No, Koh Lipe is not a "lonely" island, not at all. Even if it's very small and it is kind of harder to reach than the other thai beach destinations around, Koh Lipe has enough tourists that walk its shores. The loneliness in the title refers to my own experience, as I stayed five days on this small piece of land, of which three by myself. This was the last stop we had in Thailand during our two months trip around SE Asia two years ago. My boyfriend and the other friends I was traveling with had to go back in Romania and I decided to spend two more weeks by myself, continuing from Koh Lipe down on the malaysian coast.
This was the first time I was alone so far away from home. I can still remember waving goodbye to Alex, the last friend that left the group on that extremely hot morning. The sun reflected so strong on the white sand that I almost couldn't keep my eyes open. I took my backpack and started to search for a place to sleep for the next days. As I said the island is very small so it didn't take long to find something.
I spent the next days with no desire to talk to people or make new friends, I just wanted to be with myself in this paradise, to feel and wander through my own thoughts. I strolled along Sunrise Beach (the most beautiful of the three beaches on the island) stopping from time to time to catch some shade, sip on some coconuts or read. I wandered on the only walking street on the island and watched people - locals and tourists, as they were spending their time laughing, eating and enjoying their holidays. It's funny how when you are traveling alone you are more present and you observe more details around you. In the evening I used to go on Pattaya Beach and have a beer at one of the bars on the beach, observing again everything and everyone around me. I really hoped that no one would try to talk to me, and when they did, I acted like I didn't want any company and eventually they got the picture.
For no reason I let only one person invade my loneliness, and this was Muk, the owner of a raggae bar on Pattaya Beach. He had this kind of spark in his eyes and he approached me very naturally as if we were friends forever. He told me about Thailand, about the island, his business, how it is to wake up everyday to nothing but the sound of the sea and about the tsunami that took his brother not a long time ago. I told him about the life in my country, about the crowded cities and about snow. He never felt or seen it. I met him on my last night on Lipe. We never saw each other again.
I left Koh Lipe with my batteries fully charged. I was happy to have this time just for me and kind of proud that I was having this two week adventure alone. My journey in Malaysia was beginning but Koh Lipe will forever by my lonely island.
