Crossing the border into Thailand via Koh Lipe has got to be the most unique immigration process I have ever experienced! I caught a ferry to Koh Lipe, but as the island does not have a port the boat was unable to pull up on the shore and had to stop a few yards out to sea. The passengers and all our luggage were then transported to shore via longtail boat, but the boats were still unable to pull right onto the beach, so we found ourselves wading barefoot through the sea to reach the beach front immigration office. We then hung around on the beach in the midday sun waiting for our names to be called out and our passports stamped. It was quite a disorganised and lengthy process, so quite a few people stripped down into their bikinis to make the most of the tanning opportunity!! Eventually my name was called out and after the immigration officer satisfied himself that I wasn't a criminal he stamped my passport and agreed my visa, granting me 60 days in the land of smiles.
I had read that Thailand was nicknamed the land of smiles; and they weren't lying. As I wandered around the island looking for an affordable room I couldn't believe how smiley all the Thai people were; even when I turned down their offers of massages, tattoos and taxis they seemed unshakably happy.
I ended up sharing a room with a girl I had met in Penang. I had bumped into her on the beach during the immigration process and agreed to minimise our costs by sharing a room. As there were no dorms in Koh Lipe we opted for a private fan room, and it felt like luxury. I loved having a big clean room with our own en-suite, it was like we were on a proper holiday! Luckily the bed in the room was massive (it had to be king size) which made sharing a bed with a virtual stranger a lot less awkward.
After settling into the room, Anya and I went to explore the island as neither of us knew much about it. We decided to check out the second beach on the island, and as soon as it came into sight we were absolutely blown away by it's beauty! I had seen so many gorgeous pictures of Thai beaches and it was like I had been dropped right into one of those photos. The beach was long, the sand was white, and the sea was a beautiful turquoise colour with long tail boats dotted all around. As I stood looking out to sea I remembered how hard I had worked in a job I disliked to afford to come here, and it all felt so worth it- I had made it to paradise and I was ecstatic!
Koh Lipe is a tiny island which is part of Tarauto national park. It is still in the process of 'being discovered' and so it's not busy or touristy, it's just extremely laid back. I immediately embraced this relaxed pace of life and spent my days sun bathing and my nights running along the beach and eating Thai food.
So far the Thai food I have eaten has been absolutely delicious and I have keenly awaited meal times! I have tried to eat a different dish every night, and have already tucked into a wide variety of food; I'm really enjoying 'Pad Thai' which is standard backpacker fare, but I've tried various Thai curries, noodle soups, and yummy garlic/pepper/chili concoctions. The Thais are not afraid of flavour!
Koh Lipe has a much more chilled out vibe than Langkawi, and all the bars run along the beach usually with mats or hammocks to lie in rather than chairs. One bar even had people lying down at the bar! As it was so chilled out the evenings tended to wind down by 11 pm.
I absolutely loved Koh Lipe and decided to stay on two extra nights after Anya left, I just couldn't bear leaving this paradise so soon! But after 5 days I felt fully relaxed and was ready to move onto a place which was a little livelier and a bit more conducive for meeting people. So feeling quite sad I bid farewell to wonderful Koh Lipe, and headed to the much bigger island of Koh Lanta.
I hope that I will be able to return to Koh Lipe one day, and I really hope that when I go back it hasn't been swallowed by tourism.. but only time will tell!
I had read that Thailand was nicknamed the land of smiles; and they weren't lying. As I wandered around the island looking for an affordable room I couldn't believe how smiley all the Thai people were; even when I turned down their offers of massages, tattoos and taxis they seemed unshakably happy.
I ended up sharing a room with a girl I had met in Penang. I had bumped into her on the beach during the immigration process and agreed to minimise our costs by sharing a room. As there were no dorms in Koh Lipe we opted for a private fan room, and it felt like luxury. I loved having a big clean room with our own en-suite, it was like we were on a proper holiday! Luckily the bed in the room was massive (it had to be king size) which made sharing a bed with a virtual stranger a lot less awkward.
After settling into the room, Anya and I went to explore the island as neither of us knew much about it. We decided to check out the second beach on the island, and as soon as it came into sight we were absolutely blown away by it's beauty! I had seen so many gorgeous pictures of Thai beaches and it was like I had been dropped right into one of those photos. The beach was long, the sand was white, and the sea was a beautiful turquoise colour with long tail boats dotted all around. As I stood looking out to sea I remembered how hard I had worked in a job I disliked to afford to come here, and it all felt so worth it- I had made it to paradise and I was ecstatic!
Koh Lipe is a tiny island which is part of Tarauto national park. It is still in the process of 'being discovered' and so it's not busy or touristy, it's just extremely laid back. I immediately embraced this relaxed pace of life and spent my days sun bathing and my nights running along the beach and eating Thai food.
So far the Thai food I have eaten has been absolutely delicious and I have keenly awaited meal times! I have tried to eat a different dish every night, and have already tucked into a wide variety of food; I'm really enjoying 'Pad Thai' which is standard backpacker fare, but I've tried various Thai curries, noodle soups, and yummy garlic/pepper/chili concoctions. The Thais are not afraid of flavour!
Koh Lipe has a much more chilled out vibe than Langkawi, and all the bars run along the beach usually with mats or hammocks to lie in rather than chairs. One bar even had people lying down at the bar! As it was so chilled out the evenings tended to wind down by 11 pm.
I absolutely loved Koh Lipe and decided to stay on two extra nights after Anya left, I just couldn't bear leaving this paradise so soon! But after 5 days I felt fully relaxed and was ready to move onto a place which was a little livelier and a bit more conducive for meeting people. So feeling quite sad I bid farewell to wonderful Koh Lipe, and headed to the much bigger island of Koh Lanta.
I hope that I will be able to return to Koh Lipe one day, and I really hope that when I go back it hasn't been swallowed by tourism.. but only time will tell!
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