Before seeing what are the main things to do in Phi Phi Island I want to give you two tips:
- I absolutely do not recommend visiting Phi Phi with day trips from Phuket, it is the classic way to be disappointed with this island. I recommend staying overnight in Phi Phi Don for at least three days.
- The second tip is to explore the island by renting a long tail on your own and not through an organized tour, decide the itinerary together with the boatman and negotiate on the price.
Here are now the must-see attractions in Phi Phi:
Phi Phi Leh: visit Maya Bay the famous beach of The Beach. Currently it is only possible to see it from the boat, the beach is closed indefinitely to try to recover what was once a paradise, devastated by the overcrowding of tourists;
Lagoon Bay: in Phi Phi Leh there is this lagoon with spectacular waters;
Monkey Beach: Phi Phi Don beach overrun by monkeys;
Bamboo Island: wonderful island located off the east coast of Phi Phi Don in front of Laem Tong beach, white sand beach and crystal clear waters;
East coast of Phi Phi Don: among the most beautiful beaches in Thailand, Laem Tong Beach, Lo Bakao Beach, are some of the best known;
Long Beach: the beautiful beach of Phi Phi Don, not far from Tonsai and reachable with a walk of about 30 minutes;
Viewpoint Di Phi Phi Don: panoramic point from where you can admire an incredible view. It can be reached with a walk of about 30 minutes from Tonsai and you pay 30 bath (not even 1 €). I recommend not to stop at the first viewpoint but to continue and go up to the second.
The only way to reach Phi Phi Island is by boat, usually starting from Phuket, but there are also ferries from Krabi. Both Phuket and Krabi are served with low cost flights from Bangkok.
The ferries cost around € 20 (round trip) and take 2 hours to travel, both from Phuket and Krabi.
In the period from March to November it shouldn't be difficult to buy tickets directly on the spot, without booking. In high season it is best to book through the website of the chosen company or through online booking agencies. For example, one of the best known is PhuketFerry.com.
When to Go to Phi Phi IslandThe best time to enjoy Phi Phi is from January to March, with little rain (or totally absent), a dry climate, hot but without excess. From June to November the Phi Phi are affected by the Monsoon, between September and October the rains are usually more frequent.
August is theoretically not the ideal month to go on vacation to Phi Phi Island, but it will still be difficult to find whole days of rain. I personally was in August and in three days it never rained, paradoxically in Koh Samui I found more rains in the same period.
Phi Phi Island is among the most famous destinations in Thailand, which became famous following the famous film with Leonardo Di Caprio, The Beach.
There are actually two main islands: Phi Phi Don e Phi Phi Leh, but when it comes to Phi Phi Island usually refers to Phi Phi Don, where the ferries arrive and where you will find hotels and restaurants. While in Phi Phi Leh you only go for a day excursion.
Although the island is no longer an unspoiled destination, Phi Phi Island still remains a spectacular place with beautiful beaches, clear waters, and above all still without roads.
Phi Phi Island is a perfect destination for everyone, for young people looking for evening entertainment and for those looking for a relaxing holiday, just choose the right area to stay.
In this guide we see everything there is to know about Phi Phi Island: where to stay, how to get there, when to go, what to do and how to move around the archipelago to see all the most beautiful beaches.
Where to Stay on Phi Phi IslandAs we said the island where to stay at Phi Phi is Phi Phi Don. Its main center is the chaotic and over-built Tonsai Village, where most of the structures, guesthouses, souvenir shops, tattoo artists, restaurants and clubs with loud music are located at all hours.
Tonsai is the right choice where to stay on Phi Phi Island only if you are looking for unbridled fun, if you are young and travel low budget.
But if the idea is to come to Phi Phi to relax and enjoy its beaches, I recommend discarding Tonsai.
If you prefer a quiet area, the best choice to stay on Phi Phi is Long Beach, southeast, on one of the most beautiful beaches of Phi Phi Dhon.
There are mid-range hotels and resorts here and you can reach Tonsai by taxi boat or on foot in about 30 minutes. However, I remind you that the initial path from Long Beach to Tonsai is not the best and is not suitable for everyone, especially at night, maybe walk it first during the day.
Otherwise a good compromise can be to stay between Tonsai and Long beach, let's say near the Phi Phi Andaman Beach Resort, excellent location, quiet and relaxing area, away from the chaos of the center, which you can reach with a walk of 15/20 minutes, to enjoy a dinner in the many restaurants of Tonsai.
Then there is the east coast, wilder and more unspoiled with the most beautiful beaches on the island and where there are above all luxury resorts.
For example, the area of Laem Tong, to the north, is perfect if you are looking for absolute relaxation, on the other hand, however, it is an isolated place and in the evening it will be almost impossible to reach Tonsai.
As we have said, the peculiarity of Phi Phi Don is that there are no roads, you can move on foot or with the long tail boats, the characteristic taxi boats.
From Tonsai to Long Beach the cost is 100 Bath per person during the day (about € 2.50) and 150 at night (about € 4), to get to Laem Tong it's 1000 bath (about € 25). However, keep in mind that not all of them work at night and getting back to Laem Tong in the evening is much more difficult.
Council: evaluate the choice of the area where to stay in Phi Phi Island also based on the period, in the high season from December to April, Long Beach is perfect, with calm seas and no waves. During the monsoons, between June and November, Long Beach is less sheltered and you can find rough seas. In this period, however, the east coast is more sheltered from the winds and the sea is always calm.
Among the recommended hotels where to sleep in Phi Phi island there is the Viking Natures Resort, great price, located in the middle of nature, with wooden bungalows and a beautiful private beach. The center can be reached on foot in about 25 minutes and the long beach in 5 minutes.
Another good solution is P.P Blue Sky Resort in Long Beach one of the best places to stay on Phi Phi Island. Perfect for those looking for relaxation, beautiful beach and turquoise sea.
Before seeing what are the main things to do in Phi Phi Island I want to give you two tips:
- I absolutely do not recommend visiting Phi Phi with day trips from Phuket, it is the classic way to be disappointed with this island. I recommend staying overnight in Phi Phi Don for at least three days.
- The second tip is to explore the island by renting a long tail on your own and not through an organized tour, decide the itinerary together with the boatman and negotiate on the price.
Here are now the must-see attractions in Phi Phi:
Phi Phi Leh: visit Maya Bay the famous beach of The Beach. Currently it is only possible to see it from the boat, the beach is closed indefinitely to try to recover what was once a paradise, devastated by the overcrowding of tourists;
Lagoon Bay: in Phi Phi Leh there is this lagoon with spectacular waters;
Monkey Beach: Phi Phi Don beach overrun by monkeys;
Bamboo Island: wonderful island located off the east coast of Phi Phi Don in front of Laem Tong beach, white sand beach and crystal clear waters;
East coast of Phi Phi Don: among the most beautiful beaches in Thailand, Laem Tong Beach, Lo Bakao Beach, are some of the best known;
Long Beach: the beautiful beach of Phi Phi Don, not far from Tonsai and reachable with a walk of about 30 minutes;
Viewpoint Di Phi Phi Don: panoramic point from where you can admire an incredible view. It can be reached with a walk of about 30 minutes from Tonsai and you pay 30 bath (not even 1 €). I recommend not to stop at the first viewpoint but to continue and go up to the second.
The only way to reach Phi Phi Island is by boat, usually starting from Phuket, but there are also ferries from Krabi. Both Phuket and Krabi are served with low cost flights from Bangkok.
The ferries cost around € 20 (round trip) and take 2 hours to travel, both from Phuket and Krabi.
In the period from March to November it shouldn't be difficult to buy tickets directly on the spot, without booking. In high season it is best to book through the website of the chosen company or through online booking agencies. For example, one of the best known is PhuketFerry.com.
When to Go to Phi Phi IslandThe best time to enjoy Phi Phi is from January to March, with little rain (or totally absent), a dry climate, hot but without excess. From June to November the Phi Phi are affected by the Monsoon, between September and October the rains are usually more frequent.
August is theoretically not the ideal month to go on vacation to Phi Phi Island, but it will still be difficult to find whole days of rain. I personally was in August and in three days it never rained, paradoxically in Koh Samui I found more rains in the same period.
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