Travel Guide Koh Phi Phi
We come to this corner of paradise to party! Koh Phi Phi in the Andaman Sea, off the coast of Thailand, is a very touristy destination composed of six islands, Kho Phi Phi Leh and Koh Phi Phi Don being the main ones. There is also the Bamboo Island, Yung Island, Biba Nok and Bida Nai. This archipelago is considered the jewel of the Andaman Sea. Koh Phi Phi Don is the island where you arrive from the mainland and where you will eat, sleep and party. But it is on Koh Phi Phi Leh that the famous beach of the movie The Beach with DiCaprio (Maya Bay) is located. To set foot there, you must pay 300 baht (8 €) and do not dream, you can not sleep there. To properly discover this destination, you need to sleep two nights there, at least. The program of the destination: island hopping with swimming, diving and grilling, trekking in the forest and mangrove, without forgetting a stop at Monkey Beach, on the aptly named monkey beach. If you are looking for tranquility, avoid sleeping in the area between the main beach and the port where the two biggest nightclubs of the island are located. Also, if you want to enjoy the beaches without the tourist crowds, go early or late, before the ferries arrive from Phuket or after the last departures. In any case, a tourist guide will be very useful.
What to visit en Koh Phi Phi?
Suggested addresses de Koh Phi Phi
When to go to en Koh Phi Phi?
When to go to Koh Phi Phi ? The high tourist season on Koh Phi Phi is from November to April. It is then hot and dry, with some windy episodes and rare thunderstorms always short. Temperatures rise again in March and April (35°C). If you are afraid of the heat, you should stay on Koh Phi Phi from November to March. The low tourist season is from May to October during the rainy season with sporadic and sometimes violent storms and a drop in temperature. The water temperature remains at 29°C all year round. The majority of the tourist places remain open all year round and have lower prices in the low season. October to February is the dry and cool season and finally the best time to go to Koh Phi Phi (sun and 25°C). If you go to Thailand in April, don't miss the water festival, or Songkran, which celebrates the Buddhist New Year, everyone waters themselves in the streets, laughter guaranteed!
Weather at the moment
Thailand has a tropical climate in 3 seasons. It is hot and dry during the dry season from November to April when temperatures oscillate around 25 °C with heat peaks (35 °C) and brief storms from March. The tropical rainy season is from May to October, when the territory is very wet especially in the southern islands like Koh Phi Phi. October-February is the cool season with summer-like weather on Koh Phi Phi by European standards.
Bangkok
Chiang Mai
This is one of the big advantages of Thailand, the standard of living is much lower than in a European country like France, by 60% on average. In Koh Lanta, you can easily eat in restaurants and sleep in guesthouses for a small fee and even in luxury hotels for an excellent value. The currency is the baht, and currency exchange and credit cards are readily available. Tipping is customary, but not mandatory.
No visa is needed for Thailand and to stay in Koh Phi Phi if you stay less than 30 days. And a return trip to the border (Laos, Myanmar or Cambodia...) is enough to renew this 15 days stay authorization, renewable only 4 times, after that you have to take an additional plane each time you leave.
No vaccine is mandatory for Thailand and Koh Phi Phi, but DT-Polio, typhoid, hepatitis A and B vaccines are recommended. An anti-malaria treatment is officially recommended, but a protection against insects is sufficient except if you go to the North which is more at risk. Water is not drinkable, it is recommended to drink bottled water and to avoid raw vegetables and seafood in popular shops.
Practical information
- When to travel?
- Weather forecast
- Budget
- Formalities
- Health
- How to travel by yourself?
- How to get organized?
- Getting around
Media
How to go to en Koh Phi Phi? Our advice & tips
Thailand is a mass tourism destination and it is taken by storm by many tour operators, but not all offers are equal. Take the time to choose the tour according to your travel desires and do not hesitate to compare the proposed services. Beware of the low prices, they do not always include transfers, drinks and meals. Even if Thailand is a cheap destination, it can represent a significant sum on a long circuit.
You will usually fly to Bangkok, the capital of Thailand. Domestic and international flights are concentrated in Suvarnabhumi, located 35 km east of the city center. There are no particular security risks for people traveling alone, the country is generally safe but you should be careful with your personal belongings in the tourist areas as theft can occur. Finally, don't have fun consuming drugs in the country, you will be sent to prison for at least 10 years.
Domestic flights are convenient and quite cheap. There are also ferries between the islands and the mainland. In Thailand, the buses which make the connections between the cities offer a varied level of comfort and all the budgets will find there their account. As for the railway network, it is rather good in Thailand, but the not really modern cars are not very comfortable.
