Thailand belongs to the picturesque Phi Phi archipelago of 6 islands, the largest of which are Phi Phi Lei and Phi Phi Don. When they talk about a holiday on Phi Phi, they mean Phi Phi Don, because this island is the only inhabited one in the archipelago.
The total area of the island, which the inhabitants of Thailand call not otherwise than Pi-Pi-Don, is 28 km2. It consists of two limestone monoliths that are connected to each other by a sandy isthmus. Its length is about 1 km, and its width in some places does not exceed 150 m.
It is the area of the narrow isthmus that is the most inhabited and densely populated territory on Pi-Pi-Don. This small stretch of land stretching between Tonsai and Lo Dalam bays is called Ton Sai Village. Here, buildings with restaurants, bars, shops, hotels of different price categories, travel agencies and other tourist infrastructure facilities are located close to each other. There is also a market that offers vegetables, fruits, and fresh fish.
The vast majority of tourists visiting this island in Thailand are American and European youth. There are few tourists from China and Russian-speaking travelers, mostly only those who came as part of an excursion from other resorts in Thailand. There are also few families with children.
Beaches of Phi Phi Don Island
Phi Phi Don Island is known as a resort with bounty beaches washed by the Andaman Sea. The most popular beaches will be discussed later.
Important! When choosing a holiday destination on Phi Phi, you need to look at the ebb and flow chart. So you can choose a beach where you can swim, and not just sunbathe!
Tonsai
Tonsai Beach is located in the bay of the same name on the south side of the sandy isthmus, and it is far from the best on Phi Phi Don. There is a wide sandy strip, which makes it convenient to walk along the sea coast, but the conditions for swimming are not very good. The sea is too shallow, besides, at low tide the water goes for tens of meters, it is impossible to swim at all.
There is no rental of umbrellas and sun loungers on Tonsai, and you need to bring your own towel to sit on the sand.
Conventionally, the territory of Tonsai Beach is divided into central, western and eastern parts.
The central part of Tonsai is also the center of the island. There is a pier and ship dock where ferries come from different localities in Thailand, as well as a boat station where you can go to remote beaches and other nearby islands. The entrance to the sea is so cluttered with water transport that swimming here is not even accepted.
On the western part of Tonsai Beach (if you face the sea, then it is located on the right), the coast is quite wide, covered with clean grayish-white sand. At a sufficient distance from the water – lush tropical vegetation, allowing vacationers to take shelter in the shade. There are much fewer boats here than in the center, and they do not interfere with swimming.
On the left side of the pier, behind low rocks, the eastern section of Tonsai Beach originates. You can go there along a path laid from the pier parallel to the sea – immediately after a slight rise there will be a beach. In the east, Tonsai is not as attractive as in the west, but it is much cleaner and there are almost no boats. A beach strip with white, heavily packed sand, of medium width – there is enough space to stay in the sun or under the trees. The conditions are quite suitable for swimming, and there are not too many people.
Lo Dalam
On the island of Phi Phi Don in Thailand, in the bay of Loh Dalum, which is located on the north side of the sandy isthmus, there is Lo Dalam beach. You can get to it by walking along one of the many paths through the shopping malls.
Due to the fact that the sea is shallow and the bay is closed from all sides by high picturesque rocks, the water here is always calm and very warm. The sea is a bright azure-turquoise color, especially where the bottom is covered with white sand and there is no admixture of clay.
The sand here is not soft and fluffy, but hard, heavily compacted. In the center it is snow-white and clean, with an admixture of yellow sand, and on the right side it is a little dirty, with stones and boulders. There are a lot of boats and boats in the coastal waters, but swimming areas are surrounded by special fences.
The beach strip is quite narrow, and the entrance to the sea is gentle. The sea is shallow, so you have to go for a long time to swim properly. In general, on Lo Dalam it is good to rest only at high tides, and at low tide it is absolutely impossible to swim, since the water goes almost to the center of the bay.
There is no toilet or shower on this Phi Phi Don beach, and no sun beds or umbrellas are available for rent. But along the entire beach strip there are many bars and cafes, in each of which you can take a drink and settle down with it on a soft pillow or mattress on the shore.
In addition to relaxing on the sand, you can enjoy a rented kayak (150 baht per hour, 700 for 8 hours).
Lo Dalam Beach, which is about 1 km long, is always crowded. During the day, it attracts crowds of tourists from Phuket and Ao Nang, and at night it becomes the center of hangouts for young people vacationing at the resort. And although the beach is regularly cleaned and garbage is not noticeable, you need to understand that the whole youth crowd here not only eats and drinks, but also goes to the toilet in the sea.
Long Beach
The first-class Long Beach, which is about 800 m long, is covered with white soft sand. The water here is spotlessly clean, but the descent into the sea is somewhat abrupt and the great depth begins close to the shore. You can rent a sunbed and umbrella here for 100 baht, and for 10 you can use the shower and rinse off the sea salt.
In Thailand and beyond, Long Beach is known as the best place on Phi Phi Dong for couples with children.
Thanks to the coral reef, this beach is ideal for diving and snorkeling. Especially excellent conditions are found on the rocky Hin Phae Plateau, which is home to harmless reef sharks of one meter in length. There are so many sharks that snorkeling and dive centers promise a mandatory meeting with them.
You can rent a mask and snorkel for snorkeling:
- for 50 baht per day,
- fins for the same amount,
- a ski board for 200 baht per hour.
You can also rent a kayak:
- for 1 hour – 150 baht,
- for 4 hours – 400 rubles,
- for 8 hours – 700.
Long Beach is just a 10-to 15-minute walk from the outskirts of Tonsai, while Ton Sai Village center is about a 30-minute drive away.
Getting to Long Beach is also convenient by boat: from Tonsai, travel for one person costs 100 baht, after 18:00 the amount usually increases to 150. But the boatman will not transport one person, it is assumed that there will be 4 passengers.
Monkey Beach
Small, about 120 m long, Monkey Beach is so named because there are so many long-tailed macaques living there.
Located in a secluded bay surrounded by high cliffs, surrounded by lush tropical plants, Monkey Beach looks beautiful. The water is turquoise and the sand is white. The approach to the sea is smooth, and at the same time a fairly large depth allows you to swim normally.
It would seem that Monkey Beach is almost the best place for a beach holiday not only in Phi Phi Don, but also in Thailand. But the number of tourists visiting this beach as part of mass excursions is many times higher than its capacity. That is why it is better to visit here on your own, and in the morning, before 11: 00, there are still no boats with tourists.
There is no infrastructure on Monkey Beach, and you should definitely take drinking water with you. There are a lot of swings in the trees near the beach strip, but it is unlikely that you will be able to take romantic photos on the island of Phi Phi Don: as soon as someone sits on a swing, hordes of wild monkeys instantly rush there!
Important! During your vacation at Monkey Beach, you need to carefully monitor your belongings. From an unattended bag, macaques take out absolutely everything with amazing speed.
Monkey Beach, located in the west of Phi Phi Don, is only accessible by sea. Since Lo Dalam and Monkey Beach are no more than 1 km apart, it takes only 25-30 minutes to get from the first to the second by rented kayak. If you don’t want to sail on your own, you can hire a boat with a boatman.
Phi Phi Don Sightseeing Spots
On Phi Phi Dong Island, there are 3 main viewing points located on the slope of the same mountain: View point Phi Phi No. 1, 2, 3. They can be visited alternately in one ascent.
The observation platforms are located north of Ton Sai Village, and there are two roads there: a short but very steep concrete staircase, and a gentle dirt road that goes around, and therefore several times longer. If you go from Ton Sai Village, then the steps will be closer, if from Long Beach – a dirt road.
Observation deck 1
On the first observation terrace there is a picturesque mini-park: a small pond, beautiful boulders, a well – groomed lawn, benches for relaxing, and also-huge letters forming the phrase “I love Phi Phi”. But there’s nowhere to hide from the sun. The lower viewpoint does not allow you to see the island in all its beauty, so you should definitely go further up the stairs going through the palm forest.
Observation deck 2
The View point No. 2 observation deck is filled with huge rocks, climbing on which you can observe the sandy isthmus and the Tonsai and Lo Dalam bays. This is the best playground on the island, and the view from it is the hallmark of Pee-Pee-Don, and it is used when creating ads about holiday opportunities in Thailand. After 9: 00, there is always an incredibly large influx of tourists, which makes it quite difficult to take comfortable seats.
View point № 3
It is located next to the radio tower, higher than other platforms. But due to the fact that the view is blocked by tall trees, the view from here is peculiar: there is a lot of sky, a boundless horizon, and instead of the sea – a jungle. The terrace is open and spacious, but there are also trees that provide shade. There is a cafe serving delicious Thai cuisine, and a swing set is located under the canopy.
Useful information about viewpoints
Entrance to View point Phi Phi № 1 and 2 is paid, 30 baht each, another 10-if necessary, use the toilet on site. There is no need to pay for admission to View point Phi Phi No. 3, as there is a viewing platform located on the territory of the cafe and the price of drinks already includes the presence of tourists.
On a note! There are trash cans near each viewpoint, and there is a considerable fine for violating cleanliness. Alcohol is prohibited at all venues, and there are even warning signs that you will have to pay a fine for drinking alcohol.
Viewing platforms are open from 5: 30 to 19: 00, but a morning visit to viewpoints has a number of advantages. In the morning, the ascent is easier due to the fact that there is no extreme heat. While there are few people, you can take the best places for photographing. In addition, the tides on the island in the morning, so the photos of Phi Phi Don are very beautiful, with an impressive sandbar and a bright turquoise sea in the bays on both sides of it. After 11:00, it is more problematic to take pictures, since the sun is shining through the camera lens. During sunset, you can always admire the colorful sky and watch the sun go down behind the mountain, because all viewpoints are located on the western side of the mountain. But at the same time, you need to understand the following: you can still go down the mountain from site 1 after sunset, you will have to leave site 2 at dusk, and it will be most difficult to return from site 3 – in complete darkness. When planning the ascent, you should take into account that on Pi-Pi-Don in Thailand:
- dawn in April-November from 6: 00 to 6: 30, in December-March from 6: 30 to 7: 00;
- sunset in February-July from 18: 00 to 18: 45, in August-January from 18: 00 to 18: 30.
Bars, restaurants, nightlife on Pi-Pi-Don
People come to Phi Phi Don not so much for the bounty beaches (in fairness, it should be noted that the main beaches on this island are far from the best in Thailand), but for a special relaxing atmosphere, fun nightlife, gatherings in bars, amazing fire shows, new acquaintances.
Ton Sai Village on the sandy isthmus has many shops with a variety of souvenirs and youth clothing. There are also dive and snorkeling centers, travel companies that are ready to offer their services to everyone at any time.
There are a lot of cafes and restaurants on Phi Phi Don. Some of them offer freshly prepared seafood and Thai dishes, but most of them serve European dishes.
The best bars on the island, night clubs and massage parlors (with a standard list of services and services for those who came to Thailand for sex tourism) – all noisy establishments designed for young, energetic and cheerful tourists are located in the center of the island and on Loh Dalum beach. Keep this in mind when choosing a hotel.
Every evening on Lo Dalam you can choose entertainment to your liking: Thai boxing, sand dancing, beach discos with contests. Prices are quite affordable, so holidays in this part of the island are very popular.
Fire show
The night life starts with fire shows, i.e., fire shows. Although such entertainment is quite common in Thailand, on Phi Phi Don it is a kind of”highlight”. By the way, in memory of Pee-Pee-Don, you should not take photos during the fire show, the video turns out to be much more impressive.
The best bars with a fire show here are Slinky, Stone, Ibiza and Carlito’s Bar – the latter is located in Tonsai, the rest on Lo Dalam. You can enjoy the fire shows either while sitting in a cafe, or completely free of charge, walking along the beach from one bar to another.
Important! It is better not to sit in the first rows during a fire show. First of all, it’s scary when lights fly in front of your face. Secondly, you need to take into account that before the show starts, the performers take not only alcohol…
The fire shows start around 21: 00 and continue until approximately 22: 00. And then Loh Dalum starts dancing on the sand, which often lasts until dawn.
Alcohol and food prices
Everywhere tourists are offered buckets of alcohol: this is a set of children’s buckets, strong alcohol (rum or vodka), Cola or sprite, and possibly an energy drink. All drinks should be poured into a container and stirred, then drink through a straw. The cost of a bucket can range from 280 to 420 baht.
Food prices are on average higher than in other resorts in Thailand. You can eat for this amount of money (prices are shown in local currency):
- breakfast in the cafe (coffee, toast, sausages, eggs – – 120-180;
- pizza in a cafe – 180-250;
- dishes in a Mexican restaurant – 220-300;
- fresh fruit juices on the street – 50;
- meat curries with rice in the restaurant – 70-100;
- Thai pancakes in a cafe – 50-70;
- desserts, cakes in an Italian cafe – 80-100;
- beer in the cafe – 70-100;
- alcoholic cocktails in the restaurant – 100-250;
- cappuccino in a cafe – 60-80;
- big slice of pizza at street vendors – 80;
- burgers with meat, sandwiches-100-120;
- drinking water in the store (1.5 liters) – 28-30.
Recommendations for choosing hotels
Although Phi Phi Don is small in size, there are many hotels here. Nevertheless, it is not easy to find a free room for an adequate price, and even in high season.
Please note! If you are planning to come to Thailand during the peak season, make sure to book your room in advance! And carefully read the reviews about the location of the hotel!
Most of the hotels in Phi Phi Don are located in Ton Sai Village, near Tonsai and Lo Dalam beaches. But as a place to live, even if only for a short time, this area is suitable only for those who like noisy life and parties. It is here that there are many of the cheapest hotels that are not impressive in their quality, as well as a large number of dormitories (a room for several people), which are particularly popular among foreign youth. But there are also high-level hotels here, for example:
- new hotel with private pool PP Princess Resort;
- luxury Pool Villas PP Princess Pool Villa;
- Modern rooms and dormitories at Ibiza House Phi Phi, which is a popular beach party destination.
There are only a few modern hotels in the west of Tonsai:
- on the edge of the beach under the cliffs of Phi Phi Cliff Beach Resort;
- bungalow on the sand PP Sand Sea View Resort.
In the east, Tonsai can be recommended:
- PP Villa Resort;
- PPAndaman Legacy Resort;
- PPAndaman Beach Resort.
In the Long Beach area, hotels are more expensive, but their quality is also higher. It is not surprising that the rooms here are in high demand and sell out very quickly. PP Long Beach Resort & Villa offers both very expensive villas and small bungalows at affordable prices. PP The Beach Resort is located on a hill, where you can also rent a villa or bungalow, and offers free car rides.
As for housing prices in Phi Phi Don, they are higher than in other resorts in Thailand. At the same time, as in the whole of Thailand, in high season and on Christmas holidays, prices rise 1.5-2 times. Here you can find the average price of housing on Pi-Pi-Don in high season (November-March) in local currency:
- bed in dorm-from 300;
- budget hotel room with Fan at Ton Sai Village-800-1200;
- Air-conditioned room at Ton Sai Village – 1000-1800;
- beachside hotel room-from 1800;
- Long Beach hotel room-from 2300.
How to get to Phi Phi Dong
The main starting points from which people usually get to Phi Phi Don Island are Phuket and mainland Krabi.
From Phuket
From Phuket to Phi Phi Don Island in Thailand, ferries run from Rassada Pier. They are sent according to the following schedule: 8:30, 9:00, 11:00, 12:20, 13:30, 14:30, 15:00 and 15: 30. The time may vary slightly: during the season, ferries run more often, sometimes the flight is delayed by 20-30 minutes. The journey takes about 2 hours.
You can get to Rassada Pier on your own and buy a ferry ticket to Pi-Pi-Don at the ticket office (600 baht one way, 1000 baht both ways). From the airport, you must first take a mini-bus to Phuket town (150 baht), and then change to a tuk-tuk – the total travel time is about an hour. You can take a taxi – a trip around the city will cost up to 700 baht.
It will be more profitable to contact a travel agency. There is one oddity: ferry tickets to the island in travel agencies are cheaper than directly at the ticket office on the pier. You can buy tickets at any nearest travel agency, paying only 350-400 baht for travel to the island. You can buy a joint ticket to Phi Phi Don for 500-800 baht at the travel agency’s desk right at the airport-this amount includes a transfer to the pier and a ferry ride. By the way, the travel agency does not have tickets for any flight: only some ferry companies work this way. It is convenient to take tickets in both directions at travel agencies: on the return trip there will be an open date, but only for the flight of the same carrier that the ferry from Phuket was from.
From Phuket to Phi Phi Don, you can also go by private boat: the fee is 1000-1500 baht per person.
Important! A visit to Phi Phi Don Island with a one -, two-and three-day excursion from Phuket is much cheaper than a self-guided tour. A tour from a travel agency costs 1500-3200 baht (depending on the duration and program), and this amount also includes meals.
From Krabi
There are also ferries from Krabi to Phi Phi Dong from Klong Jilad Pier. Traffic schedule: 9:00, 10:30, 13:00, 15:00. The journey takes 1.5 hours, and the ticket costs 350 baht at the ticket office.
Krabi Town’s Klong Jilad Jetty can be reached by taxi from anywhere in the city for 400 baht, while the airport is accessible by minibus.
Alternatively, you can purchase a joint ticket for Pi-Pi-Dong at any travel agency on Krabi Street or at the airport travel agency counter. In this case, not only a ferry crossing will be provided, but also a transfer to the pier.
From Ao Nang
Ao Nang is a popular resort in Thailand, located just 20 km from Krabi. There is no problem going from Ao Nang to take a trip to Pi-Pi-Dong.
Passenger ferries depart from Nopparat Thara Pier, located on the beach of the same name, in the morning, at 9: 30. After 15 minutes, at 9:45, the ferry stops at West Riley, where passengers board and disembark using longtails, and then goes non-stop to Phi Phi Don for another hour and a half. Ticket price: 450 baht.
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