Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Laem Thong. The Phuket and Krabi boats operate year-round, while the Ko Lanta and
Ao Nang boats only run in the October-to-April high season.
Krabi and Ao Nang
Boats depart from Krabi for Ko Phi-Phi (300B, 1½ hours) at 9am,
10.30am, 1.30pm and 3.30pm, returning at 7.30am, 10.30am, 1.30pm and 3.30pm. From
Ao Nang (350B, 1½ hours) there's one boat per day at 3.30pm.
Phuket
From Phuket, boats leave at 9am, 2pm, and 2.30pm, and return from Ko Phi-Phi
at 10am, 3.30pm and 4pm (250B to 350B, 1¾ to two hours).
Ko Lanta
To Ko Lanta, boats leave Phi-Phi at 11.30am, 2pm and 3pm and return from
Ko Lanta at 1pm, 3.30pm and 4.30pm (350B, 1½ hours).
Railay
For Railay (350B, 1¼ hours), take the Ao Nang-bound ferry.
Getting Around
There are no roads on Phi-Phi Don, so transport on the island is mostly by foot, although
long-tails can be chartered at Ao Ton Sai for short hops around Ko Phi-Phi Don and Ko
Phi-Phi Leh.
Long-tails leave from the Ao Ton Sai pier to Hat Yao (100B to 150B), Laem Thong
(800B), Hat Rantee (500B) and Viking Cave (500B). Chartering speedboats for six hours
costs around 6500B, while chartering a long-tail boat costs 1500B for three hours or
3000B for the whole day.
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Ko Phi-Phi Leh
Rugged Phi-Phi Leh is the smaller of the two islands and is protected on all sides by soar-
ing cliffs. Coral reefs crawling with marine life lie beneath the crystal-clear waters and
are hugely popular with day-tripping snorkellers. Two gorgeous lagoons await in the is-
land's interior -
Pilah
on the eastern coast and
Ao Maya
on the western coast. In 1999 Ao
Maya was controversially used as the setting for the filming of
The Beach,
based on the
popular novel by Alex Garland. Visitor numbers soared in its wake.
At the northeastern tip of the island,
Viking Cave
(Tham Phaya Naak) is a big collection
point for swifts' nests. Nimble collectors scamper up bamboo scaffolding to gather the
nests. Before ascending, they pray and make offerings of tobacco, incense and liquor to
