Finding an affordable Koh Lipe accommodation during ‘high season’ can be a challenge, especially if a waterfront location is at the top of one’s preferred amenities list. But taking advantage of the seasonal Langkawi to Koh Lipe direct ferry service means travel to Koh Lipe during their busiest and most popular time of year. Did I go to Trip Advisor for help? No. I went to Instagram and looked through a variety of Koh Lipe hashtag threads. And lo and behold, a little beacon of hope kept popping up in the Instagram feeds. A resort with a heart. Literally. Lipe Beach Resort; home of the famous flower-laden, photo op heart smack in the middle of their beach front. Lipe Beach Resort, whose tag line is ‘Home is Where the Heart is’.
Original? No and yes. But that cheesy heart has won… well, many hearts among photo snapping guests and passersby. It also sold me enough to veer me from my beloved comfort zone of convenience, Pattaya Beach, for the first time. Lipe Beach Resort is located on Sunrise Beach. A quieter part of Koh Lipe which will hopefully stay that way. Sunrise Beach is also the home base to Koh Lipe’s Urak Lawoi Sea Gypsies, thus perhaps the reason wall to wall hotels are blessedly absent from the waterfront. Because if there is anything Koh Lipe doesn’t need, it’s another hotel.
Getting to Lipe Beach Resort
Sunrise Beach is a good 20-25 minute walk from the immigration building at Pattaya Beach or a 50baht, 10-minute taxi ride. Do note that some of the taxi drivers tend to drive relatively fast and pot holes are fair game. If you happen to have a back ailment or other sensitive physical issue you may want to communicate this with your driver. A more scenic (and gentler) way to get to Sunrise Beach is by water taxi, which could cost up to 200 baht, depending on how many passengers are also heading in the same direction. More passengers, lower price per person. For first timers, I recommend the bumpy taxi ride as it will better orientate you to the local landmarks.
Checking In
As the Koh Lipe island-ship whizzed past my eyes, I was surprised at how quickly my 50baht taxi arrived at Lipe Beach Resort. What was even more surprising was the ease of check-in and the blessed gift of room keys in my hand before noon. Early arrival and early check-in equals a full day to enjoy Koh Lipe! Having left Langkawi’s Telaga Harbor at 9:30am (8:30am Thailand time) I had secured my spot on the beach and was plunging into the clear waters of the Andaman Sea by noon.
Bungalow Bliss
Lipe Beach Resort has at least 10 bungalow styles to choose from, from garden view bungalows to waterfront family rooms. As tempting as it was to splurge and pay top high-season dollar for the best (Beachfront Premium Bungalow), I chose a lower end price range and booked a Garden Bungalow Fan which was actually much nicer than I had expected.
The individual wooden bungalows come with a private veranda and even the smaller units are fairly spacious considering the generous bed size. My room also had ample cross breeze with the windows open and the fan on. Unfortunately for me I often need to use electronics in hotel rooms and found that my computer was overheating unless I was directly under the fan. Other than that, my bungalow was quiet and comfortable. However, next time I will be booking a bungalow with AC. Why didn’t I switch rooms? Well, as the weekend was approaching AC rooms in my price range had already been spoken for and were no longer available. Ah, but there is always next time!
Wining and Dining at Lipe Beach Resort
Lipe Beach Resort conveniently has an onsite restaurant. Elephant Beach Bar & Restaurant offers western fare as well as delicious Thai cuisine and a full bar. They also offer a daily selection of set breakfasts for free. If you’re a single guest you are even provided with two daily breakfast vouchers, so pick a second selection for an easy snack option for later (I recommend the breakfast sandwich).
If you would like to explore other food options, Walking Street’s got you covered as there are many eating options there and along the various streets from Sunrise Beach to Pattaya Beach. Around the corner from Lipe Beach Resort is also a well-stocked sundry shop which sells homemade Thai snacks, such as steamed buns and traditional sweets as well as western ‘junk food’ and favorite ‘beverages of choice’.
Things to Do
In addition to simply enjoying the pristine beach, getting a Thai massage is always at the top of my list of things-to-do in Koh Lipe. Conveniently enough, Lipe Beach Resort has an open air, upstairs massage service where you can get a fabulous massage while enjoying the onshore breeze and the sounds of the lapping sea.
Long walks on the beach are a beautiful possibility at Sunrise Beach, which crosses over to Sunset Beach. The entire stretch has glorious white sand and adjacent turquoise waters. Truly blissful.
Learn about the local Urak Lawoi sea gypsies by taking a quiet walk through their village (behind Lipe Beach Resort). Many of the buildings and homes are decorated with beautiful murals depicting the culture and heritage of the Urak Lawoi and are accompanied by basic informative plaques. The information is written in Thai and English, so it is expected that tourists will be passing through the area to admire the art work. Do be respectful when taking photos of villagers as well as their homes and always ask permission. You will know straight away if it’s a yay or nay. You can read more about the Urak Lawoi HERE
At aptly named Sunrise Beach, the sunrises are stunning. Be sure to get up early to catch at least one.
Fancy some island hopping, fishing or diving? Or need to make bookings for onward travel? Contact my friend Mamah Kalong, who is the manager of Manah Lipe Travel & Tour. His office is on Walking Street (near Elephant Cafe). +66 094-3165339 or +66 093-6793667
Last But Not Least…
No review of Lipe Beach Resort would be complete without mentioning their stellar customer service. The staff are friendly and go above and beyond to assist guests in a timely, uncomplicated manner. Certainly, not all speak English (nor do I speak Thai) but there is usually someone around to translate or clarify things if communication becomes an issue.
Home is where the heart is? You bet! You’ll definitely find a comfortable, little Koh Lipe home-away-from-home at Lipe Beach Resort. Check rates and availability HERE
What a gorgeous place to visit! I can’t get over how beautiful the beaches look, or the colour of that sea. The little beach bungalow looks gorgeous, though I think I’d need to book one with A/C!
I would recommend an AC room. Especially if you have unforgiving electronics in use. My computer was not happy with a fan. :D
What a cute little bungalow. It looks like the perfect place to spend a few days. The beach is lovely, clear and clean. I think I would spend most of my time right there. So nice that you could check in so early. That basically adds an extra day to your vacation. If we go there, I will be sure to make sure we get an AC room. It’s nice that they had a fan though.
I truly didn’t want to leave. It was blissful!
Lipe Beach Resort is going to get to the top of my list. My husband keeps telling me that we should visit Thailand, but so far I didn’t take him seriously. Ah, those blue waters and peaceful beaches are absolutely divine! It never crossed my mind to research a destination through Instagram. That’s a great idea!
It’s funny right? The Lipe Beach Resort doesn’t even have an account, yet their customers are happy to do all the free marketing for them! :D
I can’t believe I haven’t been to Thailand’s beaches yet! They are simply stunning. That sunrise is unreal! Glad to hear you didn’t end up needing to use the mosquito net, those things can get quite annoying. The nets and the mosquitos! Every great walk along the beach deserves a massage at the end. Thanks for sharing!
Shocking! You have not been to Thailand until you have been to a Thai beach! Shame on you. ;)
Lipe Beach Resort looks like a great spot to chill out in Thailand. I’ve heard so many people mention Koh Lipe recently. It sounds like somewhere I need to be right now!
Hey Christine, it will be even more awesome after the Christmas and New Year holiday traffic. The prices are also slightly lower towards the end of the season as well as at the beginning.
Looks absolutely stunning! At first, when you mentioned traveling to Koh Lipe, Thailand from Langkawi, Malaysia, we were a bit confused. But after looking at the map we realized why this is probably the quickest way to get there. Major props for the suggestion! Your post on the transit process is also extremely helpful. We love traveling to offbeat, isolated places and Sunrise Beach seems like just the thing for a quiet, undisturbed vacation.
Yes! For anyone visiting this area for the first time, the Langkawi-Koh Lipe Itinerary is a time saving win-win. Coming from Northern Thailand it isn’t but from KL, Singapore or Penang, the quick jaunt to Langkawi and ferry to Koh Lipe is perfect. So it’s worth timing a visit to coincide with the seasonal ferry service for sure. I was also previously a big Pattaya Beach fan, but Lipe Beach Resort and Sunrise beach have both won my heart. I highly recommend!
I love the wooden hut on the beach, it’s perfect! Not only does the beach in Koh Lipe look amazing, the resort looks great too. Thailand has such beautiful hidden gems, doesn’t it?
Despite the high tourist traffic of Koh Lipe, it is still an especially stunning island.
What a beautiful beach and a cute bungalow. The perfect place to spend a few days relaxing. What a brilliant sunrise. Overall, it sounds like an amazing stay. From the food, the people and beautiful bungalow, you enjoyed in a wonderful slice of paradise. It’s always wonderful when to go beyond the expected and find a little gem. Great tip about the air conditioning. Thanks!
Thanks Rosemary! Hope you guys get this way soon so you can also visit Koh Lipe.
The Lipe Beach Resort looks great from the pictures and your vivid description. And, I totally agree with you that customer service can make your break your holiday experience. They are the real unsung heroes.
These folks truly surprised me. They were very accommodating too as I immediately wanted to change rooms after I checked in, just to be a little closer to the reception area. Already a pain in the butt in the first 30 minutes. But they were wonderful and took very good care of me, which I greatly appreciated.
Love the tip on taxis and pot holes. You would think that they would be worried about the damage to their cabs driving that fast!
Like Beach Resort looks like a wonderful place to get away from it all. Happy to hear that the staff are all sorts of amazing too.
Thanks Sara, I was actually a bit concerned with the speed my particular taxi was going. Even asking him to slow down to no avail. It seemed a bit out of the norm from my previous Koh Lipe taxi experiences, so must have just been my lucky day.
Hi Vanessa, thanks for this write-up. I’ve just booked in a stay at Lipe Beach Resort and I can’t wait! I was just wondering how much is the cost of massage at the Resort? Thanks.
Cool Jo. I can’t exactly remember the massage price, but it IS a bit more than the average massage you would get on walking street. And those are usually 300-500baht. It’s worth the extra though since you will be steps from your room (and the sea). Oh and with breakfast, if you are only one person you will still get breakfast voucher for two, and they will let you order a ‘take away’ as your second voucher item. *Saves money on lunch and adds to the massage kitty. :D