The Phi Phi Islands, Thailand - The Traveller

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Monday, November 3, 2014

The Phi Phi Islands, Thailand


Phi Phi Islands
Phi Phi Islands – Most Beautiful Islands in the World

The Phi Phi Island is located in Thailand in the midst of the large island ofPhuket and the western Strait of Malacca mainland coast. It consists of six small islands with amazing sandy beaches giving way to limestone cliffs with splendid scenery.

The crystal clear water and the absence of roads have made it one of the most popular holiday destinations.They are the administrative part of the Krabi province. The islands are the main attraction to Krabi and Phuket Island and are also considered to be the most beautiful islands in the world.

 It gained popularity recently when the location was used for the 2000 British-American filming of the movie `The Beach’, on Maya Bay. This drew a lot of criticism stating that the film company had damaged the environment of the island wherein the producers had bulldozed the beach areas and had planted palm trees to make it look like the book which the film’s makers contradicted.

The film’s release also attributed to the increase in tourism to the island. The island is amazing with its surrounding ocean and island, with a large number of visitors at Maya Bay especially during peak season.

Phi Phi Don/Phi Phi Ley

The most well-known of the Phi Phi Islands are the Phi Phi Don and Phi Phi Ley which are the largest. One will find accommodation, dive centres, restaurants and a vibrant nightlife at the main island of Phi Phi Don while the other islands tend to be part of the National Park which can be seen only on tours. Initially the Phi Phi Don was inhabited by Muslim fishermen in the late 1940s but later became coconut plantation.

While coming from Phuket, Krabi, Lanta, Ao Nang and Koh Lipe, by ferry, the main island of Phi Phi Don is the place one arrives at first. Since there are no roads on the island, one would have to walk to get there, though there are porters with pre-booking, at the pier to take the tourist to the hotel or the guesthouse.

The population of Phi Phi Don is more than 80% of Muslims while the actual population including labourers those from the northeast is more of Buddhists and the overall population as of 2013 is between 2,000 to 3,000 inhabitants.

By Ferries & Speedboats

There are two options to get to Phi Phi, by ferries and speedboats wherein the duration by ferries is 90 minutes and speedboats take around 45 minutes. The most popular option of reaching the island is the ferry which takes a duration of two hours from Phuket and about 90 minutes from Koh Lanta or Krabi.

The ferry with its top deck doubles as a sundeck which is a great opportunity for those interested in getting a tan while the lower decks features air-conditioned rooms with drinks and snacks made available to the tourist on-board.

From Phuket Airport, it is a one hour ferry drive and from Krabi it is a 30 minutes run from Krabi Airport. Advance bookings may be needed to reserve seat during peak seasons or half an hour before departure during low season.

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