25 August 2013
Phi Phi Don is fun to say, to be sure, but it isn’t all about the partying.
Phi Phi consists of a group of 6 islands in the Andaman sea which belong to the Krabi province in Thailand. “Koh” means “island” in the Thai language so many of the Andaman sea locations begin with this word. In this case, Koh Phi Phi Don is the largest of the six islands and Koh Phi Phi Leh is the second-largest one.
Both are very popular tourist destinations and accessible by boat. Another of the six islands is Koh Mai Pai (Bamboo island), a stunning little island with turquoise and emerald waters along the white sandy beach. This place is almost guaranteed to be packed with tourists, and that’s on any given day, even in the low season.
The other islands are Koh Yung (Mosquito island), Koh Bida Nok and Koh Bida Noi. These other three are not much more than limestone cliffs stretching up out of the water.
Koh Phi Phi Don Fun in the Sun
With Koh Phi Phi Don being the biggest of the islands, all the excitement is concentrated in this little spot. There are hotels, motels, inns, resorts, hostels and a village. You’ll also find all sorts of restaurants to satisfy any craving and a buzzing stream of tourists day in and day out to sustain all these small businesses.
The lifeblood of Phi Phi Don would be its boat tours, which start lining up on Tonsai beach from the early morning until the evening hours. If you’d like to go on a boat tour or get to your boat-access-only hotel, there are an abundance of longboat operators available as long as there’s daylight.
What To Expect From Phi Phi Year-Round
The vibe here definitely feels like that of a ‘party island’ and it seems like this is what attracts so many people of all walks of life from all around the world. The island’s hotels and bars compete heavily. We wondered if there was a championship cup for who could play the loudest music.
As you walk around, you’ll see “special prices” available all week, every week. We also saw an abundance of foreigners advertising and handing out flyers for the various restaurants and bars on Phi Phi Don. No doubt, these are travellers who need to make an extra buck so that they can fund their dives, travel plans and endless parties. That’s what a few of them told us, anyway.
On the other side of the coin, there were a few reminders that the tsunami of 2004 devastated the Phi Phi islands. Still, it was quite astounding to see how well the administration has been able to recover and rebuild in just over a decade. When you look at photos after the tsunami that reveal the extent of the damage, it’s quite accurate to say that everything was well and truly flattened. Many people lost their lives and these names appear at the Tsunami Memorial, which Phi Phi’s community has put near Sunflower Bar.
To Phi Phi or Not?
Overall, Phi Phi is a beautiful place. Its natural locations will make you think you’ve landed in heaven when the sunshine hits that water just right. It wasn’t difficult for us to take photos that looked like they belonged in National Geographic — no special skill required!
If you love sparkling water that varies along the entire spectrum of blues and greens, amazing sea life, white beaches and sunshine, go to Phi Phi once in your life.
