Ko Lipe

Alongside Bali, Thailand is an incredibly popular choice for tropical destinations thanks to its abundance of sun, beaches, grilled seafood and super friendly locals. Thailand is also cheap as chips, which never really hurts. However, if you were to head to famous hubs like Phuket and Krabi in winter, you’d have to elbow your way through the crowds just to find a little square of sand to park your rear end. And, in my book, that’s a sure way to ruin a tropical vacay. So, head to Koh Lipe instead – you will spend a little more, but when you see the kind of ‘paradise beaches’ that await you here, you’ll forget all about the few extra dollars. Coined the ‘Maldives of Thailand’, Koh Lipe is in a league of its own in the country — crystalline and balmy seas, fantastic accommodation, unreal stretches of sandy shores, snorkeling, amazing food, and completely devoid of tourist crowds. Koh Lipe is the only inhabited island in the Adang Archipelago, and it’s so far down the coast of Thailand (just to the west of Malaysia’s Langkawi Island – another gem) and time-consuming to reach, that 90% of visitors to Thailand simply give up and stay in Phuket instead. This spells fabulous news for all you intrepid adventurers! Lipe’s remoteness is certainly part of the appeal and if this were anywhere else, it would be plastered all over Instagram. So do yourself a favour and be the one to break the mould — promise you won’t regret it.