Koh Phi Phi Don is still rebuilding itself after being devastated by the tsunami. Most of the island has been rebuilt but there are a few areas which are still undergoing construction. Beaches and featuresThe dump bell-shaped island of Phi Phi Don is endowed with green rolling hills, spectacular cliffs, long powdery white beaches and emerald water. An attractive beach on the southern side curves around Ton Sai Bay providing the dock for boats from Phuket and Krabi. Phi Phi Don is the larger of the two islands. Covering some 28 square km area, this is in the northern part of the island.

Phi Phi Don is where the islands accommodations, shops and restaurants are all based. Although completely devastated during the Asian Tsunami of December 2004, the island had recovered well, thanks largely to the people of the island. Koh Phi Phi Don is the only inhabited destination of the two Phi Phi islands and while it’s home to a burgeoning tourist industry and infrastructure. Attractions and activities on Phi Phi Don itself and in the surrounding region, rely primarily on its natural beauty and physical characteristics, focusing on the sea and its inherent natural appeal. Along those lines, the Phi Phi Resort in Phi Phi Don is expensive and wants a 4 night minimum there during that time. Is that too long?


Ton Sai & Loh Dalum Bay from the Phi Phi view point, Koh Phi Phi Don, Thailand

In the northeast of the island is a large cave called Tham Viking. There are several beautiful bays ideal for shallow snorkeling, and on the northeast side, the famous Viking Cave, contains prehistoric paintings. The island is also a popular site for nesting swifts, and local people come there daily to collect the nests used to make Bird’s Nest Soup, a Chinese gourmet delicacy. With a stunning coastline similar to Krabi and an interior filled with caves, waterfalls, hot springs and lagoons - it’s a perfect place for adventure seekers and nature lovers.


Loh Dalum Bay, Koh Phi Phi Don, Thailand

Also here, are large schooling fish, tuna, barracuda, jacks, silvertip sharks, and manta rays. All these site and many more are easily accessible from Koh Phi Phi, the furthest ones by speed boat. The central and eastern areas still have some charms on offer, a handful of places with huts ranging from 300 to 3,000 Baht, allowing for a friendly cosmopolitan crowd populating the small beach bars along the shore line. Charlies and Princess seem to have combined forces in an effort to recover, but have not as yet built new bungalows. Between the pinnacles the Seabed is fairly barren. The Leopard Sharks rest here and many a diver has had the wonderful experience of observing at close hand this harmless bottom feeder.

Just be sure to leave the shallow cavern with at least 30 bar in you tank to avoid a messy out-of-air situation. Amongst the popular sites are Hin Bida, a favourite sleeping spot for leopard sharks and Hin Daeng, a 45 m submerged rock home to barracuda, reef sharks and the rarer whale sharks. For none divers there is very little to do on the island, apart from beach activities and walking along the cliff top ridges. The atmosphere in the bars on Phi Phi was not friendly and welcoming .even Donna’s parents commented as to how unfriendly (Thais and backpackers alike) people were in this supposed ‘Land of Smiles’ and ‘paradise island’.


Maya Bay panorama, Koh Phi Phi Ley, Thailand

Dive tourism is an important industry for the nine islands that make up the Similan group. Surveys undertaken almost immediately after the December 26, 2004 tsunami showed that some of the most renowned dive sites, such as China Wall, Snapper Alley and Christmas Point, were more than 60% damaged. The above is a typical tour. If it doesn’t fit your requirements, do not hesitate to talk to us about your preferences. A demonstration of bird’s nest collection is a regular feature of a guided tour of the islands. The sea around the island is deep, especially the southern part, which is over 30 metres deep and is full of coral formations and so is a favourite diving spot.

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