Koh Phi Phi Krabi Island - Thailand Beaches & Islands

About Koh Phi Phi Thailand

Ko Phi Phi ever is top ten of the dream holiday destination of the world, due to the tropical beach and the diversity of the nature. Here is a part of Krabi province and just one hour by ferry boat from Ko Lanta.

An archipelago of six islands consists of Ko Phi Phi Don and Ko Phi Phi Le as the major islands, the small island nearby as Ko Phai, Ko Yung and etc. The superb scenery of the islands includes high hills with jutting cliffs surrounded by marvelous beaches and emerald sea, hiding underneath a bank of coral reefs and colorful marine life. The geography picturesque here is very unique and never seen anywhere in Thailand .

There are actually two islands here:

Ko Phi Phi Don is the populated island.

Ko Phi Phi Lai (also known as Ko Phi Phi Leh) is the smaller island to the south popularised when

parts of the movie "The Beach" were filmed there - although it's uninhabited apart from bird nest harvesters and a few Maya Bay wardens, expect plenty of tourists.
Although rapidly becoming less and less attractive due to the masses of tourists as well as the construction on the island, it's still a very beautiful place to visit, and is one of those places everybody should go at least once in their lifetime. Although the beaches are not the best in Thailand, the place has a good vibe and nightlife and there are dozens of dive shops to choose from.

Ko Phi Phi was devastated by the Indian Ocean tsunami of December 2004, when nearly all of the island's infrastructure was wiped out. Services like electricity, water, Internet access and ATMs are up and running again, but waste handling has been slower to come back online.

Where to see
The reason why people come to Samui is, quite simply, the beaches which remain stunning after decades of development, helped in no small part by a height restriction on new buildings.

Other than lying on the beach with a cold beer in hand and ogling at the babes and hunks sauntering past, there isn't all that much to see on the island. A certain pair of rocks on Lamai amuses some visitors, Bang Rak has a large but nondescript Buddha statue, and there are some waterfalls (notably Na Muang) of minor interest.

How to get here

By air
Destination Air Shuttle - direct seaplane transfers from/to Phuket International Airport and other popular Andaman coast destinations

By boat
Ferries leave from Phuket and Krabi daily (several times a day during the high season). Tickets are 450 baht to/from Phuket, Krabi (390 baht) or Ko Lanta, and if bought in advance should include transport to the pier. Open tickets (you can fix the day at a travel agency on the island) are 400 baht, however there are rarely any advantages with buying open or return tickets, whereas one-way tickets are a good way to avoid hassle and often end up costing less overall.

Get around
Long-tail taxi-boats ply between all beaches; on Phi Phi Don, you can also walk to any beach. From Ton Sai to Long Beach, expect to pay 40 baht/person in the afternoon, at least 80 baht at night. To have a complete boat to yourself, expect to pay at least 100 baht.

Wheelbarrows are used to transport goods, including your luggage if you like. Expect free "transport" from the pier to your room, but not necessarily in the opposite direction.

Where to see

View Point - walk up to the View Point and get a view of the entire island. You will be surprised at how narrow the sand strip is between the two main parts of the island. Also while up there you will see the massive damaged caused by the Boxing Day tsunami.

Monkey Beach - accessible on foot or by renting a canoe, or be lazy and charter a long tail boat. Don't forget to take some bananas for the monkeys!

What to do

Ko Phi Phi Ley - take a longtail boat and visit Maya Bay - the "secret beach" where the movie "The Beach" was filmed. Water directly around the island is sometimes disappointingly murky and not so good for diving. The beach on the other side of the island, across from where the boats land, is slightly nicer.
It is highly recommended to arrive at Maya Bay before 8am, when the place can still be enjoyed in solitude. As from 9am hoards of speedboats arrive with European and Japanese tourists on package tours from Phuket. At 11am we counted 40(!) speedboats in the bay, many of which were revving their engines unnecessarily loud. Another thing to think about when coming to Maya Bay is the time of year. During the high season (October - May) you will feel like you are at Disney Land but come durning the off season and you shouldn't be surprised if you are one of only two or three small groups on the beach. NOTE: Since the begining of 2007 the Park Rangers have begun to enforce a park fee on the island though, if you are trraveling in a tour group, they will typically include it in the price of your trip.

Snorkeling - there are two rocks within swimming distance of Long Beach, where blacktip reef sharks can be seen (dive schools organise guided tours for this). Dive schools take snorkelers on their dive boats, but expect to see only a hint of the underwater marvel visible to scuba divers. The snorkeling off Bamboo and Mosqito Islands is quite good although the reefs are a long way below you at high tide.

Scuba diving - there are many dive shops, and some very good dive locations. Prices are regulated, so expect to pay the same everywhere. Shops on the island do a few different trips. The typical trip offered is a two tank local dive within the Phi Phi Marine park which will run about 2200 Baht. They also do 2 -3 tank trips to the King Cruiser wreck with your follow up dives at both Shark Point and Anemone Reef, this trip usually runs between 3200 -3900 depending on the number of dives you do. No diving trip to Phi Phi would be complete if you didn't head down to Hin Daeng. Hin Daeng has some of the stepest drops in Thailand (60m+) as well as being the place you are most likely to see Manta Rays and Whale Sharks. This trip usually runs around 4500.

Party - no visit to Phi Phi is complete without a night at Apache's, a bar with stand-up tables on two floors and dance floor at the top where local dj's play mostly european dance, hip hop and r'n'b. Once Apache closes most people head over to Hippies Bar further down the beach which stays open longer, albeit without music as from 2am.

Rock Climbing - there are opportunities for rock climbing on Ko Phi Phi, and a few climbing shops to rent equipment, find a guide or take basic lessons. (Spider Monkey can be recommended). While not as famous as Rai Leh beach, nor with as many routes, the climbing is on similar limestone cliffs, and similarly beautiful. The climbing here also tends to be less crowded than at Rai leh. There are about four walls that are used with some frequency.

Dining & Entertainment

Eat
Food on Ko Phi Phi is not as spectacular as it generally is in Thailand, because most ingredients have to be brought in by boat from the mainland. Nevertheless there are some restaurants that manage to serve surprisingly tasty food:

Drink
Drinks prices are quite high (cocktails 180 baht). Many bars offer similar entertainment, cabarets and striking fire shows - performed by the same people, advertised by posters and flyers apparently drawn by the same person...

Where to stay on Koh Phi Phi