Koh Lipe: A Stress-Relieving Escape

A week ago, a serene sunrise from Koh Lipe, sent by my dive master Ben, beckoned me. Amidst mounting pre-retirement stress, I swiftly planned a 5-day trip to the island on the Southern West side of Thailand, close to Malaysia.

In Langkawi's off-peak season, securing a ferry ticket to Koh Lipe was effortless. The picturesque drive along the North-South highway, adorned with paddy fields and lush greenery, preceded my early arrival at the Kuala Kedah ferry terminal. With fewer than 80 passengers, I boarded a smaller ferry.

At Langkawi terminal, my friend welcomed me for an early seafood dinner, sharing life updates.That night, nestled amidst serene paddy fields at my friend's house, I readied for the morning ferry to Koh Lipe. Coincidentally, a fellow diver among the ferry staff helped with the dive equipment as we navigated immigration and customs.The ferry journey took an hour to reach Koh Lipe waters.

Koh Lipe's mesmerizing sea showcased crystal-clear waters, vibrant marine life, and bustling sea activities - diving boats, snorkelling vessels, ferrying cheerful tourists. The hustle bustle of sea activities with diving boats ,snorkelling boats, and long tail catamaran boats crisscrossing the sea with so many happy tourists in it was so captivating to watch. The ferry docked in the deeper portion of the sea to prevent damaging the corals. Passengers were sent to the shore made of floating platoons in long tail catamaran boats in batches.

We then had to go through the immigration clearance, where I noticed a number of hotel representatives with sign boards to pick up their customers. 

Thankfully, the ferry ground staff and immigration cleared us fast with their seamless work culture.

We were picked up by a motorbike with side carriage arranged by the dive shop, Ocean Pro Diving. It was a bumpy, sandy ride of 2km to the dive shop.

Since it was 2 pm in Koh Lipe, there were no afternoon dives arranged. 

After a delicious lunch, we decided to trek up a small hill at Tarutao National Park on an island by itself.We could see the crystal clear water and white sand with small colourful fishes and corals as we near the island by the long tail catamaran

The sea water had a lovely hue of white, green n blue waters as we looked up the horizon.Under the scorching sun, a 10-minute journey to the park led us to a shady rest area. A steep climb through lush trees unveiled a magnificent panoramic view of Koh Lipe's islands. The climb up was steep with a 300m incline, and we had to trek for 1.5 km under the shady trees to reach the peak. The top of the hill provided a magnificent view of the isands of Koh Lipe.

We returned to Koh Lipe around 5 pm after a short swim to take respite from the heat.

I got a chance to experience staying with my dive master at his work quarters. They slept in dormitory style beds and shared a common bathroom. It was an eye-opening experience of the simplicity that my dive master has adopted to earn a living. Staying at my dive master's humble work quarters revealed their simple lifestyle.

The next morning, at 6 am marked my first dive. Following the routine and gearing up, we headed to the dive shop for breakfast before departing at 10 am. Amidst the sea's bustling activities, I reminisced about my pre-retirement life from the boat.The first day's dives had poor visibility, challenging buoyancy control amidst encountering sea creatures.

 The subsequent day, with better conditions, unveiled a diverse marine world, including cherished clown fishes reminiscent of my pet dog.

On the third day diving at 8 Miles Rock dive site, which is one of the last world class pinnacles left in the Andaman sea.We faced safety concerns due to strong currents and poor visibility, leading to abandon the dive.The dive master decided to take us to a different dive sites with less current and better visibility which enable us to have a glimpse of various fish species among colourful soft and hard corals offered a satisfying dive for the day.

Experiencing Koh Lipe's vibrant nightlife on the final day marked the end of a memorable pre-retirement respite, bidding farewell to my dive master. Returned home carrying beautiful island memories.




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