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Original poster

Koh Phi Phi

44 replies

ButterMelonCauliflower · 29/12/2012 10:01

Anyone been? Mainly interested in flight/transfer aspect, thinking of flying to Phuket and getting ferry... DS will be 9mo so wondering if it would be easier to stay in Phuket/go elsewhere in Thailand/stay at home? Any tips etc?

OP posts:

judefawley · 29/12/2012 10:06

We have been (pre kids).

We got the ferry from Krabi. Takes 2-3 hours iirc.

GozerTheGozerian · 29/12/2012 10:08

Phi phi is beautiful but I last stayed there pre- tsunami so I can't say what it's like now. Heard a lot more built up. We got boat over from krabi but you could go from Phuket.

Krabi is fabulous and you can stay at a lovely area called Railay - only accessible by boat although it is actually on the mainland and not an island. It's got 3 beaches but one is really just mangrove. Other two are lovely. Feels quiet but is beautiful.

Ko lanta is also quiet and in that area. You can do trips out from any of them tbh.

Fairylea · 29/12/2012 10:09

Maybe I'm being terribly over cautious but I don't think I could ever relax on one of the beaches that was badly affected by the 2004 tsunami. I'd always be half ready to jump and run..... (my ex dh was out there at the time). However I do realise the local people rely on the tourism and chances of it happening again are slim.....hmm. I think I'd rather just not risk it and go somewhere else !

SquidgyMummy · 29/12/2012 10:09

We are going in February with 2 year old DS
Last time we flew bangkok to phuket, stayed there for a few days then took the ferry.
I would think about carrying him in a sling, if possible for hopping on & off the ferry.
The bay on the other side of the island is such lovely shallow water, huge bay and perfect for kids.

sittinginthesun · 29/12/2012 10:12

We went years ago, and it was beautiful.

I actually preferred Malaysia, though. Best holiday ever.

SquidgyMummy · 29/12/2012 10:20

you can fly direct to phuket from the uk,
www.travelsupermarket.com/c/cheap-flights/thailand/phuket/

we are arriving in bangkok from elsewhere in asia, so have to take air asia (like easyjet) from Don Meung - the old airport

Fairylea , it's easy to be paranoid but that part of the world is now very well prepared, in the very unlikely recurrence of a tsunami. There are well signposted evacuation routes and big high rise concrete platforms you can run to if you are on the beach

Original poster

ButterMelonCauliflower · 29/12/2012 11:06

Wow, thanks everyone, it's amazing to get a response so fast! Maybe i'll book flights to phuket (there's a sale on at the mo) and then worry about whether to stay there or get a ferry somewhere else...
I'm with you Squidgy on the post-tsunami thing. While it's terrible that it happened i'm not going to let it stopp me going. Still, reassuring to hear they are better prepared now! We went to Sri Lanka a few years ago, and the places that got hit there seemed even less safe if anything.
Can you remember where you stayed? The quiet bay bit sounds lovely!
I'll look at Krabi too gozer, thanks for the tip. Thailand seems a big place and lots of variety, so hard to know where to start. We don't want complete isolation, but don't want tesco and kadybars much either!

OP posts:

SquidgyMummy · 29/12/2012 16:06

OP, I meant the shallow bay was on Ko Phi Phi (Don) the bigger island
Have a look at this blog
thai-trip-awesome.blogspot.co.uk/2011/01/koh-phi-phi.html

the photo lower down shows the shape of the 2 bays, we stayed in some lovely bungalows in the hills overlooking the right hand bay. you can see from the colour it is really shallow and never gets more than about waist deep.

cannot remember the hotel, but we booked all through:
www.sawadee.com

you can just do it a few days before as DP and i were too busy to organise our trip, we just booked the flights and 2 nights in phuket and then decided when we got there, as there are internet cafes everywhere,

We are torn between going back to phi phi or doing the other side this trip and going to koh samui.

also you must go to phi phi lay where they have the famous beach from The Beach

whoneedstosleep · 29/12/2012 16:17

We stayed at the Cape Panwa hotel in Phuket. On a quiet part , which was unaffected by the Tsunami if that helps any?

We did a day drip to Phi Phi Island.

I would love to go back. beautiful island, beautiful people who adore children.

FellatioNelson · 30/12/2012 05:32

What a useful thread for me too! Can I butt in and ask some questions please? We are flying in and out of Bangkok, staying a few days then will go on to a beach resort somewhere but can't decide where. Never been to Thailand before. Will be me, DH and one 13 y.o., who likes culture, history, temples, nature etc., but is I am not wildly adventurous so I don't really want any jungle trekking/white water rafting type stuff, personally. Although if we were somewhere they could do it while I stayed in the spa that might work.

I'm concerened that Phuket will be too seedy/commerialised and busy, and Ko Samui will be too sleepy and boring for ten days, esp. for the 13 year old, and we will no doubt get all our shopping and excitement fixes in Bangkok.

Having seen this thread I am wondering whether staying in Phuket just for a few days then getting the boat to Phi Phi would be a good call? Don't know anything about Krabi. DH and DS might learn to dive, or just snorkel, but don't want any of us to be bored. Thanks.

FellatioNelson · 30/12/2012 05:34

Also they both sail, so not sure whether there is a good area for that?

whoneedstosleep · 30/12/2012 08:39

fellatio we did 3 days in Bangkok. It was rushed and chaotic , I wouldn't go back but glad I saw it iykwim!
We hired a private tour guide who took us out of the city. This was the best money we spent (around £100). She took us to a children's school where they painted china, a wood carving workshop, a temple that was non touristy and stunning.
She also took us to the floating markets, tiger temple, river Kwai and elephant sanctuary.

We stayed in a very quiet part of Phuket. We got the hotels bus to the busy part a couple of nights for a show and shopping but we were glad to get back to the beautiful surroundings of our hotel.

Our day trip to Phi Phi was good but busy as lots of tourists looking at the place the beach was filmed. Not sure I would have wanted to stay there but fab snorkelling!

VivaLeBeaver · 30/12/2012 08:52

I stayed in Koh Samui 12 years ago and loved it. There was even then plenty to do - elephant trek through the jungle, hiking to see waterfalls, an aquarium, day trips to the marine national park, big buddah statue.

I hear that its now a lot more touristy - that there's a McDonalds and a Starbucks!

Koh Panang which is the island above Koh Samui was a lot quieter than Samui so maybe now more like Samui was then. But avoid if its a full moon as its where the full moon parties are and they're wild.

specialsubject · 30/12/2012 14:47

regarding Phi Phi, I went a couple of years after the tsunami. The structure was back together but the large hole in the population (no old people, no small children) was heartbreakingly obvious, as was the pain for the survivors. The water was murky too. Lovely scenery but three nights quite enough.

it is also drunken kiddy-tourist central so good luck getting any sleep.

'the beach' is the small offshore island, you can't stay there.

I loved Krabi town - friendly and accessible but still very Thai (although it does have a Tesco and a Boots!), and my favourite was peaceful Koh Lanta with its wonderful quiet sand beaches. Best snorkelling was Koh Lipe but that is changing REALLY fast so you'd need an up to date report.

bigTillyMincePie · 30/12/2012 14:51

Just the thread I need too! Fellatio your trip sounds exactly what I want too! When are you going - we have flights for Easter

bigTillyMincePie · 30/12/2012 14:54

whoneedsto sleep the tour guide sounds a good idea (though DH seems to think he can do it - he has been before!) What kind of a show did you see?

FellatioNelson · 30/12/2012 16:18

So do we tilly. Thailand MN meet-up with sundowner cocktails?

FellatioNelson · 30/12/2012 16:21

Oh. Drunken Kiddie Central doesn't sound good.

So many places to choose from and so many pitfalls what with the ladyboys and fanjo razor blade artistes and everything - it's a bit of a minefield.

whoneedstosleep · 30/12/2012 18:57

We went to see a lady boys show. It was funny and quite alarming they were more ladylike than me!

The benefit of the tour guide in Bangkok was she drove so no tuk tuk drivers taking you via gem shops and tailors!
Also the children's china painting and wood carving were not open to public, she was friendly with the owners so it was her private tour.

FellatioNelson · 30/12/2012 19:04

Have you got her number?

bigTillyMincePie · 30/12/2012 19:22

Yay Fellatio

whoneedstosleep I don't thing we could take the DC to a ladyboys show. Could we?
And yes, have you got her number?!

I have been advised to go to Krabi by a work colleague who goes to Thailand every year - sounds like it would be good?

whoneedstosleep · 31/12/2012 02:08

I have an email- will look for it in morning. It was a family show but depends his much explaining you want to do about it ;)

FellatioNelson · 31/12/2012 03:58

I only really wanted the number of the tour guide, not the lady boy show. But thanks anyway.

whoneedstosleep · 31/12/2012 10:34

Haha it was the email of the tour guide I meant ;)

whoneedstosleep · 31/12/2012 18:26

Tour guide - Her name was Tong
[email protected]
[email protected]

The Phuket forum on trip advisor is also a great resource for information.

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