Phi Phi Island - Thailand
Phi Phi Island is one of the most well known destinations to visit in Thailand, partly because of it’s beauty but also known for a major Tsunami that destroyed most of the island in 2004.
We decided to stay in Phi Phi Island for a night although doing day trip from Krabi to Phi Phi Island is also possible. We arrived in Phi Phi Island by taking an early ferry from Railay beach which picked up right in front of our hotel. The ferry took about 2-3 hours to arrive.
Day 1: We arrived at about noon, after leaving our things at our hotel, we headed back to the city center and hiked up the viewpoint. It’s a lot of steps, so get ready but the view will be well worth it. At the viewpoint they also show pictures of the island prior to the tsunami and images captured by helicopters after it had happened and it shows the destruction it caused to most of the island. We grabbed some food and snacks and headed back to our hotel.
Day 2: We booked a Phi Phi Island half day tour at a tour shop right off the port in town after we first arrived to Phi Phi Island, we also arranged the pickup and drop off at our hotel (3,000 baht). When in town you can bargain the prices of tours and get a better deals, something you can’t do at your hotel. So I advise to shop around in some tourist shops for better prices or arrange your tour prior to getting to Phi Phi Island.
The half day tour took us to Loh Samah, Pileh Cove, Viking Cave, Maya Bay (pass through), and Monkey Beach. We actually toured for more than half the day, we had plenty of time to relax on the beaches and enjoy a good swim in each island without feeling rushed.
Maya Bay is known for being the location where the movie “The Beach” with Leonardo DiCaprio was filmed, however it was closed to tourism during our trip, which is why we couldn’t go to the beach area. Over the years of tourism in Maya Bay, the beach and island was trashed by so many tourists, that the government wanted to close it in order for the land to get a “fresh” start.
Hotel: We stayed at Phi Phi Island Village Resort, and arranged a pick up at the port through our hotel. They welcome each guest with a drink and are very thorough with their check ins and explaining the grounds. The room was spacious and very clean, the property is very large and they have golf carts that will take you back and forth to different areas of the hotel, all you do is call. The one downside to this hotel is that it’s only accessible by boat, so each time you go to and from the hotel it will cost your 200baht. And they stop traveling back and forth to the city center at a pretty early time, so you literally don’t want to miss the boat! The first night we had dinner at the hotel’s restaurant which was wonderful, breakfast was included and they had a wide selection. If you plan on exploring the city center and do not want to pay and wait on transportation to and from hotel then I’d recommend staying at a hotel more centrally located.
