How to walk from Phi Phi Town to the north part of the island ?
There are three different ways of getting to the Phi Phi Island Village in Loh Ba Kao Bay, Leam Tong and Nui Bay.
- The first one is walking over the Phi Phi Viewpoint #2.
- The second one is over the secret viewpoint #4, through the hotel Villa 360
- The third way is the easiest way and the route I usually take, over Hin Poo Bay.
This way, over Hin Poo Bay, takes less then an hour and if you are a fast walker you can get there swiftly in 40 minutes. You can only walk this way when it is not very high tide. So check the sea level before you go and time your journey. You can download Apps such as Tides or Global Tide or check online HERE.
Here are the directions to the north part of the island,
Loh Ba Kao Bay, Nui Bay, Loh Lana Bay and the very north of the island Tong Cape beach.
STEP #1
Walk through the town toward the end of the Loh Dalum bay, at the Viewpoint Resort take left towards The Only Bar.
STEP #2
Pass The Only Bar and right after Kitty Guesthouse, take the narrow alleyway left heading downwards to the sea.
STEP #3
Follow the path along the seashore pass the Sea Sky Resort.
STEP #4
After you walk through the Phi Phi Sunset Bay Resort in Hin Poo Bay, follow the coastline walking on the large black stones. All the way to end where is a small opening to the jungle. Be careful, the stones can be extremely slippery.
STEP #5
Hike about 10 min up the steep hill and on the top of the hill, you will go down again another 10 minutes, following the rope.
STEP #6
You will come out of the jungle and stand at the crossroad. Facing a small pond (empty during dry season). Take left to get to the village.
If you take the right turn, you will get back to the town over the Phi Phi Viewpoint (you can choose to go back this way for a change of scenery, it’s just a bit longer way).
STEP #7
Pass the old shack you will come to the concrete road. Take a right turn here to get to the Village.
Going left will lead you to Loh Lana Bay and Nui Bay. To get to Nui Bay you have to walk at the edge of the left corner of Loh Lana Beach. Pass the fisherman huts and climb the rope to the top of the hill there. If you get here during the high tide you will have to walk thought the water for about 100 meters.
STEP #8
Taking the right at the crossroad will lead you directly to the Village, pass the football pitch and prayer room.
You can keep walking down the path and going left which will lead you to the beach in Loh Ba Kao and the Phi Phi Island Village Resort.
STEP #9
Coming back to the Village and taking the left turn you will be at the heart of the small village. You can buy a drink here, have some food and refresh.
If you walk through the village and walk across the bridge, you can see the mangrove lagoon.
STEP #10
At the end of the bridge, you will come to a crossroad. Taking left will take you back to where you come from, passing Loh Lana Bay (and Nui Bay) and the entrance to the jungle.
Taking right will lead you to the very north part of the island Tong Cape also know as the Leam Tong Beach.
STEP #11
To get to Leam Tong simply follow the road by the seashore. It takes around 20 minutes to walk. You can also pay someone from the village to drop you off on a motorbike.
Leam Tong beach is another quiet beautiful stretch of sand with some restaurants and luxury hotels.
6 tips you should know before taking the hike:
Tip#1
Wear comfortable shoes. The climb is not difficult, but the majority of the way is on an uneven ground and steep hills, covered by tree roots which can be slippery. Also useful to have with you is mosquito spray, mobile phone, some money, water and sun cream.
Tip#2
Keep your eyes open at the time. You will be walking through the jungle, so you can come across some animals, including monkeys, snakes, spiders, centipedes, etc. I saw one snake last week, rolled up right in the middle of the pathway.
When it comes to monkeys, they usually bark a lot but never attacked me. Best not to show fear but be prepared to run. Do not have on display any food a keep your water bottle in your rucksack. I always tend to make some noise when I walk and hope it will scare off any possible jungle animals.
Tip#3
For refreshment grab lunch or drink in Buffalo Head Bar and restaurant, very delicious food and drinks. You can find the restaurant in the middle of the village.
Tip#4
If you are too tired to walk back you can take a taxi boat. Price for a taxi boat from the north part of the island to the pier is around 1000 THB.
Also, some of the hotels like Holiday Inn and Phi Phi Island Village Beach Resort have shuttle boat to the pier for 200THB per person. So unless it’s after 16.00 pm, it is worth asking in the reception when is the next boat back to the Tonsai pier.
Tip#5
As mentioned before – check the OCEAN TIDE before you plan timing of your hike. Ideally, you want to get there when the tide is in the middle of the day circle and going up.
Too high tide means there will be no beach in both Bak Kao Bay and also Tong Cape Beach. During low tide there is no swimming possible in Loh Ba Kao Bay, the water goes out very far out.
Download application Global Tide or Tides to see the level of the water anywhere in the world.
Tip#6
Don’t walk in the jungle at night. It’s not safe and you can get easily lost. Also all the snakes come out usually at night time.
more photos from Koh Phi Phi on my Instagram @phiphiisland_diary
