Guide to a Self-Guided Trip to Phi Phi

Excursion or independent travel?

If you are interested in visiting the Phi Phi Islands in combination with other islands, then there is no choice - an excursion is the best way to visit the maximum number of attractions. This way you will not spend a lot of energy on independent travel between provinces and save tens of thousands of baht on boat rentals. At the moment, there is one two-day excursion with a visit to the Phi Phi Islands, Krabi and the islands of Phang Nga Province (James Bond) - "11 Islands PRO" . For one day, there are excursions "Phi Phi + Khai" and "Phi Phi + Bamboo" with daily departures.

If you want to relax for more than a day on the islands of the Phi Phi archipelago only and not be tied to a strict schedule of the excursion program, then you can do everything yourself. In addition, this method of travel is suitable for those who have contraindications for traveling on high-speed boats (pregnant women, children under 1 year old, people with diseases of the musculoskeletal system).

We will tell you in detail how to visit the Phi Phi Islands on your own and get wonderful impressions from the trip.

General information

If you are planning an independent trip to Phi Phi, then first you should understand what these islands are and why it is worth going there.

Phi Phi is an archipelago located in Krabi Province. It consists of six islands:

Phi Phi Leh is an uninhabited island that can be visited. It contains Maya Bay, Pile Lagoon, Viking Cave and several small lagoons for snorkeling

Phi Phi Don is a residential island with hotels, shops, bars, restaurants. In addition, it is here that local residents live and for them there is all the infrastructure - hospitals, schools, a mosque.

Bamboo is an uninhabited island that is part of a national park. You can visit it if you wish. It is loved for its white sand and turquoise water. Many people call it Bounty, although the famous advertisement has nothing to do with this island.

Mosquito, Bida Nai, Bida Nok - there is no landing on them, you can admire them from a boat. Also near the Bida islands, certified divers dive.

This information is enough for those who are planning an independent trip, but if you want to get to know these places better, read our article “Phi Phi Islands” .

How to get there

Since Phi Phi Don Island is residential, there is regular sea transport. There are two options to choose from: a ferry and a speedboat.

The speedboat takes about an hour to travel, but it is prohibited for pregnant women, people with musculoskeletal disorders and children under one year of age.

A ferry ride has no contraindications and is objectively more comfortable, as there are air conditioners, toilets, and a cafe on board. But due to its size, it is not capable of developing high speed and the travel time increases to 2-2.5 hours.

If you are planning a holiday for several days and are taking luggage with you, we recommend choosing a ferry, as there is more space there than on a speedboat.

You can book a transfer to Phi Phi with us, to do this, fill out the form at the link at the end of the article (the "Contact us" button). Both types of transport are available, and a minibus transfer from the hotel to the pier is already included in the price, but from remote areas there may be surcharges (check with the manager before booking).

When you get off at the pier, you will need to pay 20 baht per person - this is a general fee for everyone visiting the island.

Hotel booking

Booking a hotel on Phi Phi Don Island is easy, they are available on all aggregators (Booking, Agoda, Trip, Ostrovok, Yandex.Travel, Tinkoff.Travel). Please note that the hotels are located all over the island and some need to be reached from the pier by boat. The most important thing is to make the right choice. It depends on the purpose of the trip, below I will give some recommendations for you.

For a party , it is better to choose hotels on the "spit". These are Dolam and Tonsai bays. In Dolam bay, there are parties in bars until the morning, so it can be noisy there. In Tonsai bay, there is a pier where a transfer from Phuket and Krabi arrives.

We recommend that you pay attention to the following hotels (relatively budget):

• Andaman beach resort / U rip resort – a hotel after partial renovation. Decent breakfasts in the cafe on the seashore, there are 2 fairly large swimming pools and a small area. The rooms after partial renovation, not without flaws, but comfortable and clean. Nearby during the daytime there may be many parked boats, but there is a small fenced area for swimming.
• Andaman resort – located next to the first hotel, also on the beach. At the moment, the rooms and the territory are being renovated. But the rooms already have everything you need and a small pool. After the renovation is completely finished, you can safely choose this accommodation option. Well, or "as a last resort" if all other options are already occupied.
• Phi Phi Villa resort is a good hotel, located next to the first two. But it is better to book in advance. Nice pool and a small green area. Opposite the hotel there are sun loungers in the shade for a beach holiday.
• Chaokoh Phi Phi Hotel & resort is a great hotel, it is also better to book in advance. It is located closer to the pier than all the previous ones and is literally drowning in greenery. There is a pool, but to swim you will have to walk along the beach - during the day, boats are parked right in front of it and tourists are dropped off for lunch.
• Gypsea Sea View Resort – this hotel is for you if you don’t need the sea “nearby”. You can walk to the beach, just 10 minutes at a leisurely pace. There is a swimming pool and the hotel is located away from cafes, bars, shops – peace and quiet. There are quite decent rooms and very budget houses.

The above hotels are suitable for active and positive people who will not get upset because of small flaws in the rooms. Somewhere the bathrooms are not fully renovated, somewhere the wallpaper is a little shabby, but the price-quality ratio is quite good. For the rest, we recommend considering 5* hotels, where there may not be problems with water pressure and the lights will not flicker in case of bad weather. Before booking, you can find fresh reviews of hotels on aggregators from people who have been there.

For a quiet and secluded holiday - if you do not need bars, discos and fire shows, you can choose any other bays and beaches of Phi Phi Don Island. Most often, lovers of silence stay on Long Beach and enjoy a beach holiday without crowds of people. There are also many interesting hotels in the mountains of the island, but be sure to check for the availability of a transfer to the beach or a good pool.

What can you see on the island itself?

First of all, these are the observation decks of Phi Phi Don Island, there are three of them. The climb up there cannot be called easy and it is better to climb the stairs rather than go around through the jungle. The stairs are easy to find - go to the Phi Phi Arboreal resort hotel (you can find it on Google maps and the navigator will take you there). It is better to climb either at sunset or early in the morning. Be sure to take a bottle of water with you and take breaks to catch your breath. First, you will climb to the first observation deck with a sign I love Phi Phi, there is a small shop there and you need to pay an entrance fee - 50 baht per person. Alcohol is prohibited on the observation decks, as this is a Muslim area. Also, do not climb in swimsuits, put on clothes (shorts, T-shirts, sundresses will do).

In the evening, you can visit the bars in Dolam Bay. To do this, enter Slinky Bar in the navigator and turn on the navigator. Then you can choose the bar you like and watch the fire show, it is free. But the bar staff will ask you to buy a drink to sit on chairs or sun loungers. Also prepare a tip - you will really want to thank these fire guys. After the end of the fire show, competitions with limbo and skipping rope begin, where you can get a shot of an alcoholic drink or even a whole bucket for participating. After this, the disco begins and lasts until 3-4 am. The music in all the bars dies down only closer to dawn. On national and religious holidays, as well as on election days, all bars are closed, the fire show is not held and alcohol is not sold.

During the day you can enjoy a beach holiday in the bays of Tonsai and Dolam, but at low tide the sea goes far enough and you won’t be able to swim.

On the shore you can see places to rent kayaks and SUPs for independent walks around the bay.

What to see near the island (what programs are there on long-tail boats)

To go to the neighboring islands to see the bays and lagoons, and also to go snorkeling, you can rent a wooden boat - a longtail. There are no contraindications for traveling on such a boat, even for pregnant women and babies. You can rent it at any local travel agency or at the pier.

Below I will attach a photo of a price list from one of the island's travel agencies, located next to the Andaman resort hotel (to the left of the reception). This is an approximate cost of trips and you can always try to bargain on the spot.

I especially recommend paying attention to the following programs:

• Monkey beach, Viking cave, pileh lagoon, lohsamah bay, Maya bay – it is better to leave as early as possible in the morning and make Maya Bay your first stop. While most of the tourist groups have not yet arrived, you can see small reef sharks near the shore and take a walk before the heat sets in.
• Monkey beach, Viking cave, pileh lagoon, lohsamah bay, Maya bay WITH PLANKTON – this is an evening program. But plankton is not the main thing, the highlight of such a tour is the sunset, which is met right in the sea and believe me, it is unforgettable.

National park entrance fees are not included in the longtail tour price, so please bring Baht cash.

Where to eat

Very often questions about food organization arise for those who have never been to Phi Phi Don. At the moment, there are dozens of different cafes and restaurants on the island, there are fast food chains Burger King and McDonald's. Therefore, no one will have problems with where to eat. The cost of food in some places is slightly higher than in Phuket. But you can always walk and look at the menu in a restaurant nearby. In addition, there are several 7/11 and similar shops on the island.

Additional recommendations

• It is better to exchange currency for baht in Phuket, as the exchange rate in most exchange offices in Phi Phi Don is slightly worse. There are ATMs on the island, including those that accept Union Pay cards.
• If you are planning underwater photography, it is better to buy phone cases in advance, as prices in the island's shops are higher.
• It is better to take personal hygiene products with you or buy them on the island in 7-11 stores, as most hotels do not provide them.
• Keep an eye on your valuables during the disco and fire show, as there are a lot of people and people do not always come to the island to relax.
• Be sure to take a copy of your insurance with you. Of course, it's better if you don't need it, but have it at hand.
• Do not touch anyone or anything in the water while snorkeling to avoid unpleasant experiences and injuries. And do not forget that Phi Phi Ley Island is part of a national park and a nature conservation area. Fishing and hunting are prohibited there, and you cannot harm the environment and its inhabitants.
• Don't take a drone with you unless it's registered - the police monitor all aircraft and you may be liable to a large fine. In addition, filming in a national park requires a special permit.