Koh Phi Phi, Thailand

Islands · Thailand

Koh Phi Phi

Sheer limestone cliffs, emerald bays and boat-only viewpoints make Koh Phi Phi one of Thailand's most recognizable island landscapes.

Travel by Ildy tip

Hidden places

Base yourself near Laem Tong on the northern tip of Phi Phi Don, where an Urak Lawoi sea-nomad community has lived for nearly a century – far quieter than the strip around Ton Sai.

Best time to visit

Best time to travel

December to March for calmer seas and clearer boat-trip conditions.

Travel tips

Travel by Ildy tips

  • Reach Phi Phi by ferry from Phuket’s Rassada Pier or from Krabi; the boats carry foot passengers only, so travel light. In the May–October monsoon rough seas can cancel departures, so avoid tight same-day flight connections.
  • Start the day the Andaman way: roti with massaman curry is a Thai-Muslim breakfast of this coast, which the MICHELIN Guide recognises at long-established stalls on nearby Phuket – ask for it at Phi Phi's roti stands.
  • Stay overnight and take an early long-tail to Phi Phi Le before the day boats from Phuket and Krabi arrive; at Maya Bay, visits are time-limited and swimming is not allowed.
  • Maya Bay, made famous by the 2000 film The Beach, was closed from 2018 to 2022 to recover; during the closure blacktip reef sharks returned to breed in its shallows.

Travel by Ildy recommends

Follow the rhythm of the place first, then shape the journey around the experiences that feel most like your own.

Location

Koh Phi Phi on the map

Thailand

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Where to stay

Stay ideas — Koh Phi Phi

Koh Phi Phi, Thailand

Thailand

Koh Phi Phi

Zeavola Resort

Barefoot-luxury villas on quieter Laem Tong Beach.

SAii Phi Phi Island Village

Large beachfront resort away from Tonsai nightlife.

Phi Phi Holiday Resort

Relaxed beachfront base on the island's quieter side.