Famed as among the most beautiful tropical islands of the world, Phi Phi Islands have become one of the most popular tourist attractions of Thailand. It was here that the well-known movie "The Beach" featured by Leonardo DiCaprio was shot. The islands, together with the nearby Noppharat Thara Beach, were recently established as a national park with a total area of 390 sq.km.
As most visitors to Phi Phi Islands come from Phuket some 40 km. away, many of them think that the islands are part of Phuket. In fact, both Noppharat Thara Beach and Phi Phi belong to Krabi province, though the distance from Krabi to Phi Phi is about the same as that between Phuket and Phi Phi.
Also, it is usually misunderstood that the island group of Phi Phi Islands is composed of only 2 islets, Phi Phi Don and Phi Phi Le. But actually, the area of Phi Phi Islands covers 6 islets altogether, namely Phi Phi Don, Phi Phi Le, Mai Phai (Bamboo), Yung, Bida Nok and Bida Nai. The islands and the coastal hills are mostly composed of limestone and are an extension of the limestone mountain range in Phang-nga province. Some of the characteristics of such mountains and islands are their steep cliffs, large caves and dwarf trees growing out of the crevices in the rocks, like those in Phang-nga Bay.