Things to Do on Koh Phi Phi: Snorkelling, Climbing, and Sunsets

The Phi Phi Viewpoint

The single best thing to do on Koh Phi Phi that no day-tripper does well. The viewpoint is a 20-minute hike from Ton Sai village — steep concrete steps and paths through forested hillside. At the top, a platform looks down on the narrow isthmus with both Ton Sai Bay and Lo Dalum Bay visible simultaneously, the surrounding limestone karsts rising from turquoise water in every direction.

At sunrise (5:30–6:30am): almost no one there. The light is extraordinary and the view is completely different from the midday photograph.

At sunset: more people but still excellent. Arrive 45 minutes before sunset to find a good position.

Entry: ฿30. The path is signed from the village — look for the steps near the Maprao Resort.

Maya Bay (Koh Phi Phi Le)

The enclosed beach made famous by the film “The Beach.” The cliff-ringed bay with its small crescent of sand is genuinely dramatic in person. Boats cannot anchor inside the bay any longer (environmental management since the 2022 reopening) — you swim or snorkel in, or walk from the smaller entry beach.

The bay is best experienced on a small-group early tour (depart 7am from Ton Sai pier, arrive before the main flotilla of day boats). By 10am, the bay is very crowded. By 4pm, most day-trippers have gone and it quietens again.

Snorkelling

Around Phi Phi Le: The water around Maya Bay and the Viking Cave side of the island is clear and has good fish density. Bamboo Island (Koh Phae, 7km north of Phi Phi Don) has an excellent reef and is rarely as crowded as the Phi Phi Le sites.

Hin Klang and Hin Bida: Two seamounts on the south side of Phi Phi Le. The best snorkelling in the archipelago for coral coverage and fish variety. Most tour boats pass these sites.

Long Beach: From shore — the accessible option without a boat. Swim to the rocky point at the south end for the best coral.

Half-day snorkel tours from Ton Sai pier: ฿500–800 per person. Full-day tours covering more sites: ฿900–1,400.

Rock climbing

Phi Phi has a small but good rock climbing scene, primarily on the limestone walls of Tonsai Bay and along the east coast headlands. The routes are fewer than Railay (Krabi) but the setting — climbing with views over the bay — is exceptional.

Beginner half-day courses: ฿1,200–1,800. Experienced climbers can hire gear and climb independently — ask at the climbing shops near the pier.

Viking Cave (Tham Phaya Nak)

On the northeast coast of Phi Phi Le, accessible by boat. The cave ceiling is covered with prehistoric boat paintings (the “Viking” name is a misnomer — the paintings are Southeast Asian, not Nordic). More significantly, the cave is the site of an active swiftlet nest harvesting operation — bamboo scaffolding reaches to the ceiling where harvesters collect nests for bird’s nest soup. Boats pass close to the cave entrance.

Bamboo Island (Koh Phae)

7km north of Phi Phi Don. An uninhabited island with a sandbar beach and some of the clearest water in the archipelago. Usually included in full-day boat tours. Less crowded than the Phi Phi Le sites.

Exploring the island on foot

Phi Phi Don has no roads. The village is walkable in 20 minutes end-to-end. Beyond the village, paths lead east to Loh Moo Dee Bay and Loh Bagao Bay (quieter, fewer facilities, better swimming than the main village bays). The walk to Loh Bagao takes about 25 minutes from Ton Sai through the forested interior.

Long Beach (southeast, 20 minutes on foot from the village pier) has the best accessible swimming and snorkelling without a boat.