Beaches and nature on Koh Phi Phi
Phi Phi Don is two mountains joined by a sandbar, and the village sits on the sandbar between two beaches. Loh Dalum on the north side is the shallow bay with the beach bars, best at high tide. Tonsai Bay on the south side has the pier and the boats. Long Beach (Hat Yao) to the east is the white sand beach with the house reef, a longtail or a 40 minute walk away. Laem Tong, Loh Bagao, Phak Nam and Ranti in the north and east are the resort and village beaches, boat access only.
Phi Phi Leh, 20 minutes south, has no hotels and the three places everyone comes for: Maya Bay, Pileh Lagoon and Loh Samah, plus Viking Cave seen from the boat. Bamboo Island and Mosquito Island to the north east are the snorkel stops of the full day trip. Bida Nok and Bida Nai are the dive pinnacles.
All of it lies in Hat Noppharat Thara Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park. The fee of ฿400 for adults and ฿200 for children is collected on the boat trips. Maya Bay is closed every year from 1 August to 30 September, allows one hour per visit and no swimming. Here are 28 beaches, bays and viewpoints, sorted by area.
- Phi Phi Leh 4
- Viewpoint 3
- Long Beach (Hat Yao) 3
- Bamboo Island 3
- Loh Dalum 2
- Laem Tong 2
- Nui Bay 2
- Bida Nok 1
- Bida Nai 1
- Tonsai Bay 1
- Loh Bagao 1
- Phak Nam 1
- Ranti 1
- Loh Lana 1
- Other 1
- Mosquito Island 1
Phi Phi Leh4
Maya Bay
The 200 metre beach on Phi Phi Leh made famous by the film The Beach, closed from June 2018 to January 2022 to let the reef recover.
Phi Phi LehLoh Samah Bay
Small bay on the southern tip of Phi Phi Leh, directly behind Maya Bay.
Phi Phi LehPileh Lagoon
A long, narrow inlet on the east side of Phi Phi Leh, about 600 metres deep and walled by limestone cliffs around 100 metres high.
Phi Phi LehViking Cave
Tham Phaya Nak, a 170 metre cave at the foot of the north-east cliffs of Phi Phi Leh, named after old boat paintings on its walls.
Phi Phi Leh
Viewpoint3
Phi Phi Viewpoint 1
First of the three lookouts above Tonsai Village, reached by a steep concrete stairway from the eastern end of the village (about 15 to 20 minutes from the pier area).
Viewpoint · ฿ LowPhi Phi Viewpoint 2
The classic postcard viewpoint 10 to 15 minutes above Viewpoint 1, looking down on the hourglass of Tonsai and Loh Dalum bays with Phi Phi Leh behind.
Viewpoint · ฿ LowPhi Phi Viewpoint 3
Highest and quietest of the three lookouts, a further 10 to 15 minutes along a rougher trail north of Viewpoint 2 with views over the east coast bays and the islands.
Viewpoint · ฿ Low
Long Beach (Hat Yao)3
Long Beach (Hat Yao)
A roughly one kilometre stretch of white sand on the south coast, facing Phi Phi Leh, about 30 to 40 minutes on foot from Tonsai via the coastal path or a few minutes by longtail taxi from the pier.
Long Beach (Hat Yao)Loh Moo Dee Beach
A quiet, largely undeveloped beach on the east coast just north of Long Beach, reached by a 15 to 20 minute trail over the headland from the eastern end of Long Beach or by longtail.
Long Beach (Hat Yao)
Bamboo Island3
Bamboo Island (Ko Mai Phai)
A flat, uninhabited island about 8 kilometres north-east of Phi Phi Don, 30 to 40 minutes by longtail from Tonsai or opposite Laem Tong, with white sand all round and a reef that is good for snorkelling.
Bamboo IslandBamboo Island Camping (Mai Phai Camping)
The national park campsite on Bamboo Island, the only place in the Phi Phi group where visitors can officially sleep on an uninhabited island.
Bamboo IslandHin Klang
A large, shallow submerged reef in the channel between the northern tip of Phi Phi Don and Bamboo Island.
Bamboo Island
Loh Dalum2
Loh Dalum Bay
Crescent-shaped bay on the north side of the Tonsai isthmus, about one minute on foot from the ferry pier.
Loh DalumMonkey Beach (Yongkasem)
Small white-sand cove on the western arm of Loh Dalum Bay, about 10 minutes by kayak from Loh Dalum beach or a short longtail hop from Tonsai.
Loh Dalum
Laem Tong2
Laem Tong Beach
About one kilometre of soft white sand on the east side of the island's northern tip, roughly 45 minutes by longtail from Tonsai or by resort speedboat.
Laem TongLaem Tong Sunset Viewpoint
Rocky lookout on the west side of the northern headland, reached by a short trail of about 10 to 15 minutes from the northern end of Laem Tong Beach near OUTRIGGER Phi Phi Island Resort.
Laem Tong
Nui Bay2
Nui Bay
A tiny cove with white sand and clear water on the west coast, enclosed by limestone cliffs.
Nui BayNui Bay Viewpoint
Lookout on the ridge of the northern part of the island on the walking route between Loh Bagao and Nui Bay, with views down onto the cove and the west coast cliffs.
Nui Bay
Bida Nok1
Bida Nok
The outer of the two Bida limestone pinnacles south of Phi Phi Leh, 15 to 30 minutes by boat from Tonsai.
Bida Nok
Bida Nai1
Bida Nai
The inner Bida pinnacle, a few hundred metres north of Bida Nok and just south of Phi Phi Leh.
Bida Nai
Tonsai Bay1
Tonsai Bay
The south-facing bay where all ferries and speedboats arrive at Tonsai Pier.
Tonsai Bay
Loh Bagao1
Loh Bagao Bay
An 800 metre beach on the north-east coast, 20 to 30 minutes by longtail from Tonsai Pier or a hilly walk of well over an hour.
Loh Bagao
Phak Nam1
Phak Nam Bay
A small, quiet bay on the east coast with a couple of simple bungalow resorts and a fishing hamlet.
Phak Nam
Ranti1
Ranti Beach
Also spelled Rantee, this secluded east-coast beach lies directly below the viewpoint ridge and is reached by a 30 to 40 minute downhill trail from Viewpoint 2 or by a short longtail ride from Tonsai.
Ranti
Loh Lana1
Loh Lana Bay
A long, shallow bay on the north-west coast with a small fishing village (Ban Loh Lana) and almost no tourist development.
Loh Lana
Other1
Wang Long Bay
A narrow, fjord-like inlet on the west coast between Monkey Beach and Nui Bay, enclosed by tall limestone walls with a tiny beach at its head.
Other
Mosquito Island1
Mosquito Island (Ko Yung)
Small rocky island just west of Bamboo Island with a narrow beach on its east side and a fringing reef that was once a standard snorkelling stop.
Mosquito Island
Questions and answers
What is the best beach on Koh Phi Phi?
Long Beach (Hat Yao) for swimming and snorkelling, Loh Dalum for the bars and the sunset, Laem Tong for quiet resort days, Bamboo Island for the whitest sand.
Can I swim at Maya Bay?
No. Since the 2022 reopening swimming is not allowed, visits are limited to one hour and boats stay out of the bay. You walk in from Loh Samah.
Is Loh Dalum good for swimming?
At high tide yes, the bay is calm and shallow. At low tide the water pulls back a long way and it is more of a walk than a swim.
How do I get to Long Beach?
By longtail from Tonsai Pier in five to ten minutes, or on foot over the hill in about 40 minutes.
Which islands are around Koh Phi Phi?
Phi Phi Leh with Maya Bay, Bamboo Island (Ko Mai Phai), Mosquito Island (Ko Yung), Bida Nok and Bida Nai. All are visited by boat trips from Tonsai.