Ko Lipe In October

[nwflyboy]

Me and my wife are headed to Thailand for a short (way too short) trip this coming October. This is not really a "dive trip", it's for other things, but as long as we're going to be there, I want to spend a few days at some place with beautiful, clear water, good marine life, and good diving. We only have a few days - this will be a side-trip from BKK.

We're currently thinking about Lipe. We've done some diving on the Andaman side and I know it's the best part. Have not been as far south as this previously (we've been to the Similans, Lanta, etc.).

How's Lipe generally for diving, and what kind of conditions should I expect in mid-October? I'm told that the rainy season should probably be over by then and we can expect decent weather. True?

Any recommendations for a dive outfit on Lipe?

Many thanks!

 

[helarno]

We're currently thinking about Lipe. We've done some diving on the Andaman side and I know it's the best part. Have not been as far south as this previously (we've been to the Similans, Lanta, etc.).

How's Lipe generally for diving, and what kind of conditions should I expect in mid-October? I'm told that the rainy season should probably be over by then and we can expect decent weather. True?

Any recommendations for a dive outfit on Lipe?

Many thanks!

Dove there in 2013, during the first week of Oct. I think it rained once or twice during the 6 days we were there, all light drizzles rather than huge storms. Definitely did not prevent any diving. Visibility wasn't that great, around 10-15m. I did enjoy the dives back then and there was a fair bit to see. Hazy memory says it was comparable against the Similan islands itself (assuming 10m visibility), but not against places like Richelieu Rock or Koh Bon.

The island was pretty deserted during the time we were there - quite a few resorts hadn't even opened for the season. Definitely enjoyed the peace and quiet. The boat ride over was like a roller coaster though - large waves and speedboats made for a challenging ride.

Dove with Castaway divers there. Decent outfit and would dive with them again. Supposedly pricier than average though.

 

[stevenl]

October will be really quiet there, and there will not be many boat options. Also take into account it will take some time to reach Lipe from Bangkok. Sounds like the more accessible places with an airport close by would suit you better, check Ao Nang and Phuket.

 

[nwflyboy]

Dove there in 2013, during the first week of Oct...The island was pretty deserted during the time we were there - quite a few resorts hadn't even opened for the season. Definitely enjoyed the peace and quiet.

"Pretty deserted" sounds good (actually, that's what I like). Do you recall where you stayed, and how you liked it?

October will be really quiet there, and there will not be many boat options. Also take into account it will take some time to reach Lipe from Bangkok. Sounds like the more accessible places with an airport close by would suit you better, check Ao Nang and Phuket.

Yeah, I know how long it'll take to get there (I'm fine with flying to Had Yai, the drive to the port, then the speedboat to Lipe). Phuket is really not what I'm looking for, I prefer places that are not quite so touristy. Uncrowded is more my style.

Thanks for the input so far, please keep it coming.

 

[SimonAloha]

Unfortunately Phuket suffer from a bad reputation because tourism has boomed in recent years. But they are still there, the beautiful and peaceful regions, where gentle tourism prevails. The most original and quiet area is far south called Rawai / Nai Harn. You can still find secluded beaches, which are considered as an insider tip. Here individualists and adventurer feel comfortable and explore the area with a rental car or motorbike on their own.

 

[Griffo]

"Pretty deserted" sounds good (actually, that's what I like). Do you recall where you stayed, and how you liked it?



Yeah, I know how long it'll take to get there (I'm fine with flying to Had Yai, the drive to the port, then the speedboat to Lipe). Phuket is really not what I'm looking for, I prefer places that are not quite so touristy. Uncrowded is more my style.

Thanks for the input so far, please keep it coming.

We stayed there back in 2011. We alternated between Idyllic Concept (think 5 star but small) and Serendipty (think more traditional eco resort). Both are near each other and we wanted to mix it up a little. Both were great places in their own way, but I definitely appreciated the air-con and TV in Idyllic when I got a touch of travellers belly for a few days just when we were switching resorts

As for diving, I was a novice diver at the time, but we did a number of dives in places like Stone Henge that seemed good at the time. I recall it was about 30 mins by longtail to get to the various dive sports.

 

[stevenl]

Longtail to go diving in October? I'd stay far away from that. Also better make sure dive operations are open and running with enough guests to go out.

 

[helarno]

"Pretty deserted" sounds good (actually, that's what I like). Do you recall where you stayed, and how you liked it?

Stayed at Castaway Resorts, dived with their dive shop. Because I was taking a course with them, lodgings were free. Being the low season, their rooms were not full back then. Not sure if that is still true today.

They were built as a very eco friendly location, which has its plus and its minuses. Their impact on environment is minimal and their wooden rooms/buildings do have a very unique feel. Definitely not the standard hotel room or brick building. However, there was no A/C or hot water back then. Also have to bring mosquito repellant as they are not willing to use the mosquito killing/repelling methods that would damage the environment.

I liked their food in general and the dive shop/instructors were decent. It was a very peaceful experience and I would repeat again as long as the boat ride over wasn't so rough.

 

[JD_McCombs]

I too am looking at diving in Koh Lipe in October. Although I used to live in Bangkok, I'm pretty unfamiliar with the south of Thailand. I've spent a some time in Koh Lanta, Trang, and Langawai Malaysia. I'm going to be in Thailand for 12 days during the middle of October. I'd like to dive for around four days. Koh Lipe seems to offer a different experience than Lanta, in which I'm interested. I have been looking at castaway divers. Is that a good option? Where would be the best place to go in October? Any other tips?

 

[aumexican]

Went there in October last year. You will have to fly to hat yai, there are vans to the port and ferries to the island book a van/ferry at the hotel as it will not be full.
Not much is open in mid October I went 10 days by last few days a lot of stuff was open as it was long weekend and start of tourist season.
Dive at Forra, I was happy with them.
A few days may work if the flight van ferry align but it will be a day travel each way. I know vans will drop you off at the airport but not sure if you have enough time to get van down unless organised in advance.