Ko Phi Phi — Thailand’s most dramatic coastline
Some places you go, some places visit you. Phi Phi Islands is that type of place – softly taking up space in your mind and long after you have left, it is still there, living within you. The Phi Phi Islands is tucked in the warm water of the Andaman Sea between Phuket and Krabi, fit into the latter group.
I am not going to claim that they are unknown; they aren’t. The six islands are visited by millions of tourists every year and yet it’s not because it’s cool, nor is it because of Instagram. They continue to beckon millions of travellers because when you’re in a longtail and limestone cliffs erupt out of the blue, green and immaculately indifferent to every shot that has been captured of them, something within goes incredibly still. The Phi Phi Effect.
"When you're standing on a longtail boat and those limestone cliffs rise out of nowhere — something in you goes very quiet."
The islands at a glance
The archipelago is made up of six islands, however, to be quite honest, there’s only really two stories that need telling. Ko Phi Phi Don is the main one – where people live and where the beaches, restaurants, guesthouses, and fire show bars go on until well after midnight. Smaller and uninhabited is Ko Phi Phi Leh which, due to the filming of ‘The Beach’ with Danny Boyle back in 2000, became world famous thanks to Maya Bay – a cove that seems so perfect it seems Photoshopped.
Maya Bay — more than a movie set
Maya Bay was really suffering because of how beautiful it is. So many boats were going there every day, which was hurting the coral and making the small beach very noisy and crowded. The people in charge in Thailand did something smart. They closed Maya Bay for a few years so that the environment could get better. The coral started to grow and the fish came back. The beach was finally able to relax.
Now Maya Bay is open again, but only a certain number of people can visit each day. You will take a longtail boat from Phi Phi Don just to get there. Then you will walk through the shallow water to get to the white sand. When you look up you see the cliffs all around you. The crowds are not a problem anymore. Maya Bay is really amazing now just because it’s not so crowded. It is one of those places that is just as great as you think it will be. It does not let you down.
Go to Maya Bay early — the first boats arrive around 8am. Arriving by 7:30am gives you the bay in golden light and near-silence before the day-trippers show up. Worth every early alarm.
Life on Phi Phi Don
Ko Phi Phi Don has kind of a dumbbell shape – two mountainous land areas joined by a thin strip of flat land where all the guesthouses and restaurants and bars are located. There are no cars or roads on the island; you walk it. And even that completely changes the vibe; you slow down when you cannot drive everywhere.
Tonsai Bay on one side is really busy. This is where ferries come in and the night market has smells of satay and mango sticky rice. The beach bars here get loud after dark.
If you walk five minutes over the piece of land that connects the two bays, you will reach Loh Dalum Bay. It faces east and has a big curve of sand. The water here is calm and blue. You can watch the sunrise.
As you go around the island, the beaches get really quiet. If you want a picture of Long Beach on the southeastern tip, you can go there because it is not crowded. Ao Ton Sai and Laem Tong Beach are up north. They are even quieter. These beaches have some resorts. The further you are from the ferry dock, the calmer everything is. Long Beach and the other beaches, like Ao Ton Sai and Laem Tong Beach, are great to visit if you want to relax.
Under the surface
You cannot go to Phi Phi and fail to look underwater. The surrounding waters of Phi Phi, in the Andaman Sea, are exceptionally diverse – clear water all year round, warm temperatures, and reefs filled with blacktip reef sharks, leopard sharks, eagle rays, turtles, and so many types of tropical fish that you won’t know the names of, lying off the coast of both islands. The dive shops cluster along the waterfront in Tonsai, and no matter whether you’re a certified diver ready to make multiple trips, or have never had a regulator in your mouth before, or want to take advantage of the dive shop Discover Scuba experiences, you’ll find someone able and eager to take you below.
It’s just as easy and rewarding to take a snorkeling trip if you’re not looking to don tanks. Many of the longer longtail trips will stop off at Shark Point or near the base of Phi Phi Leh’s sheer cliffs, where the water isn’t too deep to simply float on the surface and admire all that is happening beneath you with no knowledge of and absolutely no concern over your presence.
"The Andaman Sea around these islands is extraordinarily rich — blacktip reef sharks, eagle rays, sea turtles, and more fish than you'll have names for."
The viewpoint — earn it
There is one thing I heard repeatedly about Phi Phi Don. And people were right. The steep, humid slog takes only about 20 minutes to climb – longer if you stop to take it all in, which you’ll be forced to do as your lungs demand they do so, at the summit of Phi Phi Don. It opens up the island for you: Tonsai Bay on one side, Loh Dalum Bay on the other, and the sea is spread out in all directions in vibrant shades of greens and blues that look completely unnatural. One of the best views I’ve ever seen in all of Southeast Asia, period. Catch it at sunset if you can. Take water.
Phi Phi viewpoint at sunset is something of pure magic. Though you’ll find the descent becomes very dark very quickly – take a torch, or use your phone. It seems simple, and yet it’s forgotten by so many travelers.
Where to stay
Phi Phi Don has places to stay for all budgets.
You can find bungalows for backpackers near the Tonsai strip, and they are okay. You are usually not in your room anyway.
There are also mid-range guesthouses on the quieter side of the island that offer more comfort and a good night’s sleep away from the noise of the bars.
If you want something luxurious, the resorts in the north at Laem Tong Beach are like a different island. They offer private transfers by longtail boat, infinity pools, beach butlers and peace and quiet that you get by choosing to stay in that part of the island.
One thing to be honest about: Phi Phi Don is not a quiet island, as the noise from the party area carries.
If you sleep lightly, book your stay in a place away from Tonsai Bay.
You will not regret it.
Practical things worth knowing
November to April is the best time to visit, when the sea is calm, the sky is clear and the sunsets are a guarantee. From May to October, the monsoon period descends: seas will be rough, ferries fewer and accommodation at the northern resorts will be closed – it can still be done, though not optimal. ATMs are available on the island, but are sparse and take a hefty fee – so come prepared with cash (in Thai Baht). You won’t find any 7-Elevens up at the northern resorts. The power supply relies on generators in places, so keep charged whenever the power’s on!
Ferries are frequent from Rassada Pier in Phuket, from Krabi Town, and from Ao Nang in Krabi. Journey time varies between 1.5 – 2 hours. While day trips are available from Phuket, try to get at least one or two nights; when the day trippers are gone, and the sun drops low, there really is nowhere quite like the island.
A final thought
Ko Phi Phi is not just a destination you tick off a bucket list; it’s a place that stays with you long after the salt water has dried on your skin. It has its contradictions — the quiet serenity of Maya Bay in the morning versus the wild, neon-lit fire shows of Tonsai Bay at night. But that is exactly what makes it magical. It adapts to whatever you are looking for, whether that is a lively party with fellow travelers or a peaceful escape under the shade of a limestone cliff. When you finally board the ferry back to the mainland and watch those dramatic green peaks shrink into the Andaman Sea, you will realize that you didn’t just visit Phi Phi — a piece of Phi Phi decided to stay with you.
You can also visit Yona Beach, which is near the Phi Phi island.
