Ko Phi Phi Lai (also known as Ko Phi Phi
Leh) is the smaller island to the south popularised
when parts of the movie "The Beach" were
filmed there - although it's uninhabited apart from
bird nest harvesters and a few Maya Bay wardens,
expect plenty of tourists.
Although rapidly becoming less and less attractive
due to the masses of tourists as well as the construction
on the island, it's still a very beautiful place
to visit, and is one of those places everybody should
go at least once in their lifetime. Although the
beaches are not the best in Thailand, the place
has a good vibe and nightlife and there are dozens
of dive shops to choose from.
Ko Phi Phi was devastated by the Indian Ocean tsunami
of December 2004, when nearly all of the island's
infrastructure was wiped out. Services like electricity,
water, Internet access and ATMs are up and running
again, but waste handling has been slower to come
back online.
How to get here
By air
Destination Air Shuttle - direct seaplane transfers
from/to Phuket International Airport and other popular
Andaman coast destinations
By boat
Ferries leave from Phuket and Krabi daily (several
times a day during the high season). Tickets are
450 baht to/from Phuket, Krabi (390 baht) or Ko
Lanta, and if bought in advance should include transport
to the pier. Open tickets (you can fix the day at
a travel agency on the island) are 400 baht, however
there are rarely any advantages with buying open
or return tickets, whereas one-way tickets are a
good way to avoid hassle and often end up costing
less overall.
Getting around
Long-tail taxi-boats ply between all beaches; on
Phi Phi Don, you can also walk to any beach. From
Ton Sai to Long Beach, expect to pay 40 baht/person
in the afternoon, at least 80 baht at night. To
have a complete boat to yourself, expect to pay
at least 100 baht.
Wheelbarrows are used to transport goods, including
your luggage if you like. Expect free "transport"
from the pier to your room, but not necessarily
in the opposite direction.
See
View Point - walk up to
the View Point and get a view of the entire island.
You will be surprised at how narrow the sand strip
is between the two main parts of the island. Also
while up there you will see the massive damaged
caused by the Boxing Day tsunami.
Monkey Beach - accessible
on foot or by renting a canoe, or be lazy and charter
a long tail boat. Don't forget to take some bananas
for the monkeys!
Do
Ko Phi Phi Ley - take a longtail
boat and visit Maya Bay - the "secret beach"
where the movie "The Beach" was filmed.
Water directly around the island is sometimes
disappointingly murky and not so good for diving.
The beach on the other side of the island, across
from where the boats land, is slightly nicer.
It is highly recommended to arrive at Maya Bay
before 8am, when the place can still be enjoyed
in solitude. As from 9am hoards of speedboats
arrive with European and Japanese tourists on
package tours from Phuket. At 11am we counted
40(!) speedboats in the bay, many of which were
revving their engines unnecessarily loud. Another
thing to think about when coming to Maya Bay is
the time of year. During the high season (October
- May) you will feel like you are at Disney Land
but come durning the off season and you shouldn't
be surprised if you are one of only two or three
small groups on the beach. NOTE: Since the begining
of 2007 the Park Rangers have begun to enforce
a park fee on the island though, if you are trraveling
in a tour group, they will typically include it
in the price of your trip.
Snorkeling - there are
two rocks within swimming distance of Long Beach,
where blacktip reef sharks can be seen (dive
schools organise guided tours for this). Dive
schools take snorkelers on their dive boats,
but expect to see only a hint of the underwater
marvel visible to scuba divers. The snorkeling
off Bamboo and Mosqito Islands is quite good
although the reefs are a long way below you
at high tide.
Scuba diving - there are
many dive shops, and some very good dive locations.
Prices are regulated, so expect to pay the same
everywhere. Shops on the island do a few different
trips. The typical trip offered is a two tank
local dive within the Phi Phi Marine park which
will run about 2200 Baht. They also do 2 -3
tank trips to the King Cruiser wreck with your
follow up dives at both Shark Point and Anemone
Reef, this trip usually runs between 3200 -3900
depending on the number of dives you do. No
diving trip to Phi Phi would be complete if
you didn't head down to Hin Daeng. Hin Daeng
has some of the stepest drops in Thailand (60m+)
as well as being the place you are most likely
to see Manta Rays and Whale Sharks. This trip
usually runs around 4500.
Party - no visit to Phi
Phi is complete without a night at Apache's,
a bar with stand-up tables on two floors and
dance floor at the top where local dj's play
mostly european dance, hip hop and r'n'b. Once
Apache closes most people head over to Hippies
Bar further down the beach which stays open
longer, albeit without music as from 2am.
Rock Climbing - there are
opportunities for rock climbing on Ko Phi Phi,
and a few climbing shops to rent equipment,
find a guide or take basic lessons. (Spider
Monkey can be recommended). While not as famous
as Rai Leh beach, nor with as many routes, the
climbing is on similar limestone cliffs, and
similarly beautiful. The climbing here also
tends to be less crowded than at Rai leh. There
are about four walls that are used with some
frequency.
Koh Phi Phi Krabi, Thailand
