Phi Phi Island

Located in Krabi Province, Phi Phi is 40km from Krabi and Phuket, approximately 1.5 hours by ferry. The worldwide exposure the island gained in the Hollywood film “The Beach” made what was already a famous holiday island even more popular.

Unfortunately, parts of Phi Phi suffered a lot of damage due to the tsunami and while recovery is well under way, it will take a little more time before many of the businesses and visitors return.The name Phi Phi actually refers to two islands, Phi Phi Don and Phi Phi Leh. There are six islands in the Phi Phi island group; Phi Phi Don, Phi Phi Leh, Biddah Nok, Biddah Nai, Yung and Pai. These form a total area of about 35 square kilometres. In 1983, they were incorporated into Had Noppharat Thara - Mu Koh Phi Phi National Park.

Phi Phi Don:

All the development is restricted to Phi Phi Don, the centre of which is Ao Ton Sai (Ton Sai bay), which is where the ferry pier is located. Only a couple of hundred yards on the other side of the narrow isthmus is Ao Loh Da Lam (Loh Da Lam bay), a beautiful and peaceful bay. For a really quiet beach there is Hat Yao (Long beach), a south-facing beach near the southern tip of the island.There are no cars or motorbikes on the island, and the main area around Ton Sai is quite compact making it easy to get around by foot. Trips to more distant beaches can be made by longtail boat. Most resorts have arrangements to transfer their guests from the ferry pier.

Phi Phi Leh:

Phi Phi Ley is quite spectacular. The main beach, Hat Maya, was the location used in the film “The Beach”. Even more impressive, Ao Pileh is very nearly enclosed by the limestone walls of the island's cliffs, so that the small bay appears almost to be an inland sea. You can't stay on Phi Phi Ley but the island is easily reached by longtail boat or speedboat from Phi Phi Don. Boats can be chartered from Ton Sai beach.

Yung Island:

This small island lies to the north of Phi Phi Don. There is a rocky beach on the east side, and a smaller strand of sand in a fold of the hill. Some really beautiful corals can be found here.

Pai Island:

Pai Island lies not far from Yung Island. The north and east sides of the island have sandy beaches. There is a broad coral reefs which stretches away to the south.

Pida Nai Island and Pida Nok Island:

These are small islands visited mainly by divers for their underwater scenery. Pida Nok Island is very good for both advanced and beginners with both shallow and deep dive sites.

Koh Lanta, Krabi

Koh Lanta is actually a group of 52 islands that form the southernmost district of Krabi province. The two largest islands, Koh Lanta Yai and Koh Lanta Noi (Big Lanta and Little Lanta) are separated by a narrow strait which also includes the small island of Koh Klang. Fifteen of the islands in this group are included in the Koh Lanta National Marine Park. This has allowed development to be checked to some degree, though like elsewhere in Thailand, developers have encroached on protected land.

Koh Lanta has only recently been promoted as a tourist destination, therefore much of the infrastructure is not as good as other resort islands. There are few roads which are mostly dirt tracks and gives the island an undeveloped feel. This makes it very attractive for those seeking a beach paradise without the fast food chains and brand name stores.

The two main Lanta islands are quite mountainous and are covered in dense jungle. There is a large variety of wildlife, making it ideal for trekking. The sea surrounding Koh Lanta is dotted with small islands and coral reefs. These provide lots of opportunities for diving or snorkelling.Although the beaches on Lanta do not compare to other islands in Krabi province, such as Phi Phi, they are beautiful and clean. The best beaches are along the north and south of the Koh Lanta Yai's west coast. There are two main settlements on the island. Ban Koh Lanta, in the southern part of the island's east coast, is the administrative centre. It boasts a post office and police station although not much else. The other is Ban Saladan, a village at the northern tip of Lanta Yai. This is where the ferry pier is located and where you will find most of the restaurants, shops, dive shops, banks and tour offices.Like other areas along Thailand's Andaman coast the best time to travel to Lanta is between November and April. This is the dry season, although by April there are occasional downpours. The period May to October is the rainy season. The seas become quite rough restricting boat trips and ferries. Diving visibility usually suffers as well. Many of the smaller resorts actually close down during the rainy season due to the lack of guests and re-open in late October, or early November.