dcreighton

My husband and I will be in Phuket and Phi Phi in Nov. We are staying 2 nights at Mom Tri's Boathouse and then heading to Phi Phi. We planned on staying for 3 nights but cannot get back on time using the Ferry for our flight out of Phuket.

When we come back to Phuket, should we try and stay at Mom Tri's Boathouse again for the 1 night or book a hotel more convenient to leaving for the airport in the morning.

It's our first time there and do not know the lay-out of the Islands.

Also, we were planning on staying at Phi Phi ViewPoint but reviews are not good on Trip Advisor. Any other recommendations? Holiday Inn seems to far out for just a 2 night stay.

Would appreciate all your expert advice. Thanks.

JamesA

I would go back to Mom Tri's, the main reason being is that is will be so easy for you to leave the bulk of your baggage there and just take what you need to Phi Phi, save taking all your baggage.
There are hotyels/resorts closer to the airport but I think it is not really worth that as being able to leave most of your baggage at Mom Tri's is a big plus, leave laundry etc and when you return you will be familiar with where you are staying and and makes everything easy.

filmwill

Too far out from what? Just curious--Phi Phi is incredibly small...

You want to steer clear of the main village of Phi Phi (Tonsai, etc) unless you want to be stuck with hundreds upon hundreds of backpackers and tourists.

Holiday Inn, I would argue, is much better located than most and it's a great deal for the money. It's on the East Coast of the island (and on the best beach on the island) which has the nicer resorts and the more civilized crowd.

dcreighton

James A...thanks for the reply. I guess we can trust Mom Tri's with our luggage.

Firmwill...I thought Holiday Inn was another boat ride away from the Ferry port...making it longer to get to our destination. But, I gather you think it's worth it? Do I prearrange that with the Holiday Inn or wait until I arrive in PhiPhi? Thanks.

filmwill

dc, if you take the public ferry, then, yes, you'd want to grab a longtail boat (which is more like a water taxi) from Tonsai Bay to the other side...but that's only 10-20 mins. max.

However, I would recommend seeing if Holiday Inn offers their own transport (hoping Leigh, our resident Holiday Inn expert can chime in on this). We stayed at Phi Phi Island Village (which we LOVED), which is one beach down from Holiday Inn (and slightly more expensive)...but they had their own boat from Phuket directly to the resort.

Granted, I'm sure that option is more expensive than the ferry, but, for us, it was definitely worth the convenience.

Even if you had to take the public ferry, just grab an early boat and you'll be fine. In my opinion, even for 2 days, it's worth staying away from the hordes.

dcreighton

Filmwill,

I didn't realize that the hotel may offer transportation right from Phuket. If that is the case, I may be able to stay in Phi Phi the 3rd night and get their transportation back to Phuket in time to make our flight that morning. Thanks so much for the info.

LeighTravelClub

If you are coming from Phuket, then there will be no extra boat trip. The public ferry will moor in the bay at Laem Tong (location of Holiday Inn), and the hotel long tail will come out to get you. If the tide is high, then the longtail will take you right to the beach by the reception area. If the tide is low then the longtail will take you as far as there is water and a mini tractor and trailer will take you the rest of the way.
Completely aggree with Will that you should avoid Tonsai Village area unless you are a young thing looking to party all night.
We always use speedboat transfer arranged by HI, because of the extra time it gives us on the island.
I am working on a page devoted to Laem Tong Bay which you can find on the following link. It's not finished yet but you may find some useful info here and at other areas of our site.
Feel free to e'mail if you think that might help.

http://www.leightravelclub.com/laemtong.htm

LeighTravelClub

As you will be staying in Phuket first. On the day of your transfer, make the effort and get up early to catch the 8.30 ferry. You will be at Phi Phi and settled in before lunch. For your return trip to catch a morning flight from Phuket, you can get the hotel to arrange speedboat transfer, or you can talk to the people at sea gypsy village who will do the same thing considerably cheaper.

dcreighton

LeighTravelClub....Thanks for the info. Would you know approximately how much a speedboat transfer would cost. Would you take a chance and stay in Phi Phi the extra night and then just go to sea gypsy village in the morning to get a speedboat transfer? Also, is it easy to take your luggage over to the sea gypsy village?

Thanks.

LeighTravelClub

Speedboat booked through Holiday Inn will be around 10,000baht, maybe more.
If you negotiate with sea gypsies, then could be MUCH less....especially if they have a pick-up to do from Phuket. You can't leave it till the morning you leave....you need to get something arranged at least the day before you are leaving.

I would say, have lunch at Jasmines early during your stay and ask the question!!!! Jasmines, located adjacent to H.I., is the heart of the sea gypsy village, and of course, whoever you book through, it will be the sea gypsies that do your transfer. By going direct to them, you will get a better price and they will get the full fare, rather than whatever the corporate decide to pay them.

Absolutely no problem getting your luggage to the speedboat. The boatman will do it all for you!

What time is your outward flight from Phuket?

dcreighton

LeighTravelClub....
I'm looking at flights out of Phuket and hoping to be able to book the 12:45 flight. Wanted to have our hotels booked before I actually book the flight. Heading to Chiang Mai from Phuket.

shanek

Have you considered doing Phi-Phi first and then Kata beach rather than slotting it in-between. If you had a morning flight into Phuket,you could still catch a 1.30pm ferry to Phi-Phi and then stay 3 nights before your 2 nights at MTB.

dcreighton

Our flight comes in too late to make the afternoon ferry so we decided to stay in Phuket first. I'm running into a lot of obstacles with planning this trip but know it will be worth in in the end!

TC

O.K. just my humble opinion, but I wasn't all that impressed with Phi Phi. We thought it <u>very</u> touristy. The boats that go out to &quot;The Beach&quot; movie location were crammed to overflowing and there were literally 25 or more boats in the tiniest bay - all jockeying for a spot while tourists snorkeled around them. It was quite scary! We had sailed there very early to beat the crowd and, oh my, I'm so glad. As soon as the tour boats started arriving we made a hasty exit. The Rough Guide to Thailand's Beaches and Islands calls Ko Phi Phi <i>&quot;some of the worst-value accommodations in the whole of Thailand&quot;.(page 386)</i> If you are having a great deal of difficulty with this leg of your trip, you may want to reconsider the effort.

filmwill

TC, what part of Phi Phi were you at?

I never visited the main village once, so my experience was quite different than that.

TC

We were bareboat sailing in the islands. We anchored in the bay at Ao Ton Sai on Ko Phi Phi Don, eating and provisioning in town. The next morning we set sail for Ko Phi Phi Leh to see &quot;The Beach&quot;.

filmwill

that's why--if you had visited the east coast, you would've had a different experience as well. the disparity is night and day.

and i disagree 150% on rough guides' comments (a book series, which, from my experience, paints everything in broad strokes), phi phi had the most beautiful beaches I've ever laid eyes on. well worth the experience of getting out there.

to each their own, i suppose.

if you only go to the main village and the main tourist attractions (i.e., phi phi ley) you're going to see tourists.

LeighTravelClub

Well said Will!!!

My visits to Phi Phi are well in to the teens....probably more.

The Maldives, Seychelles, Costa Rica, Malaysia and many more, we have visited trying to find somewhere to compare with the north east coast of Phi Phi.......NONE have come close.

Stay at Tonsai/Loh Dalum and take the consequences. Visit Maya Bay after 11.00 am and take the consequences. With just a little bit of planning and effort this is a magnificent and unique beach destination.

Every time we visit, we meet someone who we have met on a previous visit.....perhaps we've all got it wrong....I don't think so.

We regularly travel for around 12000 miles taking in excess of 14 hours to return to 'a little piece of paradise'.

TC

My point is this -- if a person is working quite hard to travel to Phi Phi and back - as is the original poster, then one should know where to go and what to do. I'm no novice to travel -- we've bareboated all over the world - the Caribbean, French Polynesia (far more spectacular beaches and diving than anywhere in Thailand), Australia, New Zealand. I've traveled to China, Europe, and Africa all independently. I did my homework -- for an entire year. I took every guide book written about Thailand out of our library and read every post on this board and we still ended up in a place I would write off in a second. We did see some lovely beaches in Thailand, just not on Phi Phi. If one needs to know to avoid the afore mentioned places, then possibly very specific instructions are needed. At this time, I stand by my post -- in our experience, it just wasn't all that....

filmwill

Breathe, TC, breathe.

It's just a different opinion, that's all.

No one called you inexperienced.