Comments on: I Still F*ing Hate Ko Phi Phi https://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/terrible-ko-phi-phi-thailand/ Travel Better, Cheaper, Longer Fri, 31 Jan 2025 06:06:54 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9 By: JamesTKirk https://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/terrible-ko-phi-phi-thailand/#comment-1644578 Sat, 13 Feb 2021 17:46:06 +0000 https://www.nomadicmatt.com/?p=122186#comment-1644578 I totally agree. I visited phi phi end of 2016. I hope Maya bay can recover. They let so many tourists come that during the day there isn’t even a place to sit on the beach for a few minutes. so overdeveloped. It’s pretty bad when I searched and searched for a place that makes Thai food on an island in Thailand! seriously.

]]> By: Conor https://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/terrible-ko-phi-phi-thailand/#comment-1549690 Fri, 19 Jun 2020 23:11:00 +0000 https://www.nomadicmatt.com/?p=122186#comment-1549690 In reply to Veronika.

I was there circa 18 years ago stayed for a month, magical place. I always said i would bring my kids 1 day,i am sad to read your article.

]]> By: Simon https://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/terrible-ko-phi-phi-thailand/#comment-1549516 Fri, 19 Jun 2020 14:03:08 +0000 https://www.nomadicmatt.com/?p=122186#comment-1549516 In reply to Mark Ward.

Hey Mark, I was there too in early 2005, volunteering for several weeks with Andrew at the Adventure Club. An amazing time, wasn’t it! Prior to this, I was there in 2004, and also since, I went back in 2006, 2007, and then 2016. I have very fond memories of my time volunteering there in 2005, but when I was there in 2004, even then, I thought there was too much of a get-drunk party atmosphere. When back in 2016, we stayed on a quiet beach in the north, but going back to Tonsai, I was quite taken-aback at the scale of the development. They could use the current crisis to save the island. Remove some of the development and restrict numbers visiting the island.

]]> By: Pablo Podhorzer https://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/terrible-ko-phi-phi-thailand/#comment-1481645 Wed, 19 Feb 2020 08:02:44 +0000 https://www.nomadicmatt.com/?p=122186#comment-1481645 In reply to Himanshu Dutta.

Could you please delete this comment?koh Kood is supposed to stay this way. The less people the better.

]]> By: Mar https://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/terrible-ko-phi-phi-thailand/#comment-1457694 Mon, 06 Jan 2020 05:35:22 +0000 https://www.nomadicmatt.com/?p=122186#comment-1457694 I think it’s a bit harsh man. While I agree with you that the party sucks in ko Phi phi and there’s too much foreign food, I think u overlook that the island is still very beautiful. There are a lot of great activities and excursions to do. What makes it a unique destination unlike anywhere else is that it’s 100% pure expat. Only Dubai could maybe compare to this level of expat VS local. It could be a great place to take a break from backpacking in more local areas.

]]> By: Angelika https://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/terrible-ko-phi-phi-thailand/#comment-1212679 Fri, 05 Oct 2018 08:45:37 +0000 https://www.nomadicmatt.com/?p=122186#comment-1212679 I, for one, completely disagree with you. We went to Koh Phi Phi in high season and absolutely loved it! Of course, if you stay near the Pier, you will not have the paradise experience, but why would anyone want to stay there? I don’t think Phi Phi is the island one should visit for parties- it’s the place to visit when you want to see beautiful beaches and turquoise water. We stayed at the Phi Phi Island Village Beach Resort, which, yes, is expensive, but is amazing! It’s secluded, quiet and beautiful. It was absolutely not over crowded, there were not a lot of tourists, and there is a big choice of amazing Thai food very close by! We also explored that part of the island a little bit walking around, went to Lo Lana Bay, and absolutely loved everything. The water was never covered in anything, it was absolutely picture perfect. I do agree on the fact that main part of the island is over developed (which is why we didn’t even care to visit) and that Maya Bay has too many visitors. But it’s not fair to say that Koh Phi Phi is not worth seeing, because it absolutely is.

]]> By: Eliska https://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/terrible-ko-phi-phi-thailand/#comment-1210576 Thu, 27 Sep 2018 06:55:44 +0000 https://www.nomadicmatt.com/?p=122186#comment-1210576 I’m sorry to hear that you had such a bad experience in Phi Phi. I’ve lived on the island for some time and still love it here, but it is probably down to a personal taste. It’s quiet harsh making statements saying not to visit Phi Phi, there are many beautiful beaches and maybe you were unlucky with some ocean current bringing rubbish on the beach which can happen on islands, but this morning I went for a swim and the beach was just stunning with a crystal clear water.
If you like nature and more quiet atmosphere you should have stayed in a quieter area of phi phi, not in the main town. Bungalows on long beach, Viking resort or Relax beach start from 900THB (around $27) per night during high season.
I’m sure everyone can make their own mind, I get very protective of the Island and hearing such a strong statement which is not very accurate gets on my nerve. sorry

]]> By: Dot https://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/terrible-ko-phi-phi-thailand/#comment-1201781 Tue, 11 Sep 2018 17:17:57 +0000 https://www.nomadicmatt.com/?p=122186#comment-1201781 Such a shame! We were on Phi Phi just before The Beach was filmed and it was beautiful! There was just one tiny hotel, which consisted of a handful of bungalows, in the area and hardly anyone there. We spent many lazy days snorkelling and exploring in long-tail boats… Haven’t been back since and have no plans to, would much rather remember the Phi Phi back then…

Planning a trip back to Thailand for the first time since 2000 this Christmas. Any recommendations on where to visit to avoid full moon parties and overdeveloped tourist strips? Would love to experience the Thailand we used to know and love and are a little worried about what we will find!

]]> By: Jonathan Lim https://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/terrible-ko-phi-phi-thailand/#comment-1200710 Sat, 08 Sep 2018 15:42:28 +0000 https://www.nomadicmatt.com/?p=122186#comment-1200710 Oh Matt you are so right. Wished I had read your review before deciding to visit this island. Being Malaysian, it is pretty accesible from direct Phuket-KL flight. Being ignorant and didn’t know much about Thai islands, I thought Phi Phi was at least much less developed than Phuket’s beaches, some thing like Malaysia’s Perhentian/Lang Tengah/Tenggol to Langkawi/Tioman but then I was so shocked to find it is so developed, with so many shops and businesses packed in one tight area. It is a party island, with 99% tourists coming from western countries, hardly can see Asians around. The corals are pretty much dead, with just snorkeling not much things. Should have researched more on the Thai islands you mentioned…

]]> By: Touchstone https://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/terrible-ko-phi-phi-thailand/#comment-1188417 Tue, 24 Jul 2018 23:40:55 +0000 https://www.nomadicmatt.com/?p=122186#comment-1188417 The photo of you on “main Street” tells me the whole story. In 1987, I don’t recall any paving on the island. At the fancy resort on the other side of the island, which you could walk to over the hilltop, there was concrete around the pool. But other than that, the whole island was paved in sand and crushed shells. No question that Phi Phi is very changed. I loved it in ’87. A haircut on the beach. a hammock in a thatched hut. 500 grams of grilled shrimp and a cold beer. snorkeling every day out on the islands, gliding over brain coral. But, if you want things to stay the same, then don’t go back. It will, at least, be the same in your memory. Yes, there is abusive development, but nothing stays the same.

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