Important to know about Koh Lipe

Important information about holidays in Koh Lipe

There are no banks on the island, only separate currency exchange offices. Some hotels accept card payments and offer cash withdrawal services, but at very unfavorable rates. You can exchange dollars, euros or Malaysian ringgits for baht directly on the island, but it is better to resolve this issue in advance, exchange money in Bangkok, for example. There is Internet on the island (Wi-Fi and Internet cafes), but not very fast and not everywhere free.

You can complement your beach holiday with fishing, boating and diving; you can rent everything you need in diving centers. There are many excellent diving sites around the island, and there are schools for those wishing to learn scuba diving.

The busiest street on the island and the only walking area is Walking Street. Everything you need for tourists is located there - pharmacies, agencies, souvenir shops and a post office. Many tourists note that in the evening life outside the main street stops, and for the most part there are shops only on Walking Street.

Koh Lipe has:

• hotels of different levels and number of stars, bungalows, villas, hostels and guest houses for every taste
• souvenir shops
• stores with clothing and tourist goods
• two 7-eleven (a large chain of small retail stores operating in Asia, Scandinavia and the USA)
• a large number of cafes, bars, restaurants, tents with food, drinks and ice cream. Both European food and Thai food are presented, as well as seafood.
• travel and tour agencies and rental boats or diving equipment
• currency exchange offices and ATMs (with extremely unfavorable conditions)
• pharmacy
• hospital
• massage parlors. There is a beach club on the main beach of Pattaya Beach.

Cons of staying on Koh Lipe

1. high "island" prices. It is much more profitable to buy everything you need on the mainland
2. noisy and constantly cruising boats moored throughout the beach area
3. rubbish, which is taken out by garbage barges as far as possible. The growing number of tourists leads to an increase in the amount of garbage, which is not always removed in time.
4. stray dogs and cats that are used to begging tourists for food
5. all trade is represented by relatively small shops, there are no shopping centers of our usual size and format on the island
6. high tide can almost completely cover the beach, and at low tide you have to go to deep water
7. Not all hotels have rooms with a sea view. Windows can overlook a neighboring hotel or overgrown
8. in the evenings, all tourist activity is concentrated on Walking Street, and it becomes quite noisy and crowded there.

Benefits of Koh Lipe

Despite the above, there are a lot of pluses in resting on Lipa.

Here you can:

• enjoy the local nature, bypassing the entire island and visiting wild beaches. There may be debris in the sand or in the water, but some beaches are very picturesque
• rent a boat and visit neighboring islands. You can choose the inhabited Koh Adang and admire the waterfalls there, or visit one of the deserted islands and relax there all alone
• visit Tarutao National Marine Park
• go diving or snorkeling
• make bright and colorful photos of sunsets, sunrises, terrain or marine life
• just relax in a bar or restaurant, try seafood or local food.