Three years ago we spent a week in and around Ao Nang and so have a general idea of the Phuket/Krabi/Phi Phi area. Now am planning week in Phi Phi in January and wondered if I could tap into your recent experience, please. Here's the laundry list of my quandaries (so far!):

- Am thinking of the resorts on the NE side. Do they all have great house reefs? I.e. can one find good snorkelling/diving within swimming reach of the shore?
- Is Zeavola really worth 3X the price of the Holiday Inn?
- HI is very convenient to book with. Should I bother trying anywhere else?
- Why can I get better quotes on the HI from online agencies than from the HI site?
- Is Ton Sai functioning in any meaningful way (hotels, restaurants, shops) or is it still basically a building site?
- Are transfers easier/quicker from Krabi or Phuket airports?
- If I'm forced to overnight in Phuket/Krabi inbound and/or outbound, what would be a good resort/hotel to use?
- Has anyone used speedboat transfers? Anything to be aware of (apart from the huge price tag)?

Any information most gratefully recieved. TIA

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Most questions have been well covered, but I thought I'd add these three comments:

1. I highly recommend the Northeast coast of Phi Phi it you are looking for a more secluded experience. I haven't stayed at HI, but I have stayed at Zeavola and thought it was well worth the money. HI looks like a medium sized standard family resort. Zeavola is a small and romantic luxury villiage.

2. The public ferries are very easy to use as long as you have an adequate schedule.

3. I think there may be swim up reefs but I don't think they are really very good. The best places to snorkel are accessible by a quick (and relatively inexpensive) longtail boat ride.

I stayed at the HI in 2000. Aside from the destination I found it pretty mediocre as a hotel (beds not that comfy, pretty generic rooms, etc...) Long time back, so many changes could have happened.

I do not recall any decent snorkelling from the land around that area. And also .. as pointed out, pretty remote over there-- long way to go for more of a festive environment.

Many thanks, good people.^ That's already given me quite a bit to think about.

We used the ferry last time and it was fine. (Though for the return from Ao Nang to Phuket we actually hired a car and driver and for a reasonable price enjoyed the very scenic drive through Phang Nga.) But due to airline schedules it could mean having to stay one night in Phuket or Krabi on both the inbound and outbound journeys. I'd like to avoid the time wastage that breaking up a jouney like that entails, if at all possible.