When faced with the decision of which Thailand island to visit, you might not know where to start. Or maybe you’ve already done hours of research, and they all sound great, so you don’t know how to decide.
Let me help make this decision easy for you: Go to Koh Phi Phi.
How to Get There
We opted to fly in and out of Krabi (shorter ferry ride to the island, and cheaper or comparable plane ticket prices), but you can also fly into Phuket and easily access Koh Phi Phi.
Where to Stay
Koh Phi Phi has tons of options for good prices. The “town” is very small, flat and walkable, but it tends to get a bad rap for being too “noisy.” However, we ended up sleeping right in the heart of town and had no issues with noise.
Top Things to Do in Koh Phi Phi
Koh Phi Phi is a small island, but it’s definitely not lacking in things to do. If you have longer, spend as much time as possible exploring the island. Interested in SCUBA? Often overshadowed by other Thai islands like Koh Tao, Koh Phi Phi has some of the most amazing SCUBA diving in the world. Breathing underwater not your thing? Give snorkeling a try – the clear turquoise waters are incredible for it! You might even see some (harmless) baby sharks. Party person? Koh Phi Phi is known for it’s nightlife and beach party scene at places like Slinky Bar or fire dancers at Carlito’s.
But if you only have a weekend like we did, it can be hard to figure out what to prioritize. So we made it easy for you. Here are my picks for top things to do in Koh Phi Phi.
THE TOP THREE
Maya Bay Sleepaboard
We stumbled across this highly rated boat tour company, and decided to go for it with our one full day on Koh Phi Phi. It did not disappoint.
It was a full day of boating around the island of Koh Phi Phi, and its various nooks and crannies. We got to jump off the top deck of the boat, kayak around some bays, go snorkeling in crystal blue water (my first time!), sightsee, and swim with the phosphorescent plankton at night. So cool, highly recommend.
Despite the name, we did not sleep aboard – we opted to return to shore at night (cheaper, and we wanted to check out the island nightlife scene). 2/6 guests were the only ones spending the night on the boat (they were on their honeymoon) and it sounded cool, but waking up to the sun shining on my face sleeping on the deck of a boat just did not feel like my cup of tea that weekend.
Muay Thai Bar
We heard rumors of a bar where drunk people voluntarily sign up to fight one another in exchange for a “bucket” – the Thailand island drink of choice. Good idea? No way. But we had to see the madness.
Misleadingly named “Reggae Bar,” the venue is in the center of town (Tonsai Village) but tucked away on a street corner. Once there, you can’t miss it. There’s a giant Muay Thai ring and a ton of foreigners sitting all around it. You have to buy a drink at the entrance as a cover of sorts, but trust me it’s worth it.
Guys fight guys, girls fight girls, and occasionally actual Muay Thai fighters hop in and fight each other. I’m not going to lie, even I was tempted to hop in. It actually looked pretty fun. At one point this one girl’s friends tried to recruit someone to box against her and asked me, but she had sleeve tattoos. I feel like a good rule of thumb is don’t fight someone with sleeve tattoos.
Anyways, it’s all fun and games until a drunk guy dislocates his shoulder and has to pop it back in. Which happened. But the show went on!
Hike to the Viewpoint
It’s actually a nice and short hike – largely consisting of sidewalks and stairs – to one of the most beautiful viewpoints I’ve ever seen. We did this on Sunday morning, and it was hot but so worth it.
There are 2-3 viewpoint spots you can go on this hike. There’s a first stop with an “I Love Phi Phi” sculpture about halfway up, where you have to pay a small entrance fee (~30 baht), but don’t stop there. Keep going! You’ll know you’re in the right spot when you see a big wooden platform overlooking this gorgeous view. There’s also a little canteen store there. (We didn’t go to Viewpoint 3 because it was hot af and heard it wasn’t as good as this second one.)
TL;DR: Even if you only have a weekend, Koh Phi Phi is absolutely worth it.
Have you been? What are your top things to do in Koh Phi Phi?
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