The best tips to visit Phi Phi Don

Phi Phi Don in low season

We went to Phi Phi Don in September, so we can give you easy solutions and some best tips to visit Phi Phi Don also during the rainy season. Its beautiful port, Tonsai Pier, is open to travelers all the year, backpackers, and leisure worshipers from all around, by ferry or speedboat from Krabi or Phuket.

Phi Phi Don is, without a doubt, my ultimate version of tropical paradise.

In the middle of Thailand’s Andaman Sea, there is a jewel of an island called Ko Phi Phi Don. A small island with incredible scenery, charming restaurants, and beautiful resorts. What to ask more!

The island has recovered from the Boxing Day tsunami in 2004 and is once again thriving.

This island, being now the archetypal Thai beach, attract travelers like us also in low season time. Soft sands are always there, the clear seas, the bars, the restaurants, everything is there all year round, everything is open. Always.

Go for your fruity cocktail or cold beer, if you are looking for a party, here you will always find your spot, bright lights, booming bass lines and shows all along Ao La Dalam. For a quieter place, you will go then to Ao Lo Moo Dee or Ao Toh Ko.

Here we are! From drinking and partying to snorkeling

How do I plan a trip to Phi Phi Island?

How to go to Phi Phi islands

Getting to Phi Phi Island is pretty straightforward.

This group of islands, six, is located 46km from Phuket, roughly about the same distance is your travel is from Krabi.

To get to Phi Phi you have two secure options: ferry boat and speedboat. The ferry is by far the most popular method, and it is what we chose, as the day we traveled was 16 of September, and the sea was a little rough.

Ferries take about two hours from Phuket, about 90 minutes when you go from Krabi or from Koh Lanta.

The main departure/arrival port in Phuket is Rassada Pier in Phuket Town. In Krabi, the main ferry pier is Klong Jirad Pier, little outside, south of Krabi Town.

In high season, to get good seats, you should really arrive well in advance or remember to book the ferry well in advance. In low season you can find seats pretty easy with no rush.

The ferry trip Phuket to Phi Phi islands

The journey we decide was on the ferry.

We just reached Rassada Pier in Phuket Town, and really easy we got on the boat.
There is a really nice indoor air-conditioned area to seat and nap, a lovely open deck on top, where you can sunbathe while traveling if you like. That was not the case on our day.

Our journey to Phi Phi Don with the ferry from Phuket Rasada Pier

A kind of a rough sea, but comfortable anyway!

Where to stay at Phi Phi island (Phi Phi Don)

We tested this time the charming Chaokoh Phi Phi Hotel And Resort

This resort was actually at a perfect price, probably because of low season time.

It is right on the road leading to the beach and the Tonsai Pier, with many restaurants, tattoo shops, and diving shops, all at seconds of walking distance.

Now was time to decide what to do first, with so many options in front of us. Phi Phi islands are really plenty of things to do, we feel you would always need at very least 4 days and 3 nights to really have enough time to enjoy the places.

The trip to Bamboo island from Phi Phi

Half day Bamboo island big boat tour from Phi Phi

No, actually we did not go this time, we really had other plans. If you are on Phi Phi and you actually have more time to spend then we did, you should really see Bamboo island.

How to go to Bamboo island from Phi Phi?

Some excellent tours are visiting Bamboo island with relax time and really cool snorkeling time, it is straightforward to book and go!

This 600m x 700m island is so funny because it is almost shaped like a heart. This island has a beautiful strip of white sand that goes around its entire perimeter.

In the middle of the island you will see green tropical vegetation and Bamboo growing there, this is actually what really gave the name which gives the name to Bamboo island.

We decided to go up to the Phi Phi Viewpoint.

Even if it was almost raining. Yes!

We started our walk with a pleasant peace, and we actually walked up from the back road, not form the front stairs trail, to understand that is where you walk if you want to see at first the viewpoint number 1.

We went straight from back, walking uphill from the road, to reach straight the viewpoint nr. 2.

Even if it was raining, it was such an incredible experience!

With also some monkeys sightseeing, on the way up

Dinner time comes. Where to eat at Phi Phi Don

Actually, it is such a small island plenty of so many restaurants, but we already knew where we wanted to go! We wanted to try Mexican food. Yes, we did.

There are charming Mexican restaurants on Phi Phi, being a Muslim island, they all prefer to enjoy cuisine with seafood or chicken, preferably, and this is how Mexican cuisine also became popular here.

Phi Phi Don at evening time

Just walk around, spend time on the beach bars to enjoy the fire shows or enjoy walking through the village to taste some of the really cheap excellent drinks and cocktails.

Longtail boat tour to Phi Phi Leh

Tours from Phi Phi island, from Phi Phi Don Tonsai Pier

In the morning we went for a relaxing trip to Phi Phi Leh. We chose the best price at Tonsai Pier and departed straight forward to Phi Phi Leh. We paid for the 2 of us, about 1800 Thai Baht.

The first stop we decided to see Monkey beach

A 150-meter long beach. The very enjoyable white-sand beach here, on the back there is only steep limestone cliff with such thick vegetation.

This is really the ideal habitat for monkeys. That’s is why the beach got its name, making it so unique and, one of the best places you cannot miss when visiting Phi Phi Islands.

Next. We went for snorkeling in Phi Leh Lagoon

The second largest island. Phi Phi Leh is a must-visit among all the other places to visit in Phi Phi Islands.

Phi Phi Leh it is uninhabited. The cliffs covered with exotic flora, sandy beaches, corals, and Maya Bay.

On the other side of Maya Bay, there is the unparalleled beauty of the Phi Leh lagoon, with its most transparent water you will ever see.

They are separated by a limestone cliff, which actually looks like a real mountain when you are swimming nearby, they make you feel so small. The water is shallow, warm, crystal clear, making it the best place for snorkeling at Phi Phi Leh.

Best tips to visit Phi Phi Don

Afternoon time, back to the Phi Phi Viewpoint from the stairs trail.

After a walk through the village and the really lovely stairs trail, we arrive at first to the Phi Phi viewpoint number 1, the lower.

The view on the way is already impressive, and you can find adorable local friends on the road, aka, beautiful cats!

There is also a bar near the viewpoint number 1, so you can enjoy some fresh drink, if it is too hot.

The Phi Phi viewpoint number 2

Here we spent about 3 hours or more.

There is a really cool view at the bar, with tasty food and nice drink or beer.

We were taking so many pictures and videos that the time was actually flying!

If you like to know, you can also visit the Phi Phi viewpoints (1 and 2) with this speedboat tour from Phuket:

Phi Phi Island viewpoint tour from Phuket

Phi Phi Don weather

Koh Phi Phi enjoys the sun and its hot rays most of the year.
There is always a good chance you will be finding a sunny day also during low season, rainy season.

Fortunately enough, that is most of the time and also during our September visit.
Few places, around Thailand and the world, can really match the beauty of Koh Phi Phi on a warm day with sunshine.

That is a fact, even if you visit during the rainy season, more often, it will be raining with short downpours, followed by several hours or even days of the hot sun.

Lunchtime and back to Phuket.

At lunch we had a really nice time with amazing food at Lucky 13, we tasted many of their best vegetarian selections, with great pleasure i can say.

Lucky 13 sandwich is just 50 meters from Tosai Pier, so for us was perfect to have a meal before departing back to Phuket with the ferry.

Why is Phuket so famous? Here we come up with a list of many ideas why!

How do you get to Phi Phi Island?

What is Phi Phi Island famous for?

Is It Better To Stay In Phuket Or Phi Phi?

Destinations, Nature Adventure, Sightseeing Tours

The best tips to visit Phi Phi Don in low season