Koh Phi Phi Islands

The Phi Phi islands are some of the loveliest in Southeast Asia. Just a short trip from either Phuket or Krabi, these picture postcard islands offer the ultimate tropical getaway.

Phi Phi Island is Thailand’s island-superstar. It’s been in the movies.  Featuring classic tropical beaches, stunning rock formations and vivid turquoise waters teeming with colourful marine life, it is paradise perfected. It’s the topic of conversation for travelers all over Thailand. For some, it’s the only reason to touchdown in Phuket. Even with all the hype, it doesn’t disappoint. Phi Phi’s beauty is a large chunk of the allure.

The islands, when approached by boat, rise from the sea like a fortress. Sheer cliffs tower overhead, then give way to beach-fronted jungle. It’s love at first sight. The second part of the why-we-love-this-place story is attitude: few places on the planet are this laid-back. Of the two islands located near Phuket and Krabi, one is completely free of human inhabitants (Phi Phi Leh), and the other is without roads (Phi Phi Don). There’s no schedule, no hustle-and-bustle, no reason to be in a hurry.

Koh Phi Phi beaches

Koh Phi Phi is as fabulous below the ocean’s surface as it is above it. The stunning rock formations continue underwater allowing for some great diving, interesting wall and sloping coral gardens with plenty of nooks and crevices in which critters can hide. The King Cruiser Wreck lies not too far away, for the advanced only, this wreck thrives and pulsates with life and will delight non-metal-heads just as much.

Koh Phi Phi’s diving is almost exclusively by boat. It has some great local diving and some fabulous sites a little further away too. The conditions locally are suitable for entry level and those newly certified. The further flung sites are for the more advanced diver, they are deeper and can experience some current. Local dives take place from larger dive boats, leaving around 9 am and returning around 3 pm. These trips include lunch and a long relaxing break in one to the beautiful bays. The further afield sites like Hin Daeng and Hin Muang are usually by speedboat, make sure the ocean is flat for the comfiest transfer.

Diving in Koh Phi Phi

 

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