When you think of Phi Phi island you might think of partying and people getting drunk. This kind of thing hasn’t been our vibe whilst we’ve been travelling. We much prefer chilled out places that aren’t full of tourists being drunk idiots.
We were initially going to skip out on Phi Phi for this reason but in the end we went. I’m very glad that we did.
Although it is much busier and much more touristy than islands such as Koh Yao Noi, it was much better than I imagined it would be. If you want then there are lots of bars and boat parties, but there are also nice chilled out cafes and a relaxing beach.
Here is what we got up to on Phi Phi as a couple who don’t go out drinking cocktail buckets every night.
How to get there-
We travelled to Phi Phi from Koh Yao Yai. It took about 1 hour and 30 minutes on a boat. It cost us around £50 for the both of us which was much more expensive than we had anticipated so do bear this in mind.
We had booked our boat to Phi Phi through the man who owned Rungtawan restaurant on Koh Yao Yai.
Where we stayed-
We stayed at Blu Monkey hotel which was only a 10 minute walk from Tonsai pier. It was very close to lots of nice places to eat, 7 Eleven, and the beaches.
The room was nice but it did look a bit tired in places. Quite a bit of paint had peeled off in the bathroom and some of the walls were scuffed, but apart from this is was absolutely fine.
A bonus was there was free drinking water, coffee and tea available. We found that everything on Phi Phi was slightly more expensive than other islands so this helped our budget!
Places to eat/drink-
D.M.C restaurant & bar- this place had a lot of Thai and western options so there is something for everyone. We had some tasty wraps here.
Baba pitta- we had a chicken and a falafel pitta here. They had a promotion on at the time where falafel pittas were 99 Baht (around £2.18). The chicken ones were considerably more expensive at 250 baht (around £5.51). They were very nice but bear in mind the portion was small for what you pay.
Padthai Ja Aed Plaza Phi Phi- we had our tea here most nights because it was a cheaper option. The Pad Thai was good so give this a go. There is a little boy who helps take the orders and seats the customers. He was great at getting lots of customers in!
Pizzeria Phi Phi- it wasn’t the best pizza I’ve ever had and it was a little bit too thin, but it was decent for a pizza on a tropical Thai island. It wasn’t very filling because of how thin it was so many it would make a better snack!
October Resto- we got a mango smoothie for here every evening for dessert after tea. They were delicious!
Things to do-
Earthtone Fitness- this is one of the more expensive gyms we have trained at. It cost us about £5.50 each but this is in line with things being generally more expensive on Phi Phi. It did have air conditioning though which was nice! Bear in mind it is only a small gym and if there are more than a few people then it feels very cramped.
Relax on the beach- our hotel was only a short walk from the beach so it was easy to spend an afternoon chilling on the beach. We didn’t spot any jellyfish in the sea so we did have a dip, but we were shocked at how hot the sea was. It was like a bath!
Go cafe hopping- there are some nice cafes in Phi Phi which I enjoyed spending time in reading and writing in my journal. I went to 23 Roasters Cafe and Qoori (which does actually have board games too!)
Look around the shops and stalls- there are loads of stalls in Phi Phi selling all sorts such as clothes, bags, jewellery, and souvenirs. I enjoyed wandering around and looking at everything on sale. I treated myself to a little flower hair clip.
How to get around–
There are no cars or bikes allowed on Phi Phi so you have to walk everywhere. Keep this in mind when choosing your accommodation.
There are men with carts who you can pay to take your luggage to and from your hotel. We didn’t do this when we first arrived and seriously regretted it because of the heat.
When to visit-
The best time to visit is between November and April as this avoids the rainy season and the weather is generally better.
It was incredibly hot when we visited in March. The humidity would make it feel like it was over 40 degrees so we did struggle with this.
Down to Earth Travel 
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