Phi Phi Islands (Thailand): How to visit and what to see in the setting of "The Beach"

At the southern thailand There are some of the most beautiful islands in the world.

The White sand beaches, The tropical vegetation and Rocky formations that emerge from the turquoise sea generate a spectacular and very attractive landscape.

If we add to that the good weather and first class hotel facilities, it is not surprising that they are a fundamental destination when preparing a trip to Thailand.

And for many. the most spectacular islands of all are the Phi Phi., scene of the famous movie “The Beach”, with Leonardo DiCaprio.

What are the Phi Phi Islands of Thailand like?

There are two islands —Phi Phi Don y Phi Phi Leh— quite small that are located a very short distance from each other.

Phi Phi Leh It is not inhabited, so it is only accessible in excursions from Phi Phi Don, where all the tourist facilities are located.

The peculiar geological conditions of this area have created a very special landscape, where the limestone rock formations erode and give rise to caves and cliffs very showy

The palm groves that occupy the flat parts of the islands, plus the vegetation that takes advantage of any gap in the cliffs, adds a point of singular beauty to the whole.

It is not surprising that many films have been filmed in this area taking advantage of the dreamy landscapes.

Where are they and how to get to the Phi Phi Islands

The Phi Phi Islands are in the andaman sea, about 40 kilometers south of krabi already 48 east of Phuket, places from where they can be accessed.

El boat trip It's part of the appeal. After an hour and a half or two hours of travel, the dark silhouette of the city appears on the horizon. Phi Phi Don Island.

Little by little, the shapes of these limestone cliffs that sink into the sea begin to stand out and everything takes on the tones of an unreal landscape, as if it belonged to an ancient time.

As the ship approaches, details begin to be made out.

How the cliffs of the Phi Phi Islands were formed

Tangled vegetation emerges from the vertical walls of living rock, making it seem like an inaccessible place.

And a few meters from the cliffs, the profile softens and there are soft hills covered in green velvet, and white lines on the shore, the promise of welcoming beaches.

These strange limestone formations, with vertical walls, have been formed over millions of years by rain and slow chemical dissolution.

About 12000 years ago, with the rise in sea level, many of these hills that were on the continent became islands and created the extraordinary Phang Nga bay landscape, as well as the surrounding area Krabi, on the edge of andaman sea.

As we have already said, it is possible that Phi Phi Don is the most beautiful island of all this mirage of stone and water.

As the geological explanation for the creation of these islands has only been known for a short time, oral tradition also offers other explanations.

The legends remember the adventures of prince Phaya Nak, the Lord of the Waters, who traveled from India to the East across the ocean in search of a beautiful princess who was waiting for him.

On the way he fought against an army of giants whom he threw into the sea after defeating them, where they were petrified.

It is a myth of Hindu origin that has been assimilated by the Buddhist and Muslim populations of the area.

What to see and do in the Phi Phi Islands, our experience

Be that as it may, the arrival by boat to Phi Phi Don It is spectacular, with the docking in the Ao Don Sai Pier, next to a long beach.

To the left—towards the west—the island emerges from the sea with some dark rock cliffs more than 300 meters high that emerge directly from the waters. The color contrast with the luminous turquoise blue of the sea is impressive.

To the right, the slopes are gentler, and everything is covered with tropical forest. They seem like two different islands.

And they could well be, since both halves are only joined by a narrow strip of sand barely a kilometer long.

Its inhabitants, in fact, speak of the two parts as different islands: Koh Nawk (“Outer Island”), in the western part, and Koh Nephew (“Interior Island”), in the east.

Phi Phi Don It is now a major tourist destination, so don't think that you are heading to a lonely paradise.

But for centuries, Phi Phi Don and many others were lost islets, inhabited sporadically by the bye law, the “people of the sea”, a people who have wandered for centuries along the western coast of the malay peninsula dedicated to fishing and searching for pearls.

Perhaps some of these islands, little known and with countless caves, were refuges for the pirates who, in not so distant times, infested these seas.

The bye law They have always lived as nomads on the islands, and are known for their ability to dive to great depths without any equipment, freely, aided by stones to make diving easier.

Perhaps they are not the original inhabitants of the islands, because in the thousands of caves that pierce them, numerous prehistoric paintings, some more than 3.000 years old.

Hotels in Phi Phi Islands of Thailand

Koh Nawk, the western part of Phi Phi Don, is so wild that it is uninhabited. Koh Nephew, however, is completely dedicated to , which finds on its beaches a refuge from the sun in which to forget about the world.

In this part there are accommodations of all types, from very basic cabins a top-notch boutique hotels.

But there is still not a single road on the entire island, and to explore it all you have to do is walk along paths drawn through the vegetation or take a motorized canoe.

There are still some hidden beaches that are only accessible from the sea.

The scuba divers They are attracted by the easily accessible corals, the excellent visibility and the large flocks of angel, butterfly or parrot fish, by the rays, eels and some species of sharks.

This is the excursion to Phi Phi Leh, the setting for “The Beach”

One of the annual that cannot be missing in a stay in Phi Phi Don is a Phi Phi Leh Twin Island Tour, which is a very short distance away.

An rocky islet with high walls that fall sharply, a beautiful, strange, uninhabited place.

Swifts nest in their caves, and for centuries bye law They come for a few months a year to collect the nests, which are one of the delights of Chinese cuisine.

To do this, they must climb to great heights along vines and bamboo structures in order to collect, risking their lives, the precious treasures that can reach very high prices.

And in the same way that when they dive in search of pearls they entrust themselves to the spirits of the sea, before climbing they make offerings to those in the caves. If they didn't, they think, it would be like stealing from them.

Al sail around Phi Phi Leh the entries of several are distinguished caves, and one of them can be visited, but most are not accessible and, given the high cost of the nests, their location is usually kept secret.

But foreign visitors go in search of a different treasure, the unique beauty of this islet.

There is a moment in which the canoe enters a gorge into a lagoon that could not be suspected of existing, a place that served as the stage for the films The beach, with Leonardo di Caprio, and The island of severed heads, with Geena Davis.

It seems like a mirage: a beach at the edge of the water, surrounded by cliffs.

The place is so beautiful that it has attracted the attention of visitors and has begun to suffer the consequences of its own beauty.

It is a small and delicate enclave that should be preserved, so when you get there you must scrupulously follow all the environmental conservation measures imposed on us.

It is certainly worth taking care of this special place.