phiphi don   ☼
photo by Paulo Brandao

General

You know you've arrived in paradise when you'll see the white sandy beaches, the turquoise water and the rock formations that surround the island. It's gonna be love at first sight. Phi Phi Islands actually consists of two islands: Ko Phi Phi Don, the larger and principal and Ko Phi Phi Leh (ko meaning "island" in Thai language). These two islands offer the ultimate tropical getaway.

In 2000, the famous movie "The Beach" was filmed on the Phi Phi Islands, and this enigmatic and unknown place, had became famous over night, and tourism on Phi Phi Don increased dramatically. This is the power of Hollywood. Today, tourists can take a boat trip to Maya Bay and see the place where "The Beach" was filmed. During the high season, from October to May, it may feel a bit crowded with people, but in the off season you just might find yourself alone on the beach.

The coral reefs and the hundreds of species of tropical fish make this island a perfect destination for diving and snorkeling. Shark Point, where harmless blacktip reef sharks can be seen, and Anemone Reef are two of the best places to go diving. Hin Daeng is the 'must see' of the Phi Phi. This is the place you are most likely to see Manta Rays and Whale Sharks.

Getting around the island: by foot, bicycle or long-tail boat. There are no motorized vehicles, just a few motorcycles used for goods transport. Everything is negotiable, so be sure you try and get the best price, depending on where you want to go and how many hours you want the trip to last.

One of the reasons you will end up loving this place, is because of it's laid-back attitude: Phi Phi Leh is uninhabited and Phi Phi Don is completely road free. Where else can you find a place like this?

Contact & location

1 Review

Maria Cornea
Maria Cornea

on Nov 09,2009

I liked

That the taxi home was a long tail boat. That the other way to get to the secluded beach was through the jungle, literally climbing hills by using tree roots as steps. That the food, oh the food, was amazing. 4* accomodation at 17$ a night per person. That they did overnight trips to Phi Phi Leh - just 20 people, bbq on the beach, sleeping in sleeping bags on rugs and waking up in Maya Bay.

I disliked

This is going to sound idiotic, i know. I could have done with a cooler water. The cool feeling when you get in. I swear it was like getting into a bath tub. But I'm sure that's just me, I'm more of a winter person.

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The photos displayed on this page are the property of one of the following authors:

Paulo Brandao, Rene Ehrhardt

Some photos courtesy of: . The photos provided by Flickr are under the copyright of their owners.

This travel guide also includes text from Wikitravel articles, all available at WikitravelView full credits

This travel guide also includes text from Wikipedia articles, all available at WikipediaView full credits

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