Emerald Waters of Phi Phi
At the end of last year, we had our biggest jaunt into Asia yet. I already shared with you some stories of our few days stumbling around ruins in Cambodia. After all the ruins, we were ready to get on to some relaxation for our trip and meet up with our fellow travellers in Thailand. Since we took a late evening flight, we stayed overnight in Phuket before heading to our final destination of Koh Phi Phi.
Koh Phi Phi is just one of the many islands around Thailand, but like most of the others, the only way to get there is by boat. Because of our arrival time, we opted for the hotel's private "boat", although the ferry to the town center of Phi Phi was an option as well.
Right away on the water, you could recognise the Thailand from the pictures we all see.
The breathtaking water.
The iconic long boats, tassles hanging from the front, sailors rowing from behind.
The sun.
Our vacation was here! We arrived at the hotel, found our way among the maze to our villa, then promptly headed back to the beach/pool. All I can say is the most authentic Thai thing we did that day was indulge in some pad thai.
Later on in our stay, once we'd had our chance to soak up some sun, we decided it was about time to get to exploring. We hired a boat for the day to take us around to some of the other islands and see the sites. Honestly, I can't even remember all the places we ended up visiting through the day. There was some debate on whether or not to go to Maya Beach, the most famous beach in the area (because of the film "The Beach"), but I can't even remember the decision there.
So basically, the day consisted of tops at somewhat touristy beaches like Monkey Beach and Mosquito Beach. In between that was lounging on the boat, snorkeling, eating and drinking, so basically the perfect day on the water.
Another day consisted of us going into town to check out the more "city" side of things. It rained all day, making it an interesting long boat ride. Upon landing, we dashed out of the rain and into a little shack serving up cheap drinks and pad thai. We decided to sit out the rain and join in the fun.
On our last day, we discovered we had a city of our own hidden behind the hotel. This is the thing they never tell you, but of course it makes sense - the locals need to live somewhere. We were on a hunt for a beach and was it worth the walk. The beach was almost completely secluded, although with the hotel being built nearby, it likely won't stay that way for long. After a dip, we wandered back through the town chatting with some of the locals, many of whom were transplants from Australia or Europe who came to Thailand, fell in love and either never left, or came running back.
So after a few days, our English skin was looking much tanner and we were ready to check out the culture side of Thailand on our last stop in Chiang Mai!
Koh Phi Phi is just one of the many islands around Thailand, but like most of the others, the only way to get there is by boat. Because of our arrival time, we opted for the hotel's private "boat", although the ferry to the town center of Phi Phi was an option as well.
Right away on the water, you could recognise the Thailand from the pictures we all see.
The breathtaking water.
The iconic long boats, tassles hanging from the front, sailors rowing from behind.
The sun.
Our vacation was here! We arrived at the hotel, found our way among the maze to our villa, then promptly headed back to the beach/pool. All I can say is the most authentic Thai thing we did that day was indulge in some pad thai.
Later on in our stay, once we'd had our chance to soak up some sun, we decided it was about time to get to exploring. We hired a boat for the day to take us around to some of the other islands and see the sites. Honestly, I can't even remember all the places we ended up visiting through the day. There was some debate on whether or not to go to Maya Beach, the most famous beach in the area (because of the film "The Beach"), but I can't even remember the decision there.
So basically, the day consisted of tops at somewhat touristy beaches like Monkey Beach and Mosquito Beach. In between that was lounging on the boat, snorkeling, eating and drinking, so basically the perfect day on the water.
Another day consisted of us going into town to check out the more "city" side of things. It rained all day, making it an interesting long boat ride. Upon landing, we dashed out of the rain and into a little shack serving up cheap drinks and pad thai. We decided to sit out the rain and join in the fun.
After the downpour stopped, we wandered the small streets full of seafood restaurants, hostels and bars and scuba shops. After a few bars, the ride back to the hotel was much more interesting!
On our last day, we discovered we had a city of our own hidden behind the hotel. This is the thing they never tell you, but of course it makes sense - the locals need to live somewhere. We were on a hunt for a beach and was it worth the walk. The beach was almost completely secluded, although with the hotel being built nearby, it likely won't stay that way for long. After a dip, we wandered back through the town chatting with some of the locals, many of whom were transplants from Australia or Europe who came to Thailand, fell in love and either never left, or came running back.
So after a few days, our English skin was looking much tanner and we were ready to check out the culture side of Thailand on our last stop in Chiang Mai!
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