Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/587664
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 18 OCTOBER 2015 44 Travel Koh Lipe – One of Thailand's last remaining hidden gems THE phrase 'hidden gem' means only one thing in the world of travel – a relatively unspoiled destination on the fast-track to becoming the next 'it' des- tination. Meant to be the next 'hidden gem' since Koh Phi Phi made headlines after the film The Beach, this island is truly beautiful with its crystal clear waters that make Comino's blue lagoon seem like murky pale blue water. But you must get there here fast. It only has a few years left before it becomes overrun by tourists of all sorts from all over the globe. The locals here are still local and they still genuine- ly help because they want to and not because they'll get paid to. However, as the influx of tour- ism grows, the more likely the local Chao Leh people are to lose their identity. Koh Lipe is a very small island with a population of about 700, made up of both local Chao Leh and foreign settlers. It is located just within reach of the Malay- sian border (one hour away from the closest Malaysian Island by speedboat), and geographically located in a prime spot such as not to be affected by the murky waters of the Malacca Straits and is protected by two other big islands, Koh Rawi and Koh Adeng, which both fall under the protection of the Tarutao national park. Because of all this, Koh Lipe has been blessed with clear waters with a visibil- ity of around 20 metres on an average day, coral reefs that of- fer some of the best snorkeling in the region and also some of the best diving in Thailand. The dive sites on the island offer great fish spotting, a wreck, an underwater pinnacle, sea horses and the seasonal whale shark. There are great snorkeling sites dotted around the island, how- ever one site not to be missed is Sunrise Beach, between the two small islands just off the beach. Check out the variety of fish and fauna that come in a myriad of colours and get a tan whilst do- ing so. There are few cars on the is- land, five at most, there are bikes however but they are mostly used by the locals and unless you befriend one, renting one is vir- tually impossible. To get around the island which in truth can be walked around with general ease, you can get a ride with one of the islands few taxi bikes at a cost of 50 Bhat (just over €1). Three beaches make up for the islands main hot spots and are named Sunset beach, Sunrise beach and Pattaya beach. I am sure you can figure out what the first two beaches are well known for, as for Pattaya it hosts the major night life and has a string of bars along the beach, all with mattresses and tables laid out down to the shore line. If you stay long enough you can watch the tidal change un- der a star filled sky that can be blinding. Apart from these main areas, there are a few other spots that are mainly residential huts or camping areas, the rest is jungle and not easily acces- sible. All areas are connected with sandy roads and wearing a torch at night is recommended to avoid stepping on snakes. Another way to explore the outer reaches of the pristine snorkeling and dive sites would be by hiring a private long tail boat. One of these will take you around for six hours to your de- sired destination. Cruise around, spot an empty beach or some good coral or even a path that leads to a good viewpoint, well just let the driv- er know and that spot is now yours to explore. If you feel like a good work out, why not just hire a kayak for the day and see how far you can explore but just make sure you take sun block, the sun can be deadly even for a Maltese sun worshipper. For the adrenaline junkie, hire a kite-surfer or a windsurfer. But if exerting yourself isn't what gets you going you can easily just grab your favourite read and chill out on the golden sands and soak up some rays while you are being watched by sea eagles or Brahminy Kites. Of course this island offers a de- cent variety of wildlife, however most can be found on the sur- rounding islands. Accommodation on this island can be tricky come peak season so it is best to book in advance. In low season however the ball is in your court and you can find any accommodation with- out hassle. Prices range between 800-4,000 Bhat (€18-€90) in peak season and the beach-front bungalows generally go for 1,000 Bhat (€22) and higher. The best time to come would be between November and mid-December, as the weather is said to be love- ly most days and the beach bun- galows are available for a price of around 600 Bhat (€13). Please note that I am talking about the beach on high demand which is Sunrise beach. These prices are for bungalows on the prized Sunrise beach, and though ac- commodation on the other two beaches are relatively lower the still start at around 700 Baht (€15). Thailand has fallen prey to the effects of tourism with many spots offering no more than a Western experience on a pretty beach. Koh Lipe has escaped this reality, however it will not be long before the tourists discover this hidden gem so try and head down there as soon as possible to experience the real Thailand. Hopefully it will learn from Koh Phi Phi and be preserved as well as possible, however if any of the other tourist-popular islands are anything to go by this is an unlikely scenario. Getting there You can get there in one of four ways, all by sea however as Koh Lipe is without a landing strip and should probably stay that way. The faster and more expensive option include either getting a speed boat from any of the other islands from Phuket or Langkawi which is the last island on the Malaysian border. Emirates offer regular flights to both Phuket and Langkawi. Flights departing from Malta to Phuket on 30 October and re- turning on 12 November were priced at €815, including tax, at the time of going to print. Flights to Langkawi on the same dates were priced at €1,023.33. If you do get a speed boat from Langkawi, it is extremely impor- tant to make sure that you have a Thai visa sorted from before and if you do not, make sure that the company taking you there sort out a proper full passport page Visa for you before you go. Make sure you research the reli- ability of the company you are traveling with. We made the mistake of trust- ing our transporters, Tropical Charters, who claimed to be able to sort out visas as required, however, as we discovered, this was far from the truth and we were turned back. The more cost effective way to get there is by ferry from both Satun and Pok Bara in Thailand or Kuala Perlis in Malaysia. It just takes an hour or two long- er. Photos and text by Marc Ca- solani