Phi Phi Orientation!

Hi there!

Planning on travelling to Phi Phi this July for 2 weeks with my girlfriend. We've been to Thailand before and are looking for something similar to Tao - is it fair to say Phi Phi is?

We're basically after some element of nightlife on a not overly developed island (i.e. Samui) with clean beaches and day activities.

Can someone give me the lowdown on the island, good central place to stay - or areas not to stay in (i.e. I've heard the island is small but is it possible to position yourself too far away from the main area to the point where it becomes hassle to get to and from?)

Also, What is considered high season in Thailand?

Cheers for any help!

theres hundreds ...maybe thousands of islands..thro a dart and go !

I have a lot of info on Phi Phi here
Quite a few people have commented on the east coast beaches being a bit of a hassle to access and get into town if you like a lot of shopping and nightlife. I reckon they are ideal for people wanting a chill area. However the Long Beach area is a great compromise apart from being the best beach on the island.
I think mid Dec thru to mid Feb has been considered the high season, but Thailand's increasing popularity may be extending this.

Yes there are similarities. High season at Phi Phi would be mid Nov to Feb. The island is small and some resorts are accessible only by boat. The Tonsai Bay area is the heart of the island and can be very busy. Give me an idea of your budget range and I can make a few sugestions, having visited this island many times. There are some recommendations and photos on our site.
Leigh Travel Club

Thanks guys!

I guess we're probably looking to cap the accomodation cost at about 1500-1800 baht a night but obviously willing to stretch for something spectacular. Air Con would probably be wanted for that price though.

Basically we will want to be within reach of the main nightlife area of the island at night. So Tonsai bay sounds about right really.

Any ideas?

just got back from there. Tongsai is ok at night with lots of restaurants and a few real bars for nighttime, all within spitting distance of each other. The beaches arent great though....very shallow and muddy even at high tide and not really clean. We stayed in Phi Phi View Point right at the end of Lo Dalum and 5 mins from the centre. It was up 80 steps and the views were fab, the bungalow was clean but scruffy and 1000bht a night but the location was good. Theres lots of cheap rooms crammed in beside each other in the town itself but theyre not so good. We took a longtail to Long Beach every day for 70bht each as the beach there is gorgeous and exactly what you would expect. We stayed 4 nights and it was enough.

Yeah, if you want the closeness of Tonsai, plus great views and lack of noise, Viewpoint is hard to beat.
But I still reckon Long Beach is the place. Lots of longtails into town, pretty nice walk too.