island hopping in Thailand

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Not that Karon Beach on Phuket got boring, but there is so much more to the southern part of Thailand, that I decided to take the boat to Ko Phi Phi two days ago to check out the island paradise that everyone had been talking about!
And it surely did not disapoint! With the monsoon season now well behind us, clear blue skies, white beaches, crystal clear turquois water, stunning cliffs and palm trees dominate the island! Ko Phi Phi was a backpacking, diving, climbing mecca before the tsunami of 2004, and is one of the islands that due to its small size, bamboo hut structures, and quite primitive surroundings was completely devestated when the big wave came! Now, three years later, after a huge effort by the locals, foreign volunteers and aid agencies, and the continued demands by tourists and travelers to rebuild Ko Phi Phi, only faint reminders of the devestation are visible.
Now the tourist village is bustling with visitors again, dive shops at every corner are trying to get you to explore the amazing reefs around this island group , long tail boatsmen are offering their services to take you island hopping or snorkeling, and a 'healthy" number of bars and restaurants, and plenty of bungalow type and guesthouse accomodation to choose from are lining the few "streets" on Ko Phi Phi. Don't get me wrong, this is still a small island- no cars- all foot traffic or bike, so not much noise, clean air, and it has still retained its laid-back backpacker vibe from before the tsunami, although a number of the bamboo bungelows have now been replaced by more "permanent" concrete bungelows. So needless to say, it is the spot where i wil spend the last 😞 days of my journey! Yeah, hard to believe but all fun is coming to an end, and the last week of the journey that started in July is here!
So what better way to spend it then going rockclimbing , snorkling, swimming and enjoying "the BEACH" . Yes, this is it the setting for the Leo DeCaprio movie "The Beach"- Maya Bay on Phi Phi Lay! Not a bad spot, and as beautiful as in the movie! And the sunsets ... , i mean can it get any better?
so, since there is more to explore today and in the days to come, i am now signing off until the return back to Bangkok this upcoming weekend! Cheers everyone!

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Photos

Ko Phi Phi
the view hanging from the anchor - climbing- not bad, eh?

self portrait on the rocks!
a little sweaty but so much fun!

Maya Bay
"The BEACH'