The island can be reached all year around. The high season is from November to May with daily ferries running from Lanta and Langkawi. During low season the daily boats only operate between Koh Lipe and Pak Bara. The medical clinic by the new school has been expanded but still lacks a full time doctor. Most resorts have 24 hour electricity either produced by their own generators, or bought from other suppliers on the island.

In high season (November to May) there are 5 locations from which you can take a ferry or speedboat to Koh Lipe: Pak Bara , Langkawi , Phi Phi , Koh Lanta , and Trang .

In low season (May to October) there is one ferry per week from Pak Bara , leaving Pak Bara .In low season, there are no ferries from Langkawi , Phi Phi , Koh Lanta , or Trang .

From Langkawi , Malaysia  there are two speedboats per day: one at 9:45 am costing 128 Malaysian Ringit and one at 2:30 pm, costing 118 Malaysian Ringit; alternatively. These boats dock at the south end of Pattaya Beach.

Other ferries are met by longtail boats offering transfers to anywhere on Koh Lipe for an additional 50 baht/person.

There are many great sites for scuba diving and snorkelling around Koh Lipe and its neighbouring islands. On Koh Lipe there are many dive shops and resorts that rent out snorkel gear or arrange boat trips.

Koh Lipe is outside of the Tarutao National Park jurisdiction, and as such is exempt from the laws and legislation that protects the rest of the national park. The island is rapidly growing to meet the demands of increase in tourism, and is facing quite a few issues with rubbish and animal conservation. There are projects currently in place to keep Koh Lipe clean. Please do your part by keep Koh Lipe clean. The calm, clear water makes the Koh Lipe area ideal for snorkeling, with 25% of the world's tropical fish species found in the area. There are large varieties of fish around the coral just 20 metres off all of the the beaches.