Where Thailand is still insider tip
Turquoise sea, the finest pale yellow sand, everything as if painted.
Who wants to Ko Lipe gets wet feet, that's for sure. About 150 meters before the main beach Pattaya Beach you have to change, from the ferry to a narrow longtail boat, which brings you almost to the beach. But only almost, the first contact with Ko Lipe is a jump in the warm, waist deep water. And then you stand there, the sun in your back, you see this beach, which is a dream, with turquoise water and the finest pale yellow sand, everything as painted. You have the sound of the sea and the wind in the palm trees in your ear, to shreds of lazy chill-out music, of a little reggae, a fluffy sound carpet is, and suddenly everything falls off, the ellenlong train ride, the stuffy , bumpy bus, the roar of the outboard, it all feels good, totally relaxed. The sky is deep blue, a few dozen people stroll along the long beach, in the bay are all longtail boats, and it is: peace.
Seenomadin: a woman from the Chao Leh
There are well over 200 islands in the seas around Thailand, hundreds of nameless mini-islands are not even counted. Ko Lipe is the southernmost one, on Thailand maps right at the bottom; if they are a bit more generous, a thumb width of deeper Malaysia begins. You could easily overlook it: It is about three kilometers long, only one and a half wide, there are three large beaches plus a few bays, right next door are some larger, higher and uninhabited islands - Ko Lipe rumpeliegt in Tarutao National Park. To reach them, you have to be adventurous and ready to take on something. From Bangkok, for example, the journey can easily become a 30-hour expedition. If the trains are on time, but in Thailand is about as rare as snow.
Island happiness: hang out, read, sleep, anyone as he pleases - and the best cappuccino Ko Lipes's in the "Blue Tribes Resort" too.
And why this stress for such a drunken little piece of land in the sea? Because Ko Lipe is something special among Thailand's many islands. Yes, of course, there is tourism there, no spots in Thailand are unaffected. But by no means is it as crowded as the islands further north - the beaches are not crowded even in the main travel season, the creeks are quite secluded. It is one of the few islands that has been largely spared the tsunami at Christmas 2004, just a few meters up the beach, the wave sloshed, and the coral reefs have not been affected. And Ko Lipe is the only island in the beautiful Tarutao National Park to inhabit, and is a perfect base camp for those who come to the area for diving and snorkeling. And they are rewarded for the long journey: As soon as you are under the surface with the mask on, you are surrounded by doctor and clown fish, corals shine on the seabed - that's great, you will not forget that. There is still an intact, breathtaking underwater world. And overwater world, because the national park islands of Ko Rawi and Ko Adang, both within reach, are huge uninhabited tropical retreats compared to Ko Lipe, natural paradises that are worth a day trip, with long tail boats, all controlled by the Chao Leh Sea nomads - a special, fascinating people. This was her island.
Almost 100 years ago, they settled here, maybe 80 of them, that's not what they know. The island was uninhabited at the time and initially uninhabitable. At least for humans: crocodiles ruled on Ko Lipe. But because there was drinking water and was especially beautiful, the Chao Leh chased the reptiles to the neighboring island Ko Andang - or killed, until the island was free of them. And from then on, the sea nomads lived on the beaches and the coral sea.
On the Thai mainland there is a large community of Chinese immigrants, especially in Bangkok, but also in the south. They are generally considered to be particularly enterprising. Thai people from the area around Satun in the south were also the ones who came up with the idea that this island could earn money in the booming tourist country of Thailand. They bought the Chao Leh their beaches, for too little money and sometimes with firearms on the negotiating table. That's just 15 years ago.
"Pattaya Song Resort" at the western end of Pattaya Beach: Some of the stilt bungalows have best beach location.
But with the tourism ran rather slowly, too far off the line is Ko Lipe, too difficult at that time was the arrival. As recently as 2006, there were only a handful of resorts with simple cabins, no electricity and running water. Today there is a generator plant in the middle of the island and water for everyone.Dozens of small and large resorts line the three beaches; from Pattaya Beach, Walking Street stretches hundreds of meters inland, with restaurants, massage booths, tattoo parlors, mini-markets.
And yet, Ko Lipe has a decisive advantage over all the other Thai islands: She still has a choice. She can decide where she wants to go. Whether she wants to become a fairground like the actually supernaturally beautiful Ko Phi Phi, which already reminds many backpackers of Mallorca. Whether it opens to mass tourism like Ko Lanta, Ko Samui and Ko Phangan - or whether it chooses a gentler version. Whether it wants to keep the still intact balance between holiday fun on Pattaya Beach and silence on Sunset Beach, whether it decides on sustainability, whether it wants to respectfully treat its nature. And that's what the people who live here decide.
So small is Ko Lipe that you almost overlook it on the map.
The United Nations of Ko Lipe are a peculiar mixture. There are the Chao Leh, the sea nomads. Then the ladyboys, mainland shemale working in a few resorts. Thai Chinese who own these facilities. The only travel agency on the island is Johann, a Frenchman, and his Thai wife, there is a Swiss restaurant owner and a German waitress, backpackers from Australia and the US, family vacationers from Sweden. And one of the most important people for the island can be found right on Pattaya Beach, between reggae bar and "Bundhaya" resort. His name is Luca Borghesi. Luca, 43, is from the Italian city of Parma. He is one of the most colorful characters on the island, bald-headed, barefoot - and one of the key figures when it comes to asking where Ko Lipe is going. Luca is a studied anthropologist and globetrotter. On New Year's Day 2005, he came to Ko Lipe, one week after the tsunami. Actually, he just wanted to meet the Chao Leh, he was curious about this archaic people without their own writing, but with outstanding maritime skills, "a collector's colony - as we did in Europe 20,000 years ago," he says. But then he stayed because he could not think of a better place to live than this one.
He also built a resort, but he did it differently than the Thais from the mainland: he rented the place on Pattaya Beach for 20 years, at a much higher price than Chao Leh got from others. And he lets the sea nomads, who own the land, live near the sea, where they belong. He calls his family "the 30 indigenous people who live behind the open wooden lobby. There are 1300 sea nomads on Ko Lipe, most of them live in a village in the northeast of the island, hundreds of meters from the sea. Luca Borghesi is her good spirit, supporting her rights, the reggae bar next to the "Blue Tribes" belongs to Luca's "family". "And back there, where the bay makes a little bend," says Luca, "there's Cheng."
Emigrants: Italian Luca runs a resort.
Cheng is also a Chao Leh. He was a fisherman until he built a resort himself a few years ago. He is one of three locals who hosts guests. "Sanom Beach" means his realm at the southern end of the island. He hires nine simple huts, in his small restaurant you can order something on the spot, there is no ticket. But the widest laugh west of Shanghai - Cheng, 37, is of contagious cheerfulness. And at the same time a role model, a sea nomad, who did not resign himself to the new conditions, but has a say in them. Just like Luca, the Italian, who has a concept for a sensible distribution of water in his pocket and advocates for regulated waste disposal. Who loves the wonderful island, "because the light, the water here is always different than the moment before". He arrived.
Above the lobby at his resort is a room he would only rent in an emergency, though it's really nice. It belongs to a person who only comes in for a few weeks every two years. Her name is at the door: Mom. A true Italian does not even change paradise.
find accommodation
Each guest's cabin - this is true for all resorts. The only question is: luxurious or basic? For the latter, the quiet in a bay is recommended Sanom Beach from Cheng (from about 17 euros per night and cabin, tel. 00 66/876 30 74 97, www.sanombeach.com). - The Blue Tribes The Italian Luca Borghesi on Pattaya Beach, a livelier beach area, is more comfortable - and costs more, a cabin for up to four people on the beach from about 28 euros. There is the best cappuccino on the island (Tel. 00 66/862 85 21 53, www.bluetribeslipe.com). - Quiet and high quality you live in Mountain Resort on Sunset Beach (for four people from about 26 euros, www.mountainresortkohlipe.com). - That is already very close to fine, but who appreciates real luxury, should be in the Serendipity Resort rent at Sunrise Beach (photo left); for about 140 euros per night (two people including breakfast / high season) you can enjoy modern design and luxurious interiors in a fantastic hillside location, and there is also a private beach (Tel. 00 66/883 95 51 58, www.serendipityresort-kohlipe .com).
Enjoy
Our man and the sea: ChroniquesDuVasteMondeAuthor Stephan Bartels on the rather quiet, long Sunrise Beach.
Almost everywhere it's delicious on Ko Lipe - well, you eat Thai here. It's almost a bit unfair to sing a restaurant. We do it anyway: in the middle of Walking Street is that Kon Laywhere we ate incredibly well: spicy papaya salad, chicken soup, padthai, a curry, all together under ten euros. Super. But we usually have our dessert at the Thai Pancake Lady Taken: It has its stand on the Walking Street just before the Pattaya Beach and made from about 70 cents allegedly the best filled pancakes from all over Thailand. No contradiction! But sometimes we were also looking for a fun atmosphere with a view: in the much too big one Bundhaya Resort You almost sit on the beach and get a good European-Thai meal served by ladyboys who fill the service with a mix of slapstick and travesty show. Likeable.
And otherwise?
The nightlife is clear, on Pattaya Beach are half a dozen bars next to each other, everywhere the mood is rather chilled than heated up. That does quite well, especially if you've been hanging around in the sea during the day. - And that's one of the highlights on Ko Lipe: snorkeling tours in the national park. The longtail boats (six-hour tours from € 28) also dock on Ko Rawi or Ko Adang, where you'll find secluded beaches and real jungle. There you can also spend a night, in simple Ranger huts for little money.
Getting there
For example, with Air Berlin from Frankfurt to Bangkok, back and forth about 750 Euro (www.airberlin.de). From Bangkok central station Hua Lamphong by train to Hat Yai, best in the sleeping car (about 17 hours, from about 30 euros, better book a day before departure). For the adventurous: The third class costs only about 7 euros (tickets at the station). From the city center in Hat Yai there is a bus to the ferry terminal to Pak Bara (two hours, about 3,50 Euro), from there a ferry to Ko Lipe (one and a half hours by speedboat, about 10 Euro), tickets can be paid locally or also be combined in travel agencies in Hat Yai. From Phuket there is the direct way by speedboat from the Rassada Pier (five hours, about 70 euros). Tickets directly at the pier or at www.tigerlinetravel.com
info
The best source of info for accommodation and ferries is the homepage of the only travel agency on Ko Lipe: www.kohlipethailand.com - Good addresses and tips in the travel guide "Thailand, The South" (Dumont-Verlag, 14.95 Euro). - Thailand Tourist Office, Bethmannstr. 58, 60311 Frankfurt, Tel. 069/138 13 90, www. thailandtourismus.de
