The Phi Phi Islands lie between Phuket and Krabi. Phi Phi Don, the only inhabited one, is two limestone massifs joined by a narrow strip of sand, where the village of Ton Sai packs dive shops, guesthouses and bars into lanes with no cars. Uninhabited Phi Phi Leh, a short boat ride south, holds Maya Bay — closed for several years to let its reef and blacktip sharks recover, and now open under strict rules — and the green-walled Pileh Lagoon.
Koh Lanta, to the south-east, is a 30 km island of west-facing beaches that grow quieter the further south you go, ending in a national park headland with a lighthouse. Its east side has mangrove channels to kayak and a wooden Old Town on stilts. From Lanta, boats run to Koh Rok and Koh Haa, whose clear water and healthy coral are a highlight for snorkellers and divers.
Both islands are reached by ferry from Krabi and Phuket, and both are at their best from November to April.
Highlights
- See Maya Bay and swim in Pileh Lagoon from a longtail boat
- Climb to the Phi Phi viewpoints for sunrise over the twin bays
- Try scuba diving among turtles and reef sharks
- Snorkel the clear water of Koh Rok and Koh Haa
- Kayak Lanta’s mangroves by day — or at night for glowing plankton
- Walk to the lighthouse in Mu Ko Lanta National Park
Koh Phi Phi & Koh Lanta in pictures
How long to stay and where to base yourself
Give Phi Phi two nights — enough for a longtail trip to Phi Phi Leh, the viewpoint hike and a dive or snorkel day — and Lanta three or more, since its appeal is slowing down. If you only have a day for Phi Phi, it can be visited on a tour from Krabi or Phuket.
On Phi Phi Don, Ton Sai village is convenient and noisy at night; the east-coast beaches of Long Beach, Loh Ba Gao and Laem Tong are quiet and reached by boat. On Lanta, Long Beach (Phra Ae) and Klong Khong suit most visitors, Klong Nin is calmer, and Kantiang Bay and the far south are the most scenic and secluded.
