Koh Lipe is a small island located far south of Thailand. Koh Chang is a large island located in the eastern Gulf of Thailand. Both islands are excellent places to visit for a laid-back atmosphere, beautiful beaches, and stunning natural scenery.
In this article, I will compare Koh Lipe and Koh Chang to help you decide which island is better for your visit. I will outline the similarities and differences of these islands based on their location, beaches, accommodations, nightlife, shopping, food, and cultural attractions.
I’ve been lucky to travel to both Koh Chang and Koh Lipe, so I can give you some good advice from my personal experiences. If you need to choose between Koh Lipe and Koh Chang, keep reading.
Is it better to visit Koh Lipe or Koh Chang?
I had a great time in both Koh Lipe and Koh Chang. I enjoyed Koh Lipe for its compact, walkable size, and crystal clear beaches. I love Koh Chang for its wide range of beaches, mangrove forests, waterfalls, hiking trails, and a couple of peaceful local temples.
Both islands are ideal places to visit for those who want a laid-back beach holiday away from the hustle and bustle of the more popular islands such as Phuket, Koh Samui, or Ao Nang/ Krabi.
I would recommend visiting Koh Lipe if you want a small island vibe with crystal clear water and white fine sand beaches. I personally think the beaches in Koh Lipe are more beautiful than the beaches in Koh Chang.
Koh Lipe is also a better island to visit if you’re already in South Thailand, especially in the Andaman Sea. You can easily take a direct boat ride from Phuket, Krabi, Koh Lanta, or Koh Phi Phi to Koh Lipe. Additionally, it’s a great place to visit if you’re coming from nearby Langkawi island of Malaysia.
Koh Chang is a better place to visit if you want a beach holiday close to Thailand’s capital, Bangkok. Koh Chang is a large island with a good mix of tourist amenities and attractions. It has beaches and mountain activities as well as several cultural sights to explore.
Similar to Koh Lipe, Koh Chang is a great destination for snorkeling and diving. You can also take boat trips to nearby Koh Mak and Koh Kood, which offer an even more secluded atmosphere.
Best hotels in Koh Lipe:
- Luxury: Bulow Casa Grand View Resort
- Mid-range: Mali Resort Sunrise Beach
- Budget: Mali Resort Pattaya Beach
Best accommodations in Koh Chang:
- Luxury: KC Grande Resort
- Mid-range: Kacha Resort & Spa
- Budget: Banpu Koh Chang Resort
Location & How to Get There
Koh Lipe and Koh Chang are located in two different regions of Thailand. Koh Lipe is located in South Thailand, in the Andaman Sea. It’s close to Langkawi island of Malaysia, and other islands of Thailand such as Koh Lanta, Koh Phi Phi, Phuket, or Ao Nang/ Krabi.
Koh Chang is located in Central Thailand, on the eastern Gulf of Thailand. It’s close to the border with Cambodia and other islands of Thailand such as Koh Kood and Koh Mak.
Since Koh Chang is located in Central Thailand, it’s a convenient place to visit if you come from nearby cities in the region such as Bangkok or Pattaya. Koh Lipe, in South Thailand and close to Malaysia, which means it’s a great place to visit if you come from places like Langkawai, Phuket, or Krabi.
There are no airports on these islands, so the only way to reach them is by boat. You can fly into nearby airports then take additional road and boat transport to get to these places.
The closest airports to Koh Lipe are Hat Yai Airport in Satun, Trang Airport in Trang, Phuket airport, or Krabi airport. The closest airport to Koh Chang is Trat Airport.
You can take a boat from mainland Satun or nearby islands in the Andaman Sea to get to Koh Lipe. It’s around a 1.5-2 hour boat ride from Pak Bara Pier on the mainland Satun, a 5 hour boat ride from Phuket and Ao Nang/ Railay, 3 hours from Koh Lanta, and 4 hours from Koh Phi Phi.
You can take a boat from mainland Trat or nearby islands in the Gulf of Thailand to reach Koh Chang. It’s around a 30-45 minutes boat ride from Aow Thammachat in mainland Trat, 1 hour from Koh Mak, and 2 hours from Koh Kood.
Size
Koh Chang is much larger than Koh Lipe. If you want big islands with diverse things to do and see, Koh Chang is a better place to go. If you just want to enjoy the beaches on the small island, Koh Lipe is the place to go.
Koh Lipe is a tiny, walkable island, around 2.6km long and 1.6km wide. The island is also relatively flat, so you can easily get around and visit all the beaches on foot.
Koh Chang is one of the largest islands of Thailand, around 20km long and 10km wide. To explore the island, it’s best to rent a scooter, hire a private driver, or take a guided tour.
Beaches
I personally think that the beaches in Koh Lipe are more beautiful than the beaches in Koh Chang. It has crystal clear water, white sand, and you can snorkel right on these beaches without taking boat trips to nearby islands.
I also like the fact that all the beaches on Koh Lipe are within walking distance from each other, so I can easily do beach hopping on foot or short motorbike taxi ride.
The main beaches on Koh Lipe are Pattaya, Sunrise, and Sunset Beach. Pattaya is where the island’s main pier is located. It is an arrival and departure point of Koh Lipe, so it’s often busy with boats coming and going, especially at the starting point of the walking street.
Sunrise Beach is located on the east coast of the island, offering a quieter atmosphere than Pattaya Beach. It has good views of Koh Adang and smaller islands in front of it. Great place to watch the sunset.
At the northern end of Sunrise Beach is North Point Beach, where you can see both sun rise and sun set. This beach is very popular at sunset.
Sunset Beach is located a bit further away from the main walking street. It is the quietest beaches in the three main beaches on the island. As its name suggests, it’s a good spot to watch the sun go down.
In Koh Chang, there are dozens of beaches to explore. Most beaches are located on the west coast of the island, while the east coast is farmland, mangrove forest, and fishing villages.
The main beach on Koh Chang is White Sand Beach, located on the north western part of the island, just a 15 minutes drive from the main pier. This beach town is the tourist hub of the island, packed with shops, restaurants, bars, and big resorts.
To the south of White Sand Beach, you can find Klong Prao beach, Kai Bae Beach, Lonely Beach, and Bang Bao Beach. These beaches have a bit quieter atmosphere compared to White Sand, but still lively.
The beaches on both Koh Chang and Koh Lipe are great for swimming, sunbathing, enjoying the sunset, sunrise, and strolling along the beach. Major beaches like Pattaya Beach and White Sand Beach are lively at night with romantic dinner and drinks right on the sand from beachfront restaurants and bars.
Accommodations
Both islands have hundreds of accommodations for you to choose from. There are budget hostels, mid-range guest houses, and luxury resorts in both places. Koh Chang is a bigger and more developed island, so it has more luxury options.
The accommodations in Koh Lipe feel a bit rustic for me. I’ve been traveling all around Thailand, and this is the first time I stayed in a hotel with a fan only, no hot water, and no flush toilet. I had to manually pour the water from the sink to the toilet after using it.
In both islands, you can find resorts with outdoor swimming pools, direct access to the beach, onsite beachfront restaurant and bar, as well as umbrellas and sunbeds for guests on the beach.
If you are traveling to either island in the high season, usually from November to May, make sure to book well in advance. Accommodations are often on high demand and are more expensive during this period, so book beforehand at least a few weeks for the best deals.
See more:
Nightlife
Both islands have good nightlife scenes, with some bars and restaurants on the beachfront and in the main village. The nightlife is lively but still less intense than other popular places like Phuket or Koh Samui.
Koh Lipe walking street is the nightlife center of Koh Lipe. This street connected Pattaya Beach and Sunrise Beach. It’s packed with restaurants, bars, and shops.
The beachfront area of Pattaya Beach also has a lively nightlife atmosphere. Many beachfront restaurants and bars have tables and chairs on the sand at night for romantic meals.
The nightlife hub of Koh Chang is White Sand Beach, but places like Kai Bae, Klong Prao, Kai Bae, and Lonely Beach also have good nightlife scenes with a range of restaurants, and bars in their main area.
In White Sand Beach, there are a cluster of bars on the main road, a small night market, as well as lively beachfront areas with fireshow, live music, and dinner on the sand.
Shopping
These islands are not the best places to visit in Thailand for shopping, but you can find typical Thai souvenirs such as sarong, handicrafts, beach wear, or snorkeling and diving gear.
The shops in Koh Lipe are concentrated along the Walking street. The shops in Koh Chang are concentrated along the main road of the island, passing White Sand beach, Klong Prao, Kai Bae, or Lonely Beach.
Bang Bao Fishing Village at the southern part of Koh Chang is also a great shopping destination. It is packed with shops selling clothing, souvenirs, dive shops, and seafood restaurants.
Food
Both places have a wide range of restaurants selling local Thai food and seafood. Koh Chang, as the larger and more developed island, has a wider range of restaurants, and street food stalls. It also has more options for international dishes.
In addition to local restaurants on the main road and along the beach front, you can find a small night market at White Sand beach of Koh Chang. You can eat street food, cut fruits, grilled meat and seafood.
Bang Bao fishing village is also a great place to visit for seafood. There are several big seafood restaurants in this village. You can eat the meals, do some shopping, and enjoy the stunning views of the sea.
Cultural attractions
Koh Lipe does not have any significant cultural attractions, it’s all about nature and beaches. Koh Chang has several local temples to explore as well as fishing villages.
When I took the sightseeing tour around Koh Chang, the driver took us to San Chao Pho and Wat Salak Phet. These are small temples but have a peaceful atmosphere and beautiful architecture. Good to stop by when you rent a scooter driving around the island, or take a guided tour.
Viewpoints and Hiking
Koh Chang has mountainous terrain, so it has more hiking trails and viewpoints around the island. Koh Lipe is a relatively flat island, so the walk around the island is quite easy. The western end of Koh Lipe is a bit hilly, and there are some jungle trails to secret and hidden beaches.
If you want to do some proper hiking in Koh Lipe you can take a boat ride to the nearby Koh Adang to hike to the top of this island, or hike through the jungle to Pirate Waterfall.
Ko Chang has several hiking trails to explore. The most famous ones for enthusiast hikers is to the top of Mount Salak Phet mountain. It’s a challenging trail with many steep parts, but once on the top, you can have sweeping views of the surrounding islands, mountains, and valleys.
There are several short hiking trails to the waterfalls such as Klong Phu waterfalls, and a leisure walk on the walkway at Salak Phet Mangrove forest.
The island has some beautiful viewpoints that are easily accessible from the main road like White Sand Beach Viewpoint and Kai Bae Viewpoint.
White Sand Beach Viewpoint is just a stop on the road between the main pier and White Sand Beach. Kai Bae Viewpoint has a proper viewing platform where you can view Koh Man Nai, Koh Man Nok, and Koh Yuak.
Waterfalls
The waterfalls are the must-see attractions when visiting in the rainy season from May to October. Koh Chang is packed with waterfalls, while in Koh Lipe, you need to take a 10 minute boat trip to Koh Adang to see the waterfalls.
The most famous waterfall in Koh Chang is Khlong Phlu Waterfall, located near Klong Prao beach. You can hike for 10-15 minutes from the parking area to the last waterfalls, and can swim and have a free fish massage at the waterfall.
Koh Adang, the neighboring island of Koh Lipe has a waterfall called Pirate Waterfall. It requires a long hike around 30 minutes along the deep jungle to get to the falls. It’s worth checking out in the rainy season or simply just like hiking.
Other waterfalls on the island are Khlong Chao Lueam Waterfall, Khlong Nonsi Waterfall, Than Mayom Waterfall, and Si Tho Waterfall. Most waterfalls have their entry fee around 100-200 baht.
Island Hopping
Koh Chang is a good base for island hopping tours to the Gulf of Thailand visiting its little sister islands such as Koh Mak and Koh Kood. These two islands are less developed than Koh Chang and have plenty of secluded beaches and natural attractions to explore.
There are also 3 island tours or 4 island tours, which take you to 3-4 islands within a half day or full day trips. Smaller islands such as Koh Rangyai, Koh Wai, and Koh Lek offer great spots for swimming and snorkeling.
Koh Lipe is a good base for island hopping tours to the Andaman Sea or to Langkawi island of Malaysia. The most popular day trip that you can do yourself is the day trip to Koh Adang.
Koh Adang is located only a 10 minutes boat ride from Sunrise Beach. You can rent a private boat at the taxi boat counter in the middle of the beach to get to Koh Adang, to explore its pristine beaches, or hike to the waterfall, or the viewpoint.
Popular boat trips from Koh Lipe are the 3-7 islands tours where you can snorkel, dive, and swim. Popular islands on these tours are Jabang, Koh Rawai, Hin Ngam, or Koh Yang.
There are also easy speed boat connections between Koh Lipe and other big islands in the Andaman Sea such as Phuket, Koh Phi Phi, Koh Lanta, and Ao Nang/ Krabi.
Getting Around
Koh Lipe is small, so I explored most parts of the island on foot. I occasionally use a motorbike taxi when traveling to the pier with my suitcase or when I feel tired of walking. I also use a long tail boat to get to Adang island and on Koh Adang, I get around on foot.
Koh Chang is a large island, so it’s best to rent a scooter and take a guided tour to explore the island. You can explore the beaches, restaurants, and shops within each beach area like White Sand, Klong Prao, or Kai Bae Beach on foot.
I took two guided tours on Koh Chang, one is a sightseeing tour to see most major sights on the island, and one is a hiking tour to hike to the highest point of the island at Salak Phet Mountain.
The guided tour takes more the both west and east coast of the island. On the east coast, we stopped at the coconut cafe, Salak Phet Mangrove Forest, Salak Phet light house. On the west coast, we visited White sand Beach viewpoint, Khlong Phlu Waterfall, Kai Bae Beach Viewpoint, and the Ghost Ship.
See more:
- Koh Lanta or Koh Lipe
- Phuket or Koh Lipe
- Phuket or Koh Chang
- Koh Lanta or Koh Chang
- Koh Chang vs Koh Kood vs Koh Mak
I hope you have found some useful information between Koh Lipe and Koh Chang after reading my article. Overall, Koh Chang is a better place to visit if you want some island getaway close to Bangkok. Koh Chang is a larger island, so it has a wider range of attractions and activities to explore.
Koh Lipe is a better place option if you want more beautiful crystal clear beaches and a compact island that is easily explored on foot. It’s an ideal island to visit if you are in the Andaman Sea or want to explore its islands such as Phuket, Ao Nang, Koh Phi Phi, or Koh Lanta.