This tropical island paradise was made famous back in 2000 as a young Leonardo DiCaprio played the lead role in Danny Boyles movie “The Beach”. Koh Phi Phi is actually made up of two separate islands, Phi Phi Don and Phi Phi Leh, with the later being uninhabited. The four 80Hp outboard motors of the speed boat raced us here in one hour from Phuket, ฿900 per adult. Phi Phi Don truly is a magical place. Although fairly crowded, there are no vehicles on the island and the quantity of casual beach life tourists makes it challenging for even bikes to gain any progress. Paths are all paving stones and purely sand in some areas. Palm trees sway in the ocean breeze as you watch the rise and fall of the tide throughout the day. But as peaceful as it seems, it has its flip side to the coin. Since the Tsunami of 2004 wreaked havoc on this slice of heaven the Thais did not miss the opportunity to cash in on the board being wiped clean. The once small bungalows and hand full of bars have now been transformed into concrete low-rise buildings and a changing nightlife that will keep you busy until 5 am. Our favourite part about Phi Phi is that it is still a tiny island at heart. Walk an extra two minutes and you can find a local restaurant serving traditional meals, small mom and pop run corner stores and accommodation prices that even a shoestring backpacker can justify.

With our accommodation reserved, we casually strolled into Indigo Hotel with beads of sweat seeping from every pour. We cranked the A/C and went out for lunch before promptly returned in an attempt to drop our core temperature to a more sociable level. Once we felt recovered enough, we slipped into our bathing suits and worked our way to the shoreline. The half moon bay displayed brilliantly as sun goers and frisbee catchers lined the waters edge. Unfortunately however it was low tide. This meant that the ocean floor had now transformed into a bit of a mudflat. We did not waste a moment as this gave us and the girls the perfect opportunity to chase tiny hermit crabs and observe the minnows that were trapped in the tide pools. It wasn’t long before we were forced back to the shore and relocated to the shade of a palm tree. Our tender Canadian skin was no match for the relentless Thai sun so we returned to our room for a cleanup then back to the streets in search of a sit-down dinner and some window shopping. We meandered through the streets, in search of nothing in particular, before returning back to the beach around sunset. By now things were just starting to wind up. You could hear the bass thumping and the neighbouring beachfront clubs were having a decibel jousting match as they increased their volume levels to try to out do each other. Drinks were being served to paying customers and free shots were divvied out in hopes of luring future clients in to one of their front row seats in the sand. Fire spinners were putting on a show that was not for the faint of heart, and you could see this all the way down the beach. Kerosine soaked pois would release sparks into the air along with pump action flame throwers that you could feel the heat radiating from 20m away which would stimulate your heart beat. With the music thumping and entertainment flowing you could not help but feel the enegry in this place. We didn’t last long however as the girls were fading fast.

Our next few days were much of the same; sand, beach and swim. A whole lot of nothing but vitamin D and fresh sea air. The teal blue/green waters could be watched all day and that is what we did. With the purchase of a 640ml beer for ฿120 we could relax in the shaded beach chairs with a side table as the girls splashed in the water. We all would made casual dips in the Andaman Sea, but the 86°F water temperature was anything but refreshing, albeit amazing. One of our girls’ favourite things were the freshly made smoothies daily. All types of food and drink are very easily found throughout the entire island. We mostly did take away so we could relax on the beach and take in the views.

Due to our lack of ability to just sit around, we did manage to slip in a few side trips. The most famous being the long tail boat trip. This included snorkelling and a stop at a beach with one lone monkey then onto the breathtaking Maya Bay. The combination of powder soft sand and aqua marine waters nearly drowns the fact that you are standing alongside a few hundred others. Many years back the beach was fair game to all, but environmentalists took charge and closed the area to tourists for four years. There was so much traffic in this iconic place that nearly 50% of the coral reef in the area had been destroyed. A recent count had nearly 100 black tripped reef sharks calling this area home where back in 2018 researchers spotted only six. With up to 6000 tourists daily the marine life, plants and garbage was taking its toll on the the island so the Government did the right thing by closing down the bay and restocking nature back to it true beauty. Boats are no longer welcome in the area and tourists can only venture into the water up to their ankles, with NO lying down! They have someone patrolling the water’s edge and blowing their whistles and shouting to get out if you venture in too deep. With a ฿400 entrance fee and security patrolling the area, here is hoping that we do not have to enforce an island shutdown again in the future because it truly is worth fighting the crowds for!

Another do not miss when you are on the island is the staircase up to the viewpoints. With a ฿30 fee and some thigh burning steps you are presented with the most vivid views of Phi Phi Don island. You can see its true hour glass bays and its full beauty. The rugged cliff in the backdrop, endless seas beyond them and water that only appears in movies. Just be sure to bring your water and keep covered up as the sun takes no prisoners. At the top viewpoint there is a place to get food and rehydrate if you are wanting to make it more of an outing versus just a hike to the viewpoint and back down. Also watch the tide times and be sure to make the trip when the waters is high to take in its full beauty.

Day trips can be made to the Phi Phi Islands from the neighbouring shores, but I would recommend just coming to the island and staying (a minimum of two nights there for sure) to truly enjoy it all. I would also suggest locking down accommodation prior to arriving there as it is busy. We ended up staying four nights but could have easily relaxed longer.

Previous island life of PHUKET

Continue on to the next sun spot on RAILAY BEACH