Phi Phi Island has been memorialized in "The Beach", the movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio.  The premise of the movie is that a group of misfits identify a secret, gorgeous beach and turn it into a haven for their lifestyle.  Everything goes well until Leonardo leaks the map to the beach - and people start arriving in droves.

    We went to the island expecting to see the same crescent of white sane we remembered from the movie.  Unfortunately, the movie has destroyed the solitude of Phi Phi Island.  The beach is still gorgeous.  But the hordes of tourists - including the overweight Europeans in tiny bikinis - really make it a drag.  And the snorkeling is pretty poor also, largely due to tens of boats trying to compete for spots over the reefs.

    The boat tour - a one-hour ride from Phuket - is probably still worth it as an entertaining one-day sampling of gorgeous scenery.  But if you're doing it for the chance to walk down The Beach and enjoy the solitude, pass.