The Phi Phi Islands — an archipelago of six islands between Phuket and Krabi in the Andaman Sea — are the most visually dramatic island group in Thailand: sheer limestone karst cliffs rising hundreds of metres from turquoise water, hidden coves with white sand beaches, and the extraordinary enclosed lagoons that have made them among the most photographed islands in Southeast Asia. The main island (Koh Phi Phi Don) provides the accommodation base, its two beaches separated by a narrow isthmus of development; the smaller, uninhabited Koh Phi Phi Leh hosts Maya Bay — the lagoon made famous by the 2000 film The Beach — and the Phi Leh Lagoon, an almost completely enclosed turquoise bowl of stunning beauty.
The islands are reached by high-speed ferry from Phuket (1.5 hours) or Krabi (1 hour) — the arrival by boat, with the limestone towers materialising from the horizon and growing increasingly dramatic as the boat approaches, is itself one of Thailand's great travel experiences. The islands have suffered from decades of overtourism — Maya Bay was closed from 2018 to 2021 for reef rehabilitation, reopening with strict entry controls — but controlled visiting remains possible and the scenery, marine life and sheer beauty of the setting continue to justify the experience when managed responsibly.
Maya Bay & Phi Phi Leh
Maya Bay — the crescent-shaped beach enclosed by 100-metre limestone cliffs on three sides, made famous globally by Danny Boyle's film The Beach (starring Leonardo DiCaprio) — is on the uninhabited Phi Phi Leh, accessible only by longtail boat or speedboat day trip from Phi Phi Don. The bay is now open to visitors under a quota system (300–400 visitors at a time, no overnight stays, entry fee 400 THB / £9) — snorkelling only (no swimming on the beach during peak visitor times, though snorkelling in the surrounding waters is excellent). The bay is most beautiful in the early morning before 9am; afternoon visits coincide with the main tour boat rush. The Phi Leh Lagoon, a short boat ride from Maya Bay, is a completely enclosed turquoise pool of extraordinary beauty — enter through a low cave passage and emerge in a lagoon with no horizon, only cliff walls and sky.
Phi Phi Don — The Main Island
Koh Phi Phi Don is the only inhabited island and the accommodation hub — its central village (the isthmus between Ton Sai Bay and Loh Dalum Bay) has guesthouses, restaurants, dive centres, bars and the evening entertainment scene. The island was devastated by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami (it sits very low at the isthmus) and rebuilt; the reconstruction created the current commercial village and resort development. Ton Sai Bay faces west and catches afternoon sun; Loh Dalum Bay faces east with a wide turquoise beach that pools into lagoons at low tide. The viewpoint (30–40 minutes hike from the village through the jungle, signed) provides the classic panoramic photograph of the twin bays with the karst towers beyond — one of the most replicated images of Thailand.
Diving & Snorkelling
The marine environment around the Phi Phi Islands is excellent — coral reefs in good condition (partly as a result of the Maya Bay closure rehabilitating adjacent reefs), abundant reef fish, blacktip reef sharks (regularly visible in shallow water around the shark nursery areas), hawksbill and green turtles, and occasional whale sharks at the outer dive sites. King Cruiser — a passenger ferry that sank in 1997 and now lies at 32 metres, completely colonised by coral and fish — is one of the finest wreck dives in the Andaman Sea. Shark Point and Hin Daeng (south of Phi Phi, accessible on live-aboard or long day trips from Phi Phi dive centres) are among Thailand's finest dive sites, with strong currents attracting manta rays and leopard sharks.
