Koh Phi Phi Map Hotels Travel Agents Guide

The Phi Phi Islands (Thai: หมู่เกาะพีพี) are located in Thailand, between the large island of Phuket and the western Andaman Sea coast of the mainland. Phi Phi Don, the larger and principal of the two Phi Phi islands. Both Phi Phi Don, and Phi Phi Leh, the smaller, are administratively part of Krabi province, most of which is on the mainland,

Koh Phi Phi Don ("koh" (Thai: เกาะ) meaning "island" in the Thai language) is the largest island of the group, and is the only island with permanent inhabitants, although the beaches of the second largest island, Koh Phi Phi Lee (or "Koh Phi Phi Leh"), are visited by many people as well. There are no accommodation facilities on this island, but it is just a short boat ride from Koh Phi Phi Don. The rest of the islands in the group, including Bida Nok, Bida Noi, and Bamboo Island, are not much more than large limestone rocks jutting out of the sea.

Phi Phi Don was initially populated by Muslim fishermen during the late 1940s, and later became a coconut plantation. The Thai population of Phi Phi Don remains more than 80% Muslim.But the actual population if counting laborers, especially from the north-east, from the mainland is much more Buddhist these days.

Koh Phi Phi Leh was the backdrop for the 2000 movie The Beach. Phi Phi Leh also houses the 'Viking Cave', from which there is a thriving bird's nest soup industry. There was criticism during filming of 'The Beach' that the permission granted to the film company to physically alter the environment inside Phi Phi Islands National Park was illegal. The controversy cooled down however, when it was discovered that the producers had done such a decent job of restoring the place that it finally looked better than it had done before.

Following the release of The Beach, tourism on Phi Phi Don increased dramatically, and with it the population of the island. Many buildings were constructed without planning permission.

Koh Phi Phi was devastated by the Indian Ocean tsunami of December 2004, when nearly all of the island's infrastructure was wiped out. Redevelopment has, however, been swift, and services like electricity, water, Internet access and ATMs are up and running again, but waste handling has been slower to come back online.

 

By air

Destination Air Shuttle - direct seaplane transfers from/to Phuket International Airport and other popular Andaman coast destinations. They often run a low season promotion for transfer from Phi Phi to Phuket Airport for only 2000 baht (high season is 6000 baht), and land at Laem Thong near the northern tip of the island - transport to Tonsai, if required, is about 30 minutes by longtail boat. This is a fairly good deal considering the ferry (400 baht) plus taxi (700 baht) to Phuket's airport will run you around 1200 baht.

Krabi International Airport (KBV) is about 10 km from the city limits, 15 km from the city centre, 40km from Ao Nang and 23km from Had Yao. Thai Airways operates daily direct flights to/from Bangkok, likewise Air Asia from Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur. Bangkok Airway flies direct to/from Krabi and Ko Samui nearly every day of the week and to/from. Nok Air operates daily flights to Krabi from Bangkok (Don Muang). Destination Air Shuttle, Thailand's only Seaplane service also routinely flies in and out of Krabi (Lanta) from Phuket and to the numerous outer islands.

For more information, contact:

* Thai Airways International Public Company Limited: Tel. 1566, 0 2280 0060, 0 2628 2000, 0 2356 1111, 0 7570 1591 – 93 or visit http://www.thaiairways.com.
* Krabi International Airport, Tel. 0 7563 6541- 2
* Air Asia Airlines: Tel. 0 2515 9999 or visit http://www.airasia.com.
* Nok Air: Tel. 0 2627 2000 or 1318 or visit http://www.nokair.com,
* Bangkok Airway 0 2655 5555, 0 2265 5678 http://www.bangkokair.com.

The international departure tax surcharge is 700 baht but is included in most tickets now; domestic departure tax is included in the price of the flight.

National Car Rental and Budget Car Rental have a branch at the airport; motorcycle taxi rides are available outside the terminal.

Krabi Limousine (tel. +66-75692073) has a desk inside the terminal and provides "limousine taxi" (using large air-conditioned sedans) transport to Krabi for 500 baht; Phuket for 2500 baht. Krabi.com offers taxi and minibus (minivans) for less however travellers have to make deposit payment of 200 baht online via credit card.

An air-conditioned Airport Bus service started in 2007, fares are 90baht to Krabi. The bus service meets all incoming flights and serves most outgoing flights (note: it is not possible to catch the first 1-2-go plane in the morning with the new airport bus service) A songthaew to Krabi town is 40 baht from the road outside. Going to the airport they will drop you right at the departure terminal.

By boat

Ferries leave from Phuket and Krabi daily (from Krabi two ferries a day : 10 a.m and 03.00 p.m. and from Phuket several times a day during high season). Tickets are 350 baht to/from Phuket, Krabi (450 baht) or Ko Lanta (300 baht). They can be purchased at the dock or from tourist offices, most local guesthouses and hotels. From Krabi Town, the normal passenger ferry does not leave from the center of town anymore, but from a new passenger port (Klong Jilard Pier Tel. 0 7562 0052) about 3 km outside Krabi Town . Free taxi transfer to the pier should be included in the price of your ticket. Many times they'll take you to a travel agent near the Chao Fah Pier and sell you additional accommodations or services. Only ever buy the ticket you need. They add additional ferries during peak season.

Not all ferries are of equal quality. You can often take your ticket from a travel agent and apply it to a nicer ferry. Talk to the locals and find out what is the best ferry to take. The ferries run by Chao Ko group, particularly the smallest "Pichamon IV" are often overcrowded and appear to be very poorly maintaned, which does not inspire confidence, particuarly in heavy seas. In April 2007, a ferry operated by Andaman Wave Master caught fire and sank, and all aboard were forced to jump into the sea. Fortunately, nearby vessels were quickly able to rescue all the passengers, and no casualties occurred. The ferries run by PP Family are larger and seem more suited to the task.

Other tour vessels visit the island from several Phuket-based resorts, usually on day trips, the price for a speadboat from Rawai Beach was quoted at 15,000 baht return(or one way) for up to 6 people(Dec 6 2007). There are many speedboats operating directly from the beach but it may be best to book the day before as most seem to be on away on trips during the day. Speedboats can also be chartered from other nearby locations, but at a very high price (in July 2007, the starting price for a speedboat to Phi Phi Don from Ko Yao was quoted at 20,000 baht).

By Bus

Buses from Bangkok's Southern Bus Terminal (tel. +66-24351199) to Krabi take about 12 hours and depart as follows:

* VIP bus - 07:20 - 1,055 baht
* First class bus - 19:00 - 680 baht
* Second class bus - 07:30, 19:00, 19:30, 21:00 - 378 baht

Shuttle buses run between Krabi airport and Phuket airport several times a day. There are also regular buses that make the 2 hour run. There are buses to Krabi from every provincial town in the south.

By Car

From Bangkok:

1. Proceed along Highway No. 4, passing Phetchaburi – Prachuap Khiri Khan – Chumphon – Ranong – Phang-nga, to Krabi. The total distance is 946 kilometers.
2. Travel along Highway No. 4 onto Highway No. 41 at Chumphon via Amphoe Lang Suan and Amphoe Chaiya, Surat Thani. Proceed towards Amphoe Wiang Sa, change to Highway No. 4035 for Amphoe Ao Luek, and switch back to Highway No. 4 again to Krabi. This route is 814 kilometers.

From Phuket: Proceed along Highways No. 402 and No. 4. The total distance is 176 kilometers.

By Train

The nearest train station to Krabi is in Trang province which is just south of Krabi.

Viewpoint - walk up to the Viewpoint, 186 metres above sea level (a very steep walk of between 10-25 minutes, depending on fitness), to get a breathtaking view of the entire island - particularly at dawn or sunset (bring a flashlight). You will be surprised at how narrow the sand strip is between the two main parts of the island.

Monkey Beach - accessible on foot or by renting a canoe, or be lazy and charter a longtail boat. Don't forget to take some bananas for the monkeys! Be careful as they can sometimes be aggressive.

Fireshow - there are several highly skilled and entertaining fireshows held nightly in several venues on the island, including at Carlito's, Apache Bar, Hippies, Carpe Diem, and The Tia and Millie Sunflower Bar on Lohdalum.

Tsunami Memorial Garden - by the Tia and Millie Sunflower Bar; a beautiful place for quiet contemplation and paying one's respects to the victims of the recent tragedy.

Phi Phi Don This island is the largest of the 6 Phi Phi islands and consists of two main sections. It is on Ton Sai where the original inhabitants settled and is now the home of the main accommodation area. Phi Phi Don is quite stunning and has earned the title of one of the most fantastic islands in the world. Nowadays though, with development, the beaches have had to pay a cost and so they’re not quite as spectacular as they were in the days of yesteryear. The landscape however, can never be ruined.

Phi Phi Le The second largest of the Phi Phi Islands is extremely beautiful, and pristine, but authorities in charge do not allow visitors to stay overnight. Besides the beach, other attractions include the Phaya Naak Cave with its prehistoric paintings and edible-nest swiftlets.

Yao Beach - Phi Phi Don Yao Beach, just south of Ton Sai, offers visitors some fantastic views, scenery and coral reefs for snorkeling and scuba diving. This small place is packed out however, with places to stay and so some people do complain that the vicinity has been rather over developed. You can get there either by walking from Ton Sai or taking a long-tail boat.

Lanti Beach - Phi Phi Don Next door to Yao Beach, Lanti Beach is very similar in many regards with its great scenery and coral reefs. You can get there on foot.

Hin Khao Beach - Phi Phi Don This beach is extremely quiet and can only be reached on foot.

Ton Sai Bay - Phi Phi Don Ao Ton Sai is where most of the action is; be it restaurants, bars, hotels or guesthouses. Most tourists stay at Ton Sai Bay because of the convenience. Even though it isn’t the most beautiful place on Phi Phi, it is still impressive.

Laem Tong, Phi Phi Don Laem Thong, located at the very north of the island offers visitors and lovely quite beach with exhilarating scenery. Accommodation on Laem Thong is aimed at higher spending tourists.

Yung Island This island just north of Phi Phi Don has a rocky beach and some coral.

Pai Island Not far from Yung Island is Pai Island. On the northern and eastern sides of the island are sandy beaches.

Other Attractions

Ko Pida Nok Besides an abundance of pretty coral, this island is home to plentiful marine life including: leopard sharks, turtles and moray eels. This island is popular with divers.

Ko Pida Nai Just up from Pida Nok is Pida Nai. Like its sister island, it is a good place for diving.

Shark Point (Hin Bida) Shark Point is a marine sanctuary with a reef that comprises of three pinnacles. The largest of which actually breaks the surface appearing as a barren rock outcropping. The reef is home to a delightful abundance of tropical, colorful soft corals and vibrant sea fans that decorate the limestone pinnacles.

Garang Heng Garang Heng is a small submerged reef just east of Phi Phi Le. It offers healthy reef with anemones, soft corals and even sharks.

Maya Bay Maya Bay has arguably Phi Phi’s most fantastic beach and was the location for the movie The Beach (Leonardo DiCaprio) in 1998. The bay also has superb marine life and is a favourite spot for experienced divers.

Wang Long This site is well known for its underwater cave systems and is only recommended for experienced divers. The caves tunnel into the rock face in two places and open out into a larger cave where surfacing is possible.

King Cruiser Wreck A popular and perhaps the best dive site off Ko Phi Phi is King Cruiser which claim remnants of a passenger ship which sunk in 1997 after it hit the Anemone reef. The Anemone reef is in itself a unique dive site with a massive limestone pinnacle which soars 30 meters from the seabed to just 4 meters beneath the surface. The site is well-known for its abundance of sea anemones that cling to every surface while attracting enormous schools of fish. Different types of fish to be seen include: tropicals, snappers, groupers and colorful clown fish, along with larger game-fish like tuna and barracuda as well as the occasional leopard shark.

Hin Dot These submerged pinnacles, often called Chimney Rock, are located just to the south of Phi Phi Don. The formation drops to a depth of 30 meters and has several coral shelves for exploration upon your gradual ascent. Nurse sharks can occasionally be found here.

Lohsamah Bay The bay is popular for night-time divers. It has a sandy bottom with oysters and clams and patches of brain coral for nocturnal reef critters to hide amongst.. There is a spectacular 15 meter deep canyon just wide enough for single file swimming on the eastern side.

Hin Pae This is a relatively shallow dive site - 10 to 15 meters deep. Its shallow depth offers excellent snorkeling. Its soft and hard coral provide shelter for a rich variety of coral fish. Crabs, lobsters, angelfish, groupers, snappers and surgeonfish are also residents of this area.