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View from a Hat Yao Restaurant on Ko Phi Phi Don

Krabi, Thailand – I was starving, famished.  The path from Loh Dalum beach to Hat Yao (Long Beach) on Ko Phi Phi Don was not the meandering, scenic path I thought it would be.  There were rocky inclines, there were brambles and tree roots, there were well-intentioned ropes attached to suspect planks, and there were paths that ended in one place and mysteriously picked up elsewhere.  I was holding the bottom of my sundress in one hand, a plastic bag of beach supplies dangled from the other and my flip flops were sliding across muddy rocks. By the time I stumbled to my destination I was delirious with hunger.  

I sat down at one of the beachside restaurants and ordered a rice-noodle soup.  The great western buffet in the main area should have tipped me off or my past experiences with subpar beachfront restaurants on Railay, but I wasn’t quite thinking straight.  It all came together when I took the first spoonful of literally one of the worst soups I have encountered in my life. 

Eating well in the western-oriented beaches of Railay and Ko Phi Phi Don on Thailand’s Andaman coast isn’t as easy as Bangkok, where there is wide variety of tantalizing food on nearly every corner anytime day or night.  Since most of the customers are non-Thai tourists, there are mainly western-style restaurants serving wan continental breakfasts, pizzas and pub food.  

So, where do you find decent eats in these places?  First, don’t wait until you’re hungry.  While that might fly in Bangkok where the most amazing noodles could be under some bridge, it won’t work here.  Search out the shacks, food stalls and mom-and-pop restaurants and then do what you would anywhere else, sit down where the locals have gathered and order what looks good.  That’s how I found some tasty fried chicken, stir-fried noodles, galangal curries, roti and simple noodle soups. It’s not exactly food tourism, but it’s how I survived the beach.

View from Path between Hat Yao and Loh Dalum on Ko Phi Phi Don

Loh Dalum Bay on Ko Phi Phi Don

Decent Banana & Chocolate Roti on Ko Phi Phi Don

West Railay Beach