Gay Koh Lipe: the ultimate travel guide for the LGBTQ traveler

One of our favourite spots for a feast of grilled fresh fish was the unassuming but delicious Nee Papaya Thaifood and BBQ. It is located just off Walking Street. Warning – it gets super busy here so at peak times you may have to wait for a table. Like most restaurants serving fresh fish, you can pick your fish from the selection on display. However, what we love about Nee Papaya is that they seemed to have the freshest fish (look at the eyes of the fish to check they are shiny and clear not cloudy). Whether you order a fresh fish or seafood (try their barbecued squid!), we guarantee it's cooked to perfection here. We also love their sides – we always ordered local dishes like spicy mango and papaya salads. We ate here a few different nights so we could sample everything and never had a bad meal! The staff are also super friendly despite being so busy all the time.

Another place that's great for fresh fish is Ranee Seafood Restaurant. It has a very simple layout of wooden tables, a fresh fish display and the grill directly next to it. You may be tempted to walk on by but don't! The staff are really friendly (especially Ranee herself) and we loved that you could see the fresh catch laid out before you and they would grill it up right then in front of you. As well as the yummy fresh seafood they serve very inexpensive Thai dishes that are bursting with flavour. If you really want to experience a Thai family restaurant, you need to come here!

Our overall favourite non-Thai restaurant on Koh Lipe is the Italian La Luna, located just off the Walking Street. They do the best pizzas on the island from just 300 bahts (£6/$9). We know what you're thinking, Italian food in Thailand? This is the ideal place when you want a break from Thai food – and everything here is absolutely scrumptious and homemade. It would be pretty hard to pick a favourite dish but if we were forced then we'd say either the prosciutto pizza, Ravioli a formaggi or the pasta with salmon and asparagus.

Like Nee Papaya and Ranee Seafood, Bombay Restaurant doesn't look all that flashy but they serve the absolute best Indian food on Koh Lipe (in our humble opinion)! The naan breads are cooked right out the front of the restaurant and they're gooooood! As are the lassis. They also serve all the delicious curries you can imagine. The restaurant is very popular so expect to queue for a table but we promise it's worth the wait. We loved their onion bhajis, samosas, chicken tikka masala and, of course, the naan bread. The staff were always ready with a smile, no matter how busy.

We spent Valentines Day on Koh Lipe and had our special meal at the Idyllic Concept Resort's restaurant, The Cove Bistro, located right on Sunrise Beach. As you can probably tell, this is one of our favourite places to stay on Koh Lipe – the restaurant a big part of this. It's so romantic in the evening, with the tables set up right on the sand with lanterns around you and the evening waves behind you. It's as unique as it is romantic! The Cove is well-known for its unique take on Pad Thai as well as the fresh fish and seafood they have on display which you can choose from. To add to the atmosphere they usually have entertainment every evening, like live singing or fire shows on the beach.

The Box is a really cool resort made from old shipping containers, with a fabulous restaurant to boot. This is the place to come if you're craving some Spanish and Mediterranean dishes like Paella, tapas, burgers, steak or pasta. The Box is also very stylish to look at, with lots of wood panelling and even a tree growing right up through the middle of the restaurant floor out the front! They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as a variety of beers, champagne and cocktails, so you can pop in at any time of day for something tasty. Also note: if you're craving a Full English breakfast, this is the place to come.

We think it's pretty amazing that on such a tiny island like Koh Lipe you can sample a wide array of cuisines from all around the world. Another example of this is AROY restaurant, which serves mouth-watering Mexican dishes. If you feel like some nachos, fajitas or tacos you will be amply satisfied here. The cold mango shakes are a real highlight on those hot days, together with some homemade guacamole. Our favourite dish was the chicken with mole and a margarita on the side, of course! You can also have many of the menu items as vegetarian dishes as well, so veggie diners don't need to miss out.

We adore the decor at Cafe Tropical, as well as their delicious healthy dishes that are perfect for breakfast and brunch. With beautiful smoothie bowls, home-made bread, vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free dishes, nobody will be disappointed here. We loved the Mexican chocolate and peach strawberry smoothies bowl for breakfast, as well as their excellent coffee. But you definitely need to visit more than once to sample everything on offer. The slippery noodle bowl we had for lunch one day was another standout – a scrumptious mix of noodles, grilled shrimp, and veggies, tossed together in a ginger-sesame sauce…divine!

The OMG! Sports Bar & Restaurant was once a popular hangout in Koh Lipe, but on our last visit, it was always quite dead in the evening, unfortunately. They're famous however for showing a movie every evening on their projector in their lounge area, which gets quite busy. In addition, their food is also worth trying out. We love their local Thai dishes best but they also do western dishes like burgers, pasta and bangers and mash. They also have pool tables, a dartboard and screens showing any big sports matches.

Daya Resort has a lovely little restaurant located on Pattaya Beach, the first beach you'll come to when arriving on the island. They serve yummy fresh fish and other seafood dishes right on the sand. Like The Cove, it's very romantic. The only downside is that the service can be a little slow here, but that just gives you the chance to sit back, relax and get on island time! The seafood here is as fresh as it gets with incredible tuna, prawns and squid straight off the fishing boats cooked before you so you can enjoy eating them beachside.

Koh Adang is a large uninhabited island right opposite teeny Koh Lipe and it’s also an adventure paradise! Part of the Tarutao National Park, it’s completely reserved, with no development, other than a government ranger station, a camping area and a few bungalows you can rent to stay overnight. We love coming to Koh Adang by longtail boat from Koh Lipe – it’s only around 10 minutes. Koh Adang is less busy than Lipe, offering almost naked beaches, awesome snorkelling (tides permitting of course) and a trek up to Chado Cliff to get the best views of Koh Lipe and the surrounding area.

Koh Lipe is surrounded by crystal clear, calm turquoise waters that are perfect for snorkelling to marvel at the coral and sea life. Sunrise Beach was our favourite place to snorkel as it's so sheltered, plus there are two tiny islands just offshore teeming with clownfish (hello Nemo!), colourful parrotfish and pufferfish. There are shops all along the beach where you can rent snorkelling equipment while some of the beachside resorts offer it to guests for free. You can even join a snorkelling day trip to explore some of the nearby islands as well, perfect for living out those deserted island fantasies.

The longtail boat for us is synonymous with Thailand. These cute boats are the main way of getting around the waters of Koh Lipe to nearby islands and to the main diving sites. No trip to the Thai islands is complete without a ride in a longtail boat! While the boats may vary a bit in design the one common aspect is a secondhand car or truck engine to power them. With logging of natural forests in Thailand being banned, it's getting harder and harder for local Thais to be able to afford longtail boats. Paying to ride on one (rather than say, a speedboat), is a great way to support this traditional craft and local residents.

Scuba diving around Koh Lipe island is a massive highlight. The area is surrounded by super healthy coral in the 30 degrees water of the Andaman Sea. We went diving around the famous “Stonehenge” site, so called because the rock formations here resemble the Stonehenge site in the UK. As well as the tropical highlights (think Nemo clownfish), this site has really pretty unique soft coral which looks like one massive underwater garden. We recommend using a highly rated scuba diving school like Pura Vida Diving – the same diving school who we got our Open Water and Advanced qualifications with many many years ago in Koh Tao.

To make your island getaway even more relaxing, you could join a beach sunrise yoga class. Is there any better way to start your day than warrior pose while standing in the sand watching the rising sun paint the waves orange? There are three different places where you can just drop in on a yoga class: Keirita's Yoga & Diving, Castaway Resort and at the Idyllic Concept Resort. These classes are suitable for both beginners and those with yoga experience, plus you can choose between just a one-off class or a package of classes if you're staying on the island for a while.

Plastic and other rubbish getting into the ocean is a huge problem so we were delighted to find a group on Koh Lipe which is dedicated to clearing up this waste. Trash Hero is a worldwide organisation, and the Koh Lipe chapter meets every Monday at 10am to clean up one of the nearby islands. If you want to be involved you can just head down to Pattaya Beach before 10am and look for the people in the yellow Trash Hero shirts. You'll sail by longtail boat to a nearby island and spend an hour or two clearing up rubbish, with some time left over for swimming and snorkelling. As a bonus, all volunteers are treated to lunch on return.

Along with snorkelling gear you can also rent kayaks on Sunrise Beach, or use them for free if you're staying at a resort that provides them. You can then paddle out to one of the two tiny islands just off the beach, or perhaps further to other small and uninhabited islands around Koh Lipe. Paddling across the turquoise waters and then finding a secluded beach to sunbathe and swim made us feel like the last two men left on earth! It's a lovely way to get away from other tourists, relax, do some snorkelling, maybe read and reconnect with your partner, or just with nature.

One of the islands near Koh Lipe that's definitely worth visiting is the magical Koh Hin-Ngam. This tiny island sits north-west of Koh Lipe, right next to Koh Adang, and you can hire a longtail boat to take you there or join a local tour. What makes it so special are the black shiny rocks stretching out endlessly along the shoreline. However, don't be tempted to take a rock home with you as a souvenir as legend says the island is guarded by a spirit named Chao Pho Tarutao who will curse anyone who takes a rock from the island. But if you are able to make a tower out of 12 rocks, then all your wishes will come true!

If you are really really lucky, then you might spot some luminous blue lights in the waters surrounding Koh Lipe at night. This phenomenon is caused by bioluminescent plankton floating in the ocean, and it can make the sea look like it's filled with tiny glittering stars. You can book night-time snorkelling tours on the island to experience swimming in the bioluminescent plankton, which is a truly surreal and incredible experience! Alternatively, the Cliff Beach (which we mentioned earlier) sometimes gets the plankton washing up on shore so you can see it without swimming in pitch-black waters.

We stumbled across the Lipe Art Garden and found a wonderful little place that's totally different from the rest of the island. It's located up in the jungle-y part of the island so there's a completely different vibe. The Lipe Art Garden is part accommodation and part art workshop, as you can come along to learn how to do Batik painting under the supervision of a Thai artist. They have regular workshops for Batik painting or painting on t-shirts which is a fun way to get your creative juices flowing! On the way, you can also pop into the next-door Buddhist Temple for some quiet reflection.

How to get there: See our how to get there section above for more details, but the easiest way to visit Koh Lipe is by flying to Hat Yai from within Thailand, getting a bus from Hat Yai to Pak Bara and from there a speedboat to the island. You can also book the entire journey directly through 12Go Asia.

Visa requirements: Residents of quite a few countries can visit Thailand for periods of 90, 30 or 14 days without needing a visa, although there are caveats to go with this. Some nationalities will need to apply for a visa so we definitely recommend checking your personal visa requirements well before booking your travel to Koh Lipe.

Getting around: It's very easy to get around Koh Lipe since it's such a small island! You can easily explore the entirety on foot, or hail a tuk-tuk if you don't feel like walking or have luggage to haul along. You can also head down to Pattaya Beach to hire longtail boats to help you explore the islands nearby.

Power Plugs: There are quite a few different power plug types used in Thailand (and therefore on Koh Lipe), specifically types A, B, C, F and O. Since some of these only work with specific sockets, your best bet is to bring a universal travel adaptor with you so you won't ever be caught unable to charge your phone or other essential devices!

Travel insurance: We definitely recommend you organise travel insurance before your trip to Koh Lipe, as you just never know when something could go wrong and leave you stranded or out of pocket. We love World Nomads travel insurance and have been using them for years. Their comprehensive coverage is second to none and their online claims process is very user-friendly.

Safety and Security: Even on a beautiful and safe island like Koh Lipe, all travellers (gay or not) can sometimes encounter danger when travelling. We use Close Circle's “virtual bodyguard” app which provides security alerts and support wherever you are in the world. They have a 24/7 emergency response team monitoring their users who will contact you immediately if the SOS swipe button is activated. Support can include anything from practical advice, to free evacuation from areas with extreme weather or terrorist attacks. You can read more about CloseCircle in our article about how to stay safe whilst travelling.

Vaccinations: Before travelling to Koh Lipe you should make sure you're up to date with routine vaccinations like measles, mumps and chickenpox. Most travellers should also be vaccinated for hepatitis A and typhoid. Some travellers may also need vaccinations for hepatitis B, cholera, Japanese encephalitis, malaria, yellow fever and rabies, depending on what you'll be doing. Check the CDC website for the most up to date info before you head to Thailand and talk to your doctor.

Currency: The currency used in Koh Lipe (and the rest of Thailand, of course) is called the Thai Baht. The currency code is THB and the symbol is written as ฿. Currently, $1 USD is worth about ฿31.87, €1 converts to around ฿34.66 and £1 is worth about ฿41.18.

Tipping culture: Thailand is not a country with a strong tipping culture so you won't ever be expected to tip on Koh Lipe or other places. If you feel like you received really good service you can always round up to the nearest note as a tip. Check out this guide for more detailed information on when you should or shouldn't tip in Thailand.

Internet access: You can access free WiFi at some of the resorts, cafes and restaurants on Koh Lipe. If you want to make sure you have reliable internet access then you can also purchase a local SIM card from the 7-11 on the island, or by renting a portable WiFi device while you're in the country.

Online privacy: While you won't have any problems accessing gay dating apps like Grindr or Scruff while you're on Koh Lipe, you may just prefer to keep your internet activities private and secure. We like to use Express VPN when we're travelling as their service is an affordable and reliable way to browse the internet with complete privacy.

Accommodation: For more accommodation options on Koh Lipe we love to use Booking.com as they offer the best prices. Their online booking system is very easy to use, plus they have excellent customer support available 24/7.

Sightseeing and adventure: We also like to use GetYourGuide when searching for fun things to see and do on Koh Lipe. They also have an easy to use online booking system and customer support available to help you 24/7.

When to visit: Depending on what you want from your holiday, you can time your visit to Koh Lipe for the hot and sunny high season or the cooler, but cheaper, low season. Between January and early May, the weather is lovely and hot which means the island is also much busier. From June – September there is more rainfall (but not constantly) so you can take advantage of fewer people and lower prices. October – November is probably the only time to really avoid travelling to Koh Lipe as it rains a lot!