Do Not Visit Phi Phi Islands My Honest Review

Yes you read that right. I do not recommend Phi Phi Islands. In fact, it might be the worst place I have ever travelled to.

Welcome back to SIDXTravels. Today I am starting a series where I share real travel stories from around the world and trust me this one will be useful for Muslims or anyone who values modest, respectful environments when travelling.

Let us get into it.

The Backstory

I do not want to drop you in without context so here is how it all started.

I asked how to get to Koh Yao Yoi and they told me to go to the pier. Fair enough. I went. No one spoke English. No cards were accepted. Then I saw the ferry. It felt older than the British empire.

I sat down. No movement. One episode of Netflix. Still nothing. Another episode. Still nothing. Three episodes later the engine failed. A man told us to leave and honestly I will forever make dua for the guy who helped me throw my suitcases over and jump off to reach another boat.

I had one hour to catch the final boat. I ran. Somehow got a Grab. Made it ten minutes before departure. Alhamdulillah.

Koh Yao Yoi itself was actually beautiful but I barely got to enjoy it because of all the chaos.

Arriving at Phi Phi Islands

The next day I finally arrived at Phi Phi and here is the truth. No cars. No bikes. Just narrow lanes and you walk everywhere. But walking was not the issue.

The place smelt like alcohol everywhere. Loud music. Party culture. Drunk tourists. Someone literally greeted me with "salaam alaikum do you want weed". I was shocked.

There was only one halal spot. And the whole night I could not sleep because the music did not stop. It felt like standing outside a pub in the UK times one hundred.

To be fair the national park tours were stunning. Maya Bay and the surrounding islands are genuinely beautiful. Nature there is untouched and surreal. But Phi Phi town itself is destroyed by the alcohol and party environment.

The Honest Verdict

If there is one thing you take from this blog let it be this. Do not stay on Phi Phi Islands. If you want to visit Maya Bay go from Phuket. Even Phuket was not great but that is a story for another blog.

Thailand had a lot of drugs and alcohol in the places I visited and I would not recommend it as a top Muslim friendly destination.

Final Thoughts

Travelling teaches you things. Sometimes you find places that feel like home. Sometimes you learn where not to go again.

Phi Phi Islands was that lesson for me. Beautiful nature once you leave the town but the environment was not one I would ever choose again.

I will always show the real side of travel on SidXTravels. Hopefully this helps you plan better and avoid stress when travelling.