Planning a trip to Thailand and staying in Koh Phi Phi? You heard it was a must visit destination, but not sure what there is to do other than visit Maya Bay (famous for where the movie “The Beach” was filmed)?
Based on our recent visit to this not so hidden utopia, we created a list of our top 12 things to see and do whilst in Koh Phi Phi!
We sadly only had 3 days on the stunningly chilled tropical island, however if you can stay at least 5 days (maybe, possibly, definitely 7 days) then you should! This will allow for any unpredicted weather situations, which may affect the snorkelling or scuba diving trips being cancelled due to rough seas etc…
So without further ado, in no particular order, here it is!
- PRIVATE SNORKEL TRIP ON A LONG TAIL BOAT
This one is a must do that we strongly recommend!
Dave and I promised ourselves we would never do a group snorkel trip after the horrendous ordeal we experienced in Koh Tao! (Read the full story here).
There are a few tours that advertise a 6am-10am snorkel trip “BEAT THE CROWDS”, however what they fail to tell you is that they cram 20+ people onto a tiny boat. Not exactly my idea of “beating the crowds!”
We booked a private 3 hour long tail boat, which included our own private English speaking guide, and snorkel gear. For just the 2 of us. At the time of our trip it was 500 Thai Baht per hour. We could depart at whatever time that suited us, and we could stay as little or as long as we liked at any one spot. This gave us the complete freedom to avoid the crowds and not be limited to a set time frame, like the standard mass group tours were.
2. LEARN TO SCUBA DIVE
Whilst this wasn’t an activity we had enough time to do during our stay, it has to be mentioned, and I’ll share why.
One evening during a leisurely stroll through the town, we stopped by a PADI Dive Centre to escape the torrential tropical downpour that came out of nowhere. It was here that we met Doug, a Brazilian surfer dude working as a dive master instructor in Phi Phi and loving every minute of it. While we were waiting for the rain to stop, Doug invited us to it and chat, and educated us on all the amazing things about scuba diving. Showing us photos of all the sea life that puts on a show deep below the surface.
Sea turtles, eels, tropical fish of all sorts, and if you are lucky enough, even whale sharks are spotted! They also do great work looking after coral pods and help to re-grow different coral species and build the underwater ecosystem.
3. HIKE UP TO THE VIEWPOINT FOR SUNRISE/SUNSET
Oooohh my, this was one tough trek! Walking for what seemed like an eternity up hundreds, (or thousands) of stairs to the entry point. Here you pay 20 Baht for the entrance fee which helps maintain the manicured gardens and paved walkways.
This is where viewpoint 1 is located, with cute novelty fruit seats scattered around the beautiful gardens. A great place to catch your breath! (Top tip: make sure to take a bottle of water with you!)
From here you have a nice view looking down at the island where you can see both sides.
But to get the money shot, you will need to hike a bit further to viewpoint 2, about 10-15 more minutes, on an inclined path. When you finally get to the end of the path, you will be greeted by another set of stairs, lined with perfectly trimmed hedges, to finally be rewarded with the golden ticket (the view)!
If you haven’t died from exhaustion on the journey up, congratulations! Go claim your reward!
Soak in the view, make sure to be present in the moment and enjoy it! Only then should you proceed to take as many selfies and photos as you can. For the Gram of course!
4. TREK THROUGH THE JUNGLE TO LONG BEACH
This one we had a little trouble finding at first. Mostly because we didn’t really plan out where we were going.
We had been recommended to check it out, and to head north about 20-30mins walk. So off we went following some signs along the way. Passing 2 beaches and the Viking Nature Resort hidden in the jungle. There are multiple ways to go, so it can be confusing, but if you keep following the pavers imprinted with the designs of different leaves and the wooden signs nailed to trees, you should get there eventually.
That was part of the adventure for us. Not really knowing which way to go, and stopping along the way to admire our surroundings.
When you get to Long Beach there are a couple of resorts along the beach front.
I will admit, this beach isn’t as sheltered as the ones around Tonsai Town, so when we visited the water was a bit rougher with the waves crashing onto the beach, but they did have cute little swing seats made from wood, where you could sit and enjoy the view out to sea. Perfect for snapping some pics for Instagram.
If you’re lucky enough, you might also discover some wildlife like we did in the forms of a large crab digging a hole in the sand, brightly coloured lizards running up a tree, and a cute little hermit crab scurrying across the beach.
5. GET A BAMBOO TATTOO
Considering how small the island is, we were actually surprised by how many tattoo shops were located in the town of Tonsai. I could not count them all on my hands. I hadn’t intended on getting a tattoo on my trip to Thailand, but I gave into the bright neon lights and succumbed to temptation that was quite literally on every corner.
Devil Pin was where it all went down after my curiosity got the better of me.
Every shop has a stand with a bunch of flip look books to browse the many different designs. Finding out a bit more about Bamboo tattoos, I learned they are waaaayy less painful than machine needle tattoos, they heal faster, and you can go swimming an hour or so after the deed is done.
I was sold on a simple little palm tree, that now lives permanently on my right ankle. A memento of my amazingly short lived visit to Phi Phi, and the fact that it was cheap cheap, also played a part in the decision.
If you are thinking about getting one, I would definitely recommend it. Just make sure to do some research before committing. J
6. PARTY ON THE BEACH
If you are travelling to Phi Phi Island for the party scene, then you will certainly be partying on the beach. Most of the hostels are located on Loh Dalam Bay at the northern end. Just keep in mind you may not get much sleep over this side as the parties can continue into the morning. It is a great spot for the backpackers!
7. RELAX BY THE POOL / ON THE BEACH
Pretty self-explanatory. Need I say more?
8. DRINK AS MANY MANGO SHAKES AS POSSIBLE!
This is no exaggeration! If you are a fan of fresh Mango, you must take advantage of the cheap Mango shakes wherever to eat or drink! How cheap you ask? How does 20-50 Baht sound?
If you are from Australia, then you will understand just how expensive Mangoes are in the supermarkets. You can expect to pay around $5 for 1 Mango. Unprepared. So the fact that these Mango shakes are suuuper cheap, not to mention soooo refreshing, you’d be silly not to make the most of it right?
9. PAT ALL THE KITTY’S!
When you arrive on this island you quickly realise that this is legit the island of kitty’s! We could not count how many cats we saw, and a fair chunk, if not all of them were pets. Yea sure some looked a bit mangy, but most were decent. Chilled, friendly and just wanted food or pats. But most probs the food.
10. TRY THE FAMOUS ICE CREAM ROLLS
These little ice cream stands were as plentiful as the tattoo shops. Almost every corner you turned there was a little stall set up, similar to ‘Cold Rock’ (for the Aussies, not sure if that is an international company), Where you select your flavour and toppings. But instead of smashing the ice cream and toppings together on a cold block, they flatten the ice cream out like a pancake and roll it up, then stand them up in a little ice cream cup followed by topping with your favourites, sprinkles, chocolate sauce, whipped cream. Whatever you choose.
11. SHOPPING!
Whilst this place is a bit of a shopping haven for the ladies, it does have a wide variety for the guys too! Singlets (Tanks) and shorts with palm trees and pineapple prints, if you are into that sort of thing (I thought they were super cute!), same as most places throughout Thailand, you can buy relatively decent clothes at reasonable prices, as always shop around and you can barter with the locals to negotiate on prices. I picked up a decent pair of denim high waisted jean shorts for about 300 Thai Baht. Winning!
So there you have it! Our top 11 recommended things to see and do on the gorgeous tropical island of Phi Phi. Whilst we didn’t get the chance to tick everything off this list, it gives us a good excuse to head back and explore some more!
If you made it to the end of this post, thanks so much for reading! And should you have any questions or want to let us know of other great things to see and do in Koh Phi Phi, please let us know in the comments!
Moon Lane Media 