PP Erawan Palms Resort

Set on the northern coast of Phi Phi Don, PP Erawan Palms Resort is a beachfront resort built around Laem Tong Beach, with gardens, wooden furnishings and Thai touches rather than a town-centre layout. You come here for the sea first, and for a slower evening once the masks are rinsed and the boat day is over.

The arrangement suits couples particularly well: rooms and bungalows are designed for two, balconies give you somewhere to sit, and the resort puts the pool, beach, restaurants and bars within the same compact setting. There is enough going on to keep a non-diving day occupied, but the place is not presented as a nightlife base. That is useful when tomorrow starts with a boat rather than a lie-in.

The resort is at 45/9 Moo 8, Leamtong Beach, on Phi Phi Don, Thailand. Laem Tong Beach is directly in front of the property: an 800-metre stretch of white sand with loungers and parasols. Access is by boat, so the final approach is part of the geography here, not a minor footnote.

You are on a quieter northern part of the island rather than beside the busy centre. Jimmy's Cafe is around 150 metres away, while Coconut Grill&Bar and Le Rendez-Vous are about 2 km from the resort. S.A. Pizza & Restaurant is also about 2 km away. In practical terms, the on-site restaurants and bars will matter more than a spontaneous wander into town, especially when the sea has already taken most of your energy.

The room choice is mainly about the setting you want when you open the door. The Standard Twin or Double Room and Superior Double or Twin Room keep things straightforward for two, while the Superior Garden Bungalow and Deluxe Bungalow give you a more bungalow-style stay. The Superior Mountain Bungalow places the emphasis on its elevated setting rather than a direct beachfront position.

Every room has air conditioning, a balcony, a minibar, a refrigerator, tea and coffee-making facilities, and a private bathroom with a shower. That covers the useful post-dive routine: cold water within reach, somewhere to sit without balancing on the edge of the bed, and cool air when the island has been warm and salty all day. Wooden furnishings and Thai décor keep the rooms tied to the location rather than making them look like interchangeable boxes.

You also have a seating area, wardrobe, clothes rack, flat-screen television and free Wi-Fi. The private bathrooms include towels, slippers, toiletries and a hairdryer. Daily housekeeping and a wake-up service are available, which is handy when the alarm needs to win an argument with a tired diver.

Sawasdee Restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner beside the beach, with Thai and international cooking, seafood specialities and views across the sea. Breakfast is a buffet, served at Benja Restaurant in the open air, with tables on the sand. It is the sort of layout that makes coffee taste more convincing, even before the first boat leaves.

For Italian food, La Casetta della Pizza serves lunch and dinner, with pastas and pizzas prepared in front of you. Goodview Restaurant is an uphill dinner setting with a panoramic outlook towards the sunset, giving you a reason to put on something less salt-stained than the clothes you wore back from the boat.

There are two named bars. Coco Bar is the beachfront option, focused on cocktails beneath a coconut tree, while Pool Bar lets you order a cold drink without going far from the water. A snack bar and an on-site coffee house add useful daytime options, and happy hours, themed dinner nights and live music bring a little structure to the evening without turning the resort into a club.

Two outdoor swimming pools give you a choice of setting: the Main Outdoor Swimming Pool sits in the front area of the resort and has a bar in the pool, while the second pool is placed in the middle of the patio. Sun loungers, beach chairs, umbrellas and pool or beach towels are available, so the basic plan of moving from shade to water requires no complicated logistics.

Massage is available on the beach, including foot, back, head, hand and full-body treatments. There is also an open-air bath and a public bath. These are the useful options for an afternoon when your legs have done enough work and your partner has no interest in discussing decompression profiles over lunch.

The beach itself supports snorkelling, and kayaking and boat excursions are available for a change of pace. Cooking classes, themed dinner nights and live performances offer something more organised, while the garden and outdoor seating areas leave room for the oldest and most reliable island activity: sitting down and watching the light change.

You reach PP Erawan Palms Resort by boat from Phuket or Krabi. Transfers run twice a day at scheduled times, so the arrival plan needs to fit the boat timetable rather than the other way round. The tour desk can help with transport arrangements, and you should tell the resort your expected arrival time in advance.

Check-in runs from 14:00 to 22:00, and check-out from 06:00 to 11:00. You need photo identification and a credit card at check-in. Cash, Visa and Mastercard are accepted for payment. The resort also offers currency exchange, laundry, ironing, daily housekeeping, packed lunches and wake-up calls.

Free Wi-Fi is available across the resort. Children of any age are welcome; children aged 12 and over are treated as adults for occupancy purposes, while cots and extra beds can be requested for younger guests and older children. The resort has no age requirement for check-in, and pets are not allowed.