Thailand (Lonely Planet, 13th Edition) - China Williams [613]
Flour Power Bakery (08 9464 5884; baked goods from 40B; breakfast & lunch) Located behind Sabye Sport on Sunset Beach, Flour Power uses imported ingredients to craft delicious homemade cakes and brownies – just like Mum’s recipe back home.
Café Lipe (0 7472 8036; www.cafe-lipe.com; dishes from 90B; breakfast & lunch) A local breakfast legend, the Swiss-run Café Lipe whips up stellar morning repasts – the unfinishable muesli topples over with fresh fruit and colourful grains. A group of brand-new bamboo bungalows (500B; no running water) squats in the backyard.
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THE 7-ELEVEN GAME
In Bangkok 7-Eleven stores are thick on the ground, but as you venture further afield these palpable markers of globalisation start to disappear – it’s like an off-the-beaten-path-o-meter.
If you’re stuck on a long bus ride with nothing to do, play the 7-Eleven Game: try to recall the number of superettes seen in each place you visited. We counted one on Ko Phi-Phi (the busiest 7-Eleven in Thailand), four on Ko Tao and five on Ko Lanta. You’ll be happy to know that there are none on Ko Lipe (for now)…
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Aroy (08 7621 9488; dishes 80-180B) True to its name (aroy means ‘delicious’), this popular Thai restaurant sits along the inland road connecting Sunrise and Pattaya Beaches. The sign is small so you might have to ask around, but you’ll be happy you made the effort once you sample the dishes.
Pooh’s (0 7472 8019; www.poohlipe.com; dishes from 120B) Pooh’s is a one-stop shop for all of your island needs: a lively restaurant, a bar, internet, a travel agency and a few so-so rooms in the back.
For a round of beers, try Jack’s Jungle Bar (www.jacksjunglebar.com), a friendly spot in the heart of the jungle that also serves a few killer curries.
GETTING THERE & AWAY
There is no pier on Ko Lipe. Ferries park near the beach (either at Hat Pattaya or Sunrise Beach) and you hop to shore (or on a day with rough seas, a long-tail will pick you up from the ferry). During high season (1 November to 15 May) there are daily boat services departing from Pak Bara (11.30am and 1.30pm, 2½ hours, 600B) and Pulau Langkawi (8am and 9am, 1½ hours, 600B). Boats from Ko Lipe head to Pak Bara at 9.30am, 10am and 1pm, and to Pulau Langkawi at 3.30pm, 4pm and 4.30pm. It is extremely important to note that if you are doing your visa run from Ko Lipe to Langkawi you must stay overnight in Langkawi before returning to Ko Lipe. The boats running between Pak Bara and Ko Lipe almost always stop at Ko Tarutao and Ko Bolun Leh.
A speedboat from Ko Phi-Phi departs at 8am, stopping in Ko Lanta (at 9.30am) and Hat Yao (12.30pm) before arriving at Ko Lipe at around 3.30pm. Boats going in the opposite direction leave Ko Lipe at 10am, arriving on Ko Phi-Phi at around 5.30pm. A second speedboat service operates between Ko Lanta and Ko Lipe, stopping at Ko Bulon Leh, Koh Muk and Koh Ngai along the way. Ko Lipe–bound boats leave Ko Lanta at 1pm; Ko Lanta–bound boats leave Ko Lipe at 9am. The interisland speedboats cost around 2000B. See www.kohlipethailand.com for more information.
GETTING AROUND
Motorbike taxis whiz around the island offering rides for 50B per person (there are no cars on Ko Lipe); however, it’s so small that taxi hire is only necessary if you’re hauling some serious luggage. Long-tail taxis whoosh around the island for the same price.
Ko Adang & Ko Rawi
Like Rabelais’ Gargantua and Pantagruel, giant Ko Adang and Ko Rawi could clobber little Lipe next door. The best way to explore these islands is on a boat tour guided by a local chow lair; Click here for details.
Ko Adang has brooding, densely forested hills and white-sand beaches, and is said to be haunted by the spirits of dead elephants. When the wind is blowing, the trees shake in a manner that eerily resembles the sound of a pachyderm’s cry.
Five stellar beaches, each one more beautiful than the next, flank the island’s western coast. Inland, visitors will find a network of rutty trails that lead to highlights like Pirate’s Falls, a freshwater source for marauders