Koh Phi Phi is one of the more popular islands, up there with Koh Phangan, known for its beautiful beaches, surrounding islands, and its party scene. Something very different about this island is there are no cars or taxis, everything is within walking distance which gives this place an incredible vibe. We stayed here for a total of 3 nights spending most of our days drinking by the pool or on the beach, island hopping, and exploring some of the beautiful sites of the island.
Getting Here
From Koh Lanta, Koh Phi Phi is northwest roughly 2 hours via ferry. The cost for the ferry is around $10 and drops you off at the Ao Tonsai Pier. From there all locations are within walking distance becausee you have no choice! There are no cars or taxis allowed on the island so hopefully your accommodation isn’t TOO far =D
Location: Northside
There are really only two sides of the island, the north and the south, with of course everything in between. The two offer completely different vibes. The north side is by far the party side, while the south offers more resort style and is the only port for exit and entry onto the island. We stayed on the north side of the island and I have to say I thought it was the more beautiful side of the island, although once the sun sets the vibe completely changes and the island becomes what feels like a private beach party.
Accomodation: Blanco Beach Hostel
If you want to be right where the party is at and wake up at 12pm the next day literally steps onto the beach then this is the place for you. Great location if you want to party, right next to Stones Bar and Ibiza Pool. The vibe there is positive and fun and if you don’t want to party then you are in the wrong place. I am pretty sure they have an age limit for who can stay at the hostel, but for right measures. They blast music until 3am so don’t expect to get any sleep until then!
I have to admit the beds are very hard and sand is everywhere because you are literally on the beach at this hostel, but despite that, waking up to see paradise on your doorstep makes up for it all!
Food & Dining
Grand PP Arcade
We ate here several times for brunch and dinner and this place has just good staple foods with cuisines of all kinds. The vibe here is also really great and has cute decoration around the restaurant. Definitely recommend coming here at least once.
Banana Bar
So this place is essentially known for its nightly sunset movies and also being 420 friendly, but it also serves Mexican food if you have that craving. It’s a bit average for Mexican but the nightly movies brings an awesome vibe to this rooftop bar!
Cosmic
I made the mistake of ordering a Chinese stir fry. Mine was a bit average but my friends ordered non-Asian dishes and they actually really enjoyed it. They are known for their pizzas and having items on the menu that are typical for meals you would have back home. They are a bit pricier than getting the local dishes but when you are really craving that meat pie, its worth it.
Madame Resto
We also ate here a couple of times as well. This is one of those places where the menu provides just way too many options and you spend much too long deciding on what you want. But more options is better than none! This place has excellent local dishes and a mean green curry. If you want some standard, good Thai food come here.
Buckets
Now I don’t mean that’s the name of a restaurant or bar but if Thailand is known for something its the buckets of alcohol you can get on the side of the streets. You literally cannot miss one pop up shop, these are offered all around the island. You can get cheap options or spend a little more and avoid the risk of getting ill but let’s be honest, a bucket of alcohol will tend to result in illness anyways! Regardless it’s a fun, cheap way to get drunk quick and the best part is you can take it to go and enjoy the party on the beach!
Activities
Island Hopping
There are several island hopping tours offered on the island and to be honest its hard to decide which one is best for you. They go to different islands, for different duration of times but most of them leave pretty early in the morning around 8am. They all pretty much go to Maya Beach which is where they filmed The Beach, but since we stayed out pretty late our intention was not to wake up early! Therefore we decided to tackle the booze cruise through Blanco Beach Hostel which went from 2pm-7pm.
This was a really fun way to be social and see the islands while drinking and snorkeling. They provided unlimited beer and some mixed drinks for those who didn’t want beer throughout the entire afternoon. Our guide was young, and fun and took us around to some of the most beautiful locations while also giving us some history and knowledge on what goes on around these islands. We had life jackets to chill in the water and snorkel and they also gave us some bread so we could feed the fish.
Maya Beach is definitely the most popular spot to go to so you will always see TONS of tourists here. However, note that it cost 400baht just to step one foot onto that sand on the beach and most of us didn’t find it worth it. I talked to several travelers who had done it and majority said it wasn’t all it was cracked up to be because of the amount of tourists and also the time of day you go because of the suns location. I highly recommend going early in the morning so you can really see that turquoise, blue water with minimal tourist interruption.
- Cost: $43 (1500baht)
Hike to View Point
In terms of physical activities, this is probably the most you will accomplish on the island but its something you have to see for that view. You’ve seen it on the postcards and I’d say its worth the hike up. Its an easy stair climb up but be weary of the time you go to beat the heat. The tide changes significantly in the afternoon so I recommend going in the morning to really catch the view when both bays are full of water and the sun is behind you.
- Cost for entry: $0.50 (20baht)
Nightlife
Stones
This place gets lit at night, and I mean literally! They have an awesome show of fire dancers at night, with lounge chairs on the beach you can sit back and relax in to watch the show. Plenty of drinks and buckets to choose from!
Ibiza Pool Party
Now this is not a night club party but it’s def a highlight and is a nice change of pace from beach parties. This is located at the Ibiza Hotel and holds this event only twice a week. They offer one hour of discounted beers from 1p-2p and the drinks are slightly more than what you can get elsewhere but overall a really fun vibe and def gets packed as the day proceeds. If you have any been to a Vegas pool party, this relates to that except a bit smaller, but hey youre in Thailand!
Banana Bar
This isn’t your typical club or beach party spot but its an awesome nighttime activity before the night starts to catch a movie and just chill out! They actually play some decent movies every single night but do get there early because spots fill up quick and not having a spot to sit and watch a movie is not worth staying. They are also very 420 friendly and actually have some special items you can order from the bar.
Slinky
This is a great spot where most people usually end the night. Slinky is located right on the beach with a dance floor on the beach.I think they play the best music on the island. They also have a fire dancing show to kick off the evening but I think Stones has a better show.
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