Koh Phi Phi has a reputation: beautiful, yes, but swamped by day-trippers. That's exactly why the writer behind this review had only ever visited on day trips — until a stay at Outrigger Phi Phi changed her mind.
The resort sits on Laem Tong Beach inside Hat Nopparat Thara–Koh Phi Phi National Park, on the quiet northern tip of the island. Getting there takes the better part of a day — a drive from Phuket airport to the resort's lounge, then a boat across — but you arrive to soft sand, coral reefs and limestone cliffs, with the pace of life set by the local Urak Lawoi seafaring community rather than the party crowd.
Accommodation runs to seven villa and suite types. The pick for beach lovers is the Beachfront Pool Villa, seconds from the sand, main pool and restaurants, with floor-to-ceiling windows and a private pool. Prefer total privacy? The Hilltop Ocean View Pool Villa trades convenience for seclusion and Andaman Sea views. Minor gripes: the big windows don't open onto the terrace and bathrooms lack tubs.
The food is the real headline. With refurbishments under way, the signature Edgewater Bar & Grill is the sole restaurant right now, run by Mauritian chef Satya Beeknoo — winner of Iron Chef Thailand 2020 and heading the kitchen since 2018. About 60% of the seafood comes straight from Urak Lawoi fishermen, the rest from Krabi and Phang Nga, and the menu shifts daily with the catch. Standouts include a lobster curry with Creole spices from the chef's mother's recipe, and sea bass marinated in Creole spices, coated in coconut flakes and cooked beside the flame for a gentle smokiness. Thai classics like khao soi and seafood pad Thai also appear — his balancing act summarised as sweet, sour, salty, spice and Satya.
Beyond dinner, there's a private cooking class starting in the chef's garden, and a five-course chef's table called "Satya's Journey Through Fire", with courses named Ignite, Smoke, Flame, Embers and Afterglow. The Mala Kitchen all-day restaurant is coming soon.
Days fill up easily: rent the resort's luxury longtail boat to cruise to Maya Bay, swim in Phi Phi Leh's emerald lagoon, or snorkel at Viking Cave Reef, with scuba and PADI courses available. Back on land, the Zeavola spa (sea plus freedom, in the name) earns rave reviews for its signature massage — book ahead — and there's daily sunrise yoga, a hidden lap pool, a gym and a Coral Kids Club. Birdwatchers should watch the trees for the creamy-white Pied Imperial-Pigeon, and maybe, if lucky, a Black-nest swiftlet.
Outrigger took over the property in April 2025, and it's shaping up as a solid answer for travellers who want Phi Phi's scenery without its crowds.
