Koh Phi Phi Hotels and the Best Areas to Stay
Koh Phi Phi is one of the trickiest places in Thailand to find a good hotel. For such a beautiful island, there are actually only a handful of really nice places to stay. I work in a Thailand travel agency and I’ve helped over 100 people plan their trip to the Phi Phi Islands.
The island’s geography plays a huge role in where you can actually stay. You can’t stay anywhere near the island’s most famous spots. Iconic locations like Maya Bay, made famous by the film The Beach and Leonardo DiCaprio, and Monkey Beach aren’t on the main island. Instead, they’re on the surrounding islands, which are protected national parks where no accommodations can be built.
Koh Phi Phi Don is the main island, and it’s the only island where you can actually stay. Phi Phi Don has a pretty unusual shape. Most of it is covered in steep cliffs and dense jungle, making large parts of the island uninhabitable.
The main area where all the action happens, including restaurants, nightlife and easy access to tours, is concentrated on a narrow strip of land right by the pier. So why does this matter? First of all, unless your name is Leonardo DiCaprio, you’re not sleeping at Maya Bay. Second, even though Koh Phi Phi is small, choosing where you stay will have a serious impact on your experience.
Tonsai Pier for Convenience and Access
If you’re arriving from Phuket or Krabi, the first place you’ll see on the island is the area around Tonsai Pier, which is the main arrival point for anyone coming to Koh Phi Phi Don. This makes it the most convenient area to stay if you don’t want to walk far with your luggage.
When it comes to dining, this area has some of the best restaurant options on the island. You’ll find plenty of seafood restaurants overlooking the pier, while the nearby Walking Street offers a great mix of international cuisine.
There are also a number of bars here, making it easy to grab a drink and enjoy the view. That being said, this is the busiest area of the island and, honestly, it’s not the nicest to look at. The streets here can get a bit scruffy and crowded.
Another downside of staying near the pier is that the beach here isn’t the best for swimming. Since it’s the main hub for boats, most of the water near the pier is blocked off for safety, and the overall beach quality isn’t as nice as in other parts of the island.
Luckily, the next area to stay has not only much better swimming conditions but is also home to one of the most stunning beaches in Thailand and one of the wildest nightlife scenes.
Loh Dalum Bay for Beach Life and Nightlife
One of the most iconic beaches in Thailand, Loh Dalum Bay is famous for its unique crescent-shaped bay and bright turquoise waters. This beach is perfect for sunbathing, snorkelling or renting a kayak to explore the bay.
At night, this area really comes alive. The eastern part of the beach, especially, is home to beach bars and clubs that are open pretty much all night, every night.
Because the island is such a unique shape, you can see the Tonsai and Loh Dalum areas easily within walking distance of each other. In some regards, it doesn’t really matter where you stay here.
Here’s the problem with choosing to stay in either of these areas. Some people complain that the Phi Phi Islands are some of the most overcrowded areas of Thailand. I’ll show you in a minute that this doesn’t have to be the case, but the people saying that probably chose to stay in these areas.
This is a very small space and it’s where the vast majority of the island’s visitors are staying, meaning it gets packed and feels a little run down in places. But the biggest problem is that there isn’t a single hotel in this part of the island that I can actually recommend. This part of town is by far the most convenient area to stay in because it’s so close to the pier, and it would make my life a lot easier if I could put my clients in these areas. Once you start taking a look at Google Maps and the hotel reviews, though, they all have some problems, whether that be noise complaints, complaints about cleanliness or rundown hotels.
Koh Phi Phi Hotel Prices and Choosing Where to Stay
In fact, the only accommodations that actually have good reviews in this area are the party hostels on the lower side, like Hangover Hostel and A Beea House. I’ll leave it up to you if you really want to stay somewhere called Hangover Hostel.
When I’ve stayed on the island, I personally like to stay a little outside of these areas. I’ve stayed twice at URP Hotel and enjoyed it. It’s away from the crowds and not too expensive, coming in at less than 3,000 Thai Baht per night. The reviews for this hotel aren’t great, but I found it to be quite comfortable.
Another one on the outskirts of the Loh Dalum and Tonsai area is Mama Residence, which has great reviews for a three-star hotel and good views overlooking the bay. This will also set you back about 3,000 Thai Baht per night.
Long Beach for Snorkeling and Beach Bungalows
The next area to stay has a much more chill atmosphere. It is home to the best snorkelling spot in the country as well as some stunning beach bungalows. Unlike the spots closer to the pier, this beach feels a bit more secluded, offering a peaceful escape while still being relatively accessible.
Getting here requires either a 30-minute walk or a quick longtail boat ride from Tonsai Pier. Admittedly, the walk does take you through the jungle, so it isn’t ideal to do at night. What really sets this place apart is the incredible snorkelling just off the coast. You’ll find Shark Point, which in my opinion is the best snorkelling spot in Thailand. This area is home to blacktip reef sharks along with vibrant tropical fish, starfish and even eels. If you stay here, waking up early to snorkel before the longtail boats arrive is a must-do experience.
Even if you’re not staying here, many island-hopping tours stop at Shark Point, so it’s definitely worth visiting. This area is called Long Beach, and what I like most about this area is that you have an excellent chance to stay at one of the best beach bungalows in the country.
Beach bungalows are becoming a bit of a dying breed in Thailand. Whereas once the beaches were lined with basic but beautiful beach bungalows that you could rent for cheap, they’re now being replaced by hotels that can accommodate larger groups of tourists. However, this area is littered with rustic, old-fashioned bungalows.
At the end of the beach, there is one that really stands out. If you choose to stay on Long Beach, Phi Phi The Beach Resort is where I would choose to stay. These rustic bungalows are built into the side of the mountain, giving you excellent views of the beach below at sunset.
In this hotel, the Grand Sea View Deluxe Villa offers the best views with the biggest rooms. Prices actually start from under 3,000 Thai Baht per night but will about double if you want the Grand Sea View Room. They offer three longtail boat rides in front of the pier, so you can easily access the main town area as well.
Laem Tong Beach for a Quiet Island Escape
But if you are looking to make your island trip truly special, why not choose to stay in one of the best resorts in the entire country? The next area I’m going to show you has that desert-island feel that you’ve always dreamed of. The beach here is absolutely stunning, and it’s far away from the large crowds that the island is famous for.
This area is called Laem Tong Beach, and it’s located right in the northeastern arm of the island. If you came here for the beach parties, this part of town isn’t ideal. You’d have to take a boat to the pier, which takes about half an hour in itself. That’s not to say there’s not a lot going on over here. There are a few laid-back beach shacks where you can grab a beer or cocktail, but not the all-night raves the island is famous for.
This part of town is also home to two of the best resorts in the country. The first is designed to resemble a traditional Thai village. This resort features rustic teakwood villas with thatch roofs, seamlessly integrating into the jungle surroundings. Guests can choose from various accommodations, including beachfront suites and hillside villas with private pools. This is Zeavola Resort, and it’s a perfect escape. Prices start from around 6,500 Thai Baht per night.
But the next resort is truly one of the best in Thailand. It’s the only resort on this 800-metre stretch of sand, so if you’ve ever wanted to have the beach all to yourself, then this is the place for you. It has traditional Thai-style bungalows and villas, with the best rooms on the hillside featuring infinity pools overlooking the ocean and the islands below.
In terms of things to do, it also has its own dive school and runs guided nature walks as well as renting kayaks. This is SPP, and if you’ve got the money, it’s my number one pick for the best resort on the island. Prices start from around 5,000 Thai Baht per night but can go up considerably based on the upgrades.
