Phi Phi Islands Group – a resort on the way from mainland Thailand to Phuket. The archipelago entered the list of popular tourist sites when the world saw the magnificent film “Beach”. The two largest islands of the archipelago are Phi Phi Don and Phi Phi Le. The island group belongs to the province of Krabi. What so attracts travelers to the island paradise? Let’s find out.
Phi Phi Archipelago – information for those who are going on a trip
Thailand offers a huge selection of islands, but travelers choose Phi Phi. First of all, due to the developed infrastructure – there are many cafes, bars, entertainment, a large selection of housing for every taste and budget. And only here you can dissolve in the tropical nature, without breaking away from the benefits of civilization.
Phi Phi is an archipelago consisting of six islands. The largest of them – Phi Phi Don – is located in the northern part of the archipelago, all infrastructure is concentrated here, all water transport comes here with vacationers.
Phi Phi Lei is located to the south, its main attraction is the bay and Maya Bay beach. In this paradise, the film “Beach” was shot. Wildlife has been preserved at Pi-Pi Ley – there is no tourist accommodation, infrastructure, since the island is recognized as a protected area.
The other four islands are tiny, they come here mainly for gorgeous snorkeling. The nature of the Phi Phi archipelago is so exotic and picturesque that it would be a big mistake to come to Thailand and not visit them.
The largest and most developed island in terms of tourist infrastructure. All water transport approaches the Tonsai pier.
Good to know! There are no paved roads on the island; it is more convenient to travel by motorbike or bicycle.
Until the filming of the film “Beach”, nobody knew about the Phi Phi archipelago, but thanks to the film industry, tourist flows poured into the archipelago, so the Thais urgently began to develop the tourism sector and today it is the main source of income for the local population.
In 2004, a powerful earthquake occurred in the Andaman Sea that triggered a tsunami that damaged most of the island. It has almost been erased from the earth’s surface; many people have not yet been found. Fortunately, today nothing reminds of that terrible event – Phi Phi hospitably welcomes tourists.
Good to know! Phi Phi Don has many beautiful beaches, Lo-Dalam is recognized as the most fun. Young tourists from all over Europe come here. If you want to relax in silence and solitude – choose housing away from the coast.
Detailed information about P-P-Don is presented on this page .
The second largest island of the archipelago. Pp P Ley is popular with Maya Bay, which was glorified by Leonardo Lee Caprio. To get to Phi Phi Lei is possible in one way – water. Transport from any beach to Phi Phi Don departs here. What do I need to do:
- find the Thai who drives the long boat – a long motor boat;
- pay for the tour – a three-hour trip will cost about 1,5 thousand baht, this time is enough to explore the Maya Bay.
Good to know! Swim on the Pee Pee Ley Lush just in the early morning or late afternoon – firstly, it is not hot, and secondly, few tourists, good sunlight for great shots.
sights
Of course, the main attraction of Phi Phi is nature and beaches. For this, tourists come here. If you are lucky enough to be in Pee Pee Ley, do not miss the chance to visit two bays of amazing beauty and a Viking cave. Let’s start with a visit to Maya Bay.
Update! Until the end of 2019, the bay is closed to visitors!
Of course, the islands of Phi Phi are associated with Maya Bay – this is the most “untwisted” attraction of the archipelago. A visit to Maya Bay (Phi Phi) is paid – 400 baht. How to save? It is very simple – to explore the island and the bay from the water, without going ashore. However, experienced tourists are strongly recommended to pay money and still go ashore.
Interesting fact! Every year, Pi-Pi Ley is visited by millions of tourists, undoubtedly, such a stir around the island could not but affect the ecology. Particular attention is paid to garbage collection, in 2018 in the second half of summer Phi Phi Lei was closed to travelers – it was cleaned and put in order.
In the film “Beach”, Maya Bay in Thailand is a paradise – this is not an exaggeration. May Bay is surrounded by cliffs, the coast is covered with white sand, immersed in tropical greenery, beautiful coral reefs are hidden in azure water.
Good to know! Maya Bay in Thailand is part of a national park, so there is no housing, cafes and bars do not work, you can get here only as part of an excursion group or an individual tour. Food and drinks must be taken on a trip.
In addition to the amazing Maya Bay on Phi Phi Lei, there is another beautiful Blue Lagoon Bay. It is located on the opposite side. Its charm is the absence of travelers. There are no thousands of tourists, and nature is no less beautiful than in Maya Bay.
If you are not an admirer of the film “Beach”, a vacation in the Blue Lagoon will deliver impressions no less strong in emotional color than Maya Bay.
Boats deliver tourists directly to the bay, but do not swim to the shore, land directly in the water, at a depth of not more than a meter. The bay is very beautiful, surrounded by rocks, covered with tropical plants.
One of the most interesting sights of the island of Pi-Pie Ley – rock paintings have been preserved on the walls. Here you can see the images of Viking boats, most of the drawings are made in the marine theme. Unfortunately, you cannot go inside, but the cave can be seen from the outside.
The cave was chosen by hundreds of swallows that made nests here, residents collect bird’s nests and prepare delicacies from them.
Interesting fact! A huge stalagmite formed in the cave, island inhabitants bring offerings to it – coconut milk.
How to get to Phi Phi
Let’s look at a few ways to get to Pi-Pi Lei.
There is a ferry service between the islands, but only passenger transport runs, so transport is impossible to transport. By the way, in Phi Phi transport is useless, since there are practically no roads.
The algorithm of actions is as follows:
- fly to Bangkok or Pattaya;
- get to phuket.
Then you can choose one of the presented routes to get to the Rassada pier.
| Route | Features | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Buy a ticket to Phi Phi island from a travel agency at the airport | The ticket price includes a transfer to the pier and the ferry | About 600-800 baht |
| Get to the pier yourself | First you need to get from the airport to the city in a mini-bass, then take a tuk-tuk to the pier, the trip will cost 900 baht | A ferry ticket to the island will cost 600 baht, both sides 1000 baht |
| Book a transfer at the hotel | A similar service is provided by 4 and 5 star hotels | The cost is set by the hotel |
Traveling from the pier to the island takes about two hours. At a travel agency, it is more profitable to purchase round-trip tickets. The return ticket will be without a date – you can return to Phuket at any time, but only by transport of the company that brought you to Phi Phi. Of course, you can buy a ticket for a private speedboat – the price is 1,500 baht.
Good to know! All boats moor to Tonsai Pier. To get to the hotel, you will need to book a transfer.
From the airport you need to get to the city, and then get to the Klong Jilad pier – from here ferries run to P-P-Don. There are two ways to get to the pier:
- contact a travel agency at the airport, here you can buy a transfer to the pier and a ferry ticket;
- drive to the pier on your own, purchase tickets at the box office.
The cost of a ticket from the airport to the pier is approximately 150 baht, a taxi will cost 500 baht. Ferry crossings will cost 350 baht. Crossing takes 1.5 hours.
Good to know! If for some reason you do not have time to catch a ferry from Krabi, you can stay the night and sail to Phi Phi the next day, or go to Ao Nang.
The road from Ao Nang to Pi-Pi Don will not take much time and will not cause any problems. You can use one of the routes:
- take a tuk tuk, get to the Noppart Tara pier, get a ticket at the box office;
- purchase a ticket at a hotel or travel agency.
The trip will cost 450 baht, the return crossing is 350 baht. The journey takes about 2 hours.
Prices on the page are for October 2018.
Useful Tips
First of all, if your goal is a cursory inspection of the Phi Phi islands, you do not plan to walk around the archipelago for a week, consider a guided tour. Also, a guided tour is a great choice for those who want to save money. You can buy an excursion to Maya Bay, a few hours to walk along the Pee Pee Ley.
It will not be difficult to get an excursion in Phuket for 1-2 days, and such a trip will cost much cheaper than an independent trip to Maya Bay.
Good to know! Prices for sightseeing tours vary from 1,500 to 3,200 baht. The price depends on the duration of the trip and the conditions of the program. Before buying, take an interest in the conditions – the price of some tours includes food.
There are a lot of hotels on P&P Don for every taste and a different price category. The most budget accommodation is a bungalow. The cost of living is from 300 to 400 baht. Conveniences in such housing are practically absent, there is no air conditioning. The cost of a night in a mid-range hotel with excellent conditions from 800 to 1000 baht.
The budget hotels are located near the Tonsai Pier and Lo Dalam, but here you will have to listen to music on the dance floor every night.
Good to know! Accommodation is better to book in advance. Firstly, it’s more reliable, and secondly, the prices for the booking service are always lower than when booking directly on the island.
Pp P Don and Pp Ley have a large selection of beautiful, comfortable beaches – there are noisy, with parties, and there are deserted and secluded.
The most visited Phi Phi Don:
- Long Beach
- Lo Dalam;
- Tonsai Bay.
Here is a coast with ideal conditions for relaxation – without waves, with a gentle slope into the sea, soft, fine sand. However, one should remember about a strong change in sea level during the day. Other beaches on Phi Phi Don are only accessible by water, and cannot be reached by land.
Do not miss the opportunity to visit the neighboring Railay Peninsula and Koh Lanta. It is enough to allocate one day and one night for everyone to plunge into the atmosphere of tropical nature.
Maya Bay beach, the Viking cave, exotic nature and lots of positive emotions and impressions – this is what awaits everyone on Phi Phi Le.
Video: what Phi Phi islands look like and how the excursion to Maya Bay takes place.
