As much as I would love to recommend Koh Lipe as a “heavenly hideaway” to everyone, I have to give a word of caution to mindful Muslims about the innumerable dogs there. As a matter of fact, at one point, I was made to believe that they outnumbered the human population! I know this would be an issue to Muslims going there to have a nice holiday because dogs are at every nook and corner in this small island and other islands nearby.

Dogs at the beach...

... in front of the massage centre...

... at the restaurant...

... begging for food.

Fret not, these dogs are generally harmless. We experienced way too many encounters of dogs trying to be friendly and approaching us while we were having lunch or relaxing by the beach, but the dogs seemed to understand our verbal and non-verbal cues when we urged them to go away. Most of the time they did, although only one or two displayed that pathetic look or chase us back.

Generally the non-Muslims at Koh Lipe understood this. At certain times, the local people helped us make those dogs leave when they came too close for comfort. One particularly funny incident was when we entered a shop that sold paintings and other artistic pieces, and a dog followed us. We immediately shoo’ed it away. The girl who owned the shop stopped us, “He’s a good dog. He lives here.”

Realizing our mistake, we apologized and explained that we’re Muslims. She quickly brought her palms together in a prayer-like manner and said, “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

We were dancing and the shop girl's (the one with the white-and-black top) dog came and joined us. They made sure that the dog didn't pass our territory!

I would like to make it a point here that we Muslims do not hate dogs, albeit the way we try to steer clear of having a physical contact with them sometimes can be perceived as avoiding a viral disease. Most of us are, in fact, animal lovers and our religion teaches us to be kind to all living beings. It’s just that we simply regard them as impure, although scholars have differing views on what is considered as “impure”. One general rule we follow is the dry fur is clean, while the saliva is not. Should a Muslim have touched a wet dog or its saliva, he or she is required to perform a special kind of cleansing.

Avoiding the dog, avoiding to do that special cleansing.

To my Muslim readers and friends, please do not let this stop you from visiting the gorgeous Koh Lipe. This post is only to inform you what to expect when you get there. I cannot stress enough how beautiful the island is, very quiet and peaceful – just the right destination for you to get away from it all.

The alluring Pattaya Beach of Koh Lipe, Thailand.