on the south coast and the island's busiest beach, lined with resorts, restaurants and bars, with Walking Street starting behind it. In high season the big boats stop at a platform off the beach and longtails bring you to the sand, so the hotels here are the shortest haul with your bags. The trade is the boat traffic and the evening noise from the beach bars. These are the hotels our records rate highest here.
1. Akira Lipe Resort, Pattaya Beach
Families and comfortThe most complete resort on the beach, with a pool, a kids club and restaurants on a prime stretch of sand at the western end. It's one of the best-reviewed hotels on the island, and a short walk from the boats and Walking Street.
2. Bundhaya Resort, Pattaya Beach
Steps from the boatsBeachfront rooms and bungalows with breakfast included, a restaurant and a spa, right where the boats land and Walking Street begins. It's the easiest arrival on the island.
3. Sita Beach Resort, The west end of Pattaya Beach
Pools on the beachA beachfront resort with two pools, a hot tub, a restaurant and a beach bar, at the western end of the bay.
4. Mali Resort Pattaya Beach, The west end of Pattaya Beach
Balinese-style bungalowsBalinese-style rooms with private verandas, an open-air restaurant and breakfast included, on the sand. It has no pool, which on this beach you hardly need.
Sunrise Beach, for Swimming
The east coast's long white beach, with shallow, gently shelving water, shade under the trees and Koh Adang across the channel. It's the best beach on Lipe for swimming and for young children, it's somewhat sheltered from the wind in the low season, and the longtails for the snorkeling trips leave from here. The south end is closest to Walking Street. These are the hotels our records rate highest on it.
1. Ten Moons Lipe Resort, The south end of Sunrise Beach
The best-rated stay on LipeBeachfront bungalows with sea-view terraces, a restaurant and yoga, and the highest guest rating of any hotel on the island in our records. Families like it as much as couples. It's one of the pricier places on the beach, and it books out months ahead, even in the low season, so book as soon as your dates are fixed.
2. Idyllic Concept Resort, The south end of Sunrise Beach
A pool on the best beachA beachfront resort with an infinity pool, a restaurant and airy rooms, so you can switch between the pool and the sea all day.
3. Serendipity Resort Koh Lipe, The hillside at the south end
Views for couplesWooden bungalows on the slope above the water, many with views and natural shade, with a restaurant and bar. The stairs up to the rooms are steep, so it suits couples better than families with small children.
4. Castaway Resort Koh Lipe, Sunrise Beach
Divers and a rustic bungalowSimple beachfront bungalows, some with shared bathrooms, and its own dive center, with a younger, laid-back crowd. It's the mid-range choice for solo travelers and divers.
5. Mali Resorts Sunrise Beach, Sunrise Beach
A pool on SunriseRooms and suites with private patios, a pool and a beachfront restaurant, one of the few places on this beach with a pool.
Mali Resorts Sunrise Beach4.4(358)Mon–Wed 07:00–22:00, Thu 07:30–22:00, Fri–Sun 07:00–22:00
6. Kathalee Beach Resort, The south end of Sunrise Beach
A cheaper room on the quiet endBeachfront rooms with sea views at a lower price than its neighbors, with a shuttle to Walking Street. Reviewers rate the rooms above the breakfast.
The North End and North Point, for Quiet
Where Sunrise Beach runs north into North Point, a small beach at the top of the island with calm water and far fewer people. It's the quietest part of the east coast, with pool villas, and the middle of Walking Street is about 600–700 m away.
1. Irene Pool Villa Resort Koh Lipe, The north end
Private pool villasVillas with their own pools, for couples and small groups who want privacy away from the busier beaches.
2. Bulow Casa Grand View Resort, Near North Point
Views and a quiet baseA well-rated resort at the top of the island, close to North Point beach and away from the boat traffic.
3. Lipe Beach Resort, The north end of Sunrise Beach
A bamboo bungalow on the sandRustic bamboo bungalows with mosquito nets, a restaurant, a bar and massages, right on the beach. It's the most-reviewed hotel on Lipe in our records, and the choice if you want the beach more than the amenities.
Sunset Beach and the West Coast, for Sunsets
Sunset Beach, on the northwest coast, is smaller and rockier than the main beaches, with only a few places to stay and little in the way of shops, but it has the island's best evening sky. Further south, the west coast's small coves around Sanom Beach are the most secluded corner of the island, about 1 km from the middle of Walking Street.
1. Sanom Beach Lipe Resort, Sanom Beach, the west coast
Seclusion and divingWooden cabins on a small beach on the quiet west side, with a restaurant, a bar and a dive center.
2. The Cliff Lipe, The clifftop above the west coast
A villa with a viewStandard rooms and modern villas on the cliffs, with an open-air restaurant and a beach bar, for couples who want quiet and a view.
3. Good Mood Resort, Inland from Sunset Beach
A cheaper room near the sunsetA simple, informal resort with an outdoor pool, a couple of minutes' walk from Sunset Beach, which makes it one of the better-value bases for the west side.
Inland, Near Walking Street, for a Lower Budget
Lipe isn't a cheap island, and the beachfront is the most expensive part of it. The rooms that cost less are inland, along and just off Walking Street, where you're a few minutes from the restaurants, the ATMs and both main beaches. The Green Hotel is one example, with balconies and a pool. Staying a few minutes back from the sand is also quieter at night, because the beach bars on Pattaya Beach play music later than you'd expect on an island this small.
When to Book, and What Closes
Lipe's season runs from November to April, the dry months on the Andaman coast, with February the driest at about 24 mm of rain. December to March is when the best-reviewed beachfront hotels fill, and Ten Moons is known for booking out months ahead, so reserve once your dates are fixed. From May to October the rain arrives, with September and October the wettest at about 350 and 336 mm, the boats from Langkawi stop until 15 October, and at least half the island's restaurants, bars and tour shops close. Check that your hotel is taking guests before you plan a low-season trip. The Hat Yai route runs all year.
Getting to Your Hotel
Every route to Lipe ends with a boat, and in high season the big boats stop off Pattaya Beach, where a longtail takes you to the sand for about ฿50. From there you walk, because visitors can't rent scooters and there are almost no cars. For luggage, the motorbikes with sidecars charge about ฿50 a person to anywhere on the island, and longtails run between the beaches for about ฿50. Every foreign visitor also pays the ฿200 national park fee on arrival. How to Get to Koh Lipe has every route, with times and fares.
Plan the rest of Koh Lipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Where to Stay on Koh Lipe.
Pattaya Beach for a first visit, because the boats land there and Walking Street starts behind it. Sunrise Beach for the best swimming and for families. The north end for pool villas and quiet, and Sunset Beach or the west coast for seclusion.
Pattaya Beach is more convenient, with the boats, restaurants and the most resorts with pools. Sunrise Beach has the better swimming, with shallow, calm water and more shade. They're about 20 minutes apart on foot along Walking Street, so you can stay on one and swim at the other.
Sunrise Beach, for its shallow, calm water and shade. Ten Moons is popular with families. On Pattaya Beach, Akira Lipe Resort has a kids club and a pool. Avoid the hillside bungalows with steep stairs if you have small children.
The pool villas at the north end, such as Irene Pool Villa Resort, the hillside bungalows of Serendipity at the south end of Sunrise Beach, or The Cliff on the quiet west coast.
Some, but less than on most Thai islands, and very little on the beachfront. The cheaper rooms are inland around Walking Street and behind Sunset Beach. Book early if you're on a budget in high season.
From December to March, yes, especially for the best-reviewed beachfront hotels, some of which book out months ahead. In the low season at least half the restaurants, bars and tour shops close, so check that your hotel is taking guests.
Four suits most trips, after the long journey in. That covers a snorkeling trip, the Koh Adang viewpoint and a couple of beach days.
Yes. Walking Street crosses from Pattaya Beach to Sunrise Beach in about 20 minutes, and the farthest corners are about 45 minutes apart. Sidecar motorbikes charge about ฿50 a person if you have bags.
Where to stay in Koh Lipe
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Written by
Mac Kiley
I lived in Bangkok for four years and traveled the country from there. The guides are my own opinions, written the way I'd explain them to a friend planning a trip.
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