Phuket, Thailand - Phi Phi Island Self-guided Tour Guide (Very Detailed Pictures and Text)

This trip to the Thailand beach was a pure rest, a complete relaxation and forgetfulness of body and mind. Before departure, I browsed many strategies of predecessors, and now I will share some personal practical information with you.

Preliminary preparation

1. Apply for a passport. It must be done in advance. Passport information is required for booking international flight tickets. However, if you see a discounted ticket, you can fill in a number at random. Call the airline customer service 24 hours before the flight takes off and change it to the correct passport number and passport validity period. It will just be a little troublesome.

2. Book a flight. AirAsia's red-eye flight tickets are the cheapest, and the departure time is often late at night. In addition, you have to pay extra for luggage, seats, meals, and insurance, which is not cheap. The seat space is still relatively narrow (we did not choose to purchase additional items, Bangkok-Phuket round-trip tickets are 700 RMB per person). China Southern Airlines is more expensive (Guangzhou-Bangkok round-trip 1950 RMB per person), but it is trouble-free and the service is also great.

3. Exchange Thai baht. You can exchange it at the Bank of China. Other banks rarely have Thai baht. You need to make an appointment two working days in advance. When exchanging, you need to provide your ID card, name, phone number and exchange amount. But when I arrived in Thailand, I found that there were UnionPay ATMs everywhere. It was very convenient to withdraw money. It will automatically convert it into Thai baht. It is recommended to use a debit card (savings card) for ATM withdrawals.

4. Book a hotel. You can find it on the AGODA website (/***?from=travelnotes_user&mddid=0&to=agoda&j=http%3A%2F%2F***). There are many hotels to choose from, including mid-range, high-end and low-end ones. You must first understand where you want to play and determine the nearby hotel accommodation. Each hotel has a detailed graphic introduction (the key is to look at the hotel's occupancy evaluation), as well as a hotel location map (be sure to print it out before departure. The language communication is not clear, and you will understand everything once you take out the map).

5. Packing

Documents: Make two copies of your passport, visa, round-trip air tickets and hotel reservations. Keep them separate from the originals. These will come in handy if you lose the originals.

Cash: Valid credit cards, savings cards, a small amount of Thai baht.

Information: Phuket-Phi Phi Island travel guide, a book of practical English for travel, a pen and a small notebook that you can carry with you (record phone numbers, travel notes, and write down prices when bargaining).

Medicines: Band-Aids, mosquito repellent, cooling oil, cold medicine, Huoxiang Zhengqi oral liquid (bring your own if you have a bad stomach), motion sickness medicine.

Toiletries: toothpaste, toothbrush (the first two are not provided by hotels in Thailand), towels, facial cleanser, face cream, 50 times waterproof and sweat-proof sunscreen, after-sun repair, facial mask, shampoo, conditioner, shaver, comb, cosmetics (preferably travel-sized ones that don't take up space).

Clothes: Clothes should be light and quick-drying. It's not too cold, so you don't need long clothes or long pants, bikinis (never one-piece, otherwise you will be the weirdest person there), sun hats, sunglasses (essential), flip-flops, and it's best to carry a long-sleeved jacket in your bag. Air-conditioned places (such as airports and cabins) are super cold.

Play in Phuket - PHIPHI

There are two ways to get from Bangkok to Phuket. One is to take a bus, which is nearly 900 kilometers and takes about 14 hours. The ticket is about 600-999b/person (the price of each long-distance bus company is different, the most expensive 24-seat bus is 999b/person), and the end point is Phang Nga Road Bus Station in downtown Phuket. The return trip is the same. At the Bangkok South Line Bus Terminal (located on Pinklao-Nakhon Chaisri Road), there are more than a dozen buses to Phuket every day. It is recommended to take the night bus and basically arrive after a good night's sleep; the second option is to take a plane, which takes an hour and a half to arrive (fast! It does not delay the time for playing, so we chose this). Phuket Airport is a relatively simple airport. There is a free Phuket map at the exit (be sure to take it, it is very useful). It takes about 45 minutes from the airport to Patong Beach. It takes about 150b/person by minibus (it takes a full car to drive, and sometimes you have to wait), and 600b/car by taxi. Both minibuses and taxis will take you directly to the hotel you booked.

DAY 1: Ride a motorcycle to visit the three major beaches in Phuket - Patong Beach, Karon Beach, and Kata Beach

Stay at PL Guesthouse on Patong Beach. The location is very good, quiet in the bustling city, very close to the beach and Patong Street (also known as Bar Street), just a dozen minutes walk away, and even closer to the JUNGCEYLON shopping mall, just three minutes walk to the right.




The food in the JUNGCEYLON shopping mall. First, buy a card at the front desk to charge money, and then swipe the card to order dishes. If you don’t use it up, you can refund it. It’s very convenient. The seafood Tom Yum Goong soup is sprinkled with coriander, and it contains squid, shrimp, crab, mushrooms, etc.; the mango sticky rice is very sweet with coconut milk, and the Thai sticky rice tastes super good; banana coconut milk dessert, the banana is not as soft as fresh fruit, a little chewy, like pickled; seafood pineapple rice, not as good as the one we ate later, there are a lot of cashews; fried spring rolls, crispy and thin skin, dipped in sauce tastes super good.

This is the restaurant where we had two dinners in Phuket. It is delicious and the price is not expensive, about 700b, and there is free iced cola. The pineapple rice is super good, the bread is sweet and crispy, and there is also seafood coconut milk Tom Yum Goong soup, which is delicious!




We rented two motorbikes for three people (200 baht/motorbike, passports need to be kept, one for each motorbike, returned when the bike is returned). The price is the same in every rental shop, and varies depending on the model (similar to the motorbikes parked on the street in the photo). It is not difficult to drive, and it is not much different from driving an electric motorbike in other countries. You must pay attention to driving on the left. The gas is full when you pick up the motorbike, and it must be filled up when you return the motorbike. The gas is in glass bottles (50 baht/bottle of gas)




A couple walking on Patong Beach.

Phuket is quite lively at night, with many nightlife programs. The price of VIP and ordinary seats for SIMON transvestite show is the same, with two shows at 19:30 and 21:30, including round-trip hotel pick-up in Patong, 650b for adults and 600b for children; 550b if hotel pick-up is not required. Pick-up near Karon and Kata is 750b for adults and 700b for children.


Taking a photo with the ladyboy costs 40 baht per person.

Patong is the busiest street. You can walk around the street and watch or join in the dance. You can also order a bottle of beer to watch the show (we are girls and only ordered juice to watch a ladyshow, 300 baht/person, and the refills are the same price). I didn’t have the courage to watch the ladyboy show, so I left. In fact, as long as you haven’t finished your drink, you can watch as long as you want. The overall feeling is that there is no aesthetic feeling at all. It is purely an alternative experience in life and an eye-opener.





Phuket's nightlife is sparsely populated during the day, but crowded at night.

DAY 2: Take a cruise to Phi Phi, and connect with island tours and deep-sea diving

At 7:20 in the morning, wait for the car to pick you up at the pier in the hotel lobby. Our boat is at 8:30. The boat schedule is: Phuket-Phi Phi 08:30; 11:00; 14:30; Phi Phi-Phuket 09:00; 13:30: 14:30. There are no 11:00 and 13:30 flights in the off-season. The boat ticket is 600b for adults and 550b for children. If you are prone to seasickness, you must take motion sickness medicine before the boat sets sail. The sea waves to Phi Phi Island are relatively strong, and the journey takes about 2 hours. The staff will put a ticket on you and give you a return boat ticket (be sure to keep it well, you can return any day, just show the ticket), and there will be a car to take you directly back to the original hotel on the return trip.




Ton Sai Bay on Phi Phi Island.


Scenery of Phi Phi Island.

We arrived at the island at 12 noon and first looked for a place to stay. We decided on a twin palms cabin (1,000 baht/night). Next to it was the carnival beach, where we often had fun until 2 a.m. We had a quick lunch at an Indonesian restaurant and started to compare prices and contact three companies to book a long-tail boat for a tour around the island tomorrow (2,800 baht including all island fees). After comparing, we found that the price of deep diving on the island was the same for each company, and it was said that it was determined by everyone in a meeting (I feel that the tourism market in Thailand does not have the malicious price-raising phenomenon that we have in China, and it is still very standardized). We accidentally met Along, a Chinese diving instructor. Because we had no diving experience, we chose a deep dive according to his suggestion (one deep dive was 1,600 baht/person, two deep dives were 3,200 baht/person), plus underwater photography and video recording (500 baht/person). During the chat, Along learned that we were going to tour around the island tomorrow, and proposed to go with us, teach us snorkeling for free, and take us to places that few people know about.


The twin palms cabin has a unique bathroom and half of the roof is open.


Pipi street food, the aunt is making banana pancakes, which are delicious with freshly squeezed lemon juice.



Freshly made coconut scones, the shredded coconut and coconut milk are very fragrant but a little too sweet.


Phi Phi Island map. The island is not big and you can walk across the front and back beaches in 20 minutes.


Coach Along, we are talking about diving.

Because I wasted a lot of time asking for prices and bargaining when looking for accommodation and confirming the activities, I missed the opportunity to go to the View Point of Phi Phi Island to overlook the panoramic view of PP Island and enjoy the unbeatable sunset. It is recommended to make an appointment with the local travel agency in advance (the price is the same), so that you will have more time to play.

The carnival beach on PP Island at night starts at 9 o'clock every night and lasts until 2 or 3 in the morning. First there is a torch show, and then everyone dances together. The exciting music makes every cell beat. Europeans and Americans are the most relaxed in the audience. When they are happy, they will jump into the sea together to love.


This is the daytime appearance of Carnival Beach at night.

DAY 3: Charter a long-tail boat to travel around the island and enjoy the charm of PP in one day: Bamboo Island--Mosquito Island--Maya Bay--Watch the sunset on the sea



Longtail boat on Phi Phi Island.

At 12 noon, we found A Long and set off on time. We had to wear a bikini in advance (with a sunscreen or sun protection clothing on the outside), bring the big towel provided by the hotel, and prepare water and bread (for the fish).

The first stop is Bamboo Island: Bamboo Island is so beautiful, the sand is very fine, and the sea water is very blue. After seeing it, I felt the suffocating beauty for the first time! You will hold your breath and be completely intoxicated by this natural beauty. If you have not been to Bamboo Island, you have not played Pipi. A Long taught us to practice snorkeling here, and also taught us how to float on our backs on the sea.



The scenery you see in person is definitely much more beautiful than what you see in photos.

The second stop was Mosquito Island: the clear waters were filled with beautiful coral reefs, making it the best place to snorkel and see tropical fish and corals. We jumped into the sea and started snorkeling, playing with colorful and graceful tropical fish of all sizes, and the beautiful corals were within easy reach. It doesn't matter if you can't swim, just put on a life jacket, a mask with a snorkel, and bury your head in the water to snorkel. But since I can't swim, I only dared to float near the boat. I tried to grab the rope or buoy several times but failed, and my head kept hitting the boat board, which was really embarrassing. Aaron pulled us back to the boat several times when we drifted away. Looking back, if it weren't for him, we would never dare to go into the sea, and would only lie on the edge of the boat to watch.





The third stop, Maya Bay, costs 200 baht to go ashore: the bay is not big, surrounded by cliffs as high as 100 meters on three sides, with only one narrow outlet to the sea. It is like an isolated paradise on earth. The movie "The Beach" starring Leonardo DiCaprio was filmed here. The bay looks very beautiful from a distance, the sand is white, the water is green, and the sand feels as fine as flour when you step on it. It is super comfortable! We cheered, ran, jumped, soaked in sea water, and played with sand happily on the beach. The careful Aaron used our camera to record everything for us, and also left the secrets of Lover's Beach in the camera, which we were surprised to see after we came back.





The secret of Lover's Beach, why is it called Lover's Beach? Smart people can see it at a glance.

The fourth stop is watching the sunset on the sea: We left Maya Bay at nearly 6 o'clock. We sat on the gently swaying boat and watched the sun slowly fall into the sea quietly. What a happy enjoyment. Sitting on the gently swaying boat, watching the sun slowly fall into the sea quietly, what a happy enjoyment. Sitting on the gently swaying boat, watching the sun slowly fall into the sea quietly, there are also scattered boats not far from the sea to share the sunset, there are long-tail boats, yachts and sailboats, so the people watching the scenery also become a scenery in each other's eyes.



The sky is changing colors every moment. Are you shocked?

To thank A-Long for accompanying me for a day, I asked him to have a seafood dinner on the beach in the evening (2000b for four people, not expensive, and we were full), and listened to his introduction to Thailand's customs and culture. I also learned that the hotels and facilities on the island were almost rebuilt after the 2004 tsunami. I also silently prayed for the victims of that tsunami. Now everything is back to prosperity, and people cherish their lives more, living a real, natural, passionate and unrestrained life without regrets.

DAY 4: Deep diving near the coast in the morning, and leaving the island by boat in the afternoon


The place where the yellow boat is moored is the offshore diving spot.

The offshore diving spot is in the shallow waters outside the Ton Sai Bay. You can see it from the shore. The diving depth is about 10-16 meters. Coach A Long first taught some main diving matters and hand gestures (about 15 minutes). Most of the time, one coach takes two guests to the sea. The diving time is about 45 minutes (depending on each person's physical adaptability). The next step is to put on a diving suit, tie a dozen kilograms of lead around the waist, carry a twenty-kilogram oxygen tank on the back, wear fins, sit at the stern to adapt to this bulky outfit, and then be pulled down by the coach.



The sea water is very clear and the visibility is very high. Don't think it is shallow. I heard from Aaron that it is 15 meters deep below. We are going to dive from here. Fishes, I will do it~\(≧▽≦)/~ la la la.

When we first went into the sea, the mask would get water (it was not a big problem to drain the water according to the drainage method taught by the coach), and then there was a very severe tinnitus and ear pain (if you feel uncomfortable, pinch your nose and use your ears to breathe out to relieve the pressure. Don't go up and down repeatedly, it will be more difficult to learn deep diving). Aaron would ask us if we were ok every time he was going to dive to a depth, so that we could slowly adapt to the underwater pressure. After diving for a long time, the throat will be dry and sore, and it will be hot and hot (you will get used to it after overcoming it). Diving into the sea is another scene. All kinds of fish swim around leisurely, very free and easy, and there are all kinds of corals. The soft corals that bloom like flowers are shrinking and swaying with the waves. It's beautiful! ! Aaron took us to swim into an underwater cave. There were thousands of transparent silver fish in it. It felt like they were glowing. It was so spectacular! ! I was dazzled by the sight and couldn't help but reach out to touch it, but the fish dodged. When I withdrew my hand, the fish swam closer again. The underwater world was so new and mysterious to me.





When I left, I left A-Long's contact information: Travel agent --- Seahorse Diving Club (the only diving company on the island with 4 Chinese coaches). Services include airport pick-up and drop-off, hotel reservations, Phuket tours, big and small Phi Phi, island tours, deep diving and many other projects. Arrangements will be made according to your specific requirements. There will be local companions. It is recommended to find A-Long (along), whose Chinese name is Mu Zhiming. He is a warm and cheerful Chinese who is very good at playing. Contact number: 0066814151066, MSN: mailto: phuket_along*** (phuket_along***). Their company has a QQ group number dedicated to consulting travel affairs: 172516744. Travelers who want to travel independently but are worried about language, cost and other issues can contact them.

Return to Bangkok Airport Shopping

I didn't shop much when I was playing in Phuket-Phi Phi, mainly because I didn't like carrying a lot of things like aunts and grandmas, and I didn't have much fun. Shopping was left to the airport. I originally planned to check in early and enter the duty-free shop in the international hall so that I would have enough time to shop. As it turned out, we took off at 11:50, and started queuing for ticket checking at 9:00 (why 3 hours in advance, it would be much better if we could do it 6, 7, or 8 hours in advance), and then queued up to pass the long security check. There was not much time left for you to slowly look and choose, so you must know what you need to buy before, quickly find it, quickly swipe the card, and quickly run to the boarding gate. When you get on the plane at 11:40, you only have a bunch of Thai baht on you. It is recommended to spend some time shopping in Phuket.

Back to Guilin, sitting at the desk the next day, I felt that I was just a shell back, and my heart was still in Phuket. I couldn't come back to my senses for a long time. When I closed my eyes, I still saw the blue sea, warm sand, beautiful fish, carnival beaches and lively streets in Phuket. My mood fell to the bottom, just like falling from heaven to earth, and the dream seemed to have never happened before. It was like waking up from a dream. Looking back, everything was so unreal. Only those photos and those fragments of people and things that can be recalled can constantly remind me that it was true. There are really such beautiful places in the world. I really went there. I also said to myself: "HIPHI, I will go back!".