The Phi Phi Island Group is a resort on the way from mainland Thailand to Phuket. The archipelago entered the list of popular tourist destinations when the world saw the luxury movie “The Beach”. The two largest islands in the archipelago are Phi Phi Don and Phi Phi Le. The island group belongs to Krabi Province. What attracts travelers to the island paradise Maya Bay so much? 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, because of the developed infrastructure – there are many cafes, bars, entertainment, a large selection of housing for every taste and budget. And only here you can lose yourself 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, where all the infrastructure is concentrated, all water transport with vacationers comes here.
Phi Phi Lei is located to the south, its main attraction is the bay and Maya Bay Beach, in this paradise the filming of the film “The Beach” took place. On Pi-Pi Lei, wildlife is preserved — there is no tourist accommodation, infrastructure, since the island is recognized as a protected area.
The other four islands are tiny and come here mainly for the sake of luxury 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.
Phi Phi Don
The largest and most developed island in terms of tourist infrastructure. All water transport docks at Tonsai Pier.
Useful to know! There are no paved roads on the island, so it is more convenient to get around by motorbike or bicycle.
Until the filming of the film” The Beach ” about the Phi Phi archipelago, no one knew, but thanks to the film industry, the archipelago was flooded with tourists, so Thais urgently engaged in the development of the tourism sector and today it is the main source of income for the local population.
In 2004, a powerful earthquake struck the Andaman Sea, which triggered a tsunami that damaged most of the island. It was almost wiped off the earth’s surface, and many people have not yet been found. Fortunately, today nothing reminds of that terrible event – Phi Phi hospitably welcomes tourists.
Useful to know! There are many beautiful beaches on Phi Phi Don, Lo-Dalam is recognized as the most fun. Young tourists from all over Europe come here. If you want to relax in peace and solitude, choose a place far from the coast.
For more information about Pee-Pee Don, see this page.
Pee Pee Lei Island
The second largest island in the archipelago. Pee-Pee Lei is popular for the Maya Bay, which was made famous by Leonardo Dicaprio. There is only one way to get to Phi Phi Lei-by water. Transport from any beach on Phi Phi Don goes here. What you need to do for this:
- find a Thai who runs a longboat – a long motorboat;
- pay for the tour – a three-hour trip will cost approximately 1.5 thousand baht, which is enough time to explore Maya Bay.
Useful to know! Sailing on Pi-Pi Lei Lush is best in the early morning or late afternoon – firstly, it is not hot, secondly, there are few tourists, good sunlight for beautiful shots.
Attractions
Of course, the main attraction of Phi Phi is nature and beaches. That’s why tourists come here. If you’re lucky enough to be on Pi-Pi Lei, don’t miss the chance to visit two bays of amazing beauty and a Viking cave. Let’s start with a visit to Maya Bay.
Maya Bay on Phi Phi
Of course, the Phi Phi Islands are associated with Maya Bay-this is the most” promoted ” attraction of the archipelago. Visit to Maya Bay (Phi Phi) for a fee of 400 baht. How can I save money? It is very simple – to explore the island and the bay from the water, without going ashore. However, experienced tourists strongly recommend paying money and still go ashore.
In the movie” The Beach”, Maya Bay in Thailand is considered a paradise – this is not an exaggeration. May Bay is surrounded by rocks, the coast is covered with snow-white sand, surrounded by tropical greenery, beautiful coral reefs are hidden in the azure water.
Useful 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 only get here as part of an excursion group or an individual tour. Food and drinks must be taken on the trip.
Blue Lagoon Pileh Lagoon
In addition to the amazing Maya Bay, Phi Phi Lei has another beautiful bay, the Blue Lagoon. It is located on the opposite side. Its beauty lies in the absence of travelers. There are not thousands of tourists here, and the nature is no less beautiful than in Maya Bay.
If you are not a fan of the movie “The Beach”, a holiday in the Blue Lagoon will deliver no less strong emotional impressions than Maya Bay.
Boats deliver tourists directly to the bay, but do not swim to the shore, they land directly in the water, at a depth of no more than a meter. The bay is very beautiful, surrounded by rocks, covered with tropical plants.
Viking Cave
One of the most interesting sights of the island of Pi-Pi Lei – on the walls preserved rock carvings. Here you can see images of Viking boats, most of the drawings are made in the marine theme. Unfortunately, you can’t go inside, but you can see the cave from the outside.
The cave was chosen by hundreds of swallows who built nests here, residents collect birds ‘ nests and prepare delicacies from them.
Interesting fact! A huge stalagmite has formed in the cave, and the inhabitants of the island bring offerings to it – coconut milk.
How to get to Phi Phi
Let’s look at several ways to get on Pee-Pee Lei.
To Phi Phi from Phuket
There is a ferry service between the islands, but only passenger transport runs, so it is impossible to transport them. By the way, on 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 at the airport travel agency | The ticket price includes a transfer to the pier and the ferry itself | About 600-800 baht |
| Get to the pier by yourself | First you need to get from the airport to the city by mini-bus, then take a tuk-tuk to the pier, the trip will cost 900 baht | A ferry ticket to the island will cost 600 baht, in both directions-1000 baht. |
| Book a transfer at the hotel | This service is provided by 4 and 5 star hotels | The price is set by the hotel |
The journey from the pier to the island takes about two hours. It is more profitable to buy round-trip tickets at a travel agency. The return ticket will be undated – 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 on a private speedboat-the price is 1500 baht.
Useful to know! All boats dock at Tonsai Pier. To get to the hotel, you will need to book a transfer.
On Phi Phi with Krabi
From the airport, you need to get to the city, and then drive to Klong Jilad Pier – ferries run from here to Phi Phi Don. There are two ways to get to the pier:
- contact the travel agency at the airport, where you can purchase a transfer to the pier and a ferry ticket;
- get to the pier by yourself, buy tickets at the ticket office.
The cost of a ticket from the airport to the pier is approximately 150 baht, a taxi will cost 500 baht. A ferry ride will cost 350 baht. The ferry takes 1.5 hours.
Useful to know! If for some reason you don’t catch the ferry from Krabi, you can stay overnight and sail to Phi Phi the next day, or go to Ao Nang.
On Phi Phi from Ao Nang
The journey from Ao Nang to Phi Phi Don will not take long and will not cause any problems. You can use one of the following routes::
- take a tuk tuk, drive to Noppart Thara Pier, buy a ticket at the ticket office;
- purchase a ticket at a hotel or travel agency.
The trip will cost 450 baht, and the return ferry will cost 350 baht. The journey takes about 2 hours.
Useful recommendations
1. Pee Pee Lei and Maya Bay sightseeing or self-guided tour
First of all, if your goal is a quick tour of the Phi Phi Islands, you do not plan to walk around the archipelago for a week, consider an excursion. 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 of walking along Pi-Pi Lei.
In Phuket, it is not difficult to buy an excursion lasting 1-2 days and such a trip will cost much less than an independent trip to Maya Bay.
Useful to know! Prices for sightseeing tours vary from 1500 to 3200 baht. The price depends on the duration of the trip and the program conditions. Before buying, check out the terms and conditions – some tours include meals.
2. Accommodation on Pi-Pi Don
There are a lot of hotels on Phi Phi Don for every taste and different price categories. The most affordable housing is a bungalow. The cost of accommodation is from 300 to 400 baht. Amenities in such housing are almost nonexistent, there is no air conditioning. The cost of a night in a medium-priced hotel with excellent conditions is from 800 to 1000 baht.
The most budget hotels are located in the area of Tonsai Pier and Lo Dalam, but here you will have to listen to music playing on the dance floor every night.
Useful to know! It is better to book your accommodation in advance. First of all, it is more reliable, and secondly, the prices on the Booking service are always lower than when booking directly on the island.
3. Beaches
Phi Phi Dong and Phi Phi Lei have a large selection of beautiful, comfortable beaches-some are noisy, with parties, and some are deserted and secluded.
Most visited places in Phi Phi Don:
- Long Beach;
- Lo Dalam;
- Tonsai Bay.
Here is a beach with ideal conditions for recreation – without waves, with a gentle descent into the sea, soft, fine sand. However, you should be aware of a strong change in sea level during the day. Other beaches on Phi Phi Don can only be reached by water, and cannot be reached by land.
4. Visit neighboring islands
Don’t miss the opportunity to visit the nearby Reilly Peninsula and Lanta Island. It is enough to allocate one day and one night for everyone to plunge into the atmosphere of tropical nature.
Maya Bay Beach, Viking cave, exotic nature and lots of positive emotions and impressions – this is what awaits everyone on Phi Phi Le.
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