· Thai Islands - Ko Phi Phi 
Ko Phi Phi, Thailand · Added 22nd Nov 2007
The Scene - Ko Phi Phi
Heralded as one of the most idyllic spots on earth, tiny Phi Phi Don consists of two mountains connected by a narrow beach that's home to a lively tourist town. It's here that happy, sun-crisped couples and crowds of backpackers throng the narrow lanes, popping into Internet cafes, bargaining for cheap silk sarongs, and arranging diving trips at travel agencies. There are a few soulless, low-rise hotels in Phi Phi, but that doesn't spoil the funky, welcoming, homegrown feel of its thriving village.
Sadly, neither of Phi Phi's main beaches is ideal for swimming. Southerly Ton Sai bustles with ferries, speedboats, and longtails hogging up the prime shoreline. Northerly Lo Dalum beach is quiet and lovely but consists mainly of mudflats, which are under water that's knee-deep several hundred feet out to sea. For great swimming and snorkeling, many tourists hire boats to take them to one of the many isolated coves around the mountainous sides of Phi Phi.
The most popular boat ride is a $7 half-day trip of sun and snorkeling at Phi Phi Don's uninhabited sister island, Phi Phi Leh. Book the outing at the front desk of your hotel or through any of the tour operators in town. One of Leh's protected coves was used to film--what else?--The Beach, but for decades its claim to fame was Viking Cave. This huge cavern is where chao ley (Muslim "sea gypsies") scramble hundreds of feet up bamboo and vine ladders to scrape sea-swallow nests off the rocks. Restaurants in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore pay upwards of $20 for each cup-size mass of bird spit and twigs, which are used to make the delicacy known as bird's nest soup. The chao ley wisely harvest only the first two nests a bird builds, then they leave the swallow alone to build a third so this gravy train can continue into the next generation.
Resorts on the mountainous sides of Phi Phi Don tend to be lavishly upscale. An affordable alternative is in a tiny cove just east of the main beach and three minutes from town by longtail boat. The quirky resort called Maprao features bungalows fashioned from sticks to resemble little boats, with each porch/prow pointing out to sea. The bungalows dot a hilly jungle area above a restaurant with tables under the shade of palm trees. If you prefer more action, stay in town at the PP Charlie Beach Resort, where the bungalows are packed in tightly, but each unit has a tidy plot of greenery in front.
Noodle shacks selling decent enough curries and pad Thai abound in town. Most restaurants that serve international cuisine are overpriced, but one exception is Le Grand Bleu, a classy restaurant with French-inflected Thai food in an old northern Thai--style wooden building, just a few steps from the ferry docks. There's a lot of low-key partying on Phi Phi. A jovial crowd knocks back Singha beers at Reggae Bar, which has a big screen playing rock videos and a kickboxing ring for nightly matches. For a more peaceful evening, drink fruity cocktails at Jungle Bar, an ersatz Tarzan-in-the-Tropics, open-air joint with a sandy floor, tiki torches, and cups made from bamboo.
Lodging:
- PP Charlie Beach Resort Lo Dalum Bay, 011-66/75-620-595, ppcharlie.com, $30--$70 with A/C
- Maprao Hat Yao, 011-66/75-622-486, maprao.com, $8.75--$25 with fan
Food:
- Le Grand Bleu Ton Sai Bay, 011-66/1-893-5096
- Jungle Bar, Phi Phi Island Cabana Hotel, Lo Dalum Bay, no phone
Url: http://www.budgettravel.com/bt-dyn/content/article/2006/12/13/AR2006121301389.html
Heralded as one of the most idyllic spots on earth, tiny Phi Phi Don consists of two mountains connected by a narrow beach that's home to a lively tourist town. It's here that happy, sun-crisped couples and crowds of backpackers throng the narrow lanes, popping into Internet cafes, bargaining for cheap silk sarongs, and arranging diving trips at travel agencies. There are a few soulless, low-rise hotels in Phi Phi, but that doesn't spoil the funky, welcoming, homegrown feel of its thriving village.
Sadly, neither of Phi Phi's main beaches is ideal for swimming. Southerly Ton Sai bustles with ferries, speedboats, and longtails hogging up the prime shoreline. Northerly Lo Dalum beach is quiet and lovely but consists mainly of mudflats, which are under water that's knee-deep several hundred feet out to sea. For great swimming and snorkeling, many tourists hire boats to take them to one of the many isolated coves around the mountainous sides of Phi Phi.
The most popular boat ride is a $7 half-day trip of sun and snorkeling at Phi Phi Don's uninhabited sister island, Phi Phi Leh. Book the outing at the front desk of your hotel or through any of the tour operators in town. One of Leh's protected coves was used to film--what else?--The Beach, but for decades its claim to fame was Viking Cave. This huge cavern is where chao ley (Muslim "sea gypsies") scramble hundreds of feet up bamboo and vine ladders to scrape sea-swallow nests off the rocks. Restaurants in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore pay upwards of $20 for each cup-size mass of bird spit and twigs, which are used to make the delicacy known as bird's nest soup. The chao ley wisely harvest only the first two nests a bird builds, then they leave the swallow alone to build a third so this gravy train can continue into the next generation.
Resorts on the mountainous sides of Phi Phi Don tend to be lavishly upscale. An affordable alternative is in a tiny cove just east of the main beach and three minutes from town by longtail boat. The quirky resort called Maprao features bungalows fashioned from sticks to resemble little boats, with each porch/prow pointing out to sea. The bungalows dot a hilly jungle area above a restaurant with tables under the shade of palm trees. If you prefer more action, stay in town at the PP Charlie Beach Resort, where the bungalows are packed in tightly, but each unit has a tidy plot of greenery in front.
Noodle shacks selling decent enough curries and pad Thai abound in town. Most restaurants that serve international cuisine are overpriced, but one exception is Le Grand Bleu, a classy restaurant with French-inflected Thai food in an old northern Thai--style wooden building, just a few steps from the ferry docks. There's a lot of low-key partying on Phi Phi. A jovial crowd knocks back Singha beers at Reggae Bar, which has a big screen playing rock videos and a kickboxing ring for nightly matches. For a more peaceful evening, drink fruity cocktails at Jungle Bar, an ersatz Tarzan-in-the-Tropics, open-air joint with a sandy floor, tiki torches, and cups made from bamboo.
Lodging:
- PP Charlie Beach Resort Lo Dalum Bay, 011-66/75-620-595, ppcharlie.com, $30--$70 with A/C
- Maprao Hat Yao, 011-66/75-622-486, maprao.com, $8.75--$25 with fan
Food:
- Le Grand Bleu Ton Sai Bay, 011-66/1-893-5096
- Jungle Bar, Phi Phi Island Cabana Hotel, Lo Dalum Bay, no phone
Url: http://www.budgettravel.com/bt-dyn/content/article/2006/12/13/AR2006121301389.html
