Phi Phi Islands

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Maya Bay, where 'The Beach' was filmed, the cliff-ringed Pileh Lagoon on Phi Phi Leh and the Tonsai Bay nightlife of Phi Phi Don make this the most famous island group in the Andaman Sea.

The Phi Phi Islands lie in the Andaman Sea between Krabi and Phuket, about 45 km from Krabi. The group consists of six islands. The main island, Phi Phi Don, is the only one with permanent residents. The narrow sandbar between Tonsai Bay and Loh Dalum Bay holds piers, restaurants, bars and accommodation. A 30-minute walk from Tonsai village leads to a viewpoint over the classic 'twin bays' view between the two bays. The uninhabited Phi Phi Leh is the core of island-hopping tours. It includes Maya Bay, enclosed by 100-metre cliffs, where the 2000 film The Beach was shot. It closed for ecological repair from 2018 to 2021 and reopened with new rules: visitors enter by the boardwalk on the back of the island, may only use the beach, cannot swim, and the bay is closed each year in August and September. Pileh Lagoon has turquoise water and is open for swimming. Viking Cave is a swiftlet nest-collection cave. Monkey Beach is also here. Bamboo Island offers white sand beaches and snorkelling spots. There are two ways to visit. You can join a speedboat day tour from Ao Nang or Krabi Town (about 1,500 to 2,500 baht, including lunch and snorkelling, with the 400-baht national park fee paid separately). Alternatively, take a ferry (1.5 to 2 hours, about 500 baht) to Phi Phi Don, stay one or two nights, then charter a longtail boat around Phi Phi Leh (about 1,500 to 2,500 baht per boat for half a day). The second option lets you avoid the crowds in the early morning or evening. Phi Phi Don's nightlife is famous for fire-dancing shows at the beach bars. Notes: Phi Phi is one of Thailand's most crowded islands. In peak season, between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm, boats cluster at Maya Bay and the lagoon. Prices on the island are high and fresh water is scarce. In the rainy season (May to October), the southwest monsoon makes some beaches impossible to land on and speedboats pitch heavily, so motion-sickness sufferers should bring medication. Wear a life jacket when snorkelling and do not touch the coral.

Phi Phi Islands

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