How many days should you spend in Phi Phi Islands?How long to stay on phi phi islands?
How long to stay on Phi Phi Islands?
Are you thinking of a one in a life time, tropical island trip that you will never forget?
There are tons of paradisiac islands in the world but if you are looking at one of the most beautiful areas in Southeast Asia and also cheaper than other incredible white sandy beaches, then a Phi Phi island trip, is just what you need!
The Phi Phi islands, also called Koh Phi Phi Islands, are part of an archipelago composed of 6 different islands, located in the tropical area of Southeast Asia. The name that this group of islands receive, means Gray Mangrove, and this is not a coincidence, because one of the main features of these islands (and coastal Thai areas in general) is the mangrove plantations everywhere.
These islands are located in between the large island of Phuket in the South of Thailand and Krabi, specifically, in the Strait of Malacca. All of those 6 islands are, Phi Phi Don, Phi Phi Leh, Buddha Nok, Buddha Nai, Ko Yung, Koh Mai Pai.
From those 6 islands that compose the group of The Phi Phi islands, there are two main islands, perhaps, the most popular ones, Phi Phi Don and Phi Phi Leh, which are really close to mainland Phuket or Krabi, where Phi Phi Don is the only inhabited one.
When planned properly, a trip around the Phi Phi islands, can be an unforgettable experience, where you can get all the perks of a paradise, such as, constant summer temperatures, pristine beaches, turquoise waters, incredible rock formations, those that give Thailand that unique look, and the local wildlife.
The Phi Phi islands became popular and touristically relevant, after the release of the movie “The Beach”, with Leonardo DiCaprio in the 2000s, which was filmed in one of the iconic beaches in the Phi Phi archipelago, Maya beach.
The Phi Phi islands were originally populated by muslim fishermen, who started inhabiting the islands and being mainly fishing islands, which later became coconut plantations. These men belonged to The Urak Lawoi tribe and they sailed the Andaman seas for well over 300 years, where they use to make a living by fishing and trading.
Slowly, but progressively, they started inhabiting Phi Phi Don island, (which is the largest island on the Phi Phi group) where they kept fishing and later became coconut planters.
This tradition kept on going until the early 90s, when the first meaningful wave of tourists began to appear and escalated later in the following years. This happened after the Hollywood movie was released and the tourism industry started booming.
A trip around the Phi Phi islands can be a mind blowing experience, not only, due to the beauty of the limestone cliffs, vivid turquoise waters, marine life and sandy beaches, but also, due to the vivid nightlife, exquisite Thai cuisine and lovely locals complete the picture of a full of life paradise!
Due to that popularity, in the last couple of years until 2019, the tons of day trips, constant back and forth of touristic guided trips and similar activities, were infesting those sacred places with tons of people. This uncontrolled tourism rates, on top the damages occurred by the Indian Ocean tsunami on 2004, simply, got Koh Phi Phi islands devastated.
They even had to close Maya beach and other bits of these beautiful islands, to restore the land, the wildlife, marine wildlife and rebuild the infrastructures to welcome a more regulated and controlled visiting schemes. This is, following the new guidelines of the government of Thailand, for sustainable tourism, in an attempt to preserve these islands.
Discussing these topics with people, the mixed opinions they get and my own personal experience on these islands, it is often that I get the question “How many days do you need on Phi Phi islands?” “Should I go for a day trip or should I stay overnight?”
Five days is the ideal amount of time to spend in the Phi Phi islands. Five days is how long anyone should stay in Koh Phi Phi to enjoy all the perks that the island has to offer. Not only, Phi Phi Don has multiple touristic points of interest, where the beaches are tropical perfect, but also, the waters are so clear and turquoise that, simply, dipping in the shore, you can see tons of colourful fish. The surrounding islands host hidden gems, have golden views and are home for the most incredible wild and marine life. In the Phi Phi islands there are a wide array of activities suitable for all visitors depending on their stamina, interests and abilities. These can range from visiting mystical caves, climbing limestone cliffs, scuba diving around sharks and turtles, snorkelling, chilling in the most stunning beaches, to cruising around on a kayak, learning and savouring the most tasty Thai food and thriving around the local nightlife.
Whilst, most people would book a day trip tour or even stay overnight, it is not worth the money. It is not possible or advisable to do it this way to be taken to many different places in a rush to just a take a quick dip in a couple of pictures. The Phi Phi islands are actually a treasure of Thailand and 5 days are the minimum you should consider staying to explore these marvellous places. It is also advisable to do it lie this to avoid the waves of crowds, to avoid doing everything that there is to do there in a rush, and to really take the whole environment in.
They are tiny islands in the middle if the ocean, for which, the only way to get there is by boat, either by speedboat or by ferry. This is an easy job, as three are constant departures from the mainland Thailand, Phuket and Krabi, only taking about an hour to reach the islands. Also, if you happen to be visiting nearby islands you can also hire a speedboat to take you to the Phi Phi islands.
If you are looking at the fastest way to get to Koh Phi Phi Island, go ahead and make your way to Rassada Pier, close by Phuket Town, where you can get your tickets to ride a speedboat. This will be around 1 hour journey. There are also constant boats a day departing from the pier but I would make sure to get your ticket ahead fo time because they do book out fairly quickly. If you happen to be staying in the north pf Phuket, then you can hop on a speedboat from Bang Rong Pier, and this ride will take around 2.5 to 3 hours. You can also book your tickets through 12Go Asia website where you will find a wide range of departing times, instead of going to the stand in the pier.
Alternatively, you may take the ferry from the same piers as the speedboats at a much cheaper rate. It does take double the time, but if you are in a tight budget then this is a great option for you. The cost of the ferry is around 500 Bahts one way, instead of 750-800 bahts one way for a speedboat ride.
The most reliable way to ensure you will have spots available in the ferry is by purchasing them in the same website, as the ferry is quite popular.
If spending more time is not an issue for you, then the ferry is a cheaper way and also good option to reach the islands.
Also the speedboats often times are operated by “keen skippers” and can actually be dangerous and painful if the ocean is choppy. In fact, I have experienced this myself, where the speedboat was going really, really fast, and essentially it flew over the waves, hitting the water very harshly, just like solid wood. One of the passengers in the boat, actually got her back broken because of the impact.
I would be cautious with speedboats, checking the sea conditions, checking the overall skipper skills and perhaps the company reviews for these rides.
Getting around Koh Phi Phi can’t be done by car, as the paved roads are not prepare for driving and they follow a criss-cross pattern across the island. Only the emergency services such as the police or even emergency medical services drive scooters or other official permitted vehicles.
The best ways to get around Phi Phi are walking, as the inhabited parts of the islands are easy to get to by foot. It is a great way to really grasp the culture of the island and stroll around the main areas of town, where you can find great local places to eat, drink and do some shopping.
When staying in Koh Phi Phi, exploring the outskirts of the island by kayak is just a wonderful experience. It is not only, very popular, but also, very cheap. You can get in all the little caves, do stops for snorkelling and swimming without much danger and you can explore everything around the island at your own pace.
Although you will find some spots to hire bikes, it is not recommendable to bike around Phi Phi as the roads are not really built to be driven and can be pretty dangerous. There are limitations to where you could bike anyway, so it is not really a good use of your money and time.
Lastly, it is totally worth renting a local, long-tail boat to get around Phi Phi. it is perhaps not the cheapest, as the total price goes around 3000 baht, but you can fit a maximum of 8 people, making it ideal for a family trip.
Also, it is a good way to contribute to the local culture and experience it as they do. You can easily get to the islands around, enjoying the best snorkelling opportunities, landscape, caves, etc. Great experience!
Along the lines above, you can also rent a long tail taxi boat in case you want to do a day trip to a particular place and can’t be bothered doing it yourself. However, if your idea is to hop around during your stay, I would suggest you rent the boat instead as it would be a cheaper option.
Due to the origins of the Phi Phi islands, the mixture of cultures and population diversity in the area makes Phi Phi island a. place to enjoy and cherish. There are no big issues amongst their people or towards tourists, there are no religious conflicts and all the religions and culture respect each others and their space.
Whether you are looking for more adventurous things or seeking a more relaxing type of activities at the beach, there are many things that can be done in Phi Phi. As Phi Phi Don is the only inhabited island on the Phi Phi archipelago, you will have to get a boat to reach the rest of the islands, and trust me! this is something that you can’t miss.
These are the best things to do in Phi Phi islands in 5 days:
One of the top activities to do in Phi Phi Don that doesn’t involve the ocean is to hike all the way up to the top of the island. It is not a difficult hike and you will find indications along the way to help you out finding it, but it is a bit long and together with the Thai sun can be a bit challenging. However it is totally worth it, especially at sunset for stunning and breathtaking views. The journey to reach the summit is so beautiful as it is covered by palm trees and most of the inhabitants of the island reside in the middle part of the island.
The beaches in Koh Phi Phi are the main reason to go to these islands. They are simply unique, stunning and different from everything else.
It is suggested that you visit Loh Dalam Bay, which is easy to access and it is located in Phi Phi Don. The water is warm and clear, the sand is white, it is surrounded by the jungle and when the tide is low you can walk pretty far in.
I would recommend to visit the secluded beaches of Ao Poh Beach and Laem Tong Beach, also located in Phi Phi Don but not reachable by foot, only by boat. incredible turquoise waters and very peaceful.They are picture-perfect tropical island, surrounded by white, fine sand and pure turquoise waters.
Other tow beautiful beaches in Koh Phi Phi include Ao Toh Ko and Long Beach which are gorgeous but a bit more visited and popular.
Whilst scuba-diving or free diving are great in the Phi Phi islands, you don’t have to do it to experience the marine life and the close contact with the ocean. Snorkelling in the Phi Phi is a mind-blowing experience. You can see ons of marine wildlife, ranging from the most colourful fish to black tip reef sharks. I would totally recommend doing it and the top beaches for it are Secret Beach, Ao Toh Ko, and Phak Nam Bay. There are day tours in charge of these activities in case you are unsure of where to go.
For those ocean lovers and experienced divers, the Phi Phi islands is a must! the marine wildlife underwater is just breath taking. Scuba diving in the Phi PhI will reward divers with loads of turtles, clown fishes, black tip reef and leopard sharks, colourful fish, barracudas and corals, even sea snakes. Koh Bida Nok in the Bida Islands, is one of the top locations for this activity. I highly recommend it.
A much more relaxed and family friendly way to explore Koh Phi Phi is by kayak. It is an easy way to do it, as those waters are so clear and not often choppy that will allow you to slowly and pleasantly cruise along the island. You can even Kayak for about 40 minutes and reach Monkey Beach, where you can see those cute monkeys on the beach and rocks.
This fine, white sandy beach island is and absolute gem in the Koh Phi Phi. It is very close to Phi Phi Don, you can bring your own snacks and drinks and even camp overnight for a mind-blowing sunrise on the island. Due to the weather that the Phi Phi offers as well as the more remote location, I would recommend this activity, especially if you are into photography, as there are not many people staying overnight, the temperature is just lovely and the whole island is surrounded by bamboo trees.
I would rent a long-tail boat for this or even pay a taxi boat as it is not that expensive due to the close distance to the Phi Phi Don.
Visiting Koh Phi Phi Leh is a must! You can hop on a speedboat and spend the whole day exploring this island. You could also hire a long-tail boat to explore Pileh Bay and Maya beach, although it is not yet opened for the public ( it has been closed again in early August) but you can come close and even hop off the boat for a swim.
If you are into more high impact adventures, I can suggest arranging a tour to rock climb those limestone cliffs that the Phi Phi islands are so famous for. It is the rock climbers paradise. If you are not that experienced, it is still possible to get a beginners tour where a local guide will take care of you on this day and you can still enjoy the day.
For a more laidback and relaxing day, I would totally advise to check out the marketplace in Tonsai Village to have an idea of the local atmosphere, to check their fresh produce, shop around and learn about their cuisine.
It is not often that I would spend money and time in a cooking class, because many of those cooking classes turn out to be a tourist trap. But, Thai cuisine is an exception. In Tonsai village, you can get one of the most fun and insightful Thai cooking classes by friendly locals. The explosion in your mouth with all those fresh ingredients and flavours is just an incredible experience. Not only, you will leanr about the worldwide known Pad Thai, which is always a great choice, of course, but also, really genuine and local dishes, like marinated fresh fish, curries and other delicacies.
When it comes to night activities in the Phi Phi islands, the fun and “ no worries” vibe is definitely there. You can experience the local fire show on the beach. These shows happen pretty much every single night, where locals will perform a fascinating spectacle on the beach at night. Having a drink at night and hanging out around this show is awesome. The most popular places that host these shows are Some of the most popular fire shows on the island are Slinky Beach Bar, Carlito’s Beach Bar and Nightclub, and Sunflower Beach Bar & Restaurant.
If you are looking for a bit of party vibe and to mingle with people, do not miss the pool parties at hotels Ibiza House Phi Phi and PP Princess Resort, where many evenings they host pool parties with great music, drinks and shows for people to have a super fun time. If you are not a fan of big parties, these pool parties can still be a great choice as they usually start getting busier later in the night hours. There is no entrance fee and drinks, although a bit overpriced, still are cheap and everyone have a great and friendly attitude.
A trip to the Phi Phi islands is not the cheapest deal you can get when travelling to Thailand. It is not super expensive like let’s say, travelling to the Maldives, but, it is not as cheap as, going to Bangkok, for example.
This is because you need to pay premium for transportation, as the only way to get there is by boat. Also, you get to pay a bit more because of the high demand of this paradise. However, food and groceries can be cheap, especially, if you have some already bought snacks and items that might no need refrigeration. Still groceries will be at a higher price than in the mainland supermarket because everything there is imported. Accomodation is probably the bulk of the cost of this trip as you pay for location. Electricity and water are also expensive due to the distance to the mainland.
Still the total cost per day is about 12$ which is not much and the experience is absolutely unforgettable.
There you go! Now you know the optimal amount of days that you should spend on the Phi Phi islands to make the most out of that tropical paradise. 5 days is how long anyone should stay to explore Koh Phi Phi Don and surrounding islands and hidden gems.