The Phi Phi Phi Islands are a wonderful archipelago of paradise islands in southern Thailand. As is the case in this part of the country, the Phi Phi Islands are a popular holiday destination with travellers. The reason is their white sandy beaches, crystal clear waters and postcard-perfect scenery. Read on for all the must-see places and things to do in the Phi Phi Islands. As well as tips on how to get there, where to stay and where to eat, among other things.
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Places to see on Phi Phi Islands
Tonsai
Tonsai is the busiest area of Koh Phi Phi Don, the largest island of Phi Phi. The small town of Tonsai is where the ferry docks arrive and depart, so it’s very busy and bustling. Tonsai is home to most of the hotels and restaurants, as well as one of the most beautiful beaches, Loh Dalum Bay.
The town of Tonsai perfectly combines the convenience of an area with a wide range of leisure, accommodation and dining options with beautiful natural scenery and paradisiacal beaches
Monkey Beach
Located in Phi Phi Don, this is one of the most famous and characteristic beaches of the Phi Phi islands. The reason is the same that gives its name to the beach. In it lives a colony of monkeys that live naturally with bathers, stroll along the beach, eat, bathe …. They are so used to living on the beach with humans that they even allow themselves to be petted and photographed with them.
Phi Phi Don Viewpoint
Another characteristic point of the island is its viewpoint, the Phi Phi Don Viewpoint, located on a hill that can be reached after a trekking route of about 20 minutes. From here you get the best views of the island, of the bays of Tonsai and Loh Dalum, which are well worth the effort of the hike. Early morning and late afternoon, when it’s cooler and it’s dawn or dusk, are the best times of day to get to Phi Phi Don Viewpoint.
Viking’s Cave
More commonly known by its English name, the Viking Cave, is one of the must-visits in the Phi Phi Islands. It is located on the island of Koh Phi Phi Phi Leh. Basically, it is a cave at the bottom of a cliff. On the walls inside you can see impressive paintings of elephants, boats and boats. It can be reached by longtail boat from the Tonsai jetty.
Maya Beach
This is one of the most famous and impressive beaches on the Phi Phi islands. It owes its fame to the film The Beach, starring Leonardo DiCaprio. Currently, since 2019, it has been closed to tourism. Due to the large crowds of visitors that the film attracted to Maya Beach, its coral reef was heavily damaged and almost destroyed. As a protective measure, it was decided to close it to the public, so it is now slowly recovering from the ravages of mass tourism.
Long Beach
There are no roads or motorised vehicles on the Phi Phi Islands, so to get to the sites you’ll enjoy pleasant walks in a dreamy natural setting. One of these walks is the one that leads to Long Beach, one of the most famous beaches, from Tonsai. Both the promenade and the destination itself are truly wonderful. It’s a beautiful, wide beach, usually not too crowded, allowing you to enjoy the scenery and the tranquillity. It is undoubtedly one of the best beaches in the Phi Phi Islands. And if walking isn’t your thing, it’s quickly accessible by boat from Tonsai Pier.
Mosquito Island or Koh Yung
Another of Phi Phi’s six constituent islands is Koh Yung, popularly known as Mosquito Island. It is the northernmost island of the archipelago and is only 1km long and about 150m wide. The island is uninhabited and has some of the quietest, most beautiful and least visited beaches in the Phi Phi Islands. It is also the ideal place for water sports such as snorkelling and coral watching. But at Mosquito Island, remember to bring your mosquito repellent, as they can be quite a nuisance after dark.
You can easily reach it by longtail boat from Koh Phi Phi Don.
Bamboo Island or Koh Pai
Like Mosquito Island, Bamboo Island is a small island about 700 metres long and 600 metres wide, with a beautiful white sandy beach and turquoise waters. It has nothing to do with the beaches of Koh Phi Phi Don, and is much less well known and therefore less visited. Its beach is usually not very crowded and spending the day there, in contact with nature and in peace and quiet, is one of the best experiences in Thailand.
Travel Tip: To organize your trip we recommend using Passporter totally free. You can be inspired by the experiences of other travelers, choose the places that interest you most, create the travel route with a geolocated map, upload all important documents such as reservations and invite your friends so that everyone can participate in the organization of the trip.
What to see around Phi Phi Islands
Krabi
About 40km away from Phi Phi Islands and about an hour and a half by ferry, lies Krabi one of Thailand’s most beautiful provinces. Like the Phi Phi Islands, it is famous for its paradisiacal beaches and breathtaking scenery, making it a popular destination for tourists travelling to Thailand in search of a few days of sun, sand and relaxation.
Among the most famous beaches in Krabi (and all of Thailand) are those on the peninsula Railay, only accessible by sea and bounded by impressive cliffs. Examples of this are Railay West Beach, the largest and where you’ll find the most accommodation and restaurants, and the quieter and prettier Phra Nang. Also, visiting the bay of Phang Nga is one of the best things to do near Phuket. Located between Krabi and Phuket, this bay offers some of the most beautiful sights in Thailand, with its wonderful islands, grottoes and cliffs.
Phuket
Phuket is a stunning 543 km² island in southern Thailand. Its beautiful fine white sandy beaches, crystal clear waters, green cliffs and wide range of leisure activities have made the island one of the country’s top holiday destinations.
Patong Beach is the liveliest and most charismatic area of Phuket. Its beach, although one of the largest, is not one of Phuket’s best; however, it is always crowded with tourists who are attracted by the great nightlife on offer in this part of the island. On the other hand, the beaches of Kamala and Karon are long, quiet and beautiful, perfect for relaxing, enjoying the sound of the sea or a family holiday. Another beach to highlight in Phuket is Panwa, considered one of the most exclusive beaches in Phuket because it is home to luxury villas and hotels.
Discover these and other places in Phuket at What to do and see in Phuket Thailand?
How to get to Phi Phi Islands
Phi Phi does not have its own airport, the nearest being on the island of Phuket, so it is not directly accessible by air. The most common way is to fly to one of the two destinations mentioned above, Krabi or Phuket, from Bangkok, and then take a ferry to the Phi Phi Islands. There are several flights a day from Thailand’s capital to these two destinations from around €20.
To get to Phi Phi from Phuket you have to go by ferry. The journey takes about one and a half hours and costs around 12€. Ferries depart from the port of Rassada four times a day: 8:30am, 11:30am, 1pm and 3pm.
From Krabi it is also necessary to take a ferry. In this case, the journey takes around two hours and costs around 12€. There are four ferries a day from Klong Jilad harbour: 9:00, 10:30, 13:30 and 15:00
What things to do in Phi Phi Islands in 3 days
First day in Phi Phi Islands:
- Arrival on Koh Phi Phi Phi Don
- Tonsai
- Bay of Loh Dalum
Second day on Phi Phi Islands:
- Phi Phi Don Viewpoint
- Long Beach
- Monkey Beach
Third day at Phi Phi Islands:
- Excursion to Mosquito Beach
- Tonsai
Where to eat in Phi Phi Islands
- JaJa Cafe & Spice: A lovely place to have breakfast or a drink. Its menu features delicious coffees and juices, as well as both sweet and savoury dishes of Thai cuisine – a delight! Price range: 1€ – 11€
- Acqua Restaurant: One of the best restaurants on Phi Phi. A place that takes care of both product quality and aesthetics and offers European and Thai dishes with great taste.Price range 2 € – 15 €
Where to sleep on Phi Phi Islands
The only island where it is possible to stay is Phi Phi Don and the Tonsai Bay area is where most accommodation is located.
- Phi Phi Phi Sunset Bay Resort: A 30-minute walk from Tonsai is a fantastic bungalow resort, surrounded by tropical gardens and on the beachfront. It has a small Thai restaurant and kayak rentals. Average price per night: 25€
- P2 Wood Loft: A fantastic three-star hotel in the heart of Tonsai Bay. It has beautiful and comfortable rooms from €25 per night
Tips for your trip to southern Thailand
- The currency in Thailand is Thai Baht (1 baht = 0.026€).
- Bring your money with you in advance, currency exchanges at airports are very expensive.
- Bring some cash with you at all times, not all shops accept credit cards.
- Be insured for medical emergencies.
- Better to drink only bottled water, as tap water is not always safe to drink.
- The Phi Phi Islands are a year-round destination, but the least rainy season is from November to April.
- To enter the temples you should be barefoot, wear trousers or skirts below the knees and clothes that cover the shoulders.
How to organise what to see on islands Phi Phi
Register or download the Passporter App and discover all the possibilities.
- Get inspired by the experiences of other travellers.
- Create your own itinerary and add the app’s suggestions to it.
- Add the stops that interest you most, as well as the restaurants and bars where you want to eat (you can use the points of interest listed in this post as a reference).
- Organise your itinerary by route days according to their location on the map (you can take inspiration from the routes we present in the post)
- Check the travel budget that the app calculates according to your travel stops, restaurants, and leisure activities.
- Make the modifications you need and you’ll be all set for your trip.
- Share your experience. Upload photos of each of the places you visited on your trip to the app and recommend to other travellers what to see in Phi Phi Islands Thailand.
If you have questions on how to do this, you can check out our post: How to create a travel itinerary on Passporter.
Frequently asked questions
3 days is enough to see the essentials. Of course, once you arrive you won’t want to leave.
One thing that will surprise you on Phi Phi is that there are no roads, no cars and no motorised vehicles. The main means of transport will be your own feet, but don’t worry, the distances are not long, the roads are well paved and it is really wonderful to walk in such a place. To move between islands the most common means of transport is the wide long tails that leave from Tonsai.
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