In the morning of 26th December 2004 a devasting Tsunami hit Phi Phi Island - Koh Phi Phi Don - the largest and most popular island in the Phi Phi islands group. The earthquake which caused the Tsunami was the 2nd largest ever to be be instrumentally recorded with a magnitude of 9.3. However, most of the destruction and deaths were caused not by the quake but by the catastrophic tsunami waves it generated. Massive tsunami waves wiped out entire coastal areas across southeastern Asia, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, Myanmar and islands in the Andaman Sea and the Maldives in the Indian Ocean.

Quoted from Wikipedia: On 26 December 2004, much of the inhabited part of Phi Phi Don was devastated by the Indian Ocean Tsunami. The island's main village, Ton Sai, is mainly built on a sandy isthmus between the island's two long, tall limestone ridges. On both sides of Ton Sai are semicircular bays lined with beaches. The isthmus rises to less than two metres (six feet) above sea level. Shortly after 10 am on the morning of 26 December, the water from both bays receded. When the tsunami hit, at 10.37 am, it did so from both bays, and met in the middle of the isthmus. The wave that came into Ton Sai Bay was 3 metres (10 ft) high. The wave that came into Loh Dalum Bay was 6.5 metres (18 ft) high. At the time of the tsunami, the island had an estimated 10,000 occupants, including tourists. After the tsunami, approximately 70% of the buildings on the island had been destroyed. By the end of July 2005, an estimated 850 bodies had been recovered, and an estimated 1,200 people were still missing. The total number of fatalities is unlikely to be known however local tour guides cite the figure of 4,000. Of Phi Phi Don residents, 104 surviving children had lost one or both parents.

Local stories on Phi Phi put the total number on the island nearer 5000 with 3000 lost.

Good friends of mine were there and had the sense to run to the hills. Others faced the most impossible of dilemas - look for family members or run? The most dangerous aspect was not the wave itself but the destruction havocked on buildings, shacks and contents causing tonnes of debris to be shunted around with force. First floor level of buildings in the narrowest part of the island were completely under water. (some video footage here of the water level)

i wasn't there but i feel sort of connected to the story - my daughter and i had planned our christmas trip to Phi Phi in 2004, by some miracle of weird circumstance we cancelled at the last minute, she went to oz and i went snowboarding. we had a lucky escape.

People came and helped with the clear up, people raised money to replace and rebuild, but in the big scheme of things this lasted about 5 minutes. For the most part the local survivors who had lost everything, have had to pick themselves up. Its a testament to their courage and resilience.

I've put together a slide show here of some pictures already on the web, my apologies for deliberately excluding the hundreds of photos showing victims - just too painful to see.


Tsunami Phi Phi Island 2004

There is a somber memorial event on Phi Phi every year on 26th Dec near Cabana Hotel. Some businesses on the island light candles on the beach to remember.

Never forget

A couple of thousand people arrive every day during high season - that's a huge impact on a small island. There's some simple stuff everyone can do to minimise that - here's 5 tips to help keep Phi Phi beautiful


2. Buy canned beer - there are lots of locals recycling these whereas bottles just end up in the garbage (currently glass is not viable to recycle because of transportation costs)



3. Ask who's recycling in your hotel and save your plastic and cans for them

5. Take your litter with you when you leave the beach

There's a lot more to do and explore on Phi Phi than most visitors get time for. unusually the most laid back of souls - a professional chiller and musician, Tommy Moto - probably did more than most and he's captured his exploits in a stunning compilation music video. Set to his own music and Job2do - No1 Thai reggae band, he captures the mood of the real Phi Phi and its people. It's funny, he's funny, the music is original and fresh and if you look closely you'll recognise some of your favourite Phi Phi characters.


At 299 Baht is a great take home gift to yourself to remind of good Phi Phi times.

Why not!
 
For a taster - here's the promo showreel
 

Available for sale at Love Cafe (opposite Carpe Diem Bar)

The beautiful Blue Marlin 19 kilo caught today by a couple honeymooning on Phi Phi island.

Just found this great littlevideo about free diving on Phi Phi Island

big thanks to whoever put this up on youtube :)

Many of us that stay on the island end up at Stones (24hr) Bar to wind down at the end of the day. The music stops but they have some bongos and didgeridoos which make an appearance some nights. My friend Ben is always up for a session as is Book. Last night Benji, french fireshow performer, was there too and conversations between the jammed tunes were about breathing techniques, how to get a better sound out of the didge - typical banter between musicians. Then along comes Ryan, a tall Aussie with dreads - asks if he can take a turn. 30 seconds later all our jaws had dropped - the rhythms, the range of sounds he could get out of that stick were amazing. Nights like this, extraordinary jam sessions, rhythms floating into the night air are pure magic, the stuff memories are made of and are exactly what one would expect of a night staring out to sea from a magical Phi Phi Island. A shame that so many people missed it caught up in the boom boom bang bang of the party beach bars
 
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For the last week or so the rain on Phi Phi has been more persistent than normal for the time of year. At several points the streets in the town were more like rivers. But even on that scale last night took the biscuit! The Tonsai bay side took a real battering - the walkways in front of Don Chuket have crumbled under the force of the high tide. The longtail boat used for seating in front of Carpe Diem broke away and is now half wrecked on the beach. Many of the other beach bars have been half buried under sand from the beach. There are a couple of broken longtails which didn't survive the waves and there are reports that the big Taksin cargo boat on the west side of Tonsai broke away from its mooring. The island is not this weather proof, so this morning there have been businesses flooded and an electricity fire caused by water getting into the box.

Most tourists seem oblivious including the one that asked me to recommend a beach to him while i was in the middle of clearing flood water, but then there are those like Katie and Harriet who restore my faith in human nature. Two girls from London, they came and asked the owner of Carlitos bar for black bags so that they could help clear the beach in front of the bar from all the debris and plastic that the storm had thrown up. Such acts are rare and the smiles on their faces while they were doing it were were as welcome as the sunshine is today.
What can i say - cheers to Katie and Harriet and hoping that more people like this visit Phi Phi Island.- who see it - see us - and know that the world only remains beautiful (even on paradise islands) if we all care and do our bit.

So here are some suggestions:

Town and beach circuit

• Level: Easy
• Time: 45mins - 1 hour because for sure you'll be tempted to stop at some watering holes along the route.
• Best time to do it - sunset (sunset is best viewed from the Loh Dalum beach side of the island, so plan to do that part last)

• Level: Easy/Moderate (harder at night)
• Time: 20-30 minutes each way
• Best time to do it: Low tide during the day. If you plan the walk at low tide its possible to walk the whole way on beach and rocks. At other times you'll need to follow the little paths through bits of jungle. At night some of these paths are lit and signposted. If you plan to go either way at night take a torch.

• Level: moderate (lots of steps & part jungle). Can be difficult at night (take a torch if you are likely to be out past dusk)
• Time: 30-40 mins each way
• Best time to do it: sunrise or sunset (not so hot and the sun adds another layer of spectacular to the view)

• Level: Difficult (jungle, unmarked)
• Time: 2-3 hours each way
• Best time: Daytime

Please leave your comments if you've done any of these walks

Tonsai Bay Area

Location Tonsai bay next to Andaman Legacy Resort

Location - Tonsia bay area, before the school, inside Phi Phi Villa Resort reception building. (100m past Andaman Legacy)

Town Centre Area

Location - up a spiral staircase over Banana Sombrero Mexican Restaurant - near Freshmart in town centre

Location - up the little street from Island Divers towards the town centre.

Loh Dalum Bay Area

Location - near the far end of Loh Dalum Bay.

Location First Bar on Loh Dalum Beach if you are coming from the town.

1. Even if you have pre-booked, Check-in/Check-out times will not necessarily match with your ferry arrival/departure times - usually hotels/resorts will look after your bags in the gaps so that you can get on and enjoy your stay.


2. A lot of rebuilding post tsunami has taken place, but in high season its still advisable to book before you come, you might be left with less choice


3. Rooms on Phi Phi are more expensive than the mainland but still pretty cheap for a world famous tropical paradise island! Expect to pay around double what you pay for similar on the mainland - it just costs more to provide the same services on an island 50km from the nearest mainland.


4.There are 4/5 star luxury resorts on the island but most of these are not in the main town area and require you to take a taxi boat to another part of the island - so it's not easy to come and look around for the more expensive/luxury resorts without prebooking.


5. At certain times of the year water supply, quality and pressure can be a challenge on Phi Phi, so unless you are going 5 star don't expect power showers or lashings of hot water.


6. Electricity is around 5 times more expensive on Phi Phi than the mainland, so many rooms will not have electrical items like hairdryers & kettles in the rooms. It's also nice to be aware of this if you ask a local to charge your telephone or plug your computer in - to them it might be a significant expense.


7.There are no cars on Phi Phi - so transfer from the pier to your resort is by foot. Many hotels, guest houses or resorts will meet you at the pier and help with your bags if you prebook - but the cheaper you go with your room the less likely this is to happen. If you book a room at the pier or on the ferry you should be able to negotiate your bags being carried for a small fee.


8. If you book & pay for a room with an agent at the pier or on the ferry - it's like any booking anywhere else in the world and you essentially lose your right to look around and change your mind when you get there (unless you forfeit your cash!). If you are fussy and want to see the room first - then don't book before you look! If you don't want to traipse around looking for rooms in the heat book ahead using websites or agents on the mainland with photos and just book for the one night - just in case you don't like what you get.


9. If you are prepared to do the leg work, you can generally negotiate small reductions on room prices during the evenings - but the risk is that everywhere is full or receptions are closed already. If you are staying for a few days - book the first night and then look around for bargains or something you like better - minus the bags and at your own pace.


10. Agents at the pier and on the ferries are not necessarily more expensive than walking around by yourself - mostly they work with a small number of hotels/guest houses or resorts and have arranged a special rate which includes their small commission.

What would you like to see on Phi Phi one year from now, 5 years from now?

The choices you are making now are driving that change.

If you only come for the all night party and beach bar experience and this is the only way you spend you money on the island - then you are inadvertently encouraging that business to thrive and helping to kill off other experiences.

If you only eat or buy drinks from 7-11 because its cheaper, it won't make the other options reduce their price, the street stalls and restaurants and small bars will just disappear.from lack of income - they simply cannot compete with the buying power of a international giant.

If you complain because the bathrooms are Thai style or the breakfast is not European, or that the staff don't speak very good English then the 'Thai'ness of Phi Phi will disappear.

if you buy nothing from the shops or stalls because its not the cheapest version you have seen on your travels, these small businesses will not be able to pay their rent, they will also disappear.



If you drop your cigarette butt in the sand, others may do the same - how long before the beach is polluted?



On a small island your choices are so powerful in their effect to drive change, so think outside the box, accept its a little bit more expensive here than the mainland and try to spread your tourist money around to encourage diversity of trade and experience that will keep Phi Phi Island a tropical paradise.

10 things you should know if you are bringing a baby or small child to Phi Phi Island

1) Getting on and off the ferry can be a bit of a challenge if you travel with lots of baby gear - be prepared or travel light. If you book a resort or hotel before you come - they will often offer to meet you at the pier and may help with your bags - check when you book.

2) Microwaves and/or kettles in hotels/rooms for heating babyfoods are very rare on Phi Phi, unless you go 4 or 5 star (electricity is very expensive on the island so rooms tend to have very few electrical items) - so its a good idea to be self sufficient and invest in one of those electric baby food heaters a portable mini kettle or a food flask. There is often hot water in flasks at mini-marts (generally used for take-away coffees).

3) Cots - although many resorts will offer a spare separate bed, very few have cots (not something the Thai generally use) - check before you come or be prepared to be inventive or make do.

4) Mosquitos - like many parts of Thailand there are mosquitos on Phi Phi, particularly in the evening and nighttime and many people use mosquito spray or burn mosquito coils or mosquito nets. So, it a good idea to travel with your own baby mosquito net especially if you are staying in budget rooms as these may not have nets provided. The low or rainy season is the worst for mosquitos.

5) Its hot here, even in low season, so if your baby/child finds it difficult to sleep with a fan or in a hot room, pay a little extra and upgrade to aircon. Check before you book.

6) No cars - there are no cars and therefor no taxis on the island, so even though its a small island (15 mins from one end to the other) you'll probably be doing a bit of walking to get the most out of the island. You'll probably find a baby sling or lightweight travel pushchair the best options. Large pushchairs or prams would be difficult to navigate into some of the smaller shops or places.

7) Sun protection - many people are now travelling with baby/child sunsuits which cover the whole body, these are great for small children as it means that can go in and out of the water without you having to remember to apply more sunscreen. Hats are recommended and if you are walking around, go Thai style and carry an umbrella (good for sun as well as rain!).

8) Food - There are a small selection of baby foods in the minimarts and restaurants often have the ubiquitous child menu of chips, egg and pizza etc. Very few restaurants or resorts have any baby food facilities (unless you go 4/5 star) so you'll need to be self sufficient and mash the old fashioned way with a fork. Thai children will often each rice mixed with the tinyest amount of sauce from a grown up dinner. There's a huge range of carton drinks in the mini-marts, including 100% juices and milky drinks from cows milk, soya & rice - the Thai children love these.

9) Water safety - as far as i know none of the swimming pools or beaches on Phi Phi have any lifeguards, So always be vigilant of your children near water, never leave them alone on the beach or in a swimming pool. If you go on a boat trip be aware that the longtail boats generally only have adult size lifejackets, so either ask around for a boat driver who can supply the child ones or better still, if you plan to be enjoying some bobbing around on the sea, bring your own.

10) Health. The ice on Phi Phi is all good. Buy the mid range or above bottled water, the cheaper Thia one is drinkable but less pure. Do not drink the free water left on the tables at restaurants, this is generally the cheaper water - buy a bottle its safer. There is a hospital on Phi Phi - to the right of the pier but they just deal with minor things, anything major and you will need to get a speedboat or ferry off the island to Phuket. The pharmacists on the island are fantastic and they will generally help you out with any medical advice.



So having said all that - its till a great place to bring children, if you plan ahead to make it easy for yourself. The Thai children are very friendly and your children can enjoy making friends with the local children, spending time on the beach or paddling in the sea.

Luckily here it only rains for the odd hour in the day and often in the night on Phi Phi, so it's never too inconvenient. But for those who had planned on lazy days by the pool or sunning it on the beach here are just a few suggestions:
1) Treat yourself to little boat trip to a luxury resort & Spa - Zeavola on the north end of the island
2) Rent a DVD player and watch a great movie with your hfmaily and friends - most of the shops who sell dvd's have rental machines too.
3) Listen to great music and enjoy the view to Phi Phi Ley Island while having a coffee or hot chocolate undercover @ Love Cafe Phi Phi
4) Snorkeling - your gonna get wet anyway right? plus its cooler in the rain & less chance of burning your bum. Ask any longtail boat driver or tour agent and they'll suggest somewhere to go and provide the kit.
5) Diving - who cares about the rain when your underwater. Phi Phi has some of the best dive sites and with so many Dive shops on the island, there's always a trip to tempt - you don't even need to have done diving before - they'll teach you or just give you a taster.
6) Get a tattoo - Phi Phi is one of the best places to get a bamboo tattoo, there are many brilliant tattoo artists on the island and the tattoo shops often double as bars and can be great places to hang out with the local Thai.
7) Your on holiday right? so that means you can drink all day! so why not watch the sea from a dry spot...several of the beach bars are undercover, Bohemian bar and Sunflower would fit that bill.
8) Massage - there are about one million massage shops on Phi Phi - prices for start at around 150 baht up to 300 to 500 baht for full body. What better way to while away a rainy hour.
9) There are several Gym's on the Island now, you could spend an hour burning off the extra beer & bucket calories.  Phi Phi Villa Resort charges 350 per day, which includes the use of their pool.
10) Lastly, for the more intrepid who will cover up in one of those plastic mac thingys, a walk to viewpoint would be awesome in the rain, the wet smell of the jungle and not so hot walk, as here the rain seems to cool things down.

Enjoy!
,

These days when we travel so easily to remote destinations and so many other travellers end up in the same place it's often forgotten that its easier to create beautiful exteriors than it is to develop or change infrastructure so that water supply meets the standards we are used to back home.

A stop or two in an international hotel in Thailand en route to Phi Phi may lure you into thinking you are back home with great weather, white sandy beaches and palm trees. However, the reality is that this is country where many villages on the mainland, off the tourist trail, may have water for just a few hours a day and still rely on wells; and where waste water management is often handled by the home owner with homemade sceptic pits and kitchens are often unplumbed.

Culturally, around the world, kitchens and bathrooms probably demonstrate the biggest gaps. I know Thai people who laugh and think westerners who put carpet in their bathrooms are completely crazy; and in these days of heightened awareness of natural resources and conservation its an interesting argument to know who has it right with water guzzling machines plumbed in or a typical Thai family where its carefully managed in buckets and bowls.

If you see the bigger picture, and remember the devastation of the tsunami that hit Phi Phi less than 6 years ago, and that its an island more than 50 kilometres away from the mainland - it starts to make sense that when we look behind the scenes, beyond the colourful reception buildings that we would uncover bathrooms which to us might seem spartan.
Phi Phi is busy improving both the water quality and supply - but its a testament to the ingenuity and perseverance of the Thai that they can run businesses when water is cut off for hours, and how they manage to cook and wash up often with only bottled water.

If you look closely, while you'll be distracted by a growing number of beautiful looking resorts, hotels, restaurants and bars, you'll see some of the locals using the hidden outdoor wells for showering.

Some quick useful facts:

Laundry: typically 50 Baht per Kilo and returned next day to wherever you drop it off. There are many places doing this all over the Island. Resorts, hotels and guesthouses will also take laundry but this tends to be 60-70 Baht per Kilo. Don't send anything valuable, the water quality used for laundry is not great and whites can come back a little off-white as a result. Beware that there is generally no come back if clothes are lost or damaged in the laundry. There is no dry cleaning on the Island.

Public Toilets: There are no public toilets on the island, however, most bars and restaurants do have toilet facilities. Given the challenges with water and waste water on the island, its considered impolite to use toilet facilities in places where you are not a customer. On the plus side the island is very small and so you are never far from the bathroom in your room/hotel. In public places quite often there is a bucket and bowl flush rather than a plumbed in toilet - it might seem odd at first but it works well and conserves water. The waste water system on Phi Phi means that there is a ban on putting anything down the toilet, so NO paper should be flushed. The other quirky Phi Phi thing is that many public places (bars & restaurants) have the toilet paper stashed behind the bar or reception - so you just have to ask for it.

Drinking water: water from the taps is not drinkable.Water on the tables in the restaurants and bars is NOT tap water on Phi Phi. Free water in hotels, bars and restaurants tends to be from the very large water bottles - this is safe to drink. However, if you have a sensitive stomach, buy mineral water, rather than the basic opaque bottled water. The Ice is safe to drink - owing to the high cost of electricity on the island - none of it is made from tap water!
Bathrooms: hot water will generally only come from electric showers or boilers, very few places have any water heating facilities to give running hot water from the taps. However, with Phi Phi's tropical climate, a cold shower on Phi Phi is never really cold! Water conservation also means it's rare to find baths or bidets.

Still on the topic of water, but of another kind, being a small island Phi Phi is surrounded by the Andaman sea, and the beautiful blue warm water is never more than a step or two away and is always in view. It really is a paradise island but just a note to self, that tiny tropical islands often don't have all the modern conveniences you have at home.

From Phi Phi Fireshow

Just posted some fireshow pictures to Love Phi Phi blog

Intersting experience, but sadly no photos, the police and army were very efficient, came around a few minutes before to check and request no photos, not even from phones. Also asked to have phones switched off. Everyone was asked to sit on the ground Thai style, those standing were asked to move and sit in allocated places.
The procession was 10 golf carts, The Princess was in the second, looking understated and friendly with a warm smile.
Quite different from a similiar event in other parts of the world, everyone was quiet, no cheering, no clapping, just the calm and silence of little flags being waved and people wai-ing.
Now we wait one hour for the return journey back from the school.

The Princess arrives tomorrow 27th May around 1.30pm by helicopter. Click here for a bigger slideshow of these photos. I will update the pictures as more photo opportunties arise.

Phi Phi is busy making preparations for the special visitor on 27th of this month. The Prince of Thailand will be visiting to officially open the new school building. Everyone is busy cleaning and tidying and planting flowers and trees along the small beach road of Tonsai Bay.
Today out came the flags - Thailand loves its flags and brings them out for every special occasion.
I've taken some pictures here of the flag planting operation - as you can see its a pretty serious affair :)

Phi Phi school has been busy building and improving the facilities for the children on Phi Phi Island. On May 27th 2010 the Crown Prince of Thailand will visit the Island to officically open the new school building.
Even though the planned trip is very short (just a few hours) the locals are working very hard to make Phi Phi look its best for the occassion.
This is probably a once in a lifetime opportunity for the locals of Phi Phi to see and possibly meet one of their Royal family.
This is a big event for Phi Phi and i expect as usual that the Thai will make the most of it and make it a very special day for everyone that's here.
More on this story as it unfolds...

The quieter low season this year on Phi Phi has encouraged many businesses to get creative. On nearly every street you can see a business closed and busy renovating. Maybe it's because last year saw a lot of new building completed post tsunami and now the ones that were trading before want to have the same new finish.
Change is always scary, will it turn the paradise island into something commercial and ugly or will it be good?
Change - it's not always a bad thing - when the new materials are natural or when change provides new or improved facilities - change can be a necessary evil.
One change that has been lovely to watch is the gradual movement of locals from the post tsuanmi corrugated metal shacks, happily these are slowly being replaced, but still there are far too many locals living and doing business in something half the size of a european garage.
What hasn't changed is the pride of the locals in their paradise environment; considering the numbers of tourists arriving on Phi Phi everyday its amazingly clean. The beaches are still beautiful, the views breathetaking and the trend to be better continues in the right direction.

7 of Thailand’s incredible underwater sights | CNNGo.com

Just stroll along any beach on Phi Phi and you'll see longtails lined up ready to transport you to even more beautiful and remote beaches on and around Phi Phi Island.
The ribbons and flowers around the boats are for good luck. Many of the boat men have been driving boats in these waters since they were children, so you don't have to go on organised trips you can talk, ask for something different, your own adventure!

see here for latest news on the politial situation in thailand.

Phi Phi Island remains unaffected by the situation except for a reduced number of tourists. If you fly via Kuala Lumpar or Singapore you can fly direct to Krabi or Phuket and take a 1.5 hr ferry to Phi Phi from either of these places and you don't need to go anywhere near Bangkok or other troubled areas.

On Phi Phi most of the larger resorts will take credit cards for your room bookings, but for most of the smaller ones and definitely for purchases around the island, restaurants, drinks etc cash is king. But not to worry because there are lots of ATM's around the island avialable 24hrs. You should check with your bank what the charges are, the Thai charges for cash are small but often your bank or credit card company back home will apply a charge for foreign transactions. As a rule of thumb it works out cheaper to take out the maximum rather than small amounts as charges tend to work out less.

If it's peace and relaxation you are wanting and empty beaches, shops without the crush, restaurants with seats and cheaper than usual prices for rooms then this could be you with your feet up on Phi Phi right now. Even though embassys are posting warning notices right now about Thailand - here on Phi Phi it's all about calmness - sometimes it pays to be on a small island in the middle of an ocean.

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Early last night it rained just a little but no-one rushed for cover - ther refreshing coolness of 15 mins of light rain was the perfect antidote to the blazing sun and heat of the day.
Phi Phi right now is unusually quiet - i guess because of all thats going on in the rest of the world, with volcanic and monetary crisises coupled with the political unstability in Bangkok, but smaller numbers certainly don't mean boring nights. The parties in the bars and the gatherings on the beach (until the dawn) are just more intimate; travellers and locals sharing stories and jamming with bongos, didgeridoo and guitars. The banter in several languages at once and the sheer fun of freestyle rapping. Hard to go home and sleep on nights like these.
So if you are travelling with an instrument or if you have a story to tell, come here now!

Be prepared when you arrive on Phi Phi you now need to pay a 20 Baht tax at the pier. This is to help with rubbish clearance and mitigate the costs to locals for the impact of so many tourists visiting the island. It's a small ammount but with so many visitors it's a step to help keep Phi Phi as the beautiful paradise island everyone loves.
We definitely need more bins, more ashtrays - but tourists can help by being conscious of where they leave rubbish.
Waste managment is actually quite a logistical problem in Phi Phi - the rubbish is collected at night and shipped off the island. Recycling of Plastic, cans and cardboard is largely done by locals - but sadly glass is currently too expensive to transport off the island to make it cost effective to recycle. So drinking canned beer rather than bottled beer is actually helping the island.
One of the biggest problems tourists can help with is keeping the beaches clean - especially not leaving cigarette butts in the sand. The other thing is the sheer quantity of plastic thats used - so don't take the bags if you can carry what you buy without.

There was a tsunami warning at 6am on Phi Phi 07/04/2010 owing to the 7.7 earthquake off the coast of Sumatra. Happlily, the warning was recinded a few hours later. This was the second such warning in 2 weeks and it does highlight the need for a better warning system as many people on the Island didn't know about the warnings or their validity until the next day.

Around the time of the full moon every month - many of the backpackers and party goers head for Koh Phangan for the full moon parties, leaving Phi Phi relatively empty.
Making it the perfect time to visit Phi Phi for those who prefer a more peaceful relaxing time, and to get the beach to themselves.
So if you want to avoid the hustle and bustle, talk to the locals or see the surrounding islands when they are less busy, then why not come to Phi Phi during the full moon period.

Yes the rumours are true - the music in Phi Phi bars now stops at 1am over the whole island. So no need to rush from the bar you are in to find another or try to persuade the DJ to play on - its the same everywhere - 1am music curfew.
Stopping the music at 1am on a popular party island might seem like going against the grain - but the bars still stay open til the small hours, its just the vibe that changes. Giving time for kicking back, relaxing, enjoying good conversation with other travellers/tourists while still being able to hear the soothing sound of the tropical Andaman sea in the background.
So get your dancing in early and save the conversation and chillin till after 1am!
To see a list of bars on Phi Phi visit Love Phi Phi Directory - Bars page

On the 13th April the whole of Thailand celebrates Songkran - the Thai New Year. The celebrations take the form of a massive country-wide water fight. People take to the streets with water butts, hoses, buckets, water pistols or anything that can be used to soak passers by. A sight to be seen but no way to escape being soaked through several times whether you participate or not.
Aside from the informal celebrations, this year is Phi Phi's second official Songkran Festival, held near Cabana resort (left of the ferry pier). There will be Thai beauty and singing contests, a Grand Parade and of course water games! Kick off is around 4pm.
So whether you go to the bigger cities for the bigger celebrations or come to Phi Phi for something a little more local - be prepared to get a proper soaking.

Hot n sunny but there's still plenty of room here and space to relax on the white sandy beaches and catch some rays. Over the full moon period Phi Phi is less busy with backpackers - so the restaurants and bars are more chilled and relaxed - no queues or waiting for a table in your favourite restaurant.
The bars are still closing the music everywhere on the island at 1am - although they do stay open for drinks - so good for everyone! Time for more chilled conversation, meeting new people and listening to the sounds of the Andaman sea.

Coming up soon - Songkran on Phi Phi - 13th April - more soon on this here...

28th January - lovephiphi.com goes live. Now just a matter of getting a good selection of phi phi business listed on here.  Welcome to all