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Region: Southern Thailand> Province: Krabi>Location: Ko Phi Phi
Ko Phi Phi sights and attractions
Ko Phi Phi - More to do than sipping buckets of booze
Description
The scuba-diving around Phi Phi is world-class. It's easy enough to find a dive shop on Phi Phi -- the question is, which one to choose? Every dive shop on the island offers the same services at a fixed price established by mutual agreement, so don't bother trying to haggle. They did this to avoid price wars which only force operators to overcrowd their boats and reduce the quality of service in order to come out ahead. As a result, you'll get a much better experience across the board on Phi Phi than you might in a place like Ko Tao. Just remember the mantra: oil cartel bad, scuba cartel good.
No new visitor to Phi Phi can fail to notice, though, that certain dive shops have resorted to acts of desperation in order to pull in customers, aggressively hawking for business every time you walk within 50 metres of their shop. Everyone finds it annoying. It's up to you, but you might send them a message visa-vis their sales techniques by taking your business elsewhere. The best dive shops survive just fine on the basis of good service and good word-of-mouth, so take your time, ask around and don't go for the first operator that pulls you off the street. All shops offer three-day PADI courses for 12,000B (set rate throughout the island) two-dive day trips for 2,200B, three dives for 2,900B. You'll pay an extra 1000B if you want to see the King Cruiser shipwreck as one of your dives and going out to Hing Daeng and Hin Muang costs 4,800B.
For those looking to further their qualifications, you can take advanced courses -- Emergency First response for 4,500B, and Rescue Diver 12,100B
It can be hard to decide what dive shop to go with, especially in places such as Phi Phi where there are so many choices. Our advice is to wander around town and chat to the various shops. Everyone offers a variation of the same trip, so don't be sold on 'secret locations'. Find a shop where you understand the staff, and where you feel the staff are mature enough and experienced enough to know what they are talking about. On our recent trip we chatted to one extremely young instructor who spoke for ages about how Phi Phi was so much better than Ko Tao, only to reveal he had done each and everyone of his dives in Phi Phi and had never even been to Ko Tao!
Bottom line, these guys work on commission and therefore want to sell to you. So by all means have a chat but don't opt for the first place just because it sounds good, shop around; you can always head back after you've checked the competition. Ask who will be accompanying you (ie Dive master, or instructor), what kind of boat they have and whether they have toilet facilities for example. Diving is a fun and safe sport, IF done under the correct condition and supervised by experienced professionals. In our opinion a 22 year old whose gone from student graduate to dive instructor in 5 months may well be qualified, but a 32 year old with 10 years experience is a far safer bet.
Options include:
Aquanauts Scuba Diving Center (PADI/SSI): Ton Sai Village, Ko Phi Phi. http://www.aquanauts-scuba.com
Barakuda Diving Centre (PADI 5*): Ton Sai Village, Ko Phi Phi. T:(075) 601 006. http://www.phiphibarakuda.com
Harlequin (PADI/SSI) (NITROX): Ton Sai Village, Ko Phi Phi. T:(075) 601 074. http://www.harlequinscuba.com
Moskito Diving (PADI 5*): Ton Sai Village, Ko Phi Phi. T:(075) 601 154. http://www.moskitodiving.com
Phi Phi Scuba Diving Center (PADI): Ton Sai Village, Ko Phi Phi. T:(075) 612 665 / 086 282 4421. http://www.ppscuba.com
P.P. Seafrog Diving Center (PADI): 2 Locations: Ton Sai Village and Opp. Carpe Diem Bar, Ko Phi Phi. T:(075) 601 073 http://www.ppseafrog.com
Viking Divers (PADI/SSI): Ton Sai Village, Ko Phi Phi. T:(075) 601 110. http://www.vikingdiversthailand.com
Visa Diving: Ton Sai Village, Ko Phi Phi. T: (075) 601 157. http://www.visadiving.com
A one day cruise around the island and the islets off the coast will cost you 600B by speed boat or large boat (containing kayaks etc), 500B by long-tail. There's also a shorter Sunset Cruise (15.30 – 19.45 including dinner) available for 450B. All trips offer the opportunity to snorkel, but you can also just enjoy the cruise and the views if you like -- though that won't get you a break on the price. Snorkelling equipment and snacks are provided as part of the package and you can book a tour practically anywhere in Ton Sai village or at one of the resorts. A Shark Watch tour is available for 550B and they promise you're absolutely guaranteed to see a shark or you'll get your money back. Yeah, right. Maybe it's a stuffed shark? You also can roll-your-own snorkeling trip and set your own itinerary by getting a group of friends together and renting a long-tail for the day -- 1,800B, or around 1000B for a half day (3-4 hrs).
Blue Skies One Day Cruise T: (084) 627 5812,(081) 893 8901. Runs from 09.00 to 15.30
Daily Snorkel & Sunset Trip T: (086) 276 3154,(084) 851 2104. Runs from 09.00 to 16.00 and 11.00 to 18.30 (sunset)
Legacy Sunset Tour T: (075) 601 298,(075) 601 108; F: (075) 601 298. Runs from 14.30 to 19.00
P.P Sunset Trip T: (084) 690 8149,(089) 6450752; F: (075) 601 278. Runs from 15.30 to 19.45
For gravity fans, there are some cliffs that are ripe for the jumping on Phi Phi, offering adrenaline-filled plunges from 6 to 18 meters (into the water, of course) -- trips take three hours, cost 550B and also include snorkelling. For those seeking vertical trips in the opposite direction, Phi Phi Climbers on Ton Sai Beach Rd offers a range of courses from half-day introductions for 800B to three-day advanced courses for 6000B. Experienced climbers with their own equipment can just stop in and ask where the best routes are. The Adventure Club, located in Ton Sai village, offers a couple of unique tours: The Quest includes jungle walking, climbing, caving with optional snorkelling and abseiling (800B base price, four to seven hours) Our favourite, The 007 Tour is advertised as a 'mission to an undisclosed destination.' To qualify as a participant you need to be able to do a bit of simple climbing, have no fear of heights, and the ability to keep a secret! (Costs 1,500B. Additional information is classified.)
There are some hikes you can venture on alone -- heading east along Ton Sai, you can keep going over hillside trails or along the beach at low tide to Lo Moo Dee -- takes about an hour. On the other side of the viewpoint there are three paths leading to bays on the other side. The centre path takes you to Rantee Beach, about a 20-minute hike, and the paths to the left and right wind their way towards Pak Nam Beach and Ao Toh Koh respectively -- both about 45 minutes from the top of the viewpoint. They're hardly nature trails -- just paths used by locals avoiding the cost of a long-tail to and from Ton Sai. There are some tricky bits, but nothing that requires climbing expertise.
The Adventure Club : Ton Sai Village, Ko Phi Phi. Tel: (01) 895 1334. http://www.phi-phi-adventure.com .
