What's the weather like in Ko Lipe in January?
Ko Lipe is an island in the Adang-Rawi archipelago in the southern portion of the Andaman Sea. Located 60 kilometres off the coast of Thailand, it lies on the western side of the isthmus of Thailand. With Malaysia to the southeast and Sumatra to the south, it is sheltered from the major winds of the region. Owing to this fortunate location, it has a relatively stable climate all year, similar to Phuket in the north and Langkawi in the south.
Temperature
The average temperature in January on the island is 28°C, which is the same as the previous two months of November and December. The average temperature doesn't change much during the year though.
The following three months, the warmest months of the year, are one degree warmer, while the annual minimum average temperature is only one degree colder. In January, the afternoons are hot, with temperatures rising to 33°C, the fourth-warmest daily high temperature of the year, after February, March and April. The nights are comfortable as well, and don't get colder than 23°C. The sea temperature is even warmer than the air temperature and averages 29°C temperature that's virtually constant all-year round.
Sunshine Hours
The length of the days is essentially constant in January. January 1 is the shortest day of the month with 11.46 daylight hours, while January 31 is the longest day of the month with 11.51 hours of daylight, an increase of merely five minutes. The total amount of sunshine hours in January is 8, which is close to the annual average.
Clouds
Cloud cover is very high throughout the entire year. January, however, is one of the least cloudy months. January 9, for instance, has historically the lowest cloud cover of the whole yearhe sky is then clear or partly cloudy 6% of the time and mostly cloudy or overcast 79% of the time, which is low compared to the annual average cloud cover of 90%.
Rain
January falls in the middle of the dry season in Ko Lipe, which runs from November to May, and is the second-driest month of the year. The total amount of rainfall is 50mm, only slightly more than the annual low of 47mm in February. The chance that precipitation occurs in January varies in the course of the month. The chance of rainfall is highest on January 1 (23%) and lowest on January 21 (16%), which is the driest day of the year. The most common types of precipitation are light rain, moderate rain and thunderstorms, observed respectively on 50%, 29% and 20% of the days with rainfall.
Hotels in Ko Lipe in January
Castaway Beach Resort
Castaway Beach Resort is one of the main resorts on Ko Lipe, offering amazing views of the Andaman Sea, plus a lovely sandy beach and warm crystal-clear waters literally a stone's throw away from your digs. Being so close to the sea, you'll benefit from a cooling sea breezedeal for nights a bit on the humid side.
Jack's Jungle
A superb alternative to the big overdeveloped resorts, Jack's Jungle is a small eco-friendly bungalow resort that's set within lush tropical jungle, only about 200 metres from Sunset Beach. It consists of 15 bungalows and one restaurant, all of which blend in perfectly with the natural surroundings. All 15 bungalows have a mosquito net, a queen size bed, an open-air bathroom and a beautiful wooden balcony. The restaurant is open all day and serves both classic Western dishes and traditional Thai food.
Beaches in Ko Lipe in January
Sunrise Beach
Sunrise Beach is one of the three main beaches in Ko Lipe, among many more smaller ones. This beach, also locally known as Hat Chao Ley, stretches out for about 2 kilometres in the east of the resort, facing the sunrise. This may be one of the best locations in Thailand to watch the sunrise. Crystal-clear water laps against the sand and is great for swimming and snorkelling.
Ko Kra and Ko Usen
Ko Kra and Ko Usen are two islands that lie right of the beach and feature some of the best and easiest snorkelling in the area. Sunrise Beach gets quite busy in the high (dry) season, but even in the low (monsoon) season it is a pleasant place to be. It is sheltered from the heavy rains during the monsoon season, which makes it a nice place to be all-year round.
Bars and Restaurants
OMG Sports Bar and Restaurant
Located right behind Sunrise Beach, OMG Sports Bar and Restaurant is a wonderful place to spend the evening. This popular bar features a big screen showing all major sports events and Premier League football. There's a pool table as well; food is good and comes in large portions. OMG is one of the few places in Ko Lipe that's open all year.
Pooh Bar
Pooh Bar is one of the oldest bars in the resort and is still extremely popular. This amazingly fun place has a relaxed atmosphere and is all about "bringing the beach to the bar". Its design is Thai-Balinese, while the drinks menu features everything from cocktails to beer to fruit shakes. A large screen shows sports games, including Premier League and international football. There's also a restaurant, as well as accommodation. Highly recommended!
Things to do in Ko Lipe in January
New Year's Day
New Year's Day is the only celebration during the month of January. The event begins the night before with fireworks to welcome in the New Year and continues on January 1. Typically, families have their own traditions, which are based locally for the island. Dancing and music are part of the island fun on New Year's Day, celebrations that are enormous fun to take part in.
Cruises
Hopping on a ferry, speedboat or cruise will allow you to move from island to island in this area. For example, from Ko Lipe you can visit Ko Kra or Langkawi Island, Malaysia. To get to Ko Lipe itself, you need to get a boat from Ko Phi Phi or Ko Lanta. Some tour operators such as Ko Lipe Thailand offer boat trips to some of the surrounding islands, with some packages including dinner onboard. Island hopping is a magnificent thing to do this time of year, allowing you to see more of this stunning region, while getting a tan at the same time.
