Phi Phi Islands

The alluring beauty of Koh Phi Phi (Koh means island) has been the popular topic of conversation for travelers all over Thailand. Whether your destination is in Phuket or Krabi, two of the most famous beach getaways in this country, the buzz about Koh Phi Phi is just all over these towns. Made famous by the Hollywood blockbuster movie The Beach starring Leonardo Di Caprio, which was filmed here in 1999 on the gorgeous location of Maya Bay, this island is now one of the most sought-after beaches in the world. With its stunning rock formations and vivid turquoise waters teeming with colorful marine life, it is definitely a piece of paradise you should not miss to visit and include in your travel list.



The fabulous islands are only about 45 minutes ride by speedboat from Krabi. Koh Phi Phi is actually located  between Phuket and Krabi but Phi Phi belongs to Krabi province. It is about 48km away from Phuket and 45km from Krabi. The area of Phi Phi Islands covers six islets altogether including Phi Phi Don, Phi Phi Leh, Mai Phai (Bamboo Island) Yung, Bida Nok and Bida Nai. Phi Phi Don is the largest of the group and the only one that is inhabited and Phi Phi Leh comes in as the second largest. You can have your accommodations at Phi Phi Don which ranges from simple beachside bungalows to up-market resorts. The island also has a maze of bars, restaurants and trinket shops. Since the island has now become more accessible and slowly developing into an up-market destination, it starts to attract a young party crowd and you can see few beach parties in the evenings. There are no roads around Phi Phi Islands just to take note of that. The main forms of transport are by bike or longtail boats. There are trails through the forest so you can walk across from beach to beach.



You should really try taking a boat trip around Phi Phi Don and to the smaller islands. You will be greeted by an amazing sight of beautiful coves and bays and the scenery is simply breathtaking!

Phi Phi Leh on the other hand, the second largest among the group of islands in Koh Phi Phi, includes Maya Bay (the filming site of The Beach movie) and Pileh-Bay, which is a marvelous cove with excellent snorkeling spots, stunning limestone cliffs soaring from the turquoise sea and forest covering the rugged hills.

Other activities you can enjoy on Phi Phi Islands include diving, kayaking, rock climbing or just soaking up the sun on its sandy white beaches on a beautiful day.



One downside though when visiting Phi Phi Islands is that it has become so developed that squadrons of longtail boats and speedboats ferry in those seeking paradise along what were tranquil and near-deserted sands in those days and you can see that it will never provide the same remote escapism again.

Well, we can't totally blame ourselves though as our intentions are merely to marvel at these beautiful locations that are now thronged with boats and visitors to the islands and slowly perish the peace and tranquility that it has had in those days. Despite this, Koh Phi Phi remains a marvelous place that offers an awesome appeal to visitors.