Koh Phi Phi - Green Door Enterprises

Koh Phi Phi

The Location For The Filming Of "The Beach"

Phi Phi Island was thrust into the limelight after the release of the 2000 film "The Beach", staring a young Leonardo DiCaprio. The film was based on a story of a group of travelers that settled down in their own tropical island paradise, hidden away from the rest of the world, in one of the most beautiful places on the planet. Since the release of the film, tourists have been coming in droves from all around the globe, hoping to see the beach that appeared in the movie. These days Phi Phi is far from the secluded little hideaway that was depicted in the film, there are now dozens of luxury resorts, bars and restaurants and even a 7/11.

The amazing beaches and the laid back atmosphere is great for a short vacation

There are ferry services from the island of Phuket as well as the popular resort area of Krabi, bringing in hundreds of new visitors each day. People come to Phi Phi to enjoy some of the world's most pristine beaches that make for excellent swimming and snorkeling as well as scuba diving. There are several high profile dive sites located just off the coast, including the legendary King Cruiser Wreck, as well as Shark Point. Many foreign dive instructors have settled down on Phi Phi, working out of the many scuba shops that offer dive courses as well as day trips and recreational dives.

With so many young people visiting Phi Phi, the island has a vibrant nightlife scene with no shortage of places to party into the wee hours of the morning. One of the features that seems to be common in most bars on Phi Phi would be the "buckets". A mystery blend of hard alcohol, a few different mixers and a load of ice, all served in a bucket with a straw. It won't take too many buckets to cause one to lose control of basic motor skills, so it isn't advisable to over indulge in this beverage. The good news is that you won't have to worry about drinking and driving, the island doesn't have cars or roads or traffic lights, people get around on foot, or by long tail boat.

The main island of Phi Phi Don offers a variety of accommodation, from low budget guesthouses to luxury five star resorts. Phi Phi Don is where all the action is, with all of the bars and restaurants., hotels and guesthouses and entertainment venues. The legendary location of the beach that was made famous in the film is on Koh Phi Phi Leh, a nearby island without accommodation. Travelers that visit Phi Phi Leh and Maya Bay during the day, must make arrangements to take a long tail boat in the evening in order to return to their hotels on Koh Phi Phi Don.

If you are looking for a few days of fun in the sun in Southern Thailand, then Phi Phi Island might be just what you are looking for. The amazing beaches and the laid back atmosphere is great for a short vacation, however some might say that if you stay too long you could start to suffer from island fever. Most visitors will stay for only a few days, or perhaps a week at the most, before moving on to the next great destination that Thailand has to offer.