Kho Lipe

Sitting off the west coast of Thailand in the Andaman Sea, almost due west of the Thai-Malaysian border are a cluster of islands that form the

Tarutao National Marine Park. Kho Lipe is one of the smallest islands in the Adang/Rawi group, not officially part of the park, and a therefore a tourist mecca.  It's also an incredibly lovely place!

We took a van from Hat Yai to Pak Barra on the Thai coast and then switched to a speed-boat to the islands.  En route we stopped at Ko Tarutao, the largest island in the group for a picnic lunch.  The island is notorious for its use as a prison during World War II and is more famous now as the filming location for Survivor: Thailand!

Figure 1: View from the picnic table

Koh Lipe is very small and reminded me a lot of Kho Pi Pi.  There are two main beaches and tourist accommodation (mostly huts, bungalows) line both of them.  The main event is the so-called "Walking Street" that runs between Pattaya and Sunrise Beaches where the majority of bars, shops and restaurants can be found.  We stayed in a small bungalow at the northern end of Pattaya beach.