The virtues and vices of Ko Phi Phi are hotly discussed by travellers and travel writers alike. The natural beauty of the island is unparalleled, even in a region of the world renowned for its stunning destinations. Limestone cliffs, turquoise waters, white sand beaches and miles of trackless forest make Phi Phi a perfect tropical island in anyone's book. But developments over the past 20 years have made it the subject of controversy, with those who wanted to preserve its natural character, pitched against those who wanted to make it a world-class holiday destination and profit from the trade. To understand the dispute, you have to imagine what the island was like, 20 years ago, when it was first 'discovered' by adventurous backpackers looking for Eden on earth. They found it on Ko Phi Phi Don -- a long, wide sand bar gracefully arching between two magnificent islands, creating two placid bays ideal for swimming, snorkelling and scuba diving, surrounded by cliffs waiting to be climbed and forests to be explored. Back then there were only a scattering of bungalows, which was populated mostly by a community of sea-faring gypsies, who call themselves the Chao Ko -- the Island People. There was no pier and only one public boat each week made scheduled trips out to the island. But the paradox in seeking out a hidden paradise is that it subsequently winds up on the map and others begin to seek it out, too -- in ever-increasing numbers. This became the primary driving force in shaping the island, fuelling the long, hasty and haphazard development of the island's infrastructure. The once-idyllic Ton Sai Beach became a port, clogged with boats and debris, with a pier to accommodate the large vessels needed to bring the growing number of visitors to shore enmasse. The sandy isthmus is almost unrecognisable now, blanketed with guesthouses, luxury hotels, bars, restaurants, tailors, internet cafes, travel agents, banks, CD shops, jewellery stalls and clothing markets. Here, price gouging is the norm and tourists are hounded by Thais and resident foreigners alike touting diving trips, boats for hire, places to stay and bars to drink at. Those who remember what it once was, and what it could have been, find it impossible not to shed a tear when they see the place today. It exists, after all, on what is partially national park land. Thailand might have created a well-managed park with walking trails, rock-climbing, caving, unspoilt diving and snorkelling sites ... From that perspective, it is a paradise lost.But the blame doesn't rest solely with foreign tourists, the Thais have been grabbing themselves a piece of the pie as well. The western world has been paving paradise and putting up a parking lot for a long time before Thailand got into the game and can hardly take the moral high ground when it comes to how Thailand uses its natural resources. Whatever one may wish had been done with Ko Phi Phi, the balance of forces in Thai government and in Thai society have conspired to create their own future for the island as a well-developed and fairly affordable resort destination for holiday-makers from around the worldThe chequered history of Ko Phi Phi took a tragic turn with the 2004 Asian tsunami. In the wake of the devastation, the future of the island seemed uncertain and the balance of power seemed to shift. Plans were revived to assert government control of the island and restore its status as a national park, allowing only careful and controlled development. But local land owners saw this as a cynical landgrab by parties within the Thai government, who, they suspected, really just wanted the cash cow all to themselves. The government's plans were thwarted and private industry rebuilt, reinvested, and expanded the island's infrastructure. And they did so in fairly short order, considering the enormity of the task and a complete lack of any government relief. At present, private development has picked up where it left off before the tsunami and shows no intention of changing course.On the bright side, the island has been cleaned up considerably from the festering sore it was a decade ago, when construction marred much of it and filth covered the beaches. Through a combination of a growing emphasis on ecological preservation, and, ironically, the tsunami itself, today the sand and waters are fairly clean, there are no private cars or macadam roads and no plans to introduce any. A few dozens saleangs -- motorcycles with side cars -- pick their way over sand and dirt roads, transporting passengers and their bags to their hotel when they first arrive, but they are mostly used for getting goods and equipment from here to there. Other than that, modes of transport are limited to push carts, bicycles and flip-flops. At present, as it was before the tsunami, Ton Sai village occupies a large chunk of the isthmus, constituting nothing so much as an open-air shopping mall. Along Ton Sai beach, half-a-dozen bars blast pop-music out over the water, serving pricey drinks and providing fire shows for the tourists into the wee hours of the night. Though on average it's more expensive than many other Thai islands, it's still remarkably cheaper than similar accommodation in other premier destinations around the world. Try finding a decent room in Hawaii or San Tropez for ten dollars a night. Despite the touts and the crowds, Ton Sai village remains just what many vacationers are looking for and provides everything they need for a fun, memorable holiday. And in terms of the unspoilt tropical paradise the island once was, the good news for the keepers of the flame is that it has not died out completely. Ko Phi Phi Don's sister island, Ko Phi Phi Leh remains completely untouched, and only available for daytrips by boat -- though many now complain that the inundation by day-trippers has spoiled the place in an only slightly less regrettable way. But there's more: between Ton Sai and Laem Thong, at the northern tip of the island, there are half-a-dozen beaches, many accessible only by boat, offering an escape from the maddening crowds. There you'll find some dirt cheap accommodation, charming, rustic bungalows and mid-to-high-range spots -- from banal tour-group operations to some of the most exquisite luxury spots in Thailand. And there are still Chao Ko living out on Laem Thong, running local shops along-side the fancy resorts, selling food and drink at local prices.Even within walking distance of Ton Sai village, inland towards the northern part of the isthmus, there's a great variety of places to stay where you can easily forget all about the shopping mall's dubious attractions. Old school travellers may well loathe what they see when they get off the boat, but when all is said and done, the natural beauty of the island is still there to be enjoyed, and with a little effort, they may well find paradise regained.
Sights and activites
Ko Phi Phi
The scuba-diving around Phi Phi is world-class. It's easy enough to find a dive shop on Phi Phi -- the question is, which one to choose? Every dive shop on the island offers the same services at a fixed price established by mutual agreement, so don't bother trying to haggle. They did this to avoid price wars which only force operators to overcrowd their boats and reduce the quality of service in order to come out ahead. As a result, you'll get a much better experience across the board on Phi Phi than you might in a place like Ko Tao. Just remember the mantra: oil cartel bad, scuba cartel good. No new visitor to Phi Phi can fail to notice, though, that certain dive shops have resorted to acts of desperation in order to pull in customers, aggressively hawking for business every time you walk within 50 metres of their shop. Everyone finds it annoying. It's up to you, but you might send them a message visa-vis their sales techniques by taking your business elsewhere. The best dive shops survive just fine on the basis of good service and good word-of-mouth, so take your time, ask around and don't go for the first operator that pulls you off the street. All shops offer three-day PADI courses for 12,000B (set rate throughout the island) two-dive day trips for 2,200B, three dives for 2,900B. You'll pay an extra 1000B if you want to see the King Cruiser shipwreck as one of your dives and going out to Hing Daeng and Hin Muang costs 4,800B.For those looking to further their qualifications, you can take advanced courses -- Emergency First response for 4,500B, and Rescue Diver 12,100B It can be hard to decide what dive shop to go with, especially in places such as Phi Phi where there are so many choices. Our advice is to wander around town and chat to the various shops. Everyone offers a variation of the same trip, so don't be sold on 'secret locations'. Find a shop where you understand the staff, and where you feel the staff are mature enough and experienced enough to know what they are talking about. On our recent trip we chatted to one extremely young instructor who spoke for ages about how Phi Phi was so much better than Ko Tao, only to reveal he had done each and everyone of his dives in Phi Phi and had never even been to Ko Tao! Bottom line, these guys work on commission and therefore want to sell to you. So by all means have a chat but don't opt for the first place just because it sounds good, shop around; you can always head back after you've checked the competition. Ask who will be accompanying you (ie Dive master, or instructor), what kind of boat they have and whether they have toilet facilities for example. Diving is a fun and safe sport, IF done under the correct condition and supervised by experienced professionals. In our opinion a 22 year old whose gone from student graduate to dive instructor in 5 months may well be qualified, but a 32 year old with 10 years experience is a far safer bet.Options include:Aquanauts Scuba Diving Center (PADI/SSI): Ton Sai Village, Ko Phi Phi. http://www.aquanauts-scuba.com/Barakuda Diving Centre (PADI 5*): Ton Sai Village, Ko Phi Phi. T:(075) 601 006. http://www.phiphibarakuda.com/Harlequin (PADI/SSI) (NITROX): Ton Sai Village, Ko Phi Phi. T:(075) 601 074. http://www.harlequinscuba.com/Moskito Diving (PADI 5*): Ton Sai Village, Ko Phi Phi. T:(075) 601 154. http://www.moskitodiving.com/Phi Phi Scuba Diving Center (PADI): Ton Sai Village, Ko Phi Phi. T:(075) 612 665 / 086 282 4421. http://www.ppscuba.com/P.P. Seafrog Diving Center (PADI): 2 Locations: Ton Sai Village and Opp. Carpe Diem Bar, Ko Phi Phi. T:(075) 601 073 http://www.ppseafrog.com/Viking Divers (PADI/SSI): Ton Sai Village, Ko Phi Phi. T:(075) 601 110. http://www.vikingdiversthailand.com/Visa Diving: Ton Sai Village, Ko Phi Phi. T: (075) 601 157. http://www.visadiving.com/A one day cruise around the island and the islets off the coast will cost you 600B by speed boat or large boat (containing kayaks etc), 500B by long-tail. There's also a shorter Sunset Cruise (15.30 – 19.45 including dinner) available for 450B. All trips offer the opportunity to snorkel, but you can also just enjoy the cruise and the views if you like -- though that won't get you a break on the price. Snorkelling equipment and snacks are provided as part of the package and you can book a tour practically anywhere in Ton Sai village or at one of the resorts. A Shark Watch tour is available for 550B and they promise you're absolutely guaranteed to see a shark or you'll get your money back. Yeah, right. Maybe it's a stuffed shark? You also can roll-your-own snorkeling trip and set your own itinerary by getting a group of friends together and renting a long-tail for the day -- 1,800B, or around 1000B for a half day (3-4 hrs). Blue Skies One Day Cruise T: (084) 627 5812,(081) 893 8901. Runs from 09.00 to 15.30Daily Snorkel & Sunset Trip T: (086) 276 3154,(084) 851 2104. Runs from 09.00 to 16.00 and 11.00 to 18.30 (sunset)Legacy Sunset Tour T: (075) 601 298,(075) 601 108; F: (075) 601 298. Runs from 14.30 to 19.00P.P Sunset Trip T: (084) 690 8149,(089) 6450752; F: (075) 601 278. Runs from 15.30 to 19.45For gravity fans, there are some cliffs that are ripe for the jumping on Phi Phi, offering adrenaline-filled plunges from 6 to 18 meters (into the water, of course) -- trips take three hours, cost 550B and also include snorkelling. For those seeking vertical trips in the opposite direction, Phi Phi Climbers on Ton Sai Beach Rd offers a range of courses from half-day introductions for 800B to three-day advanced courses for 6000B. Experienced climbers with their own equipment can just stop in and ask where the best routes are. The Adventure Club, located in Ton Sai village, offers a couple of unique tours: The Quest includes jungle walking, climbing, caving with optional snorkelling and abseiling (800B base price, four to seven hours) Our favourite, The 007 Tour is advertised as a 'mission to an undisclosed destination.' To qualify as a participant you need to be able to do a bit of simple climbing, have no fear of heights, and the ability to keep a secret! (Costs 1,500B. Additional information is classified.) There are some hikes you can venture on alone -- heading east along Ton Sai, you can keep going over hillside trails or along the beach at low tide to Lo Moo Dee -- takes about an hour. On the other side of the viewpoint there are three paths leading to bays on the other side. The centre path takes you to Rantee Beach, about a 20-minute hike, and the paths to the left and right wind their way towards Pak Nam Beach and Ao Toh Koh respectively -- both about 45 minutes from the top of the viewpoint. They're hardly nature trails -- just paths used by locals avoiding the cost of a long-tail to and from Ton Sai. There are some tricky bits, but nothing that requires climbing expertise.The Adventure Club : Ton Sai Village, Ko Phi Phi. Tel: (01) 895 1334. http://www.phi-phi-adventure.com/ .
Ko Phi Phi
The scuba-diving around Phi Phi is world-class. It's easy enough to find a dive shop on Phi Phi -- the question is, which one to choose? Every dive shop on the island offers the same services at a fixed price established by mutual agreement, so don't bother trying to haggle. They did this to avoid price wars which only force operators to overcrowd their boats and reduce the quality of service in order to come out ahead. As a result, you'll get a much better experience across the board on Phi Phi than you might in a place like Ko Tao. Just remember the mantra: oil cartel bad, scuba cartel good. No new visitor to Phi Phi can fail to notice, though, that certain dive shops have resorted to acts of desperation in order to pull in customers, aggressively hawking for business every time you walk within 50 metres of their shop. Everyone finds it annoying. It's up to you, but you might send them a message visa-vis their sales techniques by taking your business elsewhere. The best dive shops survive just fine on the basis of good service and good word-of-mouth, so take your time, ask around and don't go for the first operator that pulls you off the street. All shops offer three-day PADI courses for 12,000B (set rate throughout the island) two-dive day trips for 2,200B, three dives for 2,900B. You'll pay an extra 1000B if you want to see the King Cruiser shipwreck as one of your dives and going out to Hing Daeng and Hin Muang costs 4,800B.For those looking to further their qualifications, you can take advanced courses -- Emergency First response for 4,500B, and Rescue Diver 12,100B It can be hard to decide what dive shop to go with, especially in places such as Phi Phi where there are so many choices. Our advice is to wander around town and chat to the various shops. Everyone offers a variation of the same trip, so don't be sold on 'secret locations'. Find a shop where you understand the staff, and where you feel the staff are mature enough and experienced enough to know what they are talking about. On our recent trip we chatted to one extremely young instructor who spoke for ages about how Phi Phi was so much better than Ko Tao, only to reveal he had done each and everyone of his dives in Phi Phi and had never even been to Ko Tao! Bottom line, these guys work on commission and therefore want to sell to you. So by all means have a chat but don't opt for the first place just because it sounds good, shop around; you can always head back after you've checked the competition. Ask who will be accompanying you (ie Dive master, or instructor), what kind of boat they have and whether they have toilet facilities for example. Diving is a fun and safe sport, IF done under the correct condition and supervised by experienced professionals. In our opinion a 22 year old whose gone from student graduate to dive instructor in 5 months may well be qualified, but a 32 year old with 10 years experience is a far safer bet.Options include:Aquanauts Scuba Diving Center (PADI/SSI): Ton Sai Village, Ko Phi Phi. http://www.aquanauts-scuba.com/Barakuda Diving Centre (PADI 5*): Ton Sai Village, Ko Phi Phi. T:(075) 601 006. http://www.phiphibarakuda.com/Harlequin (PADI/SSI) (NITROX): Ton Sai Village, Ko Phi Phi. T:(075) 601 074. http://www.harlequinscuba.com/Moskito Diving (PADI 5*): Ton Sai Village, Ko Phi Phi. T:(075) 601 154. http://www.moskitodiving.com/Phi Phi Scuba Diving Center (PADI): Ton Sai Village, Ko Phi Phi. T:(075) 612 665 / 086 282 4421. http://www.ppscuba.com/P.P. Seafrog Diving Center (PADI): 2 Locations: Ton Sai Village and Opp. Carpe Diem Bar, Ko Phi Phi. T:(075) 601 073 http://www.ppseafrog.com/Viking Divers (PADI/SSI): Ton Sai Village, Ko Phi Phi. T:(075) 601 110. http://www.vikingdiversthailand.com/Visa Diving: Ton Sai Village, Ko Phi Phi. T: (075) 601 157. http://www.visadiving.com/A one day cruise around the island and the islets off the coast will cost you 600B by speed boat or large boat (containing kayaks etc), 500B by long-tail. There's also a shorter Sunset Cruise (15.30 – 19.45 including dinner) available for 450B. All trips offer the opportunity to snorkel, but you can also just enjoy the cruise and the views if you like -- though that won't get you a break on the price. Snorkelling equipment and snacks are provided as part of the package and you can book a tour practically anywhere in Ton Sai village or at one of the resorts. A Shark Watch tour is available for 550B and they promise you're absolutely guaranteed to see a shark or you'll get your money back. Yeah, right. Maybe it's a stuffed shark? You also can roll-your-own snorkeling trip and set your own itinerary by getting a group of friends together and renting a long-tail for the day -- 1,800B, or around 1000B for a half day (3-4 hrs). Blue Skies One Day Cruise T: (084) 627 5812,(081) 893 8901. Runs from 09.00 to 15.30Daily Snorkel & Sunset Trip T: (086) 276 3154,(084) 851 2104. Runs from 09.00 to 16.00 and 11.00 to 18.30 (sunset)Legacy Sunset Tour T: (075) 601 298,(075) 601 108; F: (075) 601 298. Runs from 14.30 to 19.00P.P Sunset Trip T: (084) 690 8149,(089) 6450752; F: (075) 601 278. Runs from 15.30 to 19.45For gravity fans, there are some cliffs that are ripe for the jumping on Phi Phi, offering adrenaline-filled plunges from 6 to 18 meters (into the water, of course) -- trips take three hours, cost 550B and also include snorkelling. For those seeking vertical trips in the opposite direction, Phi Phi Climbers on Ton Sai Beach Rd offers a range of courses from half-day introductions for 800B to three-day advanced courses for 6000B. Experienced climbers with their own equipment can just stop in and ask where the best routes are. The Adventure Club, located in Ton Sai village, offers a couple of unique tours: The Quest includes jungle walking, climbing, caving with optional snorkelling and abseiling (800B base price, four to seven hours) Our favourite, The 007 Tour is advertised as a 'mission to an undisclosed destination.' To qualify as a participant you need to be able to do a bit of simple climbing, have no fear of heights, and the ability to keep a secret! (Costs 1,500B. Additional information is classified.) There are some hikes you can venture on alone -- heading east along Ton Sai, you can keep going over hillside trails or along the beach at low tide to Lo Moo Dee -- takes about an hour. On the other side of the viewpoint there are three paths leading to bays on the other side. The centre path takes you to Rantee Beach, about a 20-minute hike, and the paths to the left and right wind their way towards Pak Nam Beach and Ao Toh Koh respectively -- both about 45 minutes from the top of the viewpoint. They're hardly nature trails -- just paths used by locals avoiding the cost of a long-tail to and from Ton Sai. There are some tricky bits, but nothing that requires climbing expertise.The Adventure Club : Ton Sai Village, Ko Phi Phi. Tel: (01) 895 1334. http://www.phi-phi-adventure.com/ .
Getting there and away
Air
The closest airports to Ko Phi Phi are Phuket and Krabi. Both are international airports, but Phuket has a far higher frequency of both domestic and international flights. All Thai domestic carriers fly to both airports. Check their websites for detailed pricing and schedule information. If you don't want to get a ferry to Phi Phi, Destination Air uses small seaplanes to fly direct from Phuket to the island -- the flight takes about 16 minutes!
Boat
KrabiThe price to and from Krabi is 350B. Boats leave Krabi at 10.00 and 15.00 and the journey takes 90 minutes. The ferry port is about 5km out of Krabi town so most operators will collect you from your accommodation/booking office in Krabi (usually about 45 to 60 minutes before departure time). Boats leave Phi Phi at 09.00 and 14.00. PhuketThe price to and from Phuket is 350B. Boats leave Phuket at 08.30, 13.30 and 14.30 from Ratsada Pier, with the journey lasting 90 minutes. In the reverse direction, boats leave Phi Phi at 09.00 and 14.30.Ko LantaThe price to and from Ko Lanta is 300B. Boats leave Ko Lanta at 08.30 and 13.00 (high season only) and take 90 minutes. Boats leave Ko Phi Phi at 11.30, 14.00, and 15.00.Ao NangThe price to and from Ao Nang is 390B. One boat a day leaves Ao Nang at 09.00 and takes 60 minutes. In the reverse, a boat leaves Ko Phi Phi at 15.30.
Air
The closest airports to Ko Phi Phi are Phuket and Krabi. Both are international airports, but Phuket has a far higher frequency of both domestic and international flights. All Thai domestic carriers fly to both airports. Check their websites for detailed pricing and schedule information. If you don't want to get a ferry to Phi Phi, Destination Air uses small seaplanes to fly direct from Phuket to the island -- the flight takes about 16 minutes!
Boat
KrabiThe price to and from Krabi is 350B. Boats leave Krabi at 10.00 and 15.00 and the journey takes 90 minutes. The ferry port is about 5km out of Krabi town so most operators will collect you from your accommodation/booking office in Krabi (usually about 45 to 60 minutes before departure time). Boats leave Phi Phi at 09.00 and 14.00. PhuketThe price to and from Phuket is 350B. Boats leave Phuket at 08.30, 13.30 and 14.30 from Ratsada Pier, with the journey lasting 90 minutes. In the reverse direction, boats leave Phi Phi at 09.00 and 14.30.Ko LantaThe price to and from Ko Lanta is 300B. Boats leave Ko Lanta at 08.30 and 13.00 (high season only) and take 90 minutes. Boats leave Ko Phi Phi at 11.30, 14.00, and 15.00.Ao NangThe price to and from Ao Nang is 390B. One boat a day leaves Ao Nang at 09.00 and takes 60 minutes. In the reverse, a boat leaves Ko Phi Phi at 15.30.
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