Scuba dive sites descriptions of Phi Phi, Krabi, Thailand

The islands of Phi Phi are located about 40 km from Phuket in the province of Krabi. Phi Phi itself consists of two main islands, Phi Phi Don and Phi Phi Ley. These fantastic limestone formations rising from a crystal blue ocean are considered to be among the most beautiful places in the world. Phi Phi Don is the inhabited island with shops full of tourist ware, plus many hotels and bungalows. Phi Phi Ley is uninhabited except for a small rangers park, and is where you can find Maya Bay, a picturesque area made famous by the film "The Beach".

Koh Bida Nok and Koh Bida Nai

Just off to the south of Phi Phi Ley are two small limestone formations known as Koh Bida Nai and Koh Bida Nok. This is where you will find the two best scuba diving sites of Phi Phi. In Thai they translate as Inner Bida Island and Outer Bida Island respectively. These dive sites are perfect for deep dives, wall dives and drift dives, and for all level of scuba divers from first timers to experienced professionals.

Both islands are very similar in their underwater topography although Koh Bida Nai is the larger of the two. The western sides of each island drop down vertically to a sandy bottom reaching depths of 30m or more in places. On the eastern sides the reefs tend to slope more gradually to depths of around 25 metres. In between the islands and close to Bida Nai is a small coral garden starting at a depth of about 6 metres with a wonderful swim-through at 14 metres depth.

No matter where you dive around these two islands you can't go wrong. The vertical west walls are covered in beautifully covered soft corals and sea fans. Look in the cracks and crevices for sea horses, pipefish, shrimps, nudibranchs and even the occasional grey bamboo shark, a small shark with cat-like eyes. Look away from the wall for tuna and jacks and the occasional black tip reef shark darting by.

On the eastern side you can find large expanses of staghorn corals with huge barrel sponges growing in their midst. Here too you can find bamboo sharks hiding under rocks and often leopard sharks resting on the sand close to the reef. In fact Phi Phi is probably the best place in Thailand to see leopard sharks. There are also seahorses and pipefish by the wall, and schools of barracuda drifting by in the blue.

So many other things can be found around the sites too: stingrays, octopus, cuttlefish, squid, moray eels. Even whale sharks have been seen here on occasion causing "whale shark fever" in Phuket and Phi Phi alike!

Just dive there and you'll soon understand why these dive sites are so highly rated worldwide!

Check out our Day Trips: By Day or Day Trips: By Dive Site sections for details of day trips to Phi Phi and our Photos:Phi Phi section for pictures of the Phi Phi dive sites.