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Published: September 2nd 2010
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There's no denying the aesthetic appeal of Koh Phi Phi. The soaring cliff tops and white sand beaches, hidden coves and blue green water. There's two islands, Koh Phi Phi Don where you can stay, and Koh Phi Phi Leh a conservation area and home to Maya Bay (of 'The Beach') that you can visit by longtail boat. Phi Phi Don has a small tourist town with accommodation to suit all budgets but there are quieter and more romantic locations dotted around the island the best of which we think are at 'Long Beach'.
Koh Phi Phi Don town is frequently described as 'a bit scruffy' but really this is only by those who have their expectations firmly set at Koh Phi Phi the paradise. It's functional, crowded, busy, a bit of a hotch potch of architectural styles but inoffensive, so long as you're not expecting too much. We stayed in Baan Thai guesthouse. Clean and fairly quiet, Noi who ran the place was polite if a little bossy. However if you consider the regular clientele it sounds like she needs to be. 'They break alot of stuff when they're drunk' she says.
For Phi Phi Don is the
place to party. The town beach, the opposite side of the thin strip of land from the port, turns into a string of beach clubs every night and unfortunately the evidence of the previous nights revelry floats in the water and washes up on the beach for the rest of the following day.
Bottles, cans, plastic bags, discarded T shirts, we may have even seen the odd pair of pants disgracing the beach front. The clubbers re emerge midmorning and pack themselves tightly along this thin strip of sand and bathe amongst the rubbish from the night before. Thankfully there's another side to Phi Phi.
Long Beach is about a 30 minute walk from the town and along the way there are a couple of little coves to enjoy as well. The water is much cleaner and there's plenty of space to roll out your towel. It's a bit of a scramble at times to get there or you can jump in a longtail taxi boat and get them to drop you off.
We organised to visit Phi Phi Leh as part of a longtail boat trip with a few other stops. First was monkey beach, a
small strip of sand on Phi Phi Don with you guessed it, monkeys! We stayed 15 minutes, about 14 minutes too long. It was packed. We stayed to the less busy end and tried to give the monkeys some space by staying in the shallows. But most people got right in their faces and then got really upset when the monkeys went for them, presumably expecting food.
Next stop snorkelling off Phi Phi Don. We had 4 or 5 snorkelling stops in all and each were well chosen by our guide. Not too busy, safe, and with plenty to see. On one we even met Nemo, the tiny clown fish, very cute and only the size of the tip of your finger! Onto Bamboo island. It's a pretty beach and the water is lovely. We had lunch on there and a hour lazing in the sunshine before heading to Phi Phi Leh.
The cliffs of Phi Phi Leh are even more dramatic than Phi Phi Don. The longtail takes you up close and builds the excitement for the turn into Maya bay. The view as you round the cliffs is a beauty, but then as you get closer
you realise you're about to share it with day trippers from all over the Andaman coast. The crowds are understandable but like Phi Phi Don town beach there was rubbish in the water which was such a shame. Fortunately the next stop was a cracker.
A bit further round Phi Phi Leh we turned into a shallow cove, too shallow for anything other than the longtail to access, where we stopped for a swim in crystal clear tranquil water, almost entirely enclosed by the cliffs that typify the Andaman coast. It was beautiful. Then we caught the sunset into the sea bobbing our way back to Phi Phi Don which was a really nice touch. Despite the disappointments it was still a really good day out.
We stayed for 6 days and nights on Phi Phi. After initial reservations we began to really like the place. It is stunning and famous so it's busy. But if you give the regular haunts the swerve there are still plenty of quieter places to enjoy. And if you want to party all night you'd like it even more!
Longtail boat trip: We paid 450 baht each but shop around and
you might get it cheaper.
Accommodation: Baan Thai guesthouse cost us 600 baht a night.
Eating Out: Pancakes and Mango shakes for breakfast at any one of many stalls. Dinner has definitely got to be at Papaya. Best Thai food we've had by a mile, good value and lots of it.
Drinking: Buckets of rum and coke on the beach or quiet beers watching the sunset, whatever you fancy.
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