When it comes to beautiful islands with gorgeous beaches and water, Thailand never ceases to amaze. Among them is Koh Lipe, the latest destination craze for Thais and foreigners. If you haven’t heard of Koh Lipe, well you have now and you will probably hear about it a lot more in the future.

Koh Lipe is a tiny island in the Adang Archipelago, situated in the Southern part of the Thai Andaman Sea. The island is known for its white sandy beaches, turquoise blue waters and a very chilled vibe. It is also referred to as the Maldives of Thailand. We can’t say if it is a fair comparison since we have not been to Maldives yet.

So naturally, we were intrigued and had to see it for ourselves. After a month or two of stalking Instagram photos and blog posts, we had booked our trip.

During our research, some people warned us on Twitter that the island is no longer what it used to be several years ago. They mentioned it was over developed without planning and had become a paradise lost. At first this was disheartening us and made us regret why we had booked our trip. However, nothing could be done. Everything was non-refundable. We had to make the most of it.

So this is what we truly thought of Koh Lipe.

Note: This is not a guide as there are so many out there already. This post is purely based on our experience and honest opinions of the island. 

Koh Lipe The Good

Perhaps there is a reason why they call Koh Lipe the Maldives of Thailand. It is gorgeous! The water that surrounds the island changes hue between crystal clear blue and turquoise.

It was if we had our very own gigantic swimming pool.

The vibe and scenery at sunset beach is out of this world. While Pattaya beach and Sunrise beach are bit more developed and crowded, Sunrise beach is perfect for those wanting to relax. During sunset, everything stands still and you forget all your worries. While watching the sun go down and the sky dance before us, we enjoyed some cheap but great Mojitos.

Another thing we really liked about the island are the locals. They were some of the friendliest people we have met compared to any other island we’ve been to. The staff at our hotel were amazing. When walking along the roads and beaches, locals would greet us with a genuine smile. We had wonderful conversations with bar owners and staff. We even met one of the guys in Bangkok a few days later.

One of the restaurant owner also told us that they all work as a community and help each other. She explained that the restaurants close early so that they can give business to bars. That really impressed us.

Finally, there is a Trash Hero campaign at Koh Lipe where locals and tourists volunteer to clean up the beaches. This is really great. It not only helps keeps the place clean, it is a good way for people to connect.

The Bad

Despite the beautiful sea color, trash collection initiatives and eco-friendly campaigns, there is still a lot of trash in and around the island. We were shocked to see so much. There was plastic floating all around the ocean. You probably can’t see it in this picture but it was there.

The Northern end of Sunrise beach had a lot of trash as well. This was probably the collection point, we assume.

Whatever initiatives they have, it looks it is not enough. Maybe they should do it more than just once a week. The hotels also try to do their part but they don’t seem to be doing enough. It has to be a more regulated and enforced effort.

The Ugly side of Koh Lipe

There is development and then there is over development. The bar that we liked the most on Pattaya beach overlooked a huge a barge. From this barge, a construction machine would come and go carrying materials. It was not only a sore sight, it was also loud and distracting.

Over onto Sunrise beach, another barge in front of a chilled-out bar where trash was collected. It was smelly and disgusting. We were even hounded by a swarm of flies or gnats that most probably came from the trash barge. I thought I took a picture of the barge but I can’t seem to find it but you can imagine.

Finally, there were just way too many taxi boats. I don’t even know why there needs to be so many of them. I hardly saw them being used. It was just another sore sight. A few boats are nice and adds a vibe but this was too much.

Conclusion: Is Koh Lipe Worth it?

In a nutshell, yes and no. It really depends on you and you make the most of it. Would we go again? Maybe, if it was easier to get there. 8 hour door-to-door isn’t easy and for that price/time, I could go to another neighboring country.

We really enjoyed our trip to Koh Lipe. It is not a paradise lost as some say, at least not for us. While it may be developed compared to years ago, such is the way things are. Nothing stays the same and nothing ever will. Travelers and bloggers are comparing the island 8+ years ago so obviously it is going to change. In fact we probably wouldn’t have gone if we had to stay in huts. We like a bit of development. The vibe is also amazing here. It’s not party-central like Phangan, Samet or Samui but it’s not super quaint like Koh Mak either.

At the same time, we see what people mean. It is a tiny island so any form of development will seem huge. Development in Samui or Phuket doesn’t seem as bad because they are larger islands and there is always places there to escape the crowds and developed areas. With Koh Lipe, it would be hard to do that.

The construction and increase in visitors is starting to destroy the environment and with all the trash, it is a bad sign. If management and tourism at Koh Lipe isn’t kept in check, it will soon very well be a Paradise Lost.