The Closest Place To Paradise!

The Phi Phi Islands in Thailand are brimming with natural beauty and are a popular destination for holidaymakers. This Ultimate Guide to the Phi Phi islands will tell you everything you need to know before you arrive!

You have to pay 20 baht per person to enter the island at the pier and a cleaning fee for maintenance, so make sure you have some cash with you!

A Little Bit About Koh Phi Phi

Welcome to Tiani Travels! In this blog, we’ll be exploring the stunning and exciting island of Koh Phi Phi. This island paradise is renowned for its stunning beaches, vibrant nightlife, and amazing views.

Koh Phi Phi has been inhabited for thousands of years, first by sea gypsies and then by Malay and Chinese settlers. The island was also once a base for Chinese and Malay pirates, which led to its nickname “The Pearl of the Andaman Sea”. In recent years the island has become a popular tourist destination due to its beauty and proximity to other great Thai islands.

On the island, you can enjoy activities such as snorkelling, diving, and kayaking, as well as stunning hikes and views. There are also plenty of accommodation options, including luxurious resorts, mid-range hotels, and budget guesthouses. And don’t forget all of the great places to eat and drink!

Koh Phi Phi also offers plenty of fun nightlife experiences, including fire shows, beach bars, and the iconic Phi Phi Island Viewpoint. The perfect place to watch the beautiful sunset or take a selfie with the stunning views!

If you’re looking for a beautiful and affordable tropical paradise, Koh Phi Phi is an ideal choice. With stunning views, breathtaking beaches and plenty of things to do and see, it’s the ideal spot for budget travellers and digital nomads alike. So what are you waiting for? Come and explore the island of Koh Phi Phi today!

What To See And Do In Koh Phi Phi? 

Party!

Phi Phi is known for being a party island! There are loads of bars and clubs to choose from, including ‘Slinky’, a club that has fire shows on the beach in the evenings and a mechanical bull in the middle of the club that you can pay 100 baht to go on.

My personal favourite bar is the Reggae boxing Bar, where tourists and Thai locals have Muay Thai fights from 9 pm onwards each night. The fights usually start off tame at the beginning of the evening but get progressively more intense as the evening goes on. 

Both of these bars serve drinks that are more expensive compared to other places.

For cheap drinks, try Backpackers Bar, The Dubliner Irish Pub and the stalls along the streets selling 150 baht buckets!

Visit Long Beach

Long Beach is a 25-minute walk away from the town, and a steep climb down at the end but it’s one hundred per cent worth it! You’ll find a beautiful white sandy beach and turquoise water. Palm trees line the beach in some places, providing much-needed shade. There are also sunbeds which you can hire for the day and bars and restaurants where you can grab a bite to eat and something to drink.

Go on a tour

Be sure to cross-check the prices of tours online and those run by local tour companies. 

We went on a full-day tour to Maya Bay, Pileh Lagoon, Bamboo Island and Monkey Bay. 

You also have the option of taking a private tour on a long-tail boat as I mentioned earlier.

Visit Pileh Lagoon to see baby blacktip reef sharks! Pileh Lagoon is a shallow lagoon where many baby reef sharks can be spotted. This part of the tour was definitely my favourite and the most exciting, I love sharks!

We visited Maya Bay on our tour but controversially, I wouldn’t recommend going there.

Check out this Instagram reel I made showing Instagram Vs Reality and you’ll see what I mean! 

The pier (floating pontoon) to get onto the island to see Maya bay was so small and many boats lined up to drop off and pick up their clients. As we were on a large boat, we had to wait for a smaller boat to take us to the pier. 

Bamboo island was very untouched and beautiful, but again we had too long there and the snorkelling wasn’t great.

Our tour wasn’t the best, check tours online before you book to get a highly-rated one.

If I did this again I would choose to go on a long-tail boat and specifically ask to visit certain places like Pileh Lagoon and Bamboo Island, leaving out the crowded Maya Bay and Monkey Bay (we didn’t see any monkeys) and the water was polluted from boats where we snorkelled.

Hike To The Viewpoints

There are 3 viewpoints on Koh Phi Phi which you can hike to and see the most stunning views over the island. I am ashamed to say that I actually didn’t hike to any of them when I was there (out of laziness or my hangovers, probably the latter!). Although, the hotel that we stayed in was so high up the side of the mountain with so many stairs to climb that I don’t feel too guilty! There is an entrance fee to get to the viewpoints (around 30 baht per person), but I am told that it is well worth the hike!

Go Kayaking

Phi Phi is an amazing place to go kayaking! You can hire a kayak on Loh Dalum Beach and kayak around to Monkey Beach which is on the left side or to Nui Bay. Be sure to take your masks and snorkels with you as there are some great snorkelling spots around here too!

Best Eats in Koh Phi Phi

In Koh Phi Phi you can find cheap eats and more upmarket places. There is a good mix of western and Thai food.
There isn’t much street food because the place is so small and the streets are narrow, there are basically only restaurants.

Pa-Noi Thai Food

Garlic 1992 Restaurant

Another firm favourite of mine is the Garlic 1992 Restaurant. This restaurant is famous and always busy, you will see signs advertising it all over the island. I tried the Panang curry with rice and it was delicious. The restaurant also sells its own Garlic 1992 merchandise which is available to purchase on-site. Here they also serve cocktail buckets which were tried and tested by myself, I can confirm they are strong, tasty and worth 200 baht!

Coco Bella Restaurant

Coco Bella Restaurant boasts affordable prices and good service. Their menu is large and I tried the fried chicken with chips and the loaded nachos which were both delicious! It was a nice treat to find Mexican style food in Koh Phi Phi!

Is Eating Out Expensive?

How much you’ll spend on eating out will depend on where you choose to dine. Thai food is always cheaper than western food, as goes for the whole of Thailand. Thai food is to die for, and if you’re not a fan of spicy food, ask for ‘mai pet’ (not spicy). However, be wary that what Thai people consider ‘not spicy’ may still be too spicy for you!

Where To Stay In Koh Phi Phi

Other Accommodation Options:

• Blu Monkey Phi Phi Island – a good budget option that is only 250m away from the beach!
• Kitty Guesthouse – another good budget option close to the beach.
• Phi Phi Villa Resort – an upmarket resort with excellent ratings!
• Phi Phi Coco Beach Resort – another upmarket option for those with a larger budget.

How To Get To Koh Phi Phi

You can get to Koh Phi Phi via speedboat or ferry from Phuket or Krabi. Brett and I decided to go from Phuket and we stopped for 1 night in Koh Yao Noi, a beautiful little island close to Phi Phi. The speedboats are generally a little more expensive but in my opinion, they are worth the extra cost because they are faster.

Sometimes you also have the option to organise the taxi transfer from your hotel in Phuket or Krabi together with the speedboat ticket. I like this option because you can be more certain that you won’t miss the boat!

I prefer to use 12GoAsia to book transport like this in Thailand. Another good option is to organise the transfer through your hotel.

Getting Around In Koh Phi Phi

In Koh Phi Phi there are no cars or motorcycles, you can walk everywhere!

When you arrive at the pier, your hotel may organise for you to be picked up, this involves someone bringing a cart to transport your luggage to your hotel on foot. The island is walkable, but be sure to bring sensible shoes as the paths are not all paved and the streets often flood during the rainy season.

There are also lots of people offering long-tail boat rides to see the other islands and snorkelling spots at very reasonable prices. Be sure to barter with them and get a good price for what you want to do.

How Long Should You Stay in Koh Phi Phi?

Stay in Koh Phi Phi for between 3-6 nights depending on what you want to do. We stayed 6 nights and could have stayed longer.

We chose to stay 6 nights because we went during the rainy season so we wanted more chance of a sunny day. It ended up raining the first two days but then the remaining days were sunny and hot with short showers.

If you just want to party, see the beaches and enjoy the island vibes, stay for a shorter amount of time. But if you want to enjoy a snorkelling trip, scout out some quieter beaches, hike to the viewpoints and party, I recommend staying longer!

How Expensive Is Koh Phi Phi?

I’ve read articles online suggesting that Koh Phi Phi is more expensive than places like Phuket, but from my experience, I can say that it was relatively affordable, even on a budget. This mainly comes down to where you choose to stay – are you looking for a hostel, a mid-range hotel or an upmarket resort?

Brett and I stayed at the Blue View House, which cost us 4230 baht (£98.94) for 6 nights, £16.49 per night (£8.25 per person per night). This was on the upper end of our budget but totally worth it for 6 nights with a stunning view, great air conditioning and a comfortable room.

As I mentioned earlier, the cost of eating out is very reasonable as long as you stick to eating Thai food in well-reviewed places.

Tips For Your Visit

• Bring plenty of sun cream and mosquito repellent with you!
• Be aware of the tides and the currents when swimming in the sea. Long Beach, for example, can have strong waves and it can be challenging to get out of the water.
• Bring enough cash with you! Many places will only accept cash and there are a few ATMs on the island but it’s best to come well-prepared!
• Some people choose not to wear shoes/sandals when walking around in Koh Phi Phi, but I would encourage you always to wear shoes to walk around the island. Sometimes after a heavy downpour, the roads can get flooded with dirty water and you don’t want to walk through that barefoot, just in case you cut your foot or worse!

Conclusion

Koh Phi Phi is a paradise island, as soon as you arrive you’ll slip right into the slow pace of the island. Let the laid-back island vibes wash over you before heading out to explore and party to your heart’s content.

Phi Phi Don is designed primarily for tourists, but it retains that authentic Thai atmosphere that you’ll get to know and love. There are plenty of shops and stalls selling everything from dainty shell necklaces and tie-dye clothing to practical dry bags and masks and snorkels.

It is very much a party destination, enticing flocks of backpackers all year round. The main area where all of the bars and clubs are is very loud, so if you want a good night’s sleep, try to book somewhere off the main strip! There are also plenty of resorts and hotels situated in quiet areas if you’re not interested in partying.

My Verdict: The Phi Phi Islands are definitely worth the hype! If you are planning on visiting Thailand, definitely make sure to add Phi Phi Don to your itinerary!

Thank you for reading this Guide! Click Here to see more guides on different destinations.

If you have any questions or suggestions, please contact me via email tianitravels@gmail.com or via social media.