Koh Lipe is the busiest island in Tarutao National Park, but it is far from the whole story. The park covers 51 islands in two groups, Tarutao and Adang-Rawi, and a day among them is the easiest way to understand what this corner of the Andaman Sea really holds.

Some background before you go

The park was established in 1974 and spreads across the Andaman Sea off Satun Province, close to the Malaysian border. In 1982 it was listed as an ASEAN Heritage Park. From Sunrise Beach, the nearest islands look close enough to touch, and on a clear day you can count the ridges of Koh Adang from your beach chair.

The islands across the water: Adang and Rawi

Koh Adang lies just north of Koh Lipe, a long ridge of forest and rock with beaches at its foot. It is the island most guests see first, and it rewards a closer look. A short but steep walk leads to a viewpoint over the channel between Adang and Lipe, with the reef and the open sea spread out below. The island also has quiet beaches, jungle trails and a waterfall that runs in the wetter months.

Koh Rawi sits further north and feels quieter still. Its beaches are wide, the water is clear, and the reef suits an unhurried swim before lunch. Many boat trips combine Adang and Rawi in the same day, with a stop for snorkelling and another for a meal on the sand. If you want to escape the busiest hours on Lipe, this is the direction to go.

The best days are not the ones with the most stops. They are the ones where the boat slows down and you spend an hour in water so clear it feels like floating in air.

Small islands, big character: Hin Ngam and Khai

Koh Hin Ngam is unlike anywhere else in the park. Instead of sand, the island wears a coat of smooth black and grey stones, polished by the sea and stacked into strange shapes. The stones are beautiful, and the temptation to pocket one is real, but this is a protected national park and they stay where they are. The surface bakes under the sun and turns slippery near the water, so take your time and wear shoes you do not mind getting wet.

Koh Khai is a small island with clear water and a reef close to shore, often used as a snorkelling stop on the way to or from the larger islands. Its shape shifts with the tide, and on a calm day the water around it is some of the brightest blue you will see. If these short snorkel stops are your favourite part of the day, the islands off Sunrise Beach offer the same pleasure much closer to home.

Koh Tarutao, the quiet giant

Koh Tarutao is the largest island in the park, around 26 kilometres long and covered in forested hills. It feels different from Lipe: fewer buildings, more jungle, and long stretches of coast where the only sound is the sea. The island carries a difficult history as a former penal colony, and the remains of that period are part of what makes a visit here so absorbing.

Ao Son, on the west coast, is a long bay with a wide beach and a seasonal waterfall behind it. Turtles come ashore to nest in the park, and the forest shelters hornbills, monkeys, monitor lizards and other wildlife. A full day is the easiest way to see Tarutao without rushing, and some visitors stay overnight rather than return to Lipe in the late afternoon. If the history or the wildlife interests you, tell us and we will help you plan a trip that gives them time.

A day on the water

Most trips leave Koh Lipe in the morning, when the sea is usually calmest and the light at its best. We work with local Chao Ley boatmen who know these waters well, and we can arrange a private boat for your family or friends, or a shared trip if you would like to join a group. The plan always bends to the weather, so we check the conditions with you before anything is confirmed.

A short packing list earns its place here:

  • A dry bag for phones and cameras
  • Plenty of drinking water, a hat and sun protection
  • Cash for food and park fees (there are no ATMs on the smaller islands)
  • Shoes that can get wet, especially for Hin Ngam
  • Your own mask and fins, if you have them

Shops and restaurants on Tarutao are limited, so do not count on buying what you forgot.

Please do not collect shells, coral or stones, and do not feed the fish or chase wildlife. Keep a respectful distance from turtles and reef sharks, and follow your boatman and the park staff. These islands stay extraordinary only if everyone leaves them alone.

Back at Wapi, the evening is quiet. The boats return to the beach, the light softens over the water, and there is time for a shower and a slow dinner before the day ends. Tell us which direction sounds like yours, and we will help you find your way around the park.