The Phi Phi Islands (Koh Phi Phi)

The Phi Phi Islands are located in Thailand, between the large island of Phuket and the western Andaman Sea coast of the mainland. The islands are administratively part of Krabi province. Koh Phi Phi ("koh" meaning "island" in the Thai language) is the collective name for a small archipelago in Krabi Province just an hour boat ride from Phuket. Known as the 'jewels of the Andaman Sea', there are six islands in Mu Koh Phi Phi-Nopparathara National Park Phi Phi Don, Phi Phi Ley, Bamboo Island, Yung Island, Bida Nok, and Bida Nai. Only Phi Phi Don is inhabited; all others are undeveloped and protected by their National Park status and are frequently visited as day trips from Phuket, Krabi, and Phi Phi Don.

Koh Phi Phi Don is the largest island of the group,

Koh Phi Phi Lee (or "Ko Phi Phi Leh"), the second largest island of the group, popularised when parts of the movie "The Beach" were filmed there. Uninhabited apart from bird nest harvesters and a few Maya Bay wardens; expect plenty of tourists during daylight hours, especially in Maya Bay.The islands came to worldwide prominence when Ko Phi Phi Leh was used as a location for the 2000 British-American film The Beach. This attracted criticism, with claims that the film company had damaged the island's environment an accusation the film's makers contest. The film's release was attributed to an increase in tourism to the islands.

Phi Phi Leh also houses the 'Viking Cave', from which there is a thriving bird's nest soup industry.

Koh Mai Phai ('Bamboo Island'), a small low-lying islet to the north of Phi Phi Don with several good beaches.

Koh Yung (Yung Island) is north of Ko Phi Phi Don. The island has a stone beach in the east and small sandy beaches at the foot of the hills.

It is teeming with various kinds of colourful coral reefs.

Bida Nok and Bida Nai, two small adjacent limestone karsts to the south of Phi Phi Leh, with near-vertical cliff walls rising from the sea.

The waters surrounding the Phi Phi Islands are filled with exotic marine life, including docile leopard sharks, and snorkeling and diving day trips rival lounging on the beach as top activities on Koh Phi Phi.

Most of the development of Phi Phi Don is situated in or around Ton Sai village, which is on the low, sandy isthmus that joins the two hilly spurs that comprise the rest of the island. There are also other, quieter resorts on Long Beach, Laem Thong, and at other less accessible areas of the island.

Phi Phi Don was initially populated by Muslim fishermen during the late 1940s, and later became a coconut plantation. The Thai population of Phi Phi Don remains more than 80% Muslim. The actual population however, if counting laborers, especially from the north-east, from the mainland is much more Buddhist these days.

Koh Phi Phi was devastated by the Indian Ocean tsunami of December 2004, when nearly all of the island's infrastructure was wiped out. Redevelopment has, however, been swift, and services are back with building regulations in place to limit the height of new buildings to preserve the island's stunning views.
It should be noted that, while very laid back, many of the local islanders are Muslim. You will lose considerable respect if you walk around town in your skimpies (this applies to Buddhist areas of Thailand too!). While many tourists do in fact parade down Main Street in their Speedos or thong bikinis, to avoid offending your hosts, it's usually best just to throw on a pair of shorts or a sarong; similarly, topless on the beaches, while grudgingly tolerated by most locals, is also probably best avoided.

 

Where to go

Phi Phi Don
Viewpoint - walk up to the Viewpoint, 186 metres above sea level (a very steep walk of between 10-25 minutes, depending on fitness), to get a breathtaking view of the entire island - particularly at dawn or sunset (bring a torch) . You will be surprised at how narrow the sand strip is between the two main parts of the island.

Monkey Beach - accessible on foot or by renting a canoe, or be lazy and charter a longtail boat. Be careful as the monkeys can sometimes be aggressive. (Note: you should not feed wildlife)

Fireshow - there are several highly skilled and entertaining fireshows held nightly in several venues on the island, including at Carlito's, Apache Bar, Hippies, Carpe Diem, and The Tia and Millie Sunflower Bar on Lohdalum.

Tsunami Memorial Garden - by the Tia and Millie Sunflower Bar; a beautiful place for quiet contemplation and paying one's respects to the victims of the recent tragedy.

Yao Beach - just south of Ton Sai, offers visitors some fantastic views, scenery and coral reefs for snorkeling and scuba diving. This small place is packed out however, with places to stay and so some people do complain that the vicinity has been rather over developed. You can get there either by walking from Ton Sai or taking a long-tail boat.

Lanti Beach - Next to Yao Beach, Lanti Beach is very similar in many regards with its great scenery and cora l reefs. You can get there on foot.

Hin Khao Beach - This beach is extremely quiet and can only be reached on foot.
Ton Sai Bay  or Ao Ton Sai is where most of the action is; be it restaurants, bars, hotels or guesthouses. Most tourists stay at Ton Sai Bay because of the convenience. Even though it isn't the most beautiful place on Phi Phi, it is still impressive.

Laem Tong - located at the very north of the island offers visitors and lovely quiet beach with exhilarating scenery. Accommodation on Laem Thong is aimed at higher spending tourists.

Phi Phi Leh
Phaya Naak Cave Cave with prehistoric paintings and edible-nest swiftlets that can be partially visited.

Maya Bay Maya Bay has arguably Phi Phi's most fantastic beach and was the location for the movie The Beach (Leonardo DiCaprio) in 1998. The bay also has hard coral and colorful reef fishes which makes it a favorite spot for tour snorkelers and first time divers. There is also a jump spot (~ 20 metres) in one of the creeks behind the beach, and some climbing is possible on the cliff just next to it. You can take a longtail boat to Maya Beach for about 1500 baht for the whole boat for half a day. 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 with tourists on package tours arrive from Phuket. 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 Disneyland, but during the off season it could be slightly better. Note: Park Rangers have begun enforcement of a National Park entry fee of 200 baht / person, though if you are traveling in a tour group, they will typically include it in the price of your trip. The park police will only attempt to charge you for the "park entrance fee" if you turn up on a long-tail boat. The mid-afternoon trip (3 PM) is better ... you get to catch the sunset as you leave Maya Beach (you can't see the sunset on the beach).

Lohsamah Bay - Another bay situated on the west coast of the island, and has a U shape form with a large rock in the middle. There is a very small beach and small caves at the end of a very narrow gorge. There is also a hole in the rock accessible from the water only that leads in the gorge behind Maya Bay beach. It is a very short stroll to go from Lohsama Bay to Maya Bay this way, but be careful depending on the tide and waves, going through the hole can be a bit challenging depending on the level of fitness and could liaise to injuries on the rocks below the surface.

Get around

The most common ways to get around on Ko Phi Phi are by foot and by long-tail boat. As with most everything in an area like this, the price for long-tail boats is a negotiation. Hint: Take some foam earplugs for the long-tail boat rides ... it's a fun ride but the engines are loud and after 45 minutes it can get to you. The negotiation for longtail boats is usually done according to where you want to go and how many hours you want the trip to last. As an example, 1200 baht for a 6-hour outing to Ko Phi Phi Le and Tonsai Bay from the Holiday Inn Resort.

How to get thereBy boat

Traveling to Ko Phi Phi by boat is BY FAR the most frequent method used. Ferries leave from Phuket and Krabi daily (from Krabi two ferries a day 9:00 am and 14:30 PM and from Phuket at 9:00 am, 11:00, and 14:30 pm several times a day (11:00 during high season only). Tickets can be purchased online at PhiphiFerry.com or on the dock, from tourist offices, most local guesthouses and hotels. There is a 20 baht per person fee required on the pier for "keeping Koh Phi Phi clean". Unfortunately there is still plenty of rubbish on the beaches.
 

Tickets prices:

600 baht one-way/1000 baht round trip when bought at the Phuket pier (as of 2009/09/15). Possible to get 300-350 baht one-way tickets as part of a deal with a guest house stay.
You can get from the Phuket Airport to Rassada Pier by meter taxi for around 500 baht. It's about a 30 km drive and takes 45 minutes depending on traffic and weather.

From Krabi Town - 450 baht (Note: this price may be out of date). The normal passenger ferry does not leave from the centre of town anymore, but from a new passenger port (Klong Jilard Pier Tel. 0 7562 0052) about 3 km outside Krabi Town. Free taxi transfer to the pier should be included in the price of your ticket. Many times they'll take you to a travel agent near the Chao Fah Pier and sell you additional accommodations or services. Only ever buy the ticket you need. They add additional ferries during peak season.

From Ko Lanta - 350 baht (date checked 18 Nov 2011).
Not all ferries are of equal quality. Andaman wave master is the only company that will take you for free to the north of Phi Phi island after the stop at Tonsai pier. The Sea Angel ferries are quite nice with big flat screen tvs and refreshments. These are sold online as first class ferries. The ferries run by Chao Koh group, particularly the smallest "Pichamon IV" are often overcrowded and appear to be very poorly maintained, which does not inspire confidence, however they are launching a new mega boat beginning of 2010. In April 2007, a ferry operated by Andaman Wave Master caught fire and sank, and all aboard were forced to jump into the sea. Fortunately, nearby vessels were quickly able to rescue all the passengers, and no casualties occurred. The ferries run by PP Family are larger and seem more suited to the task. The ferries run by Phi Phi Cruiser may take a little longer but they include a movie, complimentary breakfast (if taking the morning crossing) and complimentary beverage service. For an additional fee, you can purchase a "VIP ticket" which also includes snorkeling and a buffet lunch on Phi Phi Don.
Other tour vessels visit the island from several Phuket-based resorts, usually on day trips, the price for a speadboat from Rawai Beach was quoted at 15,000 baht return (or one way) for up to 6 people (Dec 6 2007). There are many speedboats operating directly from the beach but it may be best to book the day before as most seem to be on away on trips during the day. Speedboats can also be chartered from other nearby locations, but at a very high price (in July 2007, the starting price for a speedboat to Phi Phi Don from Ko Yao was quoted at 20,000 baht).