I remember when returning from my first long trip around South East Asia, the place that most stuck in my mind as meeting the expectations of island paradise was Ko Phi Phi. It had white sand beaches, stunning jungle interiors, coral reefs just off the beach and tall jagged karst hills jutting throughout. In the middle of all that you had the wonderful Thai people and Thai food, the ease of travelling, plenty of options nearby for world-class diving and, of course, THAT world-famous beach.
That experience is still there to be had, but you just need to plan it a bit more to avoid what, unfortunately, has become a bit of a mess in various parts of the town as the development has been allowed to run riot. The effect is that large parts of the islands won’t give you that island paradise vibe and, also unfortunately, THAT famous beach is sometimes closed to allow it to recover from what has been years of damage.
(I decided, frustratingly, to lose most of my photos from my trip, so this is a very short travel entry)
So, my key tips for giving yourself the best chance of that paradise vibe are:
#1 Aim for the east coast or Hat Yao area. It’ll take you longer to get there by speed boat, but once you’re there it’ll be worth it and, to be honest if you’ve chosen the right place, you’ll probably want to stay there and just enjoy for a few days
#2 Make sure to still take one of the day trips to Ko Phi Leh (Ko Phi Phi Don and Koh Phi Phi Lei are the 2 islands that make up Ko Phi Phi). Whilst THAT beach may be closed, the island itself is still beautiful and untouched by development
#3 Hike the 30mins up to the Phi Phi viewpoint as it will give you unbeatable views around the island and a chance to go for a bit of an explore
#4 Give yourself a day or two for scuba diving. There are beautiful reefs nearby and the chance for whale sharks in February and March
#5 Include Koh Phi Phi as the centre part of a trip between Phuket and Krabi – Phuket for its beaches and sophisticated restaurants, hotels and partying / lash; Krabi for the kayaking by the impossibly steep karst towers on the beach. Boats run super regularly from both spots and only take 1.5-2 hours