Who wouldn’t want to go to Thailand with its white sand beaches, green waters, and friendly people? While Thailand’s tourist economy is booming, Phuket and Bangkok are shoobie paradises. During my venture, I had the opportunity to tour Phi Phi Don and Phi Phi Lae (and pray to escape the hoards of people). I was excited to swim at Maya Beach where The Beach starring a young and sexy Leonardo DiCaprio was filmed. (What tween girl in the 90s wouldn’t jump at a chance to see this?) Therefore, I decided on a full day trip by speedboat with the Crystal Sea Marine Company.
The cost of the tour was about 2000 Thai Baht which equals to about $57. Since I booked with my hosts, they were able to bring the price down for me. The official brochure prices are 3,200 Thai Baht for adults and 2,200 Thai Baht for children.
The tour included a small breakfast (coffee, tea, snacks at the Royal Phuket Marina), motion sickness medicine, insurance, all snorkeling equipment except fins, life jackets, buffet lunch, Marine National Park fee, drinks on the boat, seasonal fresh fruit, guides (English, Chinese, and Russian available), crew and captain, and minibus pick up and drop off at your accommodation.
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Pros: Clean
One of the things I really enjoyed about the facilities was the speedboat was very clean. We weren’t allowed shoes on the boat so we had to remove them and put them into a bag. The Royal Phuket Marina is definitely true to the name because the port was also very clean and well maintained. The staff at each location maintained toilets and provided bins to keep the areas beautiful for other guests.
Food
One of the pros of the speedboat tour is you don’t have to worry about bringing your own food and drinks. Water, juice, and soda are available to all guests on the speedboat. Since you’re gonna be out on the ocean and in the heat all day, I recommend your bring your own 2L bottle of water. At noon you stop for lunch at a private beach side restaurant. It’s a buffet style so you can eat as much as you like. At the end of the tour you can relax on Khai island with a coconut (you have to buy it yourself) and fresh watermelon and pineapple is provided by the tour company.
Tour Guide
What I liked most about the tour was the guide. He spoke very good English and was very easy to understand. He gave instructions on how to stay safe and a detailed explanation of the trip. He was also very strict about the rules. He’s a no nonsense type of guy and he wanted the tour to be enjoyable for everyone.
Itinerary
Well Organized
This trip was excellently planned. I really liked how attention and detail was paid to the times and our schedule was always on time.
Cons: Mass Tourism
What I didn’t like about the tour is there were way too many people. The insane amount of people took away from the beauty of Thailand. For instance, because there were so many people, the beaches were crowded and the ocean wasn’t clean and clear because of people kicking up sand, sunblock, sun oil, etc in the ocean. Sometimes I felt like I was trying to avoid the mass hoards people rather than really enjoy the location.
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Time Limit
What I really dislike about group tours is the time limits. I love to take photos and I hate having a time constraint. When on a tour with other people, some guests are just rude and go over the time limit causing everyone to wait and have a shorter time span at the next location.
You can’t see much
Since we were in a speedboat, the people at the front and end of the boat were able to see much more than those in the middle. When we stopped on Monkey Island, I couldn’t even see the monkeys and we probably stopped for a total of 15 minutes. Again, due to the massive amounts of people, when snorkeling, I was mostly trying to avoid people just to see some tropical fish.
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Overall Conclusion
I was especially disappointed with Maya Beach, but what do you expect when a famous actor filmed a movie there? Since there were so many tourists, I could actually see the sun oil and sunscreen residue floating on the sea surface. It’s not cute. I really liked the tour, but I’m not a fan of large masses of people on a tour (if that makes sense). I wish I had more time at some of the locations.
Here’s the deal: for the tour quality, I would give an 8/10 for how excellent the service was. If you like tours where everything is planned and done for you, I would suggest going on the Crystal Sea Marine tour. You won’t be disappointed with the service quality and planning.
For my experience with a mass amount of other tourists and how soiled something beautiful has become, I would give my experience at Phi Phi Don and Phi Phi Lae a 4/10. Yes, the locations were great, but after living on Okinawa for 3 years and experiencing a clean and untouched ocean, I would prefer going lesser known places. If you’re like me, you hate large groups of people, go to other islands or lesser known places. Koh Phi Phi isn’t as beautiful as it once was and you’ll be disappointed with the mass tourism.
37 Comments on Is Touring Koh Phi Phi Worth It?
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Whoa! 2000 baht? You can usually find day trips to Phi Phi for 1000 baht and still have the quality but it seems like your tour really took care of you. I lived there for a year about seven years ago on a cultural immersion program and then returned for the first time this past Aufust and I saw Thailand had changed a lot with the influx of tourism. I mean, first of all, the prices I remembered skyrocketed and everywhere yo go, someone is trying to sell something to you. I agree wholeheartedly that tourism is necessary for keeping an economy afloat but when do you draw the line? Phi Phi is overrated; the best place to go is down to Krabi or to Koh Lanta.
I couldn’t believe how touristy Thailand was. I’m sure 10 years ago it was definitely the best place to be for the road less traveled. I was really excited but I really hated people trying to sell something to me everywhere I went. You can’t blame someone for trying to make their hustle, but I definitely wasn’t expecting that. I totally agree that Koh Phi Phi is overrated. I was really sad because the beauty of Koh Phi Phi was destroyed because of all the mass tourism. The next time I go to Thailand, I’m definitely gonna check out Krabi and Koh Lanta.
Very informative post about Koh Phi Phi! I liked how you broke it down into short sections. I hope to visit Thailand at some point on the near future…hopefully I can discover a spot that isn’t saturated with tourists 🙂
Going to spots with less people is the best. Everything is cheaper and better and more enjoyable!
Hi, really well written. The photo’s are beautiful and I have to say I love to do tours, but I have had a few disasters. I have my scuba license and there is nothing worse then diving and coming up and having nothing to drink or eat because it isn’t supplied. The water there looks so clear as well!
Oh man, you’re so brave for going scuba diving! It’s really cheap to get your license in Okinawa, but I never did it because I was so terrified. I can imagine how hungry and thirsty you would be after exploring the deep blue sea!
That’s a shame, it looks stunning from your pics! I’ve often wondered how crazy the tourism levels have gotten in Thailand, and I’m kind of sad I didn’t take the time to go several years ago. I would still go but it’s good to know what to expect in terms of crowds!
Tamar, those were pictures I managed to get that were free of people. There were so many tourists, I couldn’t believe it. You should defiitely experience Koh Phi Phi because it is beautiful, but just be aware of what to expect!
Hey Gina.
That is a very well encapsulated read. ‘Sickness medicines included’ tells me about your attention to detail! I completely empathise with you on the mass tourism bit as I prefer virgin and less explored destination that are not hurried either!
This ones surely out of my choice of destinations unless I am convinced of a lesser crowded season…
SuhaelAmrita
Sensuous2Spiritual
Thanks for the great compliment. Traveling solo makes you pay more attention to detail. I’m totally with you. I hate going to places where mass tourism is. I had no idea it was so crowded. While the island was lovely, I was very annoyed with the tourists.
I’m impressed they offered motion sickness medicine, I didn’t hear any other company to offer them.
I heard that before “The Beach” movie, these islands were practically empty, nobody would visit. But because of the movie now it’s a very popular destination. 🙂
I wish I was old enough to visit when the beach came out. I’m sure it would have been a beautiful, virgin, and exciting spot! The motion sickness medicine was awesome and definitely helped with the bumpy ride of the speedboat.
Despite of the cons I would still like to go :)) Lovely pics btw.
Thanks so much! Koh Phi Phi is beautiful and worth the visit. Just be aware it’s where many European tourists find themselves.
Hi Gina! Thanks very much for sharing this post! I will be heading to Thailand sometime over the next year and found this information very useful. Did you go in February of this year? I wonder if it is that crazy year-round.
Also, thanks for providing a detailed review of your tour. I DO like the convenience of having everything planned for me (on occasion) and it is nice to see a company highly recommended ^^
I went at the end of January. I figured if I went after the initial holiday season, it wouldn’t be so insane. I think it’s crazy year round and even more so during high season for tourism.
I definitely recommend that tour. It was really well done and if you just want to kick back and relax, you should go on the Crystal Sea Marine one. I’m glad I could help! If you go on the tour negotiate with a hostel, hotel, etc. They can bring the price down.
I’ve actually been hearing TONS about this place recently, and seeing this helped me put it into perspective! Looks beautiful, but I hate when places are flooded with tourism 🙁 Ah well
This place really is a double edged sword. On the one hand you have a beautiful location and on the other, it becomes spoiled and dirty because of all the tourists. You definitely have to pick and choose.
Ah Koh Phi Phi…a bit like Marmite or Vegemite – you either love it or hate it. I know so many people who rave about it. For me, personally, it was too crowded and just…too package-holiday…I absolutely loved Koh Phayam and Koh Tao. I want to explore some of the other Thai islands but Koh Phi Phi…never again!
I’m definitely on the negative side of Koh Phi Phi and Vegemite. It looked awesome until I tried it… And then it wasn’t so awesome. I hated how packaged holiday it was and I would definitely like to explore more virgin islands and something more exciting and different!
Thanks for the honest and detailed review! It’s really too bad tourists have swarmed those areas so badly. I don’t think I’d enjoy them at all if they’re as crowded as they sound. I love Thailand, but you have to work a bit to get away from the crowds in some places. I’m hoping to head back in the fall for a couple months… It’s becoming one of my favorite places to chill out!
If I decide to visit Koh Phi Phi, I’ll give this tour a look!
It was pretty awful. I like to go places where people don’t go. I’m the type of person who will go to Everland in the middle of winter just so I can avoid crowds and enjoy myself. Going around where people are makes the experience less enjoyable. I’d be really interested if you could find some places where tourists don’t go! I’d love to read about destinations off the beaten path! I want to go back to Thailand some day.
That’s an impressive tour company, though we’re not really into tour groups. We love to do vacation at our own pace and time. Result? We don’t maximize time to go to places. We end up just being in one place or two:-). But beach waters always look inviting. And snorkeling on a limited limited time is quite a pity. This reminds me of Boracay in the Philippines. It’s a beautiful island but it’s crazy with crowds. But, it’s beautiful. Still, you’ve been there and you enjoyed the service and I think the price isn’t bad with all those inclusions.
It was a great tour. The place itself was beautiful but it didn’t do it for me. I’ve never seen a color so amazing as the ocean around Koh Phi Phi, but I would have preferred if there were way less people. I definitely like taking my time too. At least I know not to go to Boracay in the Philippines if I don’t want to be swamped. Do you have any posts about awesome places in the Philippines that aren’t jam packed?
Lovely photos and very detailed post. I am going to Thailand on December. I cannot wait to visit. 🙂
I have not been, but heard similar things to what you have shared. Your photos and description kind of remind me of the island hopping tour in El Nido in the Philippines. Beautiful, but so many people! When a place like this is so crowded, it makes it much less enjoyable. Been trying to figure out where to go during summer vacation – Thailand is definitely a consideration, so thanks for the pros and cons of koh phi phi!
Katie, I’d definitely like to know about non tourist infested places in the Philippines. Do you know any? I would love an adventure and exploration of places not swamped as I’m considering making the Philippines my next destination!
I have to say that Phi Phi was my favorite place to in Thailand. However, I stayed at the islands for a couple of days and rented a beach bungalow away from “THE BEACH” beach. I only took a boat tour to that area full of tourists. The rest of PhiPhi is super chill and laid-back, I wanna go back there so bad!
Linda, I had no idea you could stay on Koh Phi Phi like that! Can you make a guide on renting a bungalow there and how much it would cost?
It was just there the other day and I totally agree with you. I didn’t like that it was super busy. It was super touristy. If I go back I’d like to go to an island that isn’t as busy.
This is very typical though of popular tourist places, which is why my hubby prefers to avoid them like the plague. It looks really beautiful though (and it’s where The Beach was shot, come on!) and so I think people will wanna go even with the mass crowd (me for example, haha)
Thanks for sharing! At least I know what I’m getting into if I go during peak season 🙂
Now that I’m becoming a seasoned traveler myself, I’m definitely looking into more places that aren’t tourist hotspots so I can be like your husband and avoid them like the plague. The photos I took were easily taken because I was standing on the edge of my tour boat. Ha.
This is so handy! I’ve been humming and hawing over whether or not I should go on an island tour on my upcoming trip. I’ve now gone from a maybe to a probably not at least for this trip. Regardless of time constraints, your pictures are really beautiful!
Thanks so much for checking this out! If you go on this tour, make sure you have a water proof case for your phone and camera. It does get a bit wet. I hope you can do something more awesome and I’m excited to read about your travels.
Seems like a well planned itinerary. Despite the crowds, I think I like what I see in your pictures. I guess, maybe I will risk it once 😀
I missed this part of Thailand when we were there a couple of years ago because of time constraint. I regret that and hope to get there next time. The speed boat tour sound s really thrilling, and the beautiful island glamorized by the movie, “The Beach” is really worth a visit in spite of the crowds.
I will admit – I didn’t like staying on the main island of Koh Phi Phi – I felt it was overly crowded with mass tourism and was dirty. HOWEVER I did LOVE the surrounding islands – it was amazing!! The tour itself though sounds like a great experience overall and good to know that you did receive great service!