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After Phuket, Koh Phi Phi is the most popular tourist
destination along the Andaman coast, especially during the
peak season from Dec – May when the island springs to live
with its international tourist activities.
Koh Phi Phi (or Phi Phi island) consists of two islands
- Phi Phi Don, the larger one of the two with an
abundance of fine beaches and accommodation to suit all
needs. The more geographically dramatic,
- Phi Phi Leh, with its cliffs, natural caves and
water-filled canyon offers the tourists exciting and outdoor
pursuits.
Both islands are in Krabi province and are part of Hat
Nopparat Thara/Koh Phi Phi Natioanl Marine Park, about 42
Kilometers south of Phuket.
Climate in Koh Phi Phi and surrounding areas, it rains
the most in May and October (an average of 22 out of 30
days), as it experiences both monsoons. The temperature
varies little all year round, staying between 30°c from
October to February and rising up to 35°c from March
onwards.
Beaches and features: The dump bell-shaped
island of Phi Phi Don is endowed with green rolling hills,
spectacular cliffs, long powdery white beaches and emerald
water. An attractive beach on the southern side curves
around Ton Sai Bay providing the dock for boats from Phuket
and Krabi. On the northern side of the ‘handle’ just a
few hundred meters away is the fine beach of Loh Dalum Bay.
About 2 kilometers southeast from Ton Sai Bay, you will find
Hat Yao (long beach), home to Phi Phi Don’s finest coral
reefs, further north, passing the beautiful Hat Lanti whish
is famous for surfing, Hat Laem Thong stands against an
impressive range of cheer time stone cliffs and breathtaking
scenery.
Phi Phi Don and its nearby island: Make famous by
the Hollywood film The Beach, staring Leonardo Di Caprio,
maintain its natural beauty and unspoiled beaches. There are
a number of beach activities and organized boat trips from
here, driving, snorkeling.
Several dive centers have small offices along the brick
walkway east of Ton Sai Bay. All day snorkeling trips
normally include lunch, water fruit, and diving equipment
and snorkeling gear.
The stop off points for these trips usually are at Koh
Yung (Mosquito Island), Koh Mai Pai (Bamboo) and Phi Phi
Leh, Hin Pae (Goat Rock)
Kayaking: Loh Dalum Bay is the palace you can vent
Kayaks per hour, haft day or all day at reasonable prices.
Fishing: IF you are in search of adventure in big
game fishing, look for sign board along the brick walkway in
Ton Sai Bay. Trips are available aboard long-tail boats and
include soft drink, lunch and fish tackle.
Rock – climbing: For the more adventurous, there
are several routes bolted into the sheer line stone cliff on
Phi Phi Don contact PP’s local agent.
Organized tours and Boat charters: Full day tour
by boat can be chartered from PP Don to PP Lek where you can
visit the so called Viking Cave containing prehistoric
paintings of stylized human and animal figures. Half day
trips to PP Leh or Bamboo Island are also available.
Dining out & Entertainment: Resorts in Phi Phi
have their won restaurants. However, there are a wide
variety of restaurants and café to suit western palates in
Ton Sai Bay area. There’s a pub and restaurant with wood
table and chairs where snacks served with fruit shake and
cocktail can be enjoyed in the sea breeze.
The most popular nigh spots are round Phi Phi Center on
Ton Sai Bay. Some of them are beach front bars providing
tables and chairs on the beach, live music and fun holiday
atmosphere.
| ATTRACTIONS IN KOH PHI PHI |
Phi Phi Island is famous for its magnificent beauty; the
water is clear with white wonderful sand. Its virgin nature
and its tranquil environment always attract hundreds of
visitors a day. You can appreciate the incredibly
picturesque panorama with the idyllic tropical beaches
lining along the shores.
Phi Phi Don Island:
Phi Phi Don, the larger of the two, is visited for
its incredibly picturesque panorama with the idyllic
tropical beaches lining its southern and eastern shores. The
soaring lime stone mountains embrace the narrow crescent
bays, offering the scenically beautiful panorama. To get the
remarkably magnificent view, you stroll along the path at
the backside of Ton Sai Village to reach the viewpoint which
offers the excellent view of sunrise.
On the eastern and southern shore of Phi Phi Don, there lie
along several beautiful beaches; Lo Bakao Bay, Laem Tong
Beach, Long Beach, and Lo Dalam Bay.
Lo Bakao is a wide bay offering a various kinds of
water sport activities.
Laem Tong lying to the north of the island is the
former home of sea gypsies; the beach is remarkably
splendid. Here, visitors can hire a boat for snorkeling or
diving.
Long Beach lies on the southernmost tip of the Phi
Phi Don; its sand is clean and the abundant bed of coral of
the Hin Pae Island offshore is excellent for diving. A
30-minute-walk or a 20 Baht-long- tail-boat-ride from Ton
Sai Beach is required to reach the beach.
Lo Dalam Bay is very quiet and scenically
picturesque, located just five minutes from the pier and Ton
Sai Village. From here, visitors can hire a boat to
appreciate the scenic panorama around the island at the rate
of 1,500 per day.
Additionally, there are other beaches among those whose
beauty is guaranteed; Hin Khom Beach, Lo Mudee Beach, Lanti
Beach, and Pak Nam Beach.
Phi Phi Le Island:
Phi Phi Le is an uninhabited island whose natural
beauty is still unspoiled. The island is mostly composed of
towering limestone cliffs that spring up at right angles
with the blue water surface. The water is brightly turquoise
with the abundant coral reefs and species of fish. There are
several magnificent beaches and scenic islands standing
offshore.
Maya Beach is very a good place for skin diving in
the crystal clear water abundant with colorful corals and
fish and for relaxing on the white sandy beach. Its
magnificently scenic beauty was revealed to worldwide when
Leonardo DiCaprio came for film portions of The Beach.
Lo Samah bay is located on the southern tip of Phi
Phi Le, offering the remarkably breathtaking panorama. Its
clear waters and its flourishing coral beds are good for
skin diving.
Viking Cave is the immense cave named after the
pictographs on the wall of the cave which indistinctly
resemble to ancient Viking ships. This cave was renamed by
H.M Rama IX when he visited it in 1972, which resembles in
shape the head of the great serpent of Buddhist legend is a
revered place of local people who come to collect the
swift's nests that is used to make Bird's Nest Soup, a
Chinese delicacy. The cave is a spectacular scene created by
the nature itself; cave and a sea lake formed by a clef
between the two cliffs that allows water to enter into a
bowl-shaped canyon wherein several nice hidden beaches are
shaped. Visitors can stop to relax and snorkel here.
Neighboring Islands:
Koh Yoong Island (Mosquito Island) possesses a
rocky beach located to the north of Phi Phi Don, offering
some well preserved offshore coral gardens. It is a great
place for snorkeling. The island gets its name from the
black clouds of mosquitoes at sunset.
Koh Phai Nok Island (Bamboo Island) is a tiny
island surrounded by coral reef, standing next to Koh Yoong.
The northern and eastern shores offer the beautiful beaches
and a long stretch of coral reef to the south of the island.
Koh Pida Nai and Koh Pida Nok Islands are
the small islands visited mainly by divers for their
underwater scenery. Ko Pida Nok is very good for both
advanced and beginners with both shallow and deep dive
sites.
Visitors can get to Phi Phi Island by different ways.
From Phuket: Many tour agencies can arrange
transport including transfer from your accommodation to the
jetty, and the boat to Phi Phi. Tickets can be used for any
return trip and are not tied to a specific date, so you can
be flexible with your plans. Normally it is not necessary to
book in advance, although during holidays, especially
Christmas and January, it is advisable to be at the pier 20
minutes before departure
From Krabi Province: Boats depart
from Krabi town and Ao Nang beach around 4 times daily
(subject to change) The journey takes about 90 minutes
depending on weather conditions. During the low season (May
- October) departures may be delayed.
This article is written and copyrighted by
Royal Exclusive Travel Co., Ltd
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