Koh Lipe is a paradise on earth. It has pristine beaches, striking aquablue waters, and incredible snorkeling. In saying all of this, extreme prices and tourism has unfortunately engulfed this stunning island . Sunrise beach has the claim on best beach on Koh Lipe. Soft white sands, superbly clear water and sensational snorkeling straight off the beach. We found the main stretch of beach overrun with boats making it difficult to swim, but the northern end of the beach is more spacious and quiet. You can snorkel straight off the beach at Sunrise and 200 metres off shore is a small island teeming with fish. We kayaked over to the island and loved seeing colourful clams, clown fish and angelfish amongst many others. Unfortunately G7 got spooked by the huge sea urchins and we had to turn back early. The silver lining however, was finding a stunning sandbar on the way back with the most magical colours imaginable. like a blissful perfect island in the middle of blue sea. The only regret was not carrying a camera to capture these precious memories. We stayed at Forra Dive Bungalows. They offer simple bamboo huts with an outdoor bathroom and a electric fan. They were actually very clean and the children loved their mezzanine bunk and swinging from the bamboo beams. Forra Dive had a cute open air lounge to chill in. Pattaya beach is the main drag of Lipe. It is a safe swimming beach for children with a long sandy area before the coral begins. There are so many boats along the beach that you can only swim in a few small designated area's . Sunset beach is a gorgeous private beach with few bungalows and even fewer people. It is stunning at high tide but not known for it's snorkeling. It is just 15 minutes walk from Pattaya and Sunrise beaches. It would be hard to stay on Lipe without snorkeling or diving. There are sensational coral reefs just 20 minutes by longtail boat. You can organize a 6 hour tour to 5 dive spots and including lunch for 550 baht (NZ$22), or hire a longtail boat all to yourself for around 1800 baht (NZ$70) for the day. It was a magical day with both kids now very confident diving deep swimming among the fish and coral. Unfortunately, we don't have an underwater camera to show you more. We were lucky enough to be in Thailand for Songkran (Thai new year and water festival). It was such fun. It is just an excuse for a HUGE waterfight and dance party. A free for all, with most people carrying a water pistol or bucket to douse everybody they can. Definitely a highlight for A9 and G7! Koh Lipe is definitely worth a visit and if you don't mind the people and tourists everywhere then it would be a great spot for a holiday, especially if you can afford a nice resort with aircon and a pool! If you are a budget traveler, it's worth a 2-3 night visit to go snorkeling and then bug out to somewhere quieter and cheaper (like Koh Lanta). And, don't forget your bug spray!
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25/6/2023 11:42:20 pm
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