I also read the previous review and do not understand how anyone can have an unpleasant experience anywhere on Phi Phi Don. My wife and I stayed 2 days/1night at Phi Phi Village in early April as part of our 2 week honeymoon in Thailand. The reason we didnt stay longer was because it was at the tail end of our trip and we had a reservation at the Rayavadee in Krabi which was non-refundable. Believe me, we were trying our best to stay another day in Phi Phi but just couldnt make it happen.....this resort/island is absolute PARADISE!

It seems as though the prior reviewer didnt enjoy there stay because they let money get in the way of their experience. My opinion is....so what if it costs a few extra dollars/euros to get around the island, chances are most of us will only visit this magnificant island once in our lifetime...please do yourself a favor and dont let a small amount of money interfere with your experience at Phi Phi as it did with the previous reviewer, when thinking about this small amount of money just think to yourself what these people went through in December 2004, and think how hard they work to please all of us. The service is top notch, and the locals are such friendly people who deserve every penny they earn.

I have traveled to Rio De Janiero, the Italian Riviera, the South of France, and other very beautiful places on this earth of ours....I have to say that Phi Phi Don is as beautiful a place as I have ever seen...besides the overall beauty of the resort/island and the crystal clear water, I felt a sense of overall peace and happiness while I was there...you just have to go there to know what I mean....coming from the hustle and bustle of New York City, I was completely relaxed while in Phi Phi Village and enjoyed great weather, and that's all I can ask for!

The spa at Phi Phi Village was GREAT! Ask for a masseuse named Oda...she gave me the best massage I've ever had! The food was also GREAT! We thought the bungalow was very nice. It was clean, big, nice bathroom/shower, with strong air conditioning.

I highly recommend staying here. I guess it depends what time of the year you visit. I can only speak for early April where there wasnt a cloud in the sky and the temperature was 90 degress everyday, it was AWESOME!

PS One advantage of staying overnight in Phi Phi rather than going for the day is that you can get a head start and leave early in the morning for Phi Phi Le to see Maya Bay. If you leave at 8:30-9am you will beat the hoards of tourists that arrive at 11am-noon on big charter boats from Phuket/Krabi. this is a big plus!

Enjoy!

We have just returned from our Thai holiday spending and week in the island village and a week on Kata Noi Beach.

I have just read the last review and it just goes to show that your holiday enjoyment is derived from one's perspective. Phi Phi Island Village does indeed have a captive audience, however we found the resort amazing, romantic, peaceful, and all the other words you can think of to describe paradise. The beach was practically deserted and we had the sea to ourselves. We did meet a couple who thought the pool area was busy but we never went there as the beach and beach bar was so lovely. We had spent 2 weeks in the Maldives in a upgraded water bungalow and found the rooms to too modern. The beach front villa we had was the perfect blend of traditional and comfort.
The staff simply could not do enough for you.

The food was amazing too, (really good sea food) and there really is no need to spend the extra in the hill top restaurant. Though if you are on half board there is a discount. We dont usually consider going back to the same place but this was an exception. We had the most amazing time. We found the dive centre very good as well.

Kata Noi beach, Katathani Hotel, was the other end of the spectrum. A complete contrast which added to the whole trips experience. Lovely hotel and not really overcrowed but felt so initially because Phi Phi had been so solitary.

Marie England UK

We have just returned from a wonderful holiday. We visited Siem Reap, Koh Lanta and Phi Phi (also Krabi).

We arrived at the Phi Phi Island village at the end of our holiday for 4 days and nights of rest, relaxation etc... On arrival the hotel looked quite nice, however after spending 2 hours at the resort we realised that it was not the hotel for us and phoned our Holiday Rep (Kuoni UK) and requested a move!! The sea around the hotel is murky and the beach is not great. Most people were huddled around the pool and you could have been anywhere in the world - not very Thai!! The rooms were shabby and in desperate need of updating. We found everything at the hotel very expensive by Thai standards. Longtail boats into the main part of Phi Phi (15 minutes) where the restaurants / shops are cost 1,200baht(about £20) before 4.30pm, and 1,600baht (about £30) after 4.30. You could not book the longtail boats directly - everything had to be booked through the hotel. We felt that the hotel viewed its customers as a 'captive audience', and that they were making it as difficult and expensive as possible for us to visit anywhere else on the island.

We stayed for one night at the Phi Phi Island Village, and at 7.30 the next morning we took the ferry to Krabi, and back to Ao Nang. Longtail boats to beautiful, near deserted islands cost about 60 baht (less than £1).

My husband and I love Thailand, and are planning our 4th visit to this wonderful country for August 2006. We would never visit Phi Phi Island Village again.

we spent in phiphi island village 5 nights. This place is magical for romance and for pure relaxation.
we loved this place and wished we could stay more.
the pool is amazing, beautifull and the water is great. The evenings are very quiet so dont expect any parties. anyway we recommend this place very much, just go and see for yourself. and by the way, if you go, you must take the longtail boat to maya bay
A M A Z I N G !!!