The four zones a Phi Phi night turns around
From a quiet sunset drink to beach bars that run late, Phi Phi has several gears — all within walking distance of each other.
Most Phi Phi nights start gently, with dinner and a drink as the sun drops. The beachfront bars on the Tonsai side and around Loh Dalum put tables, cushions and mats out on the sand and play music low. If you want a wider view, walk up toward the Phi Phi Viewpoint or a bar on the rise that looks over the twin bays and the isthmus, then come back down to the beach later. This is the cheapest and most laid-back part of the night — good even if you've no plans to party hard.
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This is the heart of Phi Phi at night. Along the whole of Loh Dalum bay, beach bars and beach clubs sit side by side, each playing its own genre — house, EDM, hip-hop, reggae — so walking from one end to the other feels like club-hopping. There are foam parties, pool parties and buckets sold by the pail. It peaks at low tide, when the sand opens out into a natural dance floor. The big beach clubs along the bay are the ones people talk about most (names change hands and rebrand often, so check the signs on the ground), running until 2–4am depending on the night.
Step back off the beach into Tonsai village and the mood changes. The narrow lanes are full of smaller bars: reggae bars playing ska and reggae with live music, and Muay Thai bars with a ring in the middle where anyone who steps up to spar gets a free drink (fun to watch, but think twice before trying it yourself). The music here is gentler than on the beach — good for sitting and talking with friends, drinking at an easy pace and soaking up the backpacker feel. Some nights it's a warm-up before Loh Dalum; some people end the night right here.
The signature image of Loh Dalum at night is the fire shows. Several beach bars run fire poi, a fire skipping-rope and a fire limbo on the sand most nights. Some invite travellers to try the fire skipping-rope themselves — it looks fun, but it burns people every year, usually those who've had a few and decide to join in. Watching from a distance gets you the whole experience without the risk. If you're taking photos, stand outside the fire's reach: the beach wind shifts easily and sparks travel further than you'd think.