Ending up in paradise  Royal Phuket City and Phuket Hotel Articles
The plan was for a short stay on Phi Phi Island and we chose the Phi Phi The Beach Resort for this purpose, as it seemed to have the best relation of price and value on Phi Phi's Long Beach.
It was a blazingly hot day at the start of April and not a cloud in the sky. We had stayed at the Royal Phuket City Hotel in Phuket Town as it was close to the pier for Phi Phi island. This turned out to be a good move as our friends missed the ferry on the first day out to Phi Phi island as they got stuck in traffic coming over from Patong Beach.
We got in a mini van and it took us to Rasada Pier for the 1.30pm. We boarded the air conditioned Songserm boat at 1.20pm and settled in for our journey. The Pier had a limited selection of fridge drinks and snacks as did the boat but apart from that neither were well stocked.
The crossing to Phi Phi Island
It was fairly uneventful as I slept most of the way as I had been up with my girlfriend all night at a night club in Patong beach. When I woke up after an hour or so we were nearing the Phi Phi island mountains of Phi Phi Don and the sea was flat calm. There was a lovely breeze on the upper deck and we joined a few other people taking pictures.
Coming into the main pier at Tonsai Village on Phi Phi island is something I will never forget; the Phi Phi island views of the beach and cliffs the Phi Phi island coral and to see the Phi Phi island schools of fish swimming in the sea were breath taking.
It took some time to get off the boat at the Pier as it is very busy with travelers and traders bringing things on and off Phi Phi Island. From the pier we caught up with a man with a sign with the name of Phi Phi The Beach Resort on it. He took us to a small longtail boat right next to the pier. But once we were back on the water rushing over to Long beach all that was forgotten. After just 10 minutes the boat ran aground in the sandy beach and we hopped out.
First Impressions of Phi Phi The Beach Resort
We had seen the brochure of the Phi Phi The Beach Resort, read the reports on the Phi Phi Forum and Message Board and booked the hotel through phi-phi.com but nothing could have made us happier when we realized that we truly had ended up in paradise. All smiles Charlene and I strolled up to the top of the beach to reception.
Charming smiles but too much faffy around with signing in and getting our room keys made me a bit irritable but the wait was worth it. We left reception to find our sea view bungalow and what we found was so impressive it is difficult to explain how happy we were.
The mini resort, not even 30 rooms is centered on the reception - come living area - come restaurant and a pool which has a neat little waterfall. The night we first arrived there was a late night thunder storm with torrential rain and so all the guest stayed at the reception area on the Thai Low tables listening to cool music, eating Thai diners and sipping beers. This was a magical night that repeated itself for the rest of our stay on Phi Phi.
The rain seemed to clear the weather the next days without fail it was hot and sunny and we lazed by the pool or snorkeled off the reef.
We were so relaxed by the end of our stay it was heartbreaking to leave. Still that’s the price of paradise...
Phi Phi Long Beach
The resort is on Long Beach Phi Phi which is about 400m long of lovely golden sand. There are a couple of other resorts, Phi Phi Paradise Pearl Beach and Phi Phi Long Beach, not as new as Phi Phi The Beach Resort, which means there is a choice of restaurants and places to hang out. The Phi Phi The Hill Resort is 84 steps up the side of the mountain and we never made it up there -- it seemed too far...
The coral reef in front of the resort is in very good condition but is a bit busy from 11am till 3pm. There are supposed to be harmless Black Tip reef shark there but we didn’t see any of them. You can do a tour where they virtually guarantee you see them so there must be a knack... but I do know they are very shy.
If I were to compare the views you get on Long beach with places around the world I think that Long Beach has some of the most enchanting ones out there.
Service
The service was friendly as you would expect from a small resort but as I said before it was a little slow for me... but something Charlene thought made the holiday for her; she said it slowed the pace down so that she could relax.
Recommendations
We are going again and have told this story to countless friends. Phi Phi The Beach Resort we salute you.
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Martha 
Rita Lynnwood
