Paradise Found: Ridiculously Fun Things To Do In Phi Phi Islands (Without Becoming A Beach Cliché)

Essential Things To Do In Phi Phi Islands (Without Looking Like You Read A Guidebook)

Despite their relatively small size, the Phi Phi Islands offer an embarrassment of riches when it comes to activities. The trick is avoiding the tourist conveyor belt experience that has roughly 70% of visitors doing exactly the same things at exactly the same times. Here’s how to experience these islands with at least a modicum of originality.

Beach Hopping Like A Pro

Long Beach (Hat Yao) sits about a 15-minute walk from Tonsai Village and remains inexplicably uncrowded despite being arguably the most beautiful stretch of sand on Phi Phi Don. With 1,300 feet of white powder sand and crystal water that you can actually swim in without playing human bumper cars, it’s best visited before 2 pm when the sun creates that perfect lighting photographers chase but rarely capture. The walk there involves a mildly adventurous path through jungle-adjacent terrain, which apparently serves as an effective tourist filter.

Loh Dalum Bay, the main beach on Phi Phi Don, offers convenience at the cost of personal space. It’s the beach equivalent of Times Square—not where locals hang out but undeniably part of the experience. The silver lining: food vendors selling impossibly sweet fresh mango for $2-3 and prime people-watching opportunities that range from amateur fire dancers to package tourists experiencing their first bout of sunburn.

Monkey Beach requires either a boat ride ($15-20 round trip) or an ambitious, somewhat precarious hike around the island’s western coastline. The beach itself is pleasant enough, but the real attraction is the colony of macaques who have evolved a sophisticated understanding of tourist psychology. Contrary to what your Instagram feed suggests, DO NOT feed these monkeys—unless you’re interested in donating your phone, wallet, or dignity to Thailand’s most organized pickpocket ring. The monkeys have learned that humans are walking vending machines, and they aren’t above using intimidation tactics to get what they want.

The Maya Bay Pilgrimage

After being loved nearly to death following “The Beach” fame, Maya Bay closed to tourists from 2018 to 2022 for much-needed environmental recovery. It’s now reopened with restrictions that make visiting both more complicated and more pleasant: a maximum of 375 people at once, no swimming in certain areas, and a pier approach rather than beaching boats directly on the sand.

The entrance fee ($12) and crowds might suggest skipping it, but Maya Bay genuinely delivers on its promise. The enclosed bay creates a natural amphitheater of limestone walls that make even mediocre photographers look like National Geographic contributors. The key is timing—arriving before 9 am or after 3 pm significantly improves the experience. Most day tours hit the bay around midday, creating a midday rush hour that turns paradise into a water park without slides.

For those who want the Instagram proof-of-visit without the full Maya Bay experience, several viewpoints allow you to photograph the bay from above. Many tour boats now offer this alternative, letting you claim you’ve “seen” Maya Bay without technically setting foot on its hallowed sand—the tourism equivalent of watching the movie instead of reading the book.

Viewpoint Hikes That Are Actually Worth The Sweat

The main Phi Phi Viewpoint involves a 20-30 minute steep hike that feels significantly longer in 85°F heat with 80% humidity. The 30 baht ($3) entrance fee pays for maintenance of the steps and viewing platform—a small price for what travel publications consistently rank among Thailand’s most spectacular vistas. The classic shot encompasses the narrow isthmus connecting the two halves of Phi Phi Don, with dual bays of impossibly blue water flanking the developed center.

Most tourists, being creatures of minimal effort, stop at the first or second viewpoint. The real magic happens at Viewpoint 3, requiring an additional 15-minute climb that apparently exceeds most visitors’ perspiration threshold. This higher vantage reveals not just the isthmus but the surrounding archipelago against the vast Andaman Sea—a 180-degree panorama that makes your phone’s panorama mode seem hopelessly inadequate.

Practical advice for these hikes borders on the obvious but bears repeating: bring water (it costs $2 on the hill versus $0.50 in town), wear actual shoes instead of flip-flops, and set aside at least 90 minutes for the round trip including photography time. The best light occurs just before sunset, though this means descending in diminishing light on steep stairs occupied by monkeys with questionable intentions. Morning climbs offer clearer visibility and fewer people, especially before 8 am when most tourists are still nursing hangovers from beach buckets consumed the night before.

Snorkeling and Marine Life Encounters

Snorkeling in Phi Phi offers underwater spectacles that rival the terrestrial views—assuming you escape the main beaches where years of boat traffic and sunscreen have left the marine ecosystem looking like the morning after a college party. Shark Point, a 15-minute longtail boat ride from the main pier, offers reliable sightings of blacktip reef sharks. Despite measuring up to 5 feet long, these sharks are about as dangerous as overenthusiastic puppies—more likely to flee than approach humans.

Group snorkeling tours run $25-35 per person and typically visit 4-5 spots, providing equipment and a lunch that manages to be simultaneously bland and spicy. For those seeking to avoid the synchronized swimming experience of group tours, private longtail boats can be chartered for $80-120 for a half-day, allowing you to customize your snorkeling itinerary and linger at spots where the marine life proves particularly cooperative.

The underwater world here hosts over 200 species of fish, from tiny neon darts to groupers that seem suspiciously interested in human interaction. Lucky snorkelers might spot sea turtles, which have been making a gradual comeback following conservation efforts. The vibrant coral suffered significant bleaching during an ocean temperature spike in 2010, but patches of recovery showcase nature’s resilience when humans briefly reduce their impact.

Environmental awareness isn’t just for earnest eco-warriors anymore—it’s necessary for the islands’ survival. Responsible snorkeling practices include avoiding coral contact, skipping sunscreen application before water activities (or using reef-safe versions if you’re the type who bursts into flames upon sun exposure), and resisting the urge to “collect” marine souvenirs. The only thing you should take is photos; the only thing you should leave are extremely clean footprints.

Island Hopping Adventures

Island hopping around Phi Phi represents the quintessential Thai island experience, allowing visitors to cherry-pick paradise settings without committing to extended stays. Half-day tours ($35-50) typically cover the greatest hits, while full-day excursions ($60-80) include lunch and venture to more distant islands. The price difference often proves worth it, as the additional spots typically offer lower crowd densities and more pristine conditions.

Pileh Lagoon, often called “The Blue Lagoon” by tour guides with limited imagination, features emerald waters enclosed by limestone walls rising hundreds of feet from the sea. The effect creates a natural swimming pool with visibility often exceeding 50 feet. Viking Cave earns its spot on most itineraries not for Viking history (there is none) but as a harvest site for swiftlet nests used in bird’s nest soup—a Chinese delicacy commanding up to $2,000 per kilogram. Tourists can’t enter the cave anymore, but the exterior and surrounding waters remain photogenic enough to justify the stop.

The DIY approach involves hiring a private longtail boat ($100-150/day) and creating a custom island-hopping itinerary. This option not only liberates you from the group tour lockstep but allows for strategic timing—visiting popular spots like Bamboo Island when the group tours have departed, or lingering at a particularly spectacular snorkeling spot rather than adhering to a rigid schedule. The boat drivers often serve as impromptu guides, sharing local knowledge that ranges from fascinatingly insightful to creatively fictional, depending on their English proficiency and your perceived gullibility.

Diving For Beginners And Experts

Diving around Phi Phi offers underwater experiences spanning from beginner-friendly shallows to advanced sites that would make Jacques Cousteau nod appreciatively. Bida Nok provides ideal conditions for newbies—clear visibility, modest depths, and abundant marine life that seems curiously uninterested in human visitors. Shark Point (not to be confused with the snorkeling spot of the same name) caters to experienced divers, with stronger currents and deeper profiles complemented by the potential for larger pelagic encounters.

PADI certification courses represent a popular Phi Phi activity, with Open Water certification costing $380-450 and requiring 3-4 days. The islands’ clear waters and diverse marine environments make it an ideal learning location, though the instructors maintain a strict “no drinking before diving” policy that conflicts with some visitors’ vacation philosophies. Several dive schools operate on the islands, with The Adventure Club and Phi Phi Scuba consistently receiving top reviews for safety practices and smaller group sizes.

Night diving offers an entirely different perspective on the underwater ecosystem, as nocturnal creatures emerge from daytime hiding spots. Bioluminescent plankton sometimes create an underwater light show that resembles swimming through a living starfield, while hunting predators showcase behaviors rarely observed during daylight hours. Prices for night dives run slightly higher than day excursions ($60-75) but deliver experiences that seem almost extraterrestrial in their otherworldliness.

Nightlife Without The Hangover

Fire shows on Phi Phi’s beaches begin around 9 pm and feature performers manipulating flaming props with a casualness that would give American insurance adjusters immediate cardiac arrest. These displays combine traditional Thai performance elements with modern fire-spinning techniques, creating spectacles that make Las Vegas shows seem clinically sterile by comparison. The best shows happen at Slinky Beach Bar and Ibiza Beach Club, though the quality varies nightly depending on performer sobriety levels.

Beach bars offering premium sunset views include Karma Bar and The Carlito’s, where cocktails range from $5-12 depending on alcohol content and proximity to postcard-worthy vistas. The signature local cocktail, a rather lethal concoction called “Thai Sabai,” combines Sangsom rum, lime, sugar syrup, and a splash of soda—tasty enough to mask its strength until you attempt to stand afterward.

No discussion of Phi Phi nightlife would be complete without addressing the infamous “bucket” culture. These small plastic beach pails contain a mixture of local spirits, energy drinks, and mixers in proportions that would alarm medical professionals. Priced between $6-10, they represent both fantastic value and questionable decision-making. The rule of thumb: one bucket equals fun, two buckets equals stories, three buckets equals regrets and potentially lost possessions. Under no circumstances should anyone over 25 attempt more than two in an evening unless they’ve made peace with spending the following day in a darkened room questioning their life choices.

Local Food Experiences

Authentic Thai restaurants hide in plain sight on Phi Phi, typically identified by minimal English signage, plastic chairs, and an actual Thai clientele. Pum’s Kitchen and Papaya Restaurant, both located a few streets back from the main tourist strip, serve dishes that make the resort versions seem like culinary cultural appropriation. These establishments charge $5-15 per dish but deliver flavors that explain why Thai cuisine has conquered international palates.

Beyond the ubiquitous Pad Thai (which functions as culinary training wheels for Western visitors), adventurous eaters should try Yam Talay (spicy seafood salad), Gaeng Som (sour curry typically made with fish), and Pla Neung Manao (steamed fish with lime and garlic that will ruin all other fish preparations forever). Seafood on Phi Phi arrives at restaurants having been swimming mere hours earlier, making it among the freshest available anywhere in Thailand.

The night market food stalls along the path to Loh Dalum Beach represent Phi Phi’s most authentic eating experience, with vendors serving specialties from various Thai regions. The freshest options appear around 6 pm when locals actually eat, rather than later when the stalls cater more to intoxicated tourists seeking absorption material. Identifying the best stalls requires minimal detective work—look for queues of Thai people, visible food preparation rather than pre-made items, and a general atmosphere of organized chaos rather than sanitized presentation.