The Phi Phi islands are located about 45 Km southeast from Phuket, 42 km south of Krabi Town and 40 km from Ao Nang Beach. They can be reached between 1 to 3 hours depending on the type of boat you choose. Boats leave from Phuket, Ao Nang and the Chao Fa Pier in Krabi Town on a daily basis. The name 'Phi Phi' is derived from Malay, and the original was Pulao Pi ah Pi, where in pulao is the Malay word for island , and Pi, pronounced with a soft 'p' sound, was very close in pronunciation to the English word 'bee'; the ah was dropped, so the name was said something like Bee Bee. Later the p was pronounced with a stronger aspiration and the name became the Phi Phi (Pee Pee) we know today. The name originally referred to the mangrove wood found there.