The Maldives of Thailand. When I first saw this island on Instagram I couldn’t stop dreaming about visiting! It looked so perfect, small, quiet, very undeveloped compared to most of the famous Thai islands that you’d probably think of because it’s that bit harder to get to. You can only reach it by boat. We got the ferry there from Langkawi, check the time of year as most routes only run in the dry, calm season which I believe is roughly November-April. We booked our accommodation almost a year in advance as they get booked up for peak season as it’s a pretty small place. Whilst it’s not strictly like a Maldivian island, it is stunning and very small. An absolute tropical, paradise island with such a gorgeous vibe. Surrounded by beaches, long tail boats and with a main walking street down the middle of it.

The details //

We originally booked a direct BA flight to Kuala Lumpur {cheaper than to Thailand & closer to Lipe - our first stop} but then BA cancelled the whole route a few months after we booked it! So we had to switch to go indirect with Qatar which I didn’t really want to do as I hate changing through the big hubs in the middle of the night. Especially with kids!
It was a pretty gruelling, long travel day but we knew that in advance, the price you pay! I always find travelling west-east harder on your body jet lag wise than east-west. We had pretty much just got to sleep when we had to then change planes in the middle of the UK time night in Doha, an assault on your senses in a bright, bustling hub where you have no idea what day or time it is. We make it hard on ourselves by booking hand luggage only to save £ on the extra check in fees but it means then hauling loads of rucksacks around. Anyway, not a moan by any means. Travel is the thing that brings us so much joy and we know what a huge privilege it is! But in the interest of transparency I always share the highs & lows.
We flew with Air Asia from Kuala Lumpur to Langkawi and booked a night in The Grand lodge Hotel Langkawi after our long haul flights to give a buffer. We couldn’t guarantee we’d get there to make the last ferry! It was only a 5 minute drive from the airport and then a 10 minute drive to the Telaga ferry terminal the next morning, through wild monkey forests where we spotted lots on the road much to the kids delight . We had to set early alarms and I prebooked a Grab taxi in advance ~ similar to an uber.
You have to clear immigration before you set off from Langkawi as you’re crossing an international border so you need to arrive a good hour and a half before you’re due to sail for them to process your passports. It’s a hot, sticky, mosquito filled wait! But there is a great coffee/croissant place there.
Make sure you book your ferry in advance, especially for high season.

If you’re coming from Thailand you can cross get speedboat transfers from most islands but it is a long, often bumpy crossing.

On arrival to Koh Lipe, you’ll transfer from the ferry onto a long tail boat to reach the shore. You’ll then pay the national park fee and wait for your passports to come back. It’s best to take cash with you in advance, THB, but there is an ATM nearby if you need it ~ they process a lot at once so you have got a bit of time sat on the beach whilst you wait but I’d heard that it can run out at times ~ and exchange rates for difference currencies. Once you’ve got your pass you can go to find your accommodation!
I could not get over this island! Granted, it’s not the Maldives in terms of really luxurious, tiny private islands but it’s MILES cheaper & has a rustic charm with a super relaxed, fun vibe that you don’t get there. The beaches are just incredible. It’s actual paradise.
It was really child friendly, everyone was so kind to our kids {although some were too OTT with our son wanting to pick him up or touch him a lot, he learnt to say no thank you!}, most of the resorts are all along the beaches then there’s a main walking street with pretty much everything you could need.

We stayed @akiralipe in a really spacious traditional villa which is in a fab location right on the beach and just a few minutes along from the walking street, has 3 pools, a great breakfast buffet, stunning grounds & a kids playroom. It was good value. No complaints other than rubbish WiFi ha. But for other accommodation options look up @10moons, @anaya and for a £££ option with private pools on the beach @bulowbungalows look incredible or Irene. There are lots of budget bungalows & even hostels too but you’d probably want to check they have aircon.
We’ve eaten amazing budget but insanely delicious Thai @bananatreekohlipe multiple times , brunch @elephantkohlipe and @serendipitykohlipe has the most incredible views. There’s tropical fruit, smoothies and fresh coconuts for sale everywhere along with rotis, mango sticky rice & fresh coconut ice cream. Can’t get over the amount of bbq seafood here too. And how cheap everything is!
Our favourite beaches have been North Point with hammocks over the sea & a playground on the beach. And the coves by 10 moons. There’s also a secret cove to the right of Pattaya beach, along a wooden track, as you look at the sea. Sunset beach for a gorgeous evening vibe. Basically all of them are incredible. We found they all had really calm water, perfect for little ones and the sea was so warm, crystal clear and we loved spotting the fish swimming around!
You can walk pretty much everywhere in 20 mins, it’s a very scenic island to walk around and just about all buggy friendly - we managed with our Yo-yo although there are some steep hills or grab a tuk tuk to zoom around.
We’ve had very chilled beach & pool days but hired a glass bottom kayak to see the coral & fish one day and have traded up beach massage time - both just £10 for an hour!
Don’t miss the famous fire shows. On every night at Monkey Beach Bar and outside of Akira Lipe on the sand around 7-8pm but double check the time as the tide can make it a bit earlier or later.
There are lots of diving trips and snorkelling here if you’re into it.
Honestly it’s ticking so many boxes for our perfect holiday, can’t get over it.
There’s a couple of doctors clinics on the island, pharmacies & 7/11 for anything you need.
I’ll let the photos do the rest of the talking but we want to go back already!