The Beautiful Koh Phi Phi Leh
Updated: Sep 7, 2020
I finally got the time to write about the impressive sites on Koh Phi Phi Leh (pronounced as Pee Pee). It has been a long overdue blog and I’m not really sure if I could still remember the details of that trip.
It wasn’t a planned trip at all. I and my two sisters just tagged along with our youngest sisters, the twins, our cousin and her friends to Bangkok. Then the twins decided to explore Phuket and I remembered I wanted to go to that place where Leonardo DiCaprio’s The Beach was shot. So, I told them that we would go island hopping when we’d get there.
Phi Phi Islands are actually situated in Krabi (Gra-bee), Thailand, not in Phuket. They are an island group with Koh Phi Phi Leh and Koh Phi Phi Don as the most popular ones, being visited by tourists from all over the world. Koh is island in Thai, by the way.
Since we only stayed for 3 days and 2 nights there, we opted to go island hopping within Koh Phi Phi Leh, the second largest island in Koh Phi Phi. The package we took was a longtail boat ride for half a day for our own customized trip. But you can also take an organized boat tour with lunch provided.
And behold, the awesome sites of Koh Phi Phi Leh!
Tam Viking or Viking Cave was the first stop we made. Unluckily, it was under renovation so we were not allowed to go and stay near.
The paintings on the walls are of boats that look like Viking ships which are more likely to be 200 years old thus the name of the place. Swifts also make their nests there.
(http://www.phiphi.phuket.com/beaches/phi-phi-leh.htm)
Second stop was Pileh Lagoon or Pi Leh Bay. I think it’s just at the back or the opposite of Maya Bay. It is a perfect location for swimming and snorkeling. We saw a lot of yellow with black stripe fish while snorkeling.
Maya Bay was the reason why I wanted to explore Koh Phi Phi Leh. I fell in love with this place when I saw the movie The Beach. So, when I got there, it was a dream come true. I think it’s the water or the rock formation that makes it exquisite. That feeling when it came into view was indescribable. It’s the best beach that I’ve ever been to.
You can get to Maya Bay from Loh Samah at low tide or especially when the sea is rough from May to October via a small hole through a cliff about one meter high.
(http://www.phiphi.phuket.com/beaches/phi-phi-leh.htm)
Loh Samah or Samah Bay is also one perfect site for snorkeling which is the only activity you can do because of its shallow waters. As I’ve mentioned above, you can go to Maya Bay through this spot.
Our travel guide to Phi Phi Island
Accommodation: We stayed at Villa 360, a resort with spacious villas and wonderful sea views. I truly recommend this resort because the villas are truly cozy. It’s also a perfect place to unwind in solitude plus the view is really breathtaking. And you can explore the Phi Phi Island Village with lots of restaurants and cafes to choose from at a very affordable price.
How to go to Phi Phi Island:
· Take a van from Phuket Airport to Rassada Pier – 1-hour travel time
· Take the ferry from Rassada Pier to Tonsai Pier – 2-hour travel time
· Take a speedboat from Tonsai Pier to Villa 360 – 15-minute travel time
I suggest you go explore Phi Phi Islands from November to April when the weather is sunny and pleasant. We went there in August during its rainy season. As we left the resort for island hopping, the weather suddenly changed. It rained and the waves were badly rocking our boat. And as we were going back to our boat which was docked at Loh Samah from Maya Bay, the waves suddenly got stronger and we were holding only to a rope to cross to our boat. It was really an exhausting ordeal since the waves were really slapping us hard and if we could have let go of the rope, we might have hit the rocks that were surrounding the area. My sisters and I were just so thankful that we made it through since we also heard news that some tourists have been into accidents during island hopping. After that incident, we all vowed to check on the best time to travel to a certain place before booking a trip.
All in all, we enjoyed that trip and maybe one day, we can explore Koh Phi Phi Don, too.
I wonder when it is going to happen. :)