Bamboo Island – or Koh Pai – is the most north-easterly island of the Phi Phi archipelago. Lying approximately 5 km off the northern tip of Koh Phi Phi Don, this island is a stunning tropical hot spot that offers the perfect getaway from crowds. While a few tours from Phuket make a stop on this island after lunch, it's usually never too crowded. 

Measuring roughly 600 metres wide by 700 metres long, the island is shaped almost like a heart, and is surrounded by a strip of white sand. Its central part is covered with lush vegetation, including casuarina and bamboo trees. On the north-eastern side of the island, under the shade of the trees, a small bar serves drinks and snacks.

Bamboo Island in Phi Phi Archipelago - one of the highlights of 5 Best Islands Around Phi Phi and 10 Best Snorkelling Spots in Phi Phi (Read all about Ko Phi Phi here)

Highlights of Bamboo Island 

Bamboo Island offers great snorkelling opportunities. Between Phi Phi Don and Bamboo Island stands a notable coral reef known as Hin Klang, which provides visitors with the sensation of swimming in an aquarium. Closer to the beach, the island is almost entirely surrounded by a reef that spreads up to 500 metres from the shore.

You can hire a long-tail boat in Tonsai Village or Sea Gypsies Village on Laem Thong Beach to get to Bamboo Island. The journey will take around 40 minutes from Tonsai and 15 minutes from Laem Thong Beach. Day and overnight trips (sleeping in tents) are available from Koh Phi Phi Don, or you could visit the island on a Phi Phi day trip by speedboat from Krabi or Phuket. Since Bamboo Island belongs to a national park, you’ll have to pay an entrance fee to get there.

Bamboo Island in Phi Phi Archipelago

Lage: Bamboo Island, Ao Nang, Krabi 81000, Thailand

Stephan Audiger | Reiseenthusiast(in)