Phi-Phi Island: If you can deal with the crowds it's stunning

It is pronounced "Pee-Pee" and it's ok to laugh. There is a "Poo" island nearby too but that is just a coincidence. Phi-Phi (and please don't pronounce it Fee-Fee, you are wrong and you sound dumb to the locals) is likely the most famous islands in all of Thailand.

the two bays and main arrival area of Phi-Phi

For whatever reason, the water is extremely clear here year-round. There might be someone out there that knows why this is. I don't know why I just know that it is. On the mainland where i live some 25km from Phi Phi during the monsoon season our water takes on a lovely grey color for the most part. Phi Phi is not affected by this and therefore you can expect the perfect blue water year-round.

For commoners like us, you will have to arrive at the Tonsai Pier and pay a small cleaning fee to stay / visit the island. Don't worry, unlike the national parks this is not a rip off, it is like 20B. I knew a guy who was an executive at Agoda and he had much more money than time: He would land on the water in a small bi-plane right outside his resort and then get boated straight in (probably never even touched his suitcase.) I think i can presume most of us can not afford that.

Then you have to make a choice (and I highly recommend you do so before ever coming here as place sell out:) The hotels in the area between Tonsai and Lodalum bay have a wide variety of accommodation from $12 a night dorm bed to $1000 a night villas with private pool. This area is also where it tends to be the most crowded with day-trippers, which can be a problem if that sort of thing bothers you.

It is rarely this bad, but a steady stream of speedboats from Krabi and Phuket can be expected

If this is something that gets on your nerves you may wish to stay over on the Lodalum Bay side because the day trippers tend to stick to the Tonsai Bay side - they aren't required to, it's just kinda what happens.

If you want ultimate privacy, you need to get a longtail boat (or speedboat if you are a fancy-pants) over to Relax Beach, Long Beach, or Laem Por - something on the East Side. These places are great because they have the same awesome water, but far fewer people and almost never any day-trippers. The Cove is one of my favorite resorts due at least in part to the fact that my Swedish pal is the manager there now. http://www.thecovephiphi.com/

The diving around Phi Phi is incredible and very accessible if you are already staying on Phi Phi, it will only take you 20 minutes or so to get to the dive site whereas the people arriving from Ao Nang and Phuket have to spend substantially longer in transit than your group. Normally the scuba companies will use this to their advantage and time their departures so that their customers can have the dive site to themselves. I suppose I shouldn't try to speak for every dive shop, but Blue View Divers did so when I was there and I appreciated this strategy.

The nearby Maya Bay is likely the most popular destination and tends to be extremely crowded. Again, the advantage that people staying on the island have is that they can time their arrival departure to dodge the crowds from the mainland. You will likely never have the place to yourself, but you can probably manage to only be sharing it was 10 other people if you are crafty.

I need everyone to know that Maya Bay will be closed from June 1st to September 30th of this year (2018) as the National Park Service is trying to correct some of the damage that mass tourism has caused to the island. This is just Maya Bay. The main hotel island and all the other dive sites will remain open.