814km (505 miles) S of Bangkok, then 42km (26 miles) W of Krabi; 160km (99 miles) SW of Phuket
Phi Phi is in fact two islands: Phi Phi Ley and Phi Phi Don. The latter is the main barbell-shaped island whose central isthmus (the barbell handle) was hit badly by the tsunami. Koh Phi Phi is a popular choice for day trips, snorkeling, and scuba junkets from Krabi. Crowds of noisy tourists also descend upon Maya Bay, on Phi Phi Ley, where filmmakers shot the Hollywood film The Beach, with Leonardo DiCaprio. Thai students and environmentalists have long protested the amounts of rubbish left by these tour groups. (Note: Day-trippers should dispose of trash after arriving back onto the mainland, not while they are here.)
Small beachfront outfits rent snorkel gear and conduct long-tail boat tours to quiet coves with great views of coral reefs and sea life for as little as 800B (US$23/£12) for an all-day trip (packing your own lunch). You can rent kayaks and do a little exploring on your own, hike to one of the island viewpoints, or just enjoy the sea and sand on busy Tongsai Bay.
All visitors arrive at the busy ferry port in Phi Phi Don's Loh Dalam Bay, and the sandy beaches at Tonsai (just opposite) are good for sunbathing but packed liked sardine cans in high season.
Phi Phi Ley is famed for its coveted swallow nests and the courageous pole-climbing daredevils who collect them (the saliva-coated nests fetch a hefty price as the main ingredient in a much-favored Chinese soup). This smaller island is protected as a park, but can be visited as part of most day trips.
Before the 2004 tsunami, many of the settlements and hotels on Koh Phi Phi, and the thin isthmus of Tonsai Bay, had been built illegally by squatters on land belonging to the once pristine Marine National Park. These facilities were -- almost literally, wiped off the map by the tragic disaster. With the help of many international volunteers who cleared the land of refuse, the crowds have returned to the island, but so has the unplanned chaos of pre-tsunami days. Beaches are once again crammed with hotels, low-end guesthouses and end-of-the-road backpackers.
In the aftermath of the tsunami, the government had hinted at earmarking Phi Phi Don as a luxury destination (indeed Phi Phi already supported a number of high-end resorts on more far-flung stretches of beach), but amid the unregulated rush to make as much money as possible from this once sublime location, the plan failed. In terms of wholesale environmental degradation we are, sadly, right back to square one.
