Koh Phi Phi is every bit of paradise you’ve seen in photos or in Leonardo DiCaprio’s film, “The Beach”. Limestone cliffs, crystal clear water, and $5 buckets of frozen drinks.. it’s no wonder people come here and end up staying for longer than they planned. Phi Phi is simply paradise.
How to get to Koh Phi Phi?
We booked a boat from one of the local stands outside our hotel. It cost us about 800 baht ($25 USD). The boat journey is about 3 hours, and workers from the boat come around to offer a return ticket. We booked an “open return” so we could go back whenever to wherever (Phuket, Krabi, or another island) which ended up being cheaper. We recommend booking directly with the company to save some dollar!
Where to stay in Koh Phi Phi?
We stayed at Anita Phi Phi. We were traveling with Christine’s brother and sister, so we booked 2 private rooms for the 4 of us. We paid about $20/night, which included breakfast. The location for us was perfect, we were a 2 minute walk to the beach, and centrally located in the island.
Where to eat in Koh Phi Phi?
There are tons of restaurants on Phi Phi. A favorite of ours was Clover House, ran by a lovely local woman who became nicknamed our “Thai Mom”. It doesn’t look like much from the outside, but as we were told, being on an island, everyone uses the same produce and ingredients, so you might as well get the authentic food for cheaper. We visited PP Arcade for breakfast and dinner, which is catered more to western tourists, and although its very picturesque, we weren’t too impressed with the food. Out of both meals, we preferred breakfast though.
A few of our favorite things In Koh Phi Phi:
Long boat tour: An obvious choice for when you’re in Phi Phi, a long boat tour of Phi Phi Le and Phi Phi Don is a MUST. We got extremely lucky, and ended up going with a local fisherman called Lek. We had the whole boat to ourselves, and he took us to some “secret” spots that we probably wouldn’t have seen had we booked with a company. Sadly, Maya Bay, where “The Beach” was filmed, is closed to tourists because of the large amounts of people that were flocking to this area. Authorities banned visitors as an attempt for the ecology to recover. Our favorite place we visited was Loh Sama Bay. We anchored our boat and spent some time snorkelling, and Lek helped us find some baby black tip sharks!
Monkey Beach: We visited one of two monkey beaches during our long boat trip. Stupidly, we brought bananas from the hotel to feed them. Before we even anchored, all the monkeys from the beach started running towards our boat for the bananas! Don’t bring anything to feed them, and be careful of your belongings as they’re sneaky and curious little animals and are known to steal/grab things from travelers.
Phi Phi ViewPoint: We climbed up the viewpoint for sunset. Although it was super crowded with other tourists, the views were definitely worth it. Make sure to bring water with you! It was about 45 minutes to the top, but with the heat and high humidity it can be a bit of a struggle. It was about 30 baht for the entrance fee (US$1).
Long Beach: This beach was a great place to go if you want to escape the crowds. We brought some snacks, drinks, and our speaker and had the beach to ourselves for the day.
The Only Bar: One of the best places on the island to watch the sunset! A laid-back hippie bar with bean bags, beer pong, and Jenga, it makes for a perfect place to relax, watch the sunset and enjoy a cold beer. With two little Corgis running around, and a “happy” menu, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.
Kongsiam Live Bar: Across from Banana Bar, Kongsiam is amazing for live music and such a fun night out.
Reggae Bar: They have traditional Muay Thai fights starting at 9PM, and after the locals fight they then bring up tourist volunteers from the crowd. Nothing too serious, its a friendly-fight between the volunteers and the winner gets a free bucket (of drinks).
