Overview to Koh Phi Phi: Travel Guide and Tourist Information
With its breathlessly beautiful sandy coves and its starring role in the Hollywood movie 'The Beach', Koh Phi Phi is the model of a Southeast Asian paradise. Surrounded by the sparkling blue waters of the Andaman Sea, there's never exactly a bad time to be marooned there!
Koh Phi Phi Don is the biggest of the group of islands and, aside from its gorgeous beaches, there are jungles inland to explore. To the north of the island, there’s a settlement of sea gypsies at Cape Laem Thong, as well as some excellent diving.
A quick long-tail boat trip away, meanwhile, Koh Phi Phi Leh was where the movie was actually shot. Although Maya Beach can get pretty crowded with boat-tripping package tourists, it’s nevertheless an absolutely spectacular place and well worth a visit.
Koh Mai Phai (Mosquito Island) and Hin Klang (off Bamboo Island) have some of the best diving in the area, and there’s great snorkeling all across the islands. There’s also some good rock-climbing on the impressive limestone cliffs (like Ton Sai Tower) that line the islands.
Owing to the hordes of backpackers who head here, the Phi Phi Don nightlife scene can get pretty bouncing. Around Ton Sai Beach, a scattering of beach huts serve drinks all day and, by night, fire-breathers entertain the crowds of people lounging on the sands.
Bona fide ‘sights’ are few and far between…practically non-existent, in fact. But that’s not the point of a place like Koh Phi Phi; there’s only one thing to ‘do,’ and that’s absolutely nothing.
