"Tourism has increased dramatically on Phi Phi island since Koh Phi Phi Leh was the backdrop for the 2000 movie 'The Beach', starring Leonardo DiCaprio." and other breathless statements can be read in any brochure about Phi Phi, giving great insistence that people do indeed come because they have seen the movie. I personally thought of 'The Beach' as rather mediocre, the psychology of the group of backpackers going at each other being obvious too fast and their characters flat and mainly uninteresting. But then I do think that most Americal moviews in recent years do lack personality, as they need to appease to everybody.

What I really believe is this: the majority of visitors coming to Phi Phi are not hidden rebels who want to flee civilization, they are much more like you and me and come because they want to experience nature (Maya Bay and the limestone cliffs of the region) without giving up too much on the exciting side of their holiday (the beach bars on nearby Phi Phi Island); scuba diving, snokeling, having a day on the beach and then a nice evening with friends in Reggae Bar...

And Maya Bay is really an icon for this kind of thing: tantalizingly beautiful, as natural a spot in this world as one can easily get to, full of romance. If you are doing your honeymoon on Phi Phi or nearby Krabi or Phuket, chances are very high that Maya Bay is on the list of must-see places.

But see for yourself in this Maya Bay image gallery.

Links of Interest:

• Magnificent Maya Bay information
• Links to more Phi Phi Island image galleries
  

This was taken near the Mama Resto Italian Restaurant opposite the small jewelry shops, near the main pier.


The picture shows PP Moskito Diving on the main street.

From Anna:

So we are mid way through another beautiful day on Koh Phi Phi. Now, after a day of rest we are fully embracing this backpacker beach vibe.

We have eaten at a few great spots - Ciao Bella (a very romantic Italian eatery with candles and tables right on the beach) and Little Britain (a fish and chips place) are our favorites.

We meant to get up first thing this morning and head to the pier where we were going to solicit a longtail boat to take us over to the much smaller Phi Phi Ley (and Maya Bay, the very spot they filmed the movie The Beach - a popular spot, though there is no development there, I don't think). Anyhow, it was rainy all last night and this morning, so we decided to delay that trip until tomorrow. We are here for 2 more days anyhow so one day made no difference.

So we spent the day on the beach in the hot hot sun. It has been decided that Phi Phi is best when it is high tide. Otherwise, at low tide, you have to walk for miles to get to a depth past your knees.

Finished my second book and started my third. Can you tell I am on vacation? Anyhow, must get back to our room with its blessed (and slightly costly) air conditioning for a quick cold shower and an aloe application.

As Danny Pilling wrote in Thien's Dive Logbook about his sighting of a whaleshark today at Koh Bida Nok near Phi Phi Ley:

Awsome dive, bad viz from lots of plankton and quite strong currents, sound bad?? NOT FOR WHALE SHARK ENCOUNTERS!! Perfect conditions and hey presto, there she was. Encountered in the first 10 minutes of the dive, then after we returned to the boat, she decided to come check us out, thus rewarding us with 10-15 minute snorkel swim encounter. Awsome!! Low Season just got better!!!

Snorkeling Day Trip from Phi Phi Island

The following morning we headed out on a long tail boat for an all day tour of the surrounding islands and snorkeling. Unluckily, the weather on Phi Phi today was rainy, and we had some waves to cope with. Unfazed by all that, our boat driver began to race with the long tail boat beside us and most people had to wear their goggles as we were getting pounded by water!

Monkey Beach
Our first stop was at Phi Phi Monkey Beach, where we saw maybe around 20 macaque monkeys swinging from the trees, so close you could feed them. The cutest sight was a baby monkey carried by its mother.

Bamboo Island
Next our boat took us to Bamboo Island where it was time for our lunch-break.

The rest of the daytrip was then spent on Phi Phi Ley, the smaller of the two Phi Phi Islands, and totally uninhabited (at least with regard to permanent housing).

Viking Cave
Here, we had a look into Viking Cave, which is named after rock drawings that show ships seemingly very much like the Viking longboats. Cave swallows build their nests here, a very expensive commodity: they are collected and their essence is the base for birds nest soup, a local specialty.

Maya Bay and 'The Beach'
The most visited area of Phi Phi Ley is of course Maya Bay, made famous by the movie "The Beach". It was low tide so we were told that the only way to get to the beach of Maya Bay was to swim, climb over a bunch of rocks, go through a tunnel, and then walk a short distance to the other side. It was very cool to walk through the jungle and emerge onto "The Beach".

Dinner at Papaya Restaurant
Finally, after our day trip and to conclude the day, we went to dinner at Papaya Restaurant, a small and very good Thai restaurant. It is recommended to share a plate here because the portions are so large!

Links of Interest:

• Phi Phi Casita Bungalows
• Monkey Beach
• Bamboo Island
• Viking Cave
• Maya Bay
  

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We are looking forward to hear from you soon.