Koh Lipe is a tiny island in the Andaman Sea in South Thailand. It is part of Tarutao National Marine Park near the Malaysian border. With just about 2.5 km long and 1.8 km wide, you can easily explore all the beaches on the island on foot and motorbike taxi. There are no cars, so there is minimal noise.
The island is home to three main beaches, Pattaya Beach, Sunrise beach, and Sunset Beach. These beaches have fine white sand, crystal-clear turquoise water, and vibrant coral reefs.
If you are looking for a laid-beach holiday away from commercial islands like Phuket or Koh Samui, Koh Lipe is a good choice. It is a great place for travelers who want peace without total isolation.
See more:
- 12 Best Things to Do in Koh Lipe
- How to Spend 2-3 Days In Koh Lipe
- How to Get to Koh Lipe & Get Around
In this article, I will show you the best places to stay in Koh Lipe. These include the best areas, best beaches, and best hotels on the island. So if you are looking for Where to stay in Koh Lipe, keep reading.
Best areas to Stay in Koh Lipe
There are about 100 accommodations on Koh Lipe, scattered around the island. You’ll find these hotels and resorts are concentrated around the three main beaches and its walking streets.
Pattaya Beach, Sunrise Beach, Sunset Beach, and the Walking Street are the best areas to stay in Koh Lipe. These are the main areas of Koh Lipe where you can easily access a range of tourist amenities like restaurants, bars, massage shops, diving centers, and travel agencies.
If you want an easy walking distance from the nightlife and all tourist facilities, I recommend staying in Pattaya Beach, Walking Street, and Sunrise Beach. The North Point beach is also a nice area to stay, it is actually the northern part of Sunrise Beach, which is busier than the southern part.
If you want a bit of a secluded atmosphere, you can consider staying on Sunset Beach. Sunset Beach is home to just a few resorts and is located further away from the Walking Street where restaurants and bars are located. You will need a longer walk or take a motorbike taxi to reach this area.
I prefer staying in Pattaya Beach because it is convenient to get to the island’s main pier and the Walking Street. I stayed at two hotels in Koh Lipe, including Daya Beach and The Street Hostel.
I was a solo traveler on a budget, and these two hotels suit me well. I will share details of my stay in Koh Lipe at the end of this article.
My top hotel picks in Koh Lipe:
- Luxury: Bulow Casa Grand View Resort
- Mid-range: Mali Resort Sunrise Beach
- Budget: Mali Resort Pattaya Beach
Best Places to stay in Koh Lipe
1. Pattaya Beach
Pattaya Beach is a 1.25km long crescent-shaped bay, located on the south side of Koh Lipe. The beach is home to the island’s main pier, which is the departure and arrival point of most visitors. If you stay in Pattaya Beach, you can easily walk to the pier from your hotel.
Pattaya beach has fine white sand with crystal clear turquoise water. It is a great place for swimming, sunbathing, snorkeling, and taking a long walk along the beach.
The beach is quieter at the western end. This is also a good spot for snorkeling. At this part, you can walk to the neighboring Sanom beach for a more peaceful atmosphere.
There are many resorts along the beachfront as well as restaurants, bars, and a PADI dive center. You can find sunbeds and umbrellas on the beach belonging to beachfront resorts, bars, and restaurants. There are plenty of shades from the trees from the shore of the beach.
The beach is very lively in the evening. Tables and chairs were set up on the sand from sunset time, so people can come to enjoy the meals with ocean views.
The middle of the beach is home to a floating pier. It is packed with speed boats and wooden long tail boats. The pier is a few steps away from the starting point of the Walking Street, which is the island’s busiest street.
Pattaya Beach is home to the immigration office, which is convenient for those traveling from and to Langkawi Malaysia. As Koh Lipe is part of Tarutao National Park, you need to pay an entry ticket of 200 baht as a foreigner.
Where to stay in Koh Lipe on Pattaya Beach:
AKIRA Lipe Resort
Akira is a 4-star good value for money beachfront resort located on Pattaya Beach, located within walking distance from The island’s main pier, the Immigration Office, and the Walking Street. It is close to everything.
The hotel has an outdoor swimming pool, a gym, spacious room, and an onsite restaurant serving delicious food. You can book a room with pool access for the best experience.
Sita Beach Resort
Sita is a 4-star beachfront resort located in the western side of Pattaya beach. It is a great location in a quiet area but within easy walking distance to Pattaya Pier and the Walking Street. They can help arrange pick up from/ to the pier and organize tours.
The resort has 2 swimming pools as well as sunbeds, umbrellas, and massage parlor on the beach. They have a nice buffet breakfast with a variety of options. Like many hotels and resorts in Koh Lipe, the resort offers Free water filling.
Mali Resort Pattaya Beach Koh Lipe
Mali is a good 3-star resort located on the white sandy and crystal clear water of Pattaya Beach. This part of the beach is good for swimming and snorkeling. There are lounge chairs and umbrellas on the beach. The hotel is within walking distance to the walking street and the immigration office.
The hotel has one onsite restaurant with good food and spacious rooms. The Villa Balinese Luxury Tropical rooms have an outdoor bathroom. Be careful of mosquitos though.
Bella Vista Beach Resort Koh Lipe
Bella Vista is a decent 3-star beach resort on Pattaya Beach. The hotel is located in a great location, within easy walk to the walking street and the island’s main pier. The resort has lots of umbrellas and umbrellas on the beach for its guests. The shore is lined with palm trees and shaded spots.
Bundhaya Resort
Bundhaya is a popular 3-star accommodation located on the eastern side of Pattaya Beach. It is located right on the beach next to Bundhaya pier, within a few minutes walking distance to the walking street, where all tourist amenities are located.
This part of the beach is good for snorkeling. The resort has a large swimming pool, good breakfasts, and room with basic facilities.
2. Koh Lipe Walking Street
Koh Lipe Walking Street is the center area of Koh Lipe, connecting Pattaya Beach with other beaches like Sunrise Beach and Sunset Beach. The street is busy both day and night. It is packed with restaurants, bars, cafes, supermarkets, 7-Eleven, ATM’s, pharmacies, and massage shops.
There are many travel agents on the walking street where you can book boat tickets, island hopping tours, snorkelling, diving , and sunset cruises.
The Walking Street is home to numerous cheap backpacker hostels and guest houses. If you are traveling on a budget and don’t mind staying directly to the beach, The Walking Street is a good base. You will be within walking distance to all the beaches on the island whether you are staying on the island anyway.
The Walking Street has a vibrant nightlife scene. It is a pedestrian only area from 5pm to midnight, so you can enjoy walking around without worrying about getting run over by a scooter taxi.
Some of the good restaurants and bars on Koh Lipe Walking Street and the inland area include Glow Noodle House, Thaidurm Restaurant, Noy wangcha-aon, and The Heaven Bar.
Where to stay in Koh Lipe Walking Street:
La Luna Italian Restaurant & Accommodation
This is a good value for money mid-range accommodation located near the Walking Street of Koh Lipe. It is steps away from the range of restaurants, bars, and shops. You can easily walk to both Pattaya Beach and Sunrise Beach from this hotel.
They offer different rooms. You can pay a little bit more to choose rooms that have balcony or garden views. As its name suggests, they have an onsite restaurant that serves delicious Italian food.
The Chic Lipe
This is a good 3-star hotel located in a quiet inland area of Koh Lipe very close to Walking Street and Sunrise Beach. The island is small anyway, you can easily walk to most places on foot. They offer both dorm rooms and private rooms, which are good for budget travelers.
The hotel has a communal area, which is a nice place to relax and you can play at pool tables. The downside is that the breakfast option is limited.
A Plus Deluxe Hotel
This is a 2-star guest house located in the central area of Koh Lipe Walking Street. It is close to everything, restaurants, bars, and beaches. You can walk to most places. They have clean rooms and good breakfast deals.
3. Sunrise Beach
Sunrise Beach is the longest beach on Koh Lipe. It stretches for about 1.5 km along the east coast of Koh Lipe, from the headland on the southeast coast to North Point Beach on the northeast coast.
As its name suggests, it is a good place to watch the sunrise. The beach has a quieter atmosphere than Pattaya Beach but still offers easy walking distance to the lively Walking Street. If you are looking for a relaxing holiday on the beach that is not far away from nightlife, Sunrise Beach is a good choice.
Sunrise Beach is lined with resorts, restaurants, and bars. You can find kayak, SUP rentals, and dive shops on the beach. There are plenty of shaded areas from the shore.
It has white fine sand, crystal clear water, and stunning views of small islands in front of it. The beach is an ideal place for swimming, chilling, kayaking, and snorkeling.
The bit has a different feel at different times of the day. It is quite narrow at high tide as the water goes up to the report area. The beach is wider at low tide.
Sunrise Beach is home to many fishing boats of the Chao Lay tribe (sea people), which are the first inhabitants of Koh Lipe. It is also known as Chao Ley Beach by locals as the Chao Ley Village is located at the middle of the beach.
From Sunrise Beach, you can take a long tail boat ride to Koh Adang island. I highly recommend taking a day trip to Koh Adang to hike to the Koh Lipe Viewpoint and the waterfall and enjoy its pristine secluded beaches.
You can find the taxi boat station at the middle section of the beach, near Ban Ko Adang School. You can buy a return ticket directly at the boat station. Just tell the driver when you want to come back and they will go and pick you up later. 4-5 hours is usually enough to explore Koh Adang.
Where to stay in Koh Lipe on Sunrise Beach:
Castaway Resort Koh Lipe
Castaway is one of the best places to stay in Koh Lipe. It is ideally located on Sunrise Beach, which is the best beach of the island, in my opinion. You can easily walk or take a short motorbike taxi ride to the Walking Street and Pattaya Beach. It is a perfect getaway for relaxing and unwind.
This is an Eco friendly resort that has beautiful bungalows and a beachfront restaurant/ bar with lovely settings. There is the dive center right next to the resort, which is convenient if you want to take snorkeling or diving tours.
You can enjoy yoga or meditation every morning. I also recommend trying the massage on the beach, which is also a good way for relaxation.
Wapi Resort
Wapi Resort is a good value for money resort located in a prime location in the middle of Sunrise Beach. You can easily walk to the walking streets, 7-Eleven, and a range of bars and restaurants. You can easily book a water taxi near the hotel to Koh Adang for a day trip.
The resort has sunloungers, umbrellas, and hammocks for its guests on the beach. They offer kayak rentals, so you can kayak to nearby islands.
Mali Resort Sunrise Beach
This 4-star resort is located in the southern area of Sunrise Beach, which is much quieter than the northern area. Not many boats dock here, so you will have a quiet atmosphere and space for swimming.
From the resort, you can walk easily to a range of tourist amenities like restaurants, shops, and supermarkets.
They have a lovely swimming pool which is also family-friendly. The ground is surrounded with lush landscaped gardens. The rooms are clean with comfortable beds. It is overall a good base for families, couples, and solo travelers who enjoy quiet time.
4. North Point Beach
North Point Beach is the northernmost area of Sunrise Beach. This point offers both stunning sun sets and run rise views. It is a very popular spot to watch the sun rise. Lots of people gather on this spot in late afternoon to watch the sunset.
North Point Beach is home to several resorts, beach bars and restaurants. Some cool bars in this area include Bulow Café & Restaurant, Cannabis Bar Lipe, and Zodiac Bar. They have tables, chairs, and bean bags on the sand.
The Beach has fine white sand, crystal clear emerald green water, and beautiful views of Koh Adang. You can enjoy swimming, snorkeling, or take a long walk to the south of Sunrise Beach.
Similar to Sunrise Beach, North Point Beach offers a relaxing atmosphere but still within 10 minutes walking distance to the Walking Street where you can find a wide variety of restaurants and bars.
Where to stay in Koh Lipe in North Point Beach:
Bulow Casa Grand View Resort
Bulow Casa is a 5-star hotel located at a prime location on North Point Beach. You can watch both sunrise and sunset at this beach. You can book rooms with access to the swimming pool. They also have an onsite beach restaurant and sunloungers on the beach.
It is an ideal location for couples, honeymooners, and families. The walking street is 800m from the hotel. You can walk, take a tuk tuk ride (which is very cheap/ 50 baht per ride), or use the resorts’ free shuttle bus.
Mountain Resort Koh Lipe
Mountain Resort is a 3-star accommodation located on the North Point Beach of Koh Lipe. You can have rooms with breaktaking views of the sea and the sunset. You can easily walk to Sunrise beach and the walking street. They offer free shuttle services to the main town if you don’t feel like walking.
They offer free breakfast with a good selection of dishes. There are several beach bars nearby that you can easily reach on foot. The downside is that it is on the cliffside with a lot of steps, so it can be a problem for disabled people or elderly.
Irene Pool Villa Resort
Irene is a luxury accommodation located on the northern part of Sunrise Beach, close to North Point Beach. The location is excellent to explore the Koh Lipe and for a day trip to Koh Adang island. You can easily walk to the main street or use the resort’s free shuttle bus.
If you are couples or families who are looking for something romantic and luxurious in a prime location, Irene Pool Villa Resort is a good choice.
Zodiac Seesun Resort
This beachfront resort is located on Sunrise Beach and within a short walk to the North Point area where you can watch both sunset and sunrise. The beach is home to a cool Zodiac beach bar, which is a popular bar on Koh Lipe. If you are not staying here, you can check it out after watching sunset at NorthPoint.
5. Sunset Beach
Sunset Beach is one of the three main beaches on Koh Lipe. It is further away from the Walking Street (around 1km), offering a more secluded atmosphere compared to Pattaya Beach and Sunrise Beach.
There are just a few resorts and hotels located on the beach. You can find a couple of beach bars with sunbeds, beanbags, and umbrellas on the sand. The beach is a great place for swimming, taking a walk, and watching the sunset.
There are lots of long tail boats on the beach. You can also take a boat taxi from Sunset Beach to Koh Adang for a day trip. It is a longer ride compared to the boat ride from Sunrise Beach.
Sunset Beach is a good base on Koh Lipe for those looking for somewhere to stay that has a relaxed atmosphere and around 20 minutes walking distance to the town center.
Where to stay in Koh Lipe on Sunset Beach:
The Cliff Lipe
The Cliff Lipe is a 4-star beachfront resort located in a secluded area at the southern end of Sunrise beach. The resort has its own private beach, so this is perfect for those seeking a quiet beach holiday. The resort provides free pick up and drop off from Pattaya Pier.
The beach is small with crystal clear turquoise water, which is ideal for chilling, swimming, and snorkeling. They provide free kayak and snorkeling equipment. The rooms also have stunning ocean views.
The downside is that it is a quiet distance (20 minutes walk) from the walking streets where all restaurants are located. You can use a taxi or the hotel’s free shuttle bus to get to the main town.
They have an onsite restaurant, so you can dine in if you don’t want to get to the town center. You can walk to a nearby restaurant called Forever Restaurant for dinner.
Casa De Lipe
This is good accommodation with around 10 rooms located in a quiet area of Koh Lipe, at the southern end of Sunrise beach. The resort has a small swimming pool, and a restaurant with views of the sea.
They have a private beach where you can swim and snorkel. You can walk for 20 minutes or take a 5 minute motorbike taxi ride (50 baht) through the walking streets and other beaches on the island.
Bayview Sunset
Bayview is located in a quiet area of Sunset Beach, 15 minutes walking to the walking street for a range of restaurants and shops. The resort has a well maintained garden and beach bungalows with air conditioning and fans.
They also have a lovely restaurant with beautiful views of the sea. Like other hotels on the island, you should be aware of mosquitoes, and bring insect repellant with you.
Where did I stay in Koh Lipe – My personal experience
I traveled to Koh Lipe as a female solo traveler, and wanted a budget-friendly and safe place to stay. It was in the middle of January, which is part of the high season (November to April), accommodation prices were significantly higher compared to the low season.
I booked my hotel spontaneously, just two days before my trip while I was still in Krabi Town. By then, most hotels were already fully booked, so I had only a few options to choose from.
Since I didn’t find any hotel available for my entire stay, I ended up booking two different places. Koh Lipe is a small island, so it was easy to transfer between two hotels. It actually worked out well, I got to experience staying in both hotels, which added variety to the trip.
Daya Beach
Location
Daya Beach is a beachfront hotel located at the western end of Pattaya Beach. It is a quiet area in the western end of the beach, around 10 minutes walking on the sand from Pattaya Pier.
If you arrive on the island with a backpack, it is easy to get to the hotel by walking. But if you have a suitcase, it is difficult to drag it on the sand. You need to take a motorbike taxi to get to the hotel. It is around 10 minutes drive and costs 50 baht.
Google Map said 20 minutes walking, but not all roads are paved. The last 500m to the hotel is a dirt road, which isn’t ideal for dragging a suitcase. I walked all the way from the pier to the start of the dirt road, then decided to wait for a motorbike taxi to pass by to take me to the hotel.
From Daya Beach Hotel, you can easily walk to a range of bars and restaurants on the beachfront. It is also 10 minutes to the Walking Street, where you can find lots of tourist amenities like restaurants, tour agencies, diving centers, massage shops, and bars.
In addition to Pattaya Beach, you can easily walk to the nearby Sanom Beach, which is a small secluded beach, ideal for chill and swimming.
Daya Beach’s location is also convenient to explore the secret beaches on the western end of Koh Lipe like Lipe Secret Beach. The beaches are ideal for swimming and snorkeling.
Amenities
I booked a standard double room with fans. It was a very simple private room with basic facilities like a double bed, two towels, a kettle, a fan, and two bottles of water. There are couples chairs outside the room on the terrace where you can sit and enjoy the garden views.
The bathroom was clean, but there was no hot water and the toilet had no flushing system. I had to use a bucket to flush it manually.
They have an onsite restaurant on the beach with a nice setting for romantic dinner. There are also beach facilities like sunbeds and umbrellas. They offer laundry services, motorbike taxi, and help to organise tours like snorkeling and diving.
I booked Daya Beach because all other places were booked out. If you are on a budget, want a private room, and don’t mind having basic amenities, Daya Beach can be a reasonable choice. I’d give it a 7 out of 10 for both location and amenities.
The Street Hostel Koh Lipe
Location
The Street Hostel has a prime location on the Walking Street. It is just a stone throw away from Pattaya Beach and the island’s main pier. It is very convenient to walk to the pier to get the boats to other islands like Koh Lanta, Koh Phi Phi, or Phuket.
The hotel is also within easy walking distance to a range of tourist amenities like restaurants, bars, shops, diving centers, and souvenir shops. I like to dine at the Glow Noodle House. They served a very tasty beef noodle soup.
Amenities
I booked a shared dorm room that has 6 mixed bed rooms. The room was on the second floor. There was no lift, so I kept my suitcase downstairs and only brought essential stuff to the room.
My bed had a curtain, a light, and a power outlet. The room was quite cold and you can’t change the temperature inside the room. There’s a small locker for each bed in the room to keep valuables safe.
There are few bathrooms and bed rooms on the second floor where I stayed. It was clean during my stay. The common area has street views, table and chairs to sit as well as snacks, hot water, and cutleries.
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The Street Hostel Koh Lipe is overall a good place to stay in Koh Lipe for backpackers and budget travelers. Its central location offers an easy walk to the beach, the pier, and all amenities.
So, you have it, my guide on where to stay in Koh Lipe, Thailand. This is a relatively small island, no matter where you choose to stay, you can easily explore the island on foot, motorbike taxi, and by boat.