Thursday, November 10, 2011

Phi Phi Islands - Thailand's Lesser Known Paradise

Located near the southern tip of Thailand in the Andaman sea- between Phuket and Krabi - is a pack of small, mostly uninhibited, islands. While each small islet has its own name (Bamboo Islands, Maya Bay, Monkey Islands, James Bond Islands - where the bond film The Man With The Golden Gun [1974, Roger Moore/Christopher Lee] was shot), the pack together is mostly referred to as Phi Phi Islands (locally called as Pi Pi Islands or Ko/Koh Pi Pi). Initially, these islands were frequented by only those seeking adventure and only in recent years have these come on the radar of general holidaymakers. The popularity of these islands can be gauged from the fact that most of them are unidentifiable on Google maps and are mostly visited by the general tourists as part of a one day boat trip. However, a few like us, are lucky enough to be knowing these jewels before planning our trips (we were told, rather insisted, by a couple friend of ours who had visited these islands as part of a day trip, and boy, are we thankful or what!!).



Phi Phi Leh
Phi Phi Don
The largest of the Phi Phi Islands (about 25-30 sq. kms!!) are two identical twins called Phi Phi Don and Phi Phi Leh. When being approached by boat, these islands look like fortresses, as they are covered on one side by tall limestone rocks. While Phi Phi Don is the only inhibited island of all the Phi Phi Islands, Phi Phi Leh houses the famous 'Maya Beach' where the movie The Beach [2000, Leonardo diCaprio] was shot and is thus a famous tourist attraction. Adventure enthusiasts can hook up with some local agencies who can arrange a tent and some food on the Maya Beach for an overnight stay. For regular holidayers wanting to stay, Phi Phi Don is the only option. Although still lesser known compared to destinations like Koh Samui, Phi Phi Don has a variety of hotels across all budgets for those seeking an overnight stay in this  heavenly abode. Like most other beaches in Thailand, these places are characterized by crystal clear waters and pristine white sands; what differentiates them from the regulars though is that these are relatively less crowded and more serene.


Maya Bay
The Beach @ Phi Phi Islands