Phi Phi islands

The Phi phi islands are a group of 4 islands and are part of Krabi province. They are located on the edges of both the Andaman sea and the Phuket sea, around half way between Phuket and Thailand’s mainland.

The 2 most important islands are Koh Phi phi Don and Koh Phi Phi Lee. Not only are the islands a favorite holiday destination or day excursion from Krabi, they also form a national park. The group of 4 islands is as follows:

• Phi Phi Don
• Phi Phi Lee
• Koh Bida Nai
• Koh Bida Nok

To the north of the islands that make up the Phi Phi islands, you can also find 2 small islands that are frequented in daily tours from Krabi: Koh Mai Pai or Bamboo island and Koh Yung. On all islands you won’t find any cars. The Phi Phi’s are small and it is easy to get around. Either on foot or by local longtail boat that brings you from one island to the other.

The best time to visit the Phi Phi islands depends on what you are interested in. The busy months are between December and April, when the seas are calm, the temperature pleasant and skies are clear blue. This is also called peak or high season, just like in Krabi. Be prepared to pay steep prices during Christmas and New year’s eve, a period when the island is full of Western and Asian tourists.

A more quiet time to visit is the wet season between May and October. Then you can sometimes have the whole beach to yourself! But as always in a tropical country: rain is never really far away and it’s possible that it rains for days without end. If you are lucky you might only get a few showers in the evening. Be advised that the waves are generally higher during rainy season and there may be days where boats and ferries won’t be operating from the mainland to Phi Phi and vice versa.

Maya Bay used to be the most popular spot on day tours from Krabi. Unfortunately there were so many tourists visiting daily from Phuket and Krabi that the local marine suffered a huge blow. That’s why the Thai government decided to close Maya Bay indefinitely. Speedboats on day tours from Krabi are allowed to pass the bay. That way you can see the actual bay which is famous for it’s filming location in the movie ‘The beach’. Tourists are not allowed to go ashore anymore until the marine life and nature surroundings have recovered. It is likely that the government will limit the number of visitors when that happens. We will keep you up to date concerning our tours to Phi Phi and Maya Bay. We all want nature to be able to recover; let’s hope for the best!