Region: Southern Thailand> Province: Satun> Location: Ko Lipe

Ko Lipe

For an island this size, Ko Lipe has a lot of eating and drinking options. These are a few of our favorites, but take a walk around and you'll find a lot more.

Sunset Beach
Being the least developed of Lipe's beaches, there's also fewer restaurants here. The restaurant at Porn Resort serves big portions of Thai food at reasonable prices considering there's not very much competition nearby. This a great place to relax with a beer and watch the sun set. There's a nightly seafood BBQ and the menu includes sandwiches and some pasta dishes (from 80B). Next to Sabye Divers, the Flour Power Bakery bakes fresh treats like cinnamon buns (60B), brownies (40B), and pies (80B) every morning. Western breakfasts and sandwiches are served with their hearty whole-grain bread. Jack's Jungle Bar is a short way up the path leading to the village and serves up excellent Thai food, with more selections than anywhere else on the island. The bar is a popular alternative to the denser nightlife on Pattaya beach, particularly with the expat dive-masters. There's live music Wednesday and Saturday nights and a pool table. Mixed drinks start at 150B.

Sunrise Beach
The Sunrise Restaurant has only a few plastic tables set up on the sand but, with the best prices on the beach, often fills up in the evenings. It looks like someone's forgotten their homework on the tables, but the school notebooks are actually the menu –- try the Thai-style fried fish (from 80B) or something from the 'oodles of noodles' list (50B). The staff here can also do laundry (50B/kilo) and refill your plastic water bottles (10B). The restaurant at Forra's is popular in the late afternoon as divers return to refuel with one of their excellent fruit shakes and a snack. There's also a bar with a great laid-back atmosphere that's perfect for swapping stories about elusive mantra rays and reef sharks over a Singha beer. All of the resorts along the beach have their own restaurant, but the Mountain Resort restaurant is the only one with a view. Perched on a hill above the beach, the food is delicious, the service is excellent, and the prices are more reasonable that you'd think. The barbequed fish is highly recommended. On the beach below Mountain Resort is the hippie-ish Karma Bar. With good chill-out music and a nightly fire show, the Karma Bar has been a popular place since moving from ko Phi Phi in 2004. They have one of the best stocked bars on the island and can even mix you a martini. If you're not a drinker, they also blend a mean fruit shake and have western bar snacks like toasties. Cocktails start at 150B.

Pattaya Beach
The Swiss-run Cafe Lipe is a popular spot for healthy breakfasts of muesli, yogurt, and the like. It's also a rare establishment in that the bulk of the work is done by the western owner, not a bevy of cheap local labour. The huge restaurant at Daya Resort has one of the cheaper menus on Pattaya Beach. There's an extensive menu with a big selection of Thai food. One-plate dishes like fried noodles or rice with basil chicken start at 50B. Most of Lipe's nightlight takes place on Pattaya beach, and bars here can get crowded during the peak season. Possibly serving the cheapest beers on the beach, the Barracuda Bar is popular with the young, male crowd and can get rowdy as the night goes on. If you prefer a mellower scene, head to the Time to Chill or Reggae Bar. At opposite ends of the beach, both places have cushion seating right on the beach. Each year on February 6 the Reggae Bar celebrates Bob Marley's birthday with a 3-day music and culture festival.

Inland
On the pathway connecting Pattaya and Sunrise beaches is a cluster of small restaurants, shops, and bars. Satisfy your sweet tooth with a crepe from the Pancake Lady -– choose from fillings like coconut, banana, and chocolate. The Banana Leaf restaurant serves average food, but drink prices are good and they play movies every night on a big projection screen. The tiny Focus Bar has a live Thai band every night and can get crowded with people dancing on the sand. The random fire crackers are an annoying and unnecessary touch. Pooh's restaurant serves fabulous, albeit incredibly over-priced food. Even though it's not on the beach, the atmosphere is ideal for a romantic dinner -– candle light, ambient music, and real tables with tablecloths. The extensive menu covers both Thai and Western dishes, plus there's a nightly seafood barbeque including a salad bar and baked potato. They're also the closest thing to a Starbucks on the island and can make lattes and cappuccinos (80B). Pooh's bar has big cushions on the ground where you can watch concerts on their big TV. Drinks are pricey.