Koh Lanta or Koh Lipe?

Koh Lanta and Koh Lipe are two beautiful islands in the very southern part of Thailand. These islands are known for its white sandy beaches, laid-back atmosphere, and great snorkeling and diving opportunities.

Koh Lanta and Koh Lipe are excellent places to visit for those who want to escape from the busy crowds on other popular islands such Phuket, Phi Phi, Koh Samui, or Koh Phangan.

In this article, I will compare Koh Lanta and Koh Lipe, focusing on their location, accommodations, beaches, and nightlife. Shopping, food, attractions, and island hopping tour.

I visited both islands (and many other places around Thailand), so I hope to provide some useful information to help you decide which island is best suited to your preferences.

Is it better to stay on Koh Lanta or Koh Lipe?

I enjoyed my stay on both islands, Ko Lanta and Ko Lipe, equally. Each island offered a unique experience, and I’m glad I visited both. Both islands offer relaxing atmosphere and stunning beaches.

Koh Lanta is a much larger island, so it has more activities to explore like beaches, hiking, visiting cultural attractions, riding a scooter around the island, and exploring its sister island Koh Lanta Noi.

Koh Lanta is easier to access from other popular places in Thailand like Bangkok, Phuket, Krabi, or Surat Thani. This island also has a quieter atmosphere and more authentic local experience.

Koh Lipe is a tiny island, and you can cover the entire island just by walking. I personally feel this island has a more crowded atmosphere than Koh Lanta (especially in the high season) due to its size.

The beaches in Koh Lipe are a bit better than Koh Lanta, but you can enjoy many beach activities on both islands such as swimming, sunbathing, chilling, and watching the sunset. There are more spots for snorkeling around Koh Lipe than Koh Lanta.

Generally speaking, Koh Lanta is the best island to visit if you prioritize tranquility, relaxation, ease of access, and a wider range of shops and restaurants.

Koh Lipe is the best choice if you want nicer beaches, good snorkeling spots, and don’t mind a long journey to reach the island. Koh Lipe is close to Penang and Langkawi in Malaysia, making it a convenient destination if you’re already in those places.

Many people visit both islands in a single trip, and you can consider doing it too. I visited Koh Lipe from Krabi Town, then from Ko Lipe, I took a speed boat to Koh Lanta. Spending 3 to 5 nights on each island is the perfect amount of time to explore both.

My recommended places to stay in Koh Lanta:

My top pick hotels in Koh Lipe:

Luxury: Bulow Casa Grand View Resort
Mid-range: Mali Resort Sunrise Beach
Budget: Mali Resort Pattaya Beach

Location & How to Get There

Both Koh Lanta and Koh Lipe are located on the Andaman Sea, southern Thailand. Koh Lanta is part of Krabi Province and Koh Lipe is part of Satun Province.

Koh Lipe is around 3 hour speed boat ride south of Koh Lanta. Companies like Tiger Line and Bundhaya have direct boats between two islands. There are no airports on these islands, so the only way to reach them is by boat from nearby islands and the mainland.

The closest mainland pier to Koh Lipe is Pak Bara Pier in Santun. It is around 1.5-2 hour boat ride from this pier to Koh Lipe. There are also ferry connections from popular places like Phuket, Lata, Phi Phi, and Ao Nang/ Railay (Krabi) to Koh Lipe.

The closest mainland pier to Koh Lanta is the Hua Hin Pier in Krabi Province. It is just a 10-15 minute ferry ride to Koh Lanta Noi. There are also direct boats from nearby islands and beaches such as Phuket, Koh Yao, Koh Phi Phi, and Ao Nang/ Railay.

Koh Lanta is much easier to access because it is closer to famous tourist places in mainland Thailand like Phuket and Krabi. Koh Lipe is one of the southernmost islands in Thailand, making it quite a journey to reach. It’s not pleasant sitting on a boat for long hours when the waves are rough.

Size & Landscape

Koh Lata is bigger than Koh Lipe. The main island Koh Lanta is around 25 km long and 6 km wide. Koh Lipe is around 2km wide and 3km long.

Koh Lipe is a relatively flat island while Koh Lanta has mountainous terrain escaping the southern part of the island. It is easy to get around Koh Lipe on foot while in Koh Lanta, it is best to explore the island on a scooter.

Koh Lanta has popular beaches on the west coast and the historic old town on the east coast. On Koh Lipe, beaches are scattered around the island and the main walking street connects Sunrise Beach and Pattaya Beach.

Beaches

Both Koh Lanta and Koh Lipe have nice beaches for swimming, sunbathing, and watching the sunset. Koh Lipe, in my experience, has better sand and water quality. The scenery is also more beautiful than in Koh Lanta in general. There are more spots for snorkeling on Koh Lipe’s beaches itself.

Most beaches on Koh Lanta are located on the west coast of the island. The beaches are nicer and more secluded toward the southern part. Popular beaches are Klong Dao, Phra Ae Beach, Klong Khong, Klong Nin, and Kantiang Bay.

Koh Lipe is home to three main beaches, including Pattaya Beach, Sunrise Beach, and Sunset Beach. There are some remote beaches at the western end of the island, only accessible by long tail boats or through the jungle hike.

Accommodations

Koh Lanta and Koh Lipe have a wide range of accommodations for all preferences. As the island, Koh Lanta has a wider range of both luxury and budget hotels. The accommodations on this island also have more amenities like well-equipped air conditioning, hot shower, and swimming pools.

As a remote and tiny island, Koh Lipe has limited accommodation choices and it is more expensive than in Koh Lanta. With the same price, I probably get better rooms in Koh Lanta than in Koh Lipe. My private room in Koh Lipe only has fans, no hot showers, and even no flush toilets.

Both islands have high demand accommodations in the peak season, from November to May. So if you’re visiting either island during this time, be sure to book in advance to avoid disappointment.

See more:

Shopping

As the bigger island, Koh Lanta has a better shopping scene. They’re not the best places for shopping in Thailand, but you can still find typical Thai souvenirs on both islands.

The main shopping hub in Koh Lanta is the island’s main town, Sala Dan, and in the Old Town on the east coast. Here you find a night market, and a plaza with many stalls selling various products like souvenirs, clothing, handmade items, art, and local textiles.

The main place to shop is Koh Lipe on Walking Street. You’ll find handmade crafts, jewellery, beachwear, dive‑shops, souvenirs here.

Nightlife

The nightlife in Koh Lanta is more relaxing than in Koh Lipe. Koh Lanta is more spread out, so you can enjoy a laid-back nightlife atmosphere with some various bars and restaurants scattered around the island.

The main areas for nightlife in Koh Latan are Long Beach , Klong Khong, Klong Nin, and Saladan Village. The night market in the main town is a great night spot for street food and shopping.

All bars and restaurants on Koh Lipe are concentrated in the small area of the Walking Street. People gather here for meals and drinks, so it feels busy and crowded.

Pattaya Beach also has a lively nightlife scene with tables, chairs, and fairy lights on the beachfront area. There are also some good sunset bars on the North Point Beach area of the island.

Food

As the larger island, Koh Lanta offers a wider variety of food options. Both islands have large Musilme communities so it is easy to find Halal dishes. You can find both typical Thai food like Thai fried rice, curry noodle, and seafood dishes at both places.

Restaurants on Koh Lipe are concentrated on Walking Street. I feel it is quite crowded when everyone comes to the same areas for the food.

The restaurant scene in Koh Lanta is more relaxing and less crowded. There are many nice authentic restaurants in the Sala Dan Pier area and in the Old town on wooden houses overlooking the water and the mangrove forests.

Hiking

There are good hiking opportunities in both Koh Latan and Adang island nearby Koh Lipe. Koh Lanta has a 1-hour hike trail in the southern part of the island, where you can experience a steep incline and beautiful coastal path.

It also has a more relaxing trail to Khlong Chak Waterfall which is also located in the southern side of the island, a short drive from the headquarter of Mu Ko Lanta National Park.

Koh Lipe has flat terrain so it is easy to walk around. For hiking you take a 10 minute boat ride to nearby island Koh Adang for a good trail to the viewpoint and to the waterfall. Koh Lipe itself has a nice easy trail at the western end of the island leading to Lipe Secret Beach.

Attractions

The main attractions in Koh Lipe are just the beaches, nearby Koh Adang, and the walking street. Koh Lanta has a wider range of things to explore apart from the beaches.

In Koh Lanta, you can visit the Khlong Chak Waterfall, explore the Elephant Sanctuary, hike the natural trail at Mu Koh Lanta National Park, or visit the historic Old Town with a pier, Chinese temple, and wooden shop houses.

There are also local attractions, viewpoints, and secluded beaches on Koh Lanta Noi, which is a smaller island north of Ko Lanta’s main island.

Island Hopping

There are plenty of day trips to nearby islands from both Koh Lanta and Koh Lipe. There are 3-5 islands half day and full day tours for snorkeling and diving on both islands.

I enjoyed taking the boat trip to Koh Adang from Koh Lipe. This one was easily done by walking to the boat taxi station on Sunrise Beach and getting one to Koh Adang.

It is just a 10 minute boat ride and the return ticket is just 300 baht. On Koh Adang, I enjoyed swimming at the secluded beaches, hiking to Koh Lipe Viewpoint, and to Pirate Waterfall.

With the tours, you can visit a group of islands from Koh Lipe such as Koh Rawi, Koh Bulon, Koh Hin Ngam, and other islands in Tarutao National Marine Park. From Koh Lanta, you can take boat tours to nearby Ko Rok, Ko Kradan, or Ko Haa.

Getting Around

Since Koh Lipe is a small island, it is easy to get around on foot. I explored most parts of the island on foot. I only used a motorbike taxi a couple of times to travel with my suitcase from the pier to the hotel.

Motorbike taxis are plenty on the Koh Lipe, and it costs only 50 baht per ride to any destination, so it is also a good way to get around. You don’t need to bargain.

Koh Lanta is a large island and is best to explore on a scooter. You can walk around within a beach town, but covering the whole island on foot isn’t practical.

There are also plenty of local taxis and songthaews on Koh Lanta that you can use for exploration. The price is quite expensive though and you need to bargain the price with the driver.