Phi Phi Islands
Hotel in Phi Phi island, Thailand
http://www.agoda.com/asia/thailand/koh_phi_phi_krabi.html
The islands feature beaches and clear water that have had their natural beauty protected by National Park status. Tourism on Ko Phi Phi, like the rest of Krabi province, has exploded only very recently. In the early 1990s only the most adventurous travelers visited the island, staying in only the most basic accommodation. (Wikipedia:VERIFY) Nowadays, however, the place has turned into one of the major destinations for visitors to Krabi. The is still significantly less developed than the nearby island of Phuket, or Ko Samui, on Thailand's opposite coast. Phi Phi Don - This island is the largest of the 6 Phi Phi islands and consists of two main sections. It is on Ton Sai where the original inhabitants settled and is now the home of the main accommodation area. Nowadays though, with development, the beaches have had to pay a cost and so they’re not quite as spectacular as they were in the days of yesteryear. The landscape however, has not been ruined. Phi Phi Leh - The second largest of the Phi Phi Islands is pretty, and pristine, but authorities in charge do not allow visitors to stay overnight, with the exception of limited camping with one company. Besides the beach, other attractions include the Phaya Naak Cave with its prehistoric paintings and edible-nest swiftlets. Ton Sai Bay - Phi Phi Don Ao Ton Sai is where most of the tourist activity is centered. The area contains restaurants, bars, hotels, and guesthouses. Yao Beach - Phi Phi Don Yao Beach, just south of Ton Sai, offers visitors some scenic views and coral reefs for snorkeling and scuba diving. Laem Tong, Phi Phi Don Laem Thong is located at the very north of the island. Diving & Snorkeling Ko Phi Phi is a popular place in Thailand for diving and snorkeling. There are plenty of excellent sites with crystal clear water and colourful coral. There are dozens of places on the island organizing trips. There are numerous operators and dive shops open on Koh Phi Phi catering too all levels of divers. The area is well-known for its coral and one of the most favoured dive and snorkeling destinations in Thailand. Kayaking Many tourists use a kayak to see the natural environs and the island’s impressive features.Cliff Jumping Cliff jumping is fairly new to Tonsai Bay. There are cliffs from 6 to 16m that are ideal for cliff jumping due to the depth of water below.Bird Watching Many rare birds are to be seen there: Gurneys, Finfoots, Bigwinged Brown Kingfishers, Egrets, Bitterns, Herons and more.Sailing & Cruising Krabi has plenty of anchorages, usually deserted and all so pretty. Fishing Fishers can catch the likes of marlin, sailfish barracuda and tuna. Spa Spa service is available at the top hotels and resorts. Phi Phi Don was initially populated by Muslim fishermen during the late 1940s, and later became a coconut plantation. The Thai population of Phi Phi Don remains more than 80% Muslim. The actual population however, if counting laborers, especially from the north-east, from the mainland is much more Buddhist these days. Ko Phi Phi Leh was the backdrop for the 2000 movie The Beach. Phi Phi Leh also houses the 'Viking Cave', from which there is a thriving bird's nest soup industry. There was criticism during filming of 'The Beach' that the permission granted to the film company to physically alter the environment inside Phi Phi Islands National Park was illegal. The controversy cooled down however, when it was discovered that the producers had done such a decent job of restoring the place that it finally looked better than it had done before. The Phi Phi Islands were also the setting for the hide-out of Scaramanga in the James Bond Film "The Man with the Golden Gun." Following the release of The Beach, tourism on Phi Phi Don increased dramatically, and with it the population of the island. Many buildings were constructed without planning permission. Ko Phi Phi was devastated by the Indian Ocean tsunami of December 2004, when nearly all of the island's infrastructure was wiped out. Redevelopment has, however, been swift, and services like electricity, water, Internet access and ATMs are up and running again, but waste handling has been slower to come back online.
Hotel in Phi Phi island, Thailand
http://www.agoda.com/asia/thailand/koh_phi_phi_krabi.html
The islands feature beaches and clear water that have had their natural beauty protected by National Park status. Tourism on Ko Phi Phi, like the rest of Krabi province, has exploded only very recently. In the early 1990s only the most adventurous travelers visited the island, staying in only the most basic accommodation. (Wikipedia:VERIFY) Nowadays, however, the place has turned into one of the major destinations for visitors to Krabi. The is still significantly less developed than the nearby island of Phuket, or Ko Samui, on Thailand's opposite coast. Phi Phi Don - This island is the largest of the 6 Phi Phi islands and consists of two main sections. It is on Ton Sai where the original inhabitants settled and is now the home of the main accommodation area. Nowadays though, with development, the beaches have had to pay a cost and so they’re not quite as spectacular as they were in the days of yesteryear. The landscape however, has not been ruined. Phi Phi Leh - The second largest of the Phi Phi Islands is pretty, and pristine, but authorities in charge do not allow visitors to stay overnight, with the exception of limited camping with one company. Besides the beach, other attractions include the Phaya Naak Cave with its prehistoric paintings and edible-nest swiftlets. Ton Sai Bay - Phi Phi Don Ao Ton Sai is where most of the tourist activity is centered. The area contains restaurants, bars, hotels, and guesthouses. Yao Beach - Phi Phi Don Yao Beach, just south of Ton Sai, offers visitors some scenic views and coral reefs for snorkeling and scuba diving. Laem Tong, Phi Phi Don Laem Thong is located at the very north of the island. Diving & Snorkeling Ko Phi Phi is a popular place in Thailand for diving and snorkeling. There are plenty of excellent sites with crystal clear water and colourful coral. There are dozens of places on the island organizing trips. There are numerous operators and dive shops open on Koh Phi Phi catering too all levels of divers. The area is well-known for its coral and one of the most favoured dive and snorkeling destinations in Thailand. Kayaking Many tourists use a kayak to see the natural environs and the island’s impressive features.Cliff Jumping Cliff jumping is fairly new to Tonsai Bay. There are cliffs from 6 to 16m that are ideal for cliff jumping due to the depth of water below.Bird Watching Many rare birds are to be seen there: Gurneys, Finfoots, Bigwinged Brown Kingfishers, Egrets, Bitterns, Herons and more.Sailing & Cruising Krabi has plenty of anchorages, usually deserted and all so pretty. Fishing Fishers can catch the likes of marlin, sailfish barracuda and tuna. Spa Spa service is available at the top hotels and resorts. Phi Phi Don was initially populated by Muslim fishermen during the late 1940s, and later became a coconut plantation. The Thai population of Phi Phi Don remains more than 80% Muslim. The actual population however, if counting laborers, especially from the north-east, from the mainland is much more Buddhist these days. Ko Phi Phi Leh was the backdrop for the 2000 movie The Beach. Phi Phi Leh also houses the 'Viking Cave', from which there is a thriving bird's nest soup industry. There was criticism during filming of 'The Beach' that the permission granted to the film company to physically alter the environment inside Phi Phi Islands National Park was illegal. The controversy cooled down however, when it was discovered that the producers had done such a decent job of restoring the place that it finally looked better than it had done before. The Phi Phi Islands were also the setting for the hide-out of Scaramanga in the James Bond Film "The Man with the Golden Gun." Following the release of The Beach, tourism on Phi Phi Don increased dramatically, and with it the population of the island. Many buildings were constructed without planning permission. Ko Phi Phi was devastated by the Indian Ocean tsunami of December 2004, when nearly all of the island's infrastructure was wiped out. Redevelopment has, however, been swift, and services like electricity, water, Internet access and ATMs are up and running again, but waste handling has been slower to come back online.
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