Koh Lipe is where you sleep, eat and swim; the rest of the park is where you explore. These are the ten places we would build a Tarutao trip around — Lipe’s three beaches and its main street, the forested islands of the Adang–Rawi group, the stone beach of Hin Ngam, Koh Khai’s arch and the wild former prison island of Koh Tarutao — each with its own guide covering what to do, how to get there and which tours cover it.
Things to Do in Tarutao & Koh Lipe
Ten places that turn a beach holiday into a proper island adventure.
Koh Lipe
Koh Lipe Pattaya Beach, Koh Lipe
Lipe’s arrival beach and its liveliest bay
The long, crescent-shaped bay on Lipe’s south coast, where most boats from Pak Bara and Langkawi arrive. Soft white sand, calm water in the high season, beachfront restaurants and bars — and, just offshore, a reef good enough for snorkelling straight from the sand.
Koh Lipe Sunrise Beach, Koh Lipe
Longtails, a sandbar and the view to Koh Adang
Lipe’s east-facing beach, running north to a white sandbar that points across the channel at the jungle-covered peaks of Koh Adang. It is where the longtail boats gather, where the Urak Lawoi village begins, and — as the name suggests — the place to be at dawn.
Koh Lipe Sunset Beach, Koh Lipe
A small cove for the evening show
A quiet, west-facing cove on Lipe’s far side, reached by a jungle path from the centre. There are only a few bars and bungalows here, a shallow reef and a clear view of the sun dropping behind the islands of the Adang–Rawi archipelago.
Koh Lipe Walking Street, Koh Lipe
The island’s car-free main street
The paved lane that crosses the waist of the island from Pattaya Beach to Sunrise Beach, lined with restaurants, dive shops, massage places, minimarts, ATMs and tour desks. There are no cars on Lipe — just scooters with sidecars and people on foot.
Adang–Rawi islands
Adang–Rawi islands Koh Adang
Jungle peaks and the Chado Cliff viewpoint
The big, mountainous island just north of Lipe, almost entirely covered in rainforest. From the national park station at Laem Son a steep trail climbs to Chado Cliff, the famous viewpoint over Lipe and the islands; there are also forest trails, a small waterfall and quiet beaches.
Adang–Rawi islands 
Adang–Rawi islands Koh Hin Ngam
The beach of polished black stones
A small island whose beach is made not of sand but of smooth, dark stones banded in grey and silver, polished by the sea. Visitors stack them into cairns — but local legend says anyone who takes one home is cursed until it is returned.
Koh Tarutao & the mainland
Koh Tarutao & the mainland 
Koh Tarutao & the mainland Koh Tarutao
The wild former prison island
The park’s largest island: 26 kilometres of rainforest, mangroves, limestone cliffs and long, empty beaches. In the 1930s and 40s it was a penal colony for criminals and political prisoners; today it is a quiet national park with bungalows, a mangrove river and some of the emptiest sand in Thailand.
Koh Tarutao & the mainland Pak Bara
The mainland gateway to the park
The fishing town and pier in La-ngu district that is the main departure point for boats to Tarutao, Koh Lipe and the rest of the park. The national park headquarters and visitor centre are here too. Most people pass through in an hour; an overnight stop helps with an early boat.
A sensible five days: Day one, arrive via Pak Bara and watch the sunset from Sunset Beach. Day two, a full longtail day to Adang, Rawi and Hin Ngam. Day three, the Chado Cliff hike at sunrise and a lazy afternoon on Sunrise Beach. Day four, try diving or take a private boat. Day five, leave via Koh Tarutao — or stay a night there in a park bungalow.
Plan your days in the Andaman Sea
Turn a Koh Lipe beach break into an island-hopping adventure
Snorkel the reefs of the Adang–Rawi islands, climb to the Chado Cliff viewpoint, walk the stone beach of Koh Hin Ngam and watch the sun set from a longtail boat. Compare the best-rated experiences and book in a couple of taps.