Stunning karst islands rise straight out of brilliant turquoise waters. White sandy beaches fill in the space between their walls. With all of this beauty, it’s no wonder that Thailand’s Phi Phi islands are so popular with vacationers.
The Andaman Sea is host to some of the most magnificent islands including a group of islands called Phi Phi. The name ‘Phi Phi’ is pronounced ‘Pee Pee’ and ‘Koh’ translates to ‘Island’. Koh Phi Phi Don is the largest in this group and is the only one that is inhabited. It is the one referred to when people say they’re going to Phi Phi. The island is so popular because it has beautiful sandy beaches, warm water and dramatic karst cliffs.
Long-Tail boats, Phi Phi Don
Not far from town is a short hike to a viewpoint on the top of a hill. It’s a nice spot where you have a gorgeous view of the two main beaches, Tonsai and Loh Dalum. Between them is a thin isthmus that separates the two bays. A small cafe at the viewpoint allows you to linger and take in the views.
There is a picture posted nearby that shows the area immediately before and after the 2004 Tsunami. During the Tsunami waves crashed from both bays and met on the isthmus. Almost all of the large palm trees and buildings on the isthmus were destroyed. By 2018, many of the palms had regrown. Since that event several signs have been erected that indicate routes that lead to higher ground in case of a Tsunami.
Phi Phi Viewpoint 
Viewpoint on Phi Phi Don 
Butterfly, Koh Phi Phi Don
There is a lot to explore in the area by kayak. We paddled by several rocky islands, into small coves and to a few remote beaches. It’s such a beautiful area and very peaceful when you can get away from the hectic town.
One beach we kayaked to is called Monkey Beach. As you would expect, monkeys came running to our kayak as soon as we got out, hoping we’d left food. We had learned by then not to leave unguarded food in the presence of monkeys. They were dissapointed when all they could find was our life preservers.
Phi Phi Don Harbour 
Nui Beach, Phi Phi Don 
Monkey Beach 
Monkey Beach 
Macaque, Monkey Beach
Early the next morning we hired a long-tail boat to go the smaller, uninhabited island of Phi Phi Leh. As we approached the island, we realized why there are no inhabitants and why it’s so special. The island looks like a fortress in a fairytale, surrounded by high, steep rock walls.
Phi Phi Leh
There are only a few openings in the fortress wall and they can’t be seen until you are very close. One of these openings leads to Maya Beach. It’s a white-sand beach inside a small, protected cove with clear, emerald water. It would be very picturesque if it weren’t for the hundreds of other people who went to see it as well. This is where scenes from the movie ‘The Beach’ were filmed so it is on everyone’s ‘must see’ list.
Phi Phi Leh 
Maya Bay, Phi Phi Leh 
Maya Beach, Phi Phi Leh
We continued around the island’s fortress wall and entered another couple of pirate-style hideaway coves. Protected by seemingly impenetrable walls, the coves’ entrances are small openings between the rocks. Once inside, they open up to pretty lagoons surrounded by massive shear walls. The water was warm and inviting so we jumped off the long-tail boat and went for a swim.
On the way back we stopped at another hidden cove in the outer wall of Phi Phi Don.
Entering a hidden cove, Phi Phi Leh 
Inside a cove, Phi Phi Leh 
Hidden cove on Phi Phi Leh 
Phi Phi Don 
Hidden cove on Phi Phi Don
Rock climbing on Phi Phi is not as extensive as it is in Railay, but it’s also less busy. We spent an afternoon climbing on Tonsai Tower. It’s a beautiful rock face on the edge of Tonsai beach. From the climbs we had great views of the two beaches and town below.
The rock on Phi Phi is different from Railay. The hand holds are small pockets in the rock and there are more ledges and bulges to climb over. We did 2 climbs and then part way through the third, it started to rain. In complete Thailand style it didn’t just rain, it poured. We thought our climbing was done for the day but after 20 minutes it stopped raining. Since the climbing routes are under an overhang, the rock remained quite dry. In the end it was a perfect day for climbing.
Tonsai Tower, Phi Phi 
Climbing Tonsai Tower, Phi Phi 
View from Tonsai Towers, Koh Phi Phi Don 
Climbing Tonsai Tower, Phi Phi
There are no real roads on Phi Phi Don. Other than a very few motorbikes, most of the traffic is pedestrian. Despite this, the town is very busy. Tourists crammed into the 3 or 4 sidewalks which are lined with restaurants and bars as well as shops selling clothing, nick-nacks and tours. It made us yearn for the quiet vibes of Railay.
Phi Phi Town
Getting to Phi Phi
Phi Phi is located off the western coast of Thailand. There are regular ferries between Tonsai Pier in Phi Phi and Rassada Pier in Phuket (2 hours) or Klong Jilad Pier in Krabi (90 minutes). Krabi has an international airport.
Coming Next – Bangkok
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Another enjoyable read!!! Maya beach is crazy these days and you can easily understand why the Thai government closed it for a year recently. That said, I seem to recall that they extended its closure?
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I hadn’t heard that but I just found an article about it. Sounds like it just got busier and busier. We only stayed in the bay long enough to take a few pictures and then found 2 other lagoons with only a couple other boats. Hopefully they’ll keep trips to a minimum.
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Sad isn’t it but totally understandable if we are serious about protecting these ecosystems 😦
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So incredibly beautiful. When I started reading, I was wondering if this is where that Leonardo’s movie was shot and then you mention it, saving me some google searches 🙂
I notice a marked swimming area on Monkey beach, is it an accident-prone area?
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It is an incredible area with so many beautiful places. The swimming areas are marked to keep the boats out. I think you can swim anywhere, but it’s safer behind the buoys where they boats aren’t allowed.
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A beautiful part of the world. Love the karst and the beaches, although I am not really a beach person, they look like a great place to sit and ponder the sea. Would be nice to see with sunshine. Thanks for sharing. Allan
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We’re not beach people either that’s why it was so great to find so many other things to do. We wish we saw it with sunshine too 🙂 Thanks for reading! Maggie
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My husband and I were in Phuket, Thailand back in 2017. We did the Phi Phi Island tour. It was beautiful and packed with people – making it difficult to see the beauty past the crowds of people on the beach. That said, being there was incredible – when we found a spot and made it our own as we enjoyed the beauty of the dramatic landscape.
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It was pretty busy, much more than other beaches we visited, but we found Phuket really busy too. The scenery in this area though would make me consider a return visit. Thanks for reading Stephanie! Maggie
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We stayed across from Karon Beach. It was a lovely area, with a Budda atop a mountain, overlooking the area. Karon Beach hadn’t fully recovered from the 2004 tsunami.
We scootered to the infamous Patong Beach area and spent a day wandering around, but were quite happy to return to the more quiet area of our hotel on Karon Beach. We truly enjoyed the food, the people, daily massages – sometimes twice, the beaches, the fresh coconut water and juices, the overall laid back vibe… and taking off on our rented scooter to explore the area! We’d go back to Thailand in a heartbeat!!!! We even talked about purchasing property there. It was just that, talk.. dreaming of how wonderful it would be! I really enjoy your blog, Maggie! Your and Richard’s travels are inspiring and interesting!
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Sounds like paradise. We had thought/dreamed about getting property in Thailand too. Stay safe 🙂 Maggie
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Thank you, Maggie. You, too stay safe. I hope you have a fabulous summer in Golden, with lots of hiking! ☀️🏔☀️🏔
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Phi Phi looks gorgeous. I like that there are a variety of activities and different ways to view the area, including hiking, kayaking and taking a boat tour. I now want to re-watch “The Beach”.
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It really is an incredibly beautiful area, I guess that’s why it’s so popular, that and the movie. We did rewatch the movie and could recognize a few scenes from different places in Thailand. Maya Beach was the definitely the busiest of all the locations. Thanks for reading:) Maggie
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Looks like paradise. I only made it to northern Thailand but hope to return and explore the southern islands someday.
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The Andaman islands are incredible. But be warned, they are also very busy. It’s worth it to rent a kayak to one of the smaller beaches where hardly anyone else goes. Hope you’re able to get there some day 🙂 Maggie
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It’s popular for a reason – you have to switch off from the hustle and bustle of the crowds to take in the unique landscape. Thanks for showing it so nicely.
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That’s true, and that’s why we were there too 🙂 One of the best parts of both kayaking and climbing was that it was quiet and peaceful so we could enjoy it. Thanks for reading! Maggie
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So beautiful! I love the coves and the cliffs.
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The landscape is unbelievable. The cliffs are so dramatic and the coves feel like you’re in a fantasy movie or something. It’s really a beautiful place. Thanks for reading Chelsea. Maggie
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Another great post, Maggie! Beautiful views!
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Thanks Jyothi! Maggie
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Always a marvelous read! Your photos are spectacular. If you don’t mind me asking what sort of camera equipment do you use on your travel adventures?😊
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Most of the pictures are taken with a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, and the water ones were with our Nikon Coolpix, but it has since stopped working when it took it on a deep dive 😦
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Excellent thanks for the info!
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The landscape of this region is simply stunning. Coincidentally, I’m working on a post about my most memorable beaches, and while I never made it to Phi Phi Islands, nearby PhraNang Bay definitely made my list. I understand that it has developed a lot since I visited in 1991 when it just had a smattering of simple bungalows with salt water showers, but I guess the natural scenery remains as awesome as ever. I’m tempted to return. Beautiful photos!
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We only visited PhraNang on a day tour from Phuket. I don’t remember seeing much development, but maybe the boats avoid those areas. I probably wouldn’t visit Phi Phi again, but I would love to go to a different island in this region. I just love look of the the tall karst pinnacles in the sea and the small isolated coves and beaches.
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Beautiful Island, one we haven’t visited yet but we have heard how popular it is, the Kasts and turquoise water are fabulous. We long for the day we can do some Island hopping around the Thai Islands.
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Yes, re-writing this post made me really want to return to Thailand.
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Whatt a beautiful place🤩
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This looks like paradise.
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Gorgeous scenery and activities. This wasn’t completed recently was it? I thought Thailand was struggling with COVID-19.
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No, I’m re-writing old posts, since I had no followers then and no one read them.
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Good thinking. We can live in hope that one day we’ll all travel again.
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Looks beautiful! What time of year did you go? Would definitely have to visit some islands if I make it to Thailand! 🙂
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It is a beautiful area, we were there just at the the end of dry season, end of March. You can see the skies were quite cloudy and it did rain here and in Krabi. It’s very busy in the high season though, but because it’s so beautiful, you can understand why.
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We never think to add in beachy places on a lot of our trips, but you have me thinking about including this in a trip to Thailand. I did ponder how two active people like you would fare in such a destination, but then OF COURSE, I saw you climbing at the end! 🙂
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Haha, yes, we’re not real beachy people either, but we found hiking, climbing and kayaking. The scenery is incredible so sometimes it’s worth it:)
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Your photos are amazing; those cliffs are absolutely incredible 🙂
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Thanks, yes the landscape in this part of Thailand is unbelievable.
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Gorgeous photos and gorgeous islands. What a dream to be there traveling. ioana ♥🌍
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Well, I wish we were there now, but it’s nice to look back and dream 🙂 Thanks for reading 🙂
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Wow, really beautiful photo’s … love the ones of the beaches, especially Monkey Beach. We would love to visit Thailand – heard that the virus had a huge effect on tourism, I do hope there will be some sort of recovery in this industry 😔.
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Yes, it sounds like it’s been very bad there. So many parts of Thailand depend heavily on tourism so hopefully it will rebound once things return to somewhat normal (if and when). Maggie
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the two crescent beaches back to back look amazing
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Yes, it’s such a beautiful place and a great viewpoint to see it 🙂 Maggie
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What a fantastic landscape. Wonderful post!
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Thank you, this part of Thailand is incredibly scenic.
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Those islands look amazing! Glad they have put measures in place too for tsunamis as well. They should definitely be preserved 😊
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They really are paradise, I can see why it was used in The Beach. They have done a lot since the big tsunami to try to make people safer which was really good to see.
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I would love to see those islands!
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What a lovely post!
Beautiful location. I have never been there, and it’s great to get a glimpse via your posts.
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Thanks, Thailand has quite a few of these incredible spots. Maggie
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I once had a monkey in Africa chase me. I had a banana in my hand and the guide left to use the restroom. They know the difference between the guides and tourists! My friend had to throw sticks at it! Glad they didn’t get your food
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They can be pretty clever, but we outsmarted them this time 🙂
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Interesting to see a photo of the butterfly species Parantica melaneus (chocolate tiger). I guess its home range extends further east than I’d thought it does.
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Oh thanks for telling me its name. Yes we saw it on our hike on Koh Phi Phi in Thailand. I just looked it up and read that it’s also found in Laos, Vietnam, Singapore Malaysia and more. It’s very beautiful.
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What a beautiful Island. I visited Thailand once but didn’t get to any islands or beaches. How I wish I did. Lovely to see these photos Maggie.
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Thailand really does have incredible beaches. If you’re not a lie on the beach person, like us, there are a lot of activities to do so you can still enjoy them. Thanks for reading, Maggie
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Such stunning coastal vistas. I love how Maya Bay is surrounded by high limestone cliffs of Koh Phi Phi Leh. No wonder the Phi Phi Islands is the ultimate destination in Thailand 🙂 What can be better then white powdery sand, crystal clear water, lines of coconut trees and plenty of scenic spots? Thanks for sharing and have a good day. Aiva 🙂
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It is such a perfect paradise with hidden coves surrounded by steep walls. But it’s very busy so it’s not quite paradise anymore. Thanks for reading Aiva! Maggie
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It’s such a bummer when a movie (inadvertently) ruins a place. Great rock climbing pics. It looks like a lot of fun – no shortage of holds!
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It was quite disappointing and we didn’t even care to see Maya Beach but the island is so cool with so many hidden coves. Too many people though. Wonder if the ‘environmentalist’ Leo realizes or cares what he’s done. The climbing was excellent!
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What fabulous photos! The Phi Phi Islands look stunningly beautiful and that sea and sand are so inviting.
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Thanks, yes it’s an incredibly picturesque spot. It’s no wonder it was the focus of a book and a movie. Thanks for reading! Maggie
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Mesmerising, Beautiful place,,,been there…have such fond memories 😀😀
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Yes aren’t these islands incredible. Thanks for reading! Maggie
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So beautiful, the dramatic rocks and beaches. I’m not a climber so I flinched a bit looking at those photos! Somehow I missed that movie – will put it on my list to catch up.
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We watched it again when we came home from Thailand, it’s definitely meant for a younger audience but it wasn’t bad and has some great shots of Thailand 🙂
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That’s like a comprehensive summary. It’s organized and helpful for me as a travel consultant 👏👏👍👍
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Thank you so much 😊
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Fabulous photos & info, Maggie! 🌞
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Thank you Lisa! Maggie
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Stunning pictures. Wonderful read
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Thank you:)
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Hi there. Thank you for visiting and following HoB. Much appreciated!
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You’re welcome!😊
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