Koh Phi Phi: Long-Tail Boats, Never Again!

Second stop at the southern Thailand leg of the trip: Phi Phi Islands!

From Phuket, we took a speedboat from to the islands (pre-booked via 12Go Asia, which included a hotel transfer and the boat ticket—a pretty reasonable deal that saved us the headache of coordinating separately) Our boat departed from Rassada Pier, which is a small port close to the old town area.

Having experienced a very bumpy ride in Bali, I was determined to get a front seat to minimise my usual nauseousness. Luckily, we were able to sit at the very front, right next to the captain actually. then our realised, they loaded everyone's luggage at the front deck. Seeing viral videos of suitcases floating on the Andaman Sea due to rough waves, I spent most of the trip side-eyeing the deck and the second half clutching my earpods, praying the podcast would distract me from the bumpy, high-speed swells!

Fortunately, both we and our bags arrived safe and sound to the beautiful turquoise coastline of Phi Phi. We docked at Tonsai Pier, which is a tiny and chaotic port where ferries and many boats scramble to onboard or offload passengers at the same time.

The moment we stepped off the boat, we were greeted by the "island welcome": a 20 Baht "environment fee" (about £0.45). Under the scorching peak-day sun and with heavy bags on our shoulders, we didn't ask questions—we just paid the fee, dodged the crowds, and headed into the heart of the island.

Koh Phi Phi is essentially two islands, connected by a thin and flat strip. This "sandbar" is where all the action happens—shops, restaurants and nightlife are all here in this tiny walking path between the two bays. Since there are no cars on the island, we spent the first twenty minutes dragging our luggage through narrow alleys and the occasional sandy path: Welcome to the island life!

After checking in, we did a quick-change into our swimsuits, grabbed our towels, and headed out to explore the two central beaches:

• Tonsai Bay: This is the main hub where the ferries arrive and the longtail boats park. It’s incredibly picturesque with the towering cliffs, but it's very crowded and not exactly ideal for a peaceful swim.

• Loh Dalum Bay: Located on the exact opposite side of the sandbar, this is the main "swimming" beach. Or at least, it’s meant to be.... Only for few hours every day!

  
  

When we arrived at Loh Dalum, we were greeted by the most extreme low tide I’ve ever seen! The water had retreated so far back that it looked like the sea didn't even exist. People were walking nearly a kilometer out onto the seabed. Even though our swimming plans were not really successful, it was just fascinating to wander across the wet sand, watching tiny crabs run away from our feet. We settled into a beach bar to watch the early sunset (behind the mountains) instead (with the usual daily fruit shake, it almost became a daily habit, so delicious and fresh, yet so cheap) —not a bad Plan B! Before heading back to get ready for dinner, we managed a quick, symbolic dip in a tiny designated swimming area back at Tonsai Bay. We had to make those swimsuits worth it, after all!

After weeks of Thai and Cambodian flavors, we were hit with a sudden craving for something different. The cuisine I was craving the most was....drum rolls.... Turkish food! Clearly I needed a taste from home and luckily, we found a Turkish restaurant that was the highest-rated spot in the village (proud moment!), and it was packed.

As we tucked into our Pide (Turkish pizza) and Beyti Kebab (spiced minced beef wrapped in lavash and topped with yogurt), two guys from the UK were squeezed into the table next to us, looking completely bewildered by the menu. Waving my Turkish flag proudly, I stepped in to guide them, suggesting the Pide as a safe and delicious bet. They were thankful and we ended up chatting. They were colleagues from an insurance firm in Reading, one had quit his job to travel Southeast Asia, and the other was joining for the Thailand leg. Since it was their last night, they gave us the "ultimate" Phi Phi itinerary: the island-hopping tour, the sunset viewpoint hike, the fire shows, and—most importantly—Reggae Bar.

I initially thought the bar would be all about Bob Marley and chill vibes. They giggled and corrected me: It’s actually an arena where customers box each other to win a free bucket of beer! Intrigued (and slightly skeptical of violent sports), we headed there after dinner.

The queue was long but moved fast. There’s no entrance fee, but you have to buy a drink to get in. Inside, it was electric—a boxing ring in the center surrounded by people cheering for non-professional fighters. We accidentally blocked a grumpy guy’s view (first world problems of tall people!), but we eventually found a spot. It wasn't actually violent; it was mostly people in protective gear fighting for booze. The highlight was definitely the ladies' match—they were dancing and laughing through the rounds, clearly having the time of their lives before claiming their hard-earned beers.

After the boxing bar, we moved next to Loh Dalum Beach, where the fire shows were in full swing. To our luck, it was a Full Moon, which made the atmosphere even wilder. While the "official" Full Moon Party is world-famous on the nearby island of Koh Phangan, the party spirit spreads to every island in Thailand. You might recall the scenes from the White Lotus season 3, though it was a wild one!

The beach was a playground of "incentivized" fun: fire ropes for limbo, spinning jump ropes of fire, and the infamous "buckets" (strong cocktails served in literal sand buckets). Between the legal cannabis shops and the booming bass, the island’s true "party" character really came out.

Then came the moment that made us feel our age. The DJ played Low by Flo Rida. Naturally, as millennials, we did the "apple bottom jeans" dance move, dropping low to the beat - then looked up to see a sea of Gen-Z staring at us with utter confusion. We laughed it off, danced on the sand for a bit longer, and headed back around midnight. The music thumping until 3:00 AM was the final reminder: Phi Phi never truly sleeps.

Next day was our designated "chill day", one of the greatest perks of slow traveling—giving ourselves permission to pause and breathe between destinations. I usually recharge best on these days by simply wandering through town without a map, eventually tucking into a casual coffee shop to journal or work on this blog. (Like right now, I’m typing these words in a completely different country, sitting in a local cafe with an iced latte in hand!)

As the midday heat finally settled, we hiked up to the Phi Phi viewpoints—following our British friends' advice from the night before. The climb was worth every drop of sweat. From the top, the island’s geography is breathtaking; you can clearly see the two massive sections of the island connected by that narrow sandy strip, and the massive difference in the tides between the two bays (the picture at the very top)

We hit Viewpoint 1 first, then pushed through a slightly steeper 15-minute climb to Viewpoint 2, which is a much better view for the bird's-eye perspective. After watching the sun dip below the horizon, we descended back into town and sprinted straight for Thai food. We’d only skipped it for one day, but we were already addicted! We found a tiny local eatery with only three seats and had a feast of pineapple fried rice and Tom Yum soup.

Our last day was dedicated to the highlight of Phi Phi: Island-hopping tour.

We booked the most popular option via Get Your Guide and met the group at 10 AM at the pier. There were 100+ people there doing the exact same thing! After the chaos of registration, we were split into groups for the iconic Thai longtail boats.

While these boats look beautiful in photos, squeezing 20 people onto one for a full-day trip is... an experience. Matt and I were the last to hop in, which landed us right at the very front—completely unsheltered under the scorching sun. I was already plotting how to "tactically" switch seats to the shaded back as soon as possible.

At our first quick swim stop, the reality set in: I noticed there weren't enough lifejackets for everyone. Then, the two teenage captains (who spoke no English) decided to scrap the itinerary and head to the furthest point first: Bamboo Island.

So, there I was: Stuck at the front of an old-school boat with a roaring engine, cruising against high waves in the open sea. It was bumpy as hell. Seawater was splashing directly into my face, soaking my dress and hat. I was praying my sunglasses would survive the salt—knowing full well these Gucci glasses were hating me! Between my motion sickness and the lack of lifejackets, I was half-calculating our survival odds and half-laughing at the adrenaline of it all.

After 45 minutes that felt like hours, we reached Bamboo Island. I felt like Tom Hanks in Cast Away—stunned to have survived the storm and found land! Yes, I am dramatic!

After some snorkeling in a couple of stops, it was finally time for the main event: Maya Bay. This is the world-famous beach from Leonardo DiCaprio’s The Beach—the literal reason people come to Phi Phi.

And guess what? Just as we arrived, the waves picked up, and they closed the beach. We sat there, watching people walking on the golden sand from afar, forbidden from landing. It was one of those "when it rains, it pours" travel days. The captains told us to swim in a nearby cove instead. I nervously asked myself, "Aren't there sharks here?"—only for a guy to climb back on the boat and mention he'd just seen a baby shark. FML!

By the time the bay reopened 20 minutes later, it was too late to make the landing before the 5:00 PM island curfew. Our Maya Bay dreams were officially dashed.

Cruising back to Phi Phi while watching the sunset from the water was, surprisingly, the highlight of the tour. As I hopped off the boat, soaked and salty, all I could think was: "At least this is going to make a great blog post!"

Next stop: Krabi!

Wrapping up Koh Phi Phi:

Local recommendations:

• Breakfast or Lunch:

• Dinner: Efe Mediterranean Cuisine, Yingmui Restaurant, Pa-Jit Restaurant

• Coffee: PP Shine Ta Lay

• Drinks: Slinky Beach Bar, Hippies Bar

• Snacks: 7-Eleven (heaven on earth, across all Thailand)

• Dessert: Coconut Club

• Boxing (lol): Reggae Kick Boxing

• Hotel: PP Nice Beach Resort