cam

Hi,
Has anyone stayed in the Phi Phi Paradise Pearl Resort in Long Beach?
Thanks
Carmel

Sacha

Hi Carmel

My boyfriend and I have just come back from Thailand. We stayed on Phi Phi Don and it is a very nice place, its over run with young hippie traveller types, it’s very beautiful and people are very friendly.

We first went to Phi Phi Paradise Pearl Resort on Long Beach, looked at the bungalows with fans going for 1000B but decided they weren’t very nice. If you do stay on long-beach its about a 25min walk to the town centre were all the bars and restaurants are. There are no cars on the island and I think they have only two mopeds on the entire island. You can take a long boat for 80barts per person to the main town but the longboats stop running at about 9:00. Long-beach is very quiet and the bars and restaurants close fairly early.

I have a friend that stayed at the Phi Phi Paradise Pearl Resort in a fan room and said it was pretty grim.

We ended up staying in Andaman Beach Resort in a fan room which wasn’t that much better but the resort had a pool and if your prepared to pay a bit more I know the aircon rooms are better. Also the Andaman is a good distance to all the bars and restaurants in the main town.

All in all the accommodation is not great on this island unless you stay in the most expensive bungalows but the island and the beaches are so lovely I guarantee you will hardly spend anytime in your room.

Once there I recommend you get up early one morning and hire a long boat for 700B for the day. Get the boatman to take you to all the secluded beaches around the island and also the neighbouring island Phi Phi Lee where the film The Beach was filmed. The boatmen normally have mask’s and fins so you can do some snorkelling.

Also try the banana and chocolate pancakes from the street vendors they are to die for. In the evening have a few pineapple shakes at the Hippie Bar, they have swings and hammocks half in the sea the music is nice and the atmosphere is so relaxing.

Have fun
Sacha

realmacaw

realmacaw

Carmel,

I highly suggest you stay at this place. Why? Because the beach is the best on the entire island. It is the prettiest. You don't stay there for the resort, you stay there for the beach and the people who are attracted to this beach. The Paradise Pearl Resort is more of a family place. There is a backpacker "resort" right next to it where people stay for $3 per night. It has a prettier beach than Paradise but primitive huts and mosquitoes that get you at night. I'd suggest you stay at Paradise Beach Resort and then walk down the beach a few hundred feet each day to spend your time with the younger backpacker crowd. Why? There are a lot of pretty French and German single girls.

As for walking to town from Paradise Beach, I tried it once in the dark. It was steep, wet, foolish, dangerous. It is far better to just always take the water taxi (a long boat) to town and back. The food is better in town and more to do in town than on Long Beach. So most people spend the day at Long Beach snorkeling and sun tanning and then go to town each night for dinner. I'd suggest you do that.

I met an elderly couple from France who lock up their home and go every winter to Phi Phi Island and stay at Paradise Beach Resort. They stay 3-4 months. Since they stay long term they get a cheaper rate, about $7 per night and something like 10-20% off on food from there. They had done this 4 years in a row and probably are still doing it.

If you like swimming with sharks, you can easily snorkel out to shark point which is near Paradise Beach Resort. There are 1-6 small 4 foot long sharks at a time you'll see there. Try it late in the afternoon or early in the morning. During the heat of the day the sharks swim out to deeper cooler water. There is also a trail nearby so you can hike across the island to a secluded bay on the other side. It is only a 5 minute hike. If you pay about $7 in town at a travel shop you can go on an all day snorkeling trip to many surrounding islands. It includes a couple bottles of water, luch with rice and cooked egg, and a couple skewers of pineapple. I'd highly suggest you do it, perhaps even more than once.

The best time to go to this island is around Christmas time. But anytime between November through March should be good weather. The weather in Southern Thailand is very consistent. At the time of year it rains on the west side it is nice on the east side and visa versa. If you go to Thailand at a warmer time such as April or May I'd suggest you go to the island of Ko Tao. Once you get off the boat look for a small 4 wheel drive truck which is a taxi. It takes people to Bamboo Huts which is on the secluded east side of the island. That's where you should go. The huts are $2 per night. They are primitive but NICE. This is a quiet wonderful place to stay. But it doesn't have the fun night life that Phi Phi Island has. Phi Phi Island is funner if you make friends with people there. If you have any questions, e-mail me.

Brian.
[email protected]

samk

Hi myself and 5 friends have just returned from Thailand we went to Ph PHi (2nd year in a row) we stayed at the Anderman which is where we stayed last year. The bungalows are clean and good for the money. It's not in the centre of town which is nice and the staff are very friendly. I can personally say it is wirth staying there, don't bother with the Hippie Bar we found it abit pretentious. There's a bar called Karma much more chilled out and the owner and staff are very relaxed and you can sit on the beach all night if you like! (& it's only a 2 min walk back to the Amderman)

One thing you have to do is go to viewpoint it's abit of a trek & don't forget to put loads of mozzie spray on but the view form the top is beautiful.

Phi Phi is a good stop to explore other Islands there is one in particular that we have been to twice now it's called Lanta not as commercialised as Phi Phi at least 3 times the size, but it's a special place. The place to stay for £8.00 a night is the Lanta Marina bamboo huts with a big double bed, electric ,western tiolet, cold shower and a portable fan. There is a bar in forn called the 'Omelette Bar' once youv'e been there and eaten at Lanta Marina you wont go anywhere else!!

I hope you have a great trip

Sam