Mike and I met up in Phuket and set out for Koh Phi Phi the next morning. At this point I felt like my vacation had finally begun!
Koh Phi Phi is one of the most popular island destinations in Thailand. It’s famous for being the location of the movie, The Beach. And because it’s famous… it’s overpriced. Coming from Koh Payam, it took me awhile to adjust to the jacked up prices of Koh Phi Phi. For example, I rented my bungalow on Koh Payam for $10 (300baht). Our bungalow on Koh Phi Phi? $50 (1500baht). To be fair, we were provided with towels, sarongs, and two bottles of water… but I don’t think that was a $40 value. Oh well*.
We spent our first day catching up, walking around town, exploring the area, and taking a dip in the aqua water. Again, I took my photos at low tide so the seascape isn’t at its finest.
Since Koh Phi Phi is quite the party island these days, we decided to stay a good distance away from all the madness, but within walking distance to the shops and restaurants. We ate dinner at a pirate themed Indian restaurant (?) and declined the many bar fliers pushed into our hands in favor of relaxing on the beach. It didn’t take long for the fire shows to start up.
I was glad to leave the bars and pyromaniacs behind us as we walked back to our bungalow for the night. And then I fell down a hill. Like, tumbled. It was fairly painful at the time but later proved to be a good source of [dark] humor.
xo, jill
*Obviously, $50 for a bungalow on a beautiful beach is still a pretty good deal and the prices on Koh Phi Phi are very affordable for the average tourist.
Sounds like so much fun. I can’t wait to visit Thailand.
First off, just wanted to say that I just found your site yesterday but I’ve been blazing through your archives! Love your pictures and your content (and your sense of humor!). You’ve been to so many amazing places, and as I’m planning my own extended trip in the upcoming months, I’ve found a lot of your posts really helpful and inspiring.
On that note, I’m super interested to hear your thoughts on Koh Phi Phi. I’ve heard varying accounts, from how it is not to be missed, to how it is over-touristed and not nearly as good as some of the other Thai islands that are less well known. It’ll be a while before my husband and I make it to Thailand, and we intend to just make up most of this trip as we go along, but I admit that the Thai islands kind of overwhelm me! All I know is that I definitely want to go to Koh Tao, but not much else… I have to say, a pirate-themed Indian restaurant sounds insanely awesome, though!
It looks like a nice bungalow! I like the feel of ‘being in the jungle’. And those are some awesome shots of the fire-twirling! 😀
Wow, such a nice comment! Thank you!
I think it’s hard to go wrong in the Thai islands. Yes, Koh Phi Phi is very touristy and has a big party atmosphere. However, your experience really depends on where you stay on the island. I’m not a party girl so I was happy to walk 20 minutes to our bungalow for some peace at night. Our friend was also in Phi Phi at the time but he was going out at night the same time we were turning in… so we never crossed paths! Like I mentioned in the post, Koh Phi Phi is a bit pricey compared to other islands. For example, our round trip ferry ride just to get there was 1,000baht compared to the 300baht for Koh Payam. That being said, it’s popular for a reason… it’s so beautiful. The main reason we went to Phi Phi was because we had limited time and it was convenient. I don’t think I would have chosen that island otherwise.
The two other islands I’ve been to, Koh Payam and Koh Chang (the eastern one, there are two), were much more laid back, natural, and less touristy. I think that’s more my scene. I prefer to be the only one on a long white sandy beach over lots of young drunk people dancing at fire shows. But that’s just me!
Hope that helps! The good news is… wherever you go is sure to be beautiful!
I wish I could take credit for that last one!
That’s great to know! My husband and I are definitely more laidback travelers who aren’t into a lot of partying or wild shenanigans. One of our best vacations was to Vieques, Puerto Rico where we were constantly stumbling upon deserted beaches that we would have all to ourselves! A little tourism is obviously not a bad thing, but we’re not the Khao San Road type backpackers (or aren’t planning to be), so hearing from a likeminded traveler is great!
These are INCREDIBLE shots, especially of the fire, wow!
Did you get the typical touristy “The Beach” shot of the island?
Of course!