Koh Phi Phi and the most famous beach in the world

Paradise beaches between cliffs and tourists

After two days underwater in Phuket, we took a boat to Koh Phi Phi. A destination we were looking forward to seeing since we arrived in Thailand.

In fact, the whole area is a set of islands. There are two main ones. One is the Koh Phi Phi Don, which is larger and is where you can stay. The other is Koh Phi Phi Lee, where it is forbidden to build and you must go on tour or private boat.

This last one, it´s well known to have the most famous beach in the world, thanks to Leonardo di Caprio’s film “The Beach”. Maya Bay, as is it called, it is a beach and a scenery that is worth a trip to Thailand. Here I tell you about my experience:

Thailand - Koh Phi Phi Lee and Koh Phi Phi Don
Thailand – Koh Phi Phi Lee and Koh Phi Phi Don

3 days staying at Koh Phi Phi Don

The arrival on the island is like a movie: You are surrounded by beautiful cliffs, you can see fish swimming in the crystal clear water and typical Thai boats huddle on the beach. 

The center of the island, it´s full of guest houses, bars and tattoo places. Without a doubt, it´s like a small Salou or Benidorm, but, in the middle of the strait between the two main beaches. On the other side of the harbor you can find the main beach, Doh Dalum Beach. It is also surrounded by cliffs and will take your breath away.

The party and the viewpoint

At night, Doh Dalum Beach is filled with tourists looking for party and fireworks shows. Also, if you’re not too drunk, you can see that the tide has gone down about 15 meters. Many people entertain themselves looking for shells to take home as a souvenir, although you shouldn’t if you care about preserving the environment.

One morning I went to Kho Phi Phi Don’s viewpoint and sat there appreciating the scenery so I would never forget it. I will remember this island as one of the greatest paradises I have ever seen, but unfortunately invaded by tourists…

Thailand - Koh Phi Phi Don - Viewpoint
Thailand – Koh Phi Phi Don – Viewpoint

Visiting Koh Phi Phi Lee and Maya Bay, the most famous beach of the world

The next day we bought a one-day tour to visit Maya Bay and its surroundings. Surrounded by cliffs and crystal clear waters, the place did not disappoint anyone.

Instead, as many boats that go directly to Maya beach, we enter from behind. We climbed stairs, hanging from a cliff, and then crossed a small forest until we reach the beach. It was exciting to see the beach for the first time. Although we were disappointed not to be alone like in the movie. On the sand there were about 10 stranded boats and about 200 tourists taking pictures and bathing. Still, it’s worth seeing.

On our route, for 12 euros, we were also taken to a few surrounding islands. We were snorkeling and saw beautiful beaches. Bambo Island and Monkey Beach are two names to aim for.

From Koh Phi Phi to Koh Samui

After 3 days of joy, we said goodbye to this amazing place to cross to the other side, to the Gulf of Thailand, where we would visit the islands of Koh Samui, Koh Phangnan and Koh Tao. Click the link to check how was our experience in this three wonderful islands, where we also went to the famous Full Moon Party!

If you find this post interesting and useful I encourage you to value it, leave a comment and/or share it. Subscribe to the blog if you want to receive updates about trips. If you are planning to travel to Thailand, you may also be interested in our list of Travel Tips for Thailand and the post about our trip to Chiang Mai, the city of the temples.

Thailand - Koh Phi Phi - Doh Dalum Beach
Thailand – Koh Phi Phi – Doh Dalum Beach

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