Phi Phi Island is probably the most famous island in Thailand. In this travel guide, you can find some of the top things to do and see in this amazing place.
Quick guide to Phi Phi Island
Best time to visit: Between the end of November and the end of March
How many days: as long as you need to relax. At the very least 3 days in total
Why it’s worth visiting: It offers some of the best beaches and island hopping options in Thailand
Where to sleep: depends on which part of the island you choose to stay. In the north, Phi Phi Holiday Resort is a good choice. In the southern part, Bayview is a good and cheap option.
Best Insurance: there are many insurance companies available, and it can get quite confusing. I personally use this one.
If you are looking for information about Phi Phi island, one thing that is immediately clear is that this island is a tourist trap. That is why I wasn’t excited to travel there. However, I think certain places should be visited at least once, and Phi Phi was one of them.
After my trip, I can confirm what many other people said: Phi Phi island is indeed a tourist trap, but I want to add that not all islands are that bad.
In this article, I will explain how you can relax and avoid most tourists, even those on one of the most visited islands in the world.
Useful info
The first thing to say when talking about Phi Phi is that there are two islands with almost identical names, Koh Phi Phi Don and Kho Phi Phi Leh, which are very close.
The only Island where you can stay for the night is Koh Phi Phi Don. Kho Phi Phi Leh is an uninhabited island declared a natural reserve. The famous Maya Bay (from the movie The Beach) is in Kho Phi Phi Leh; see the first picture of this post. It’s not possible to spend the night in Kho Phi Phi Leh.
Phi Phi Don is where all the tourists from Ao Nang and Phuket arrive. Getting there is quite easy. If you are in Krabi or Phuket, you can take a ferry boat (it takes about 3 hours). You can book your ticket in several travel agencies around Krabi.
Another interesting thing is that in Phi Phi Don, there are no cars in theory. In practice, this is not true: I have seen some of them, but they are only used by locals. However, there is no traffic, and you probably won’t see any car or motorbike if you stay in the village.
Most tourists stay in the southern part of the island, in Tong Sai Bay, where almost all hotels and restaurants are located. Tong Say Bay is a tourist trap: McDonald’s, Italian restaurants, fire shows in the evening in many restaurants, and hundreds of shops selling all the same things made in China. Despite this, Phi Phi is still a beautiful island, and with some tricks, you can enjoy this paradise and avoid most tourists.
Everything depends to a large extent on the choice of the hotel. Yes, because apart from Tong Sai Bay to the south, another part of the island in the north is completely disconnected and only accessible by boat. The northern part of Phi Phi is a real paradise; you will find all the best resorts. Sleeping in the north of Phi Phi is not cheap, but I think it’s worth spending at least two nights, especially if you have traveled all the way to Phi Phi Island.
Where to stay in the north of the Island
In this part of the island, there are far fewer tourists than in the south, and honestly, it seems to be a completely different place. There are several resorts, and I stayed at the Holiday Inn Resort Phi Phi Island.
The location is great, as you would expect from a Holiday Inn Resort. Although some bungalows are a bit too old, the location is spectacular. There are three swimming pools, one perfect for watching the sunset while sipping a cocktail. The resort is right on the beach and covered with thick tropical vegetation. As soon as you arrive north of Phi Phi, the hordes of tourists will be only a distant memory.
I read on some blogs that getting to this part of the island is expensive because you’ll have to take a long-tail boat. It’s not true: there is a ferry that, for a few euros, will take you to the north of Phi Phi. The ferry leaves twice a day.
The downside of sleeping in this part of the island is that the few restaurants there cost about twice as much as those in Tong Sai, and there’s not much to do in the evening. But I also imagine that if someone decides to sleep in this part of Phi Phi, they don’t have much interest in nightlife.
As you can see from the pictures, the place is really beautiful.
Where to stay in the south of the Island
The second option for those who want to stay in the Tong Sai area and maybe have a limited budget but don’t want to give up some privacy is the Bayview Resort.
Located 5 minutes from the crowded Tong Sai, it can be reached by land or long-tail boat. It’s ideal if you don’t want to get far from Tong Sai’s nightlife and restaurants.
The hotel is located near Long Beach, which has fewer people and a very nice beach. The resort also has a swimming pool and a beautiful bay view.
Things to do and to see
The main reason to visit Phi Phi is for the beautiful beaches and crystal clear water. So, the main thing to do is visit Maya Bay and the nearby beaches.
The problem is that Phi Phi is full of tourists who have come for the same reason. So what can you do to avoid the crowd and enjoy this paradise? There are several travel agencies scattered around the island that offer more or less standard tours to all the main attractions. Still, the only real way to avoid tourists is to ask one of the locals with a long-tail boat to take you where you want very early in the morning.
When I say very early in the morning, you should be in Maya Bay by 6:30 a.m. at the latest. Remember that Phi Phi Leh is close to the southern part of Phi Phi Don, so it takes about one hour to get there if you are north of the island. I arrived at Maya Bay at 6:30 a.m., and there were two other boats. At 7:00 a.m., it was already full of tourists.
In Tong Sai Bay, you’ll see many agencies trying to sell Maya Bay tours that leave early in the morning to avoid tourists. Avoid those tours at all costs. They will all get to Maya Bay after 7:30 am, which is too late.
Here’s another tip: when you arrange your island hopping tour with one of the locals, tell him you also want to see Kho Bida Nok. It’s a small island that is quite popular among divers. None of the tourists who join the regular tours visit this amazing place. If they tell you that it’s not good for snorkeling, don’t listen to them. It’s the best place where you can snorkel around Phi Phi Island. You’ll see an incredible number of starfish and tropical fish.
Phi Phi Island post-pandemic
During the lockdowns, a new floating pier was installed at the back of the bay, and a new boardwalk to cross onto the beach was built. It means boats no longer need to enter the bay, thus protecting the re-planted corals, which is great news. There will also supposedly be a limit on how many people can visit per day, so fingers crossed the National Park stick with that!
If they refuse to take you to Bida Nok, look for somebody else willing to do so.
If you are north of Phi Phi, at the Holiday Inn, look for boat 99. A very kind Thai man took me where I wanted to go, including Bida Nok, very early in the morning. We left at 5:30 am, and he only asked for 1500 Thai baht. The tour lasts about 3 hours.
The other places to see are all part of the standard package that all tourists visit, but if you leave early, you’ll have the advantage of getting there before everyone else. In Losama Bay, for example, we were almost alone: there was just another boat.
Losama Bay reminds me of Big Lagoon in El Nido, in the Philippines.
The panoramic view of Tong Sai
Another thing worth doing in Phi Phi is walking up the hill to have a beautiful panoramic view of the entire bay. Avoid the hottest hours of the day, though.
Final thoughts
Phi Phi left me with conflicting feelings. Unfortunately, it’s a real paradise ruined by mass tourism. We must remember that we are all responsible if we go there. Phi Phi reminded me of the Philippines, although Thailand is a real tourism machine and, therefore, much more exploited.
I think it’s worth visiting Phi Phi at least once in a lifetime, but keep in mind what you’ll find there. Having said that, Thailand is still a wonderful country where you can eat very well, there are fantastic beaches, and the prices are very affordable.
Last but not least, I recommend getting a reliable Travel Insurance when traveling abroad. I use this one, which I think is currently one of the best in terms of price/coverage. I love that it works on a monthly subscription, so I can easily adjust it as my plans change. Plus, it’s valid in over 180 countries, including short visits back home, making it perfect for anyone living a nomad lifestyle.
You can read my travel guide about swimming with Whale Sharks in the Philippines here. Here are more pictures I took in Krabi. If you want to visit Bangkok, don’t miss Ayutthaya. You can read more info here.
I’m staying on the north end of phi phi in a couple of months. Did you go all the way to tong sai to hire a long tail? Or were you able to find them in the Laem Tong beach pier?
Thanks in advance!
When I stayed there there were people right on that beach in the north.