Thailand Day 10 Phi Phi Island

Sunday May 15^th

I was up early this morning to be picked up and driven across Phuket Island with two other people from my hotel and a few others from other hotels to the harbour. Here after some organizational stuff, including renting flippers and buying sunscreen, we boarded a high speed boat with three 225hp Yamaha motors.

We took an hour ride, at about 50km an hour, south west of Phuket to the two Phi Phi Islands. We stopped at the southern most island first which is called Phi Phi Lay. There we stopped at Maya Bay, which is a bay with a narrow opening and high rock walls. Apparently it was the location for the movie “The Beach” starring Leonardo Dicapprio a few years back. We got out and explored the beach a awhile. There are lots of other boats and lots of tourist here. Then we stopped at Viking Cave, where the locals climb bamboo ladders to collect bird nests. Next we visited Monkey Beach where we watched as the guides on the boat tossed pieces of watermelon and the monkeys caught and ate it. We weren't allowed out here, because the tide was high and the beach quite small, and apparently a few people had been bitten recently. After that we stopped in a shallow area, a fair way out from the island and snorkeled for an hour. There was lots of coral which seemed to be in fairly good conditions and quite a few of the usual colourful coral reef fish.

Then we stopped at a beach on the larger island called Phi Phi Don, and had a Thai buffet lunch. During lunch I talked to the two people from my hotel, Brian, from Australia and his girlfriend from Thailand Ed. After lunch we had a hour to do some relaxing, walking the beach or swimming. Then we rode in the boat for 45 minutes to another small island where we spent an hour and a half, snorkeling, swimming or chilling out. Finally we took the boat back to the port and the van to the hotel by 5:00. All in all it was a good trip, the weather hot and sunny, and the scenery was beautiful, but it was very crowded and touristy. It felt a bit too sheep like, as we were herded about. I think I would have preferred to take one of the larger, slower boats that go out too. I think you can see more off the boat and it's less hectic.

I went and had a shower, and then walked back down to the beach to sit and read for a bit, and walk the beach. I met a young German couple that were also on today's trip and together we sat, talked about travelling and watched the sunset. When the left to meet friends, I went back to the restaurant that I ate at last night and had seafood with cashews and rice and skipped the dessert this time. Then I walked back to the hotel to read, type and hit the sack.