Koh Phi Phi

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Koh Phi Phi must translate into paradise cos that is what it is. Actually split into two islands: Phi Phi Ley is the smaller of the two, the home of Maya Bay (the beach) and has no accommodation on it. Just 2 mins by boat is the slightly larger Phi Phi Don which homes much of the traveller and night life.

Our time there orientated around Phi Phi Ley, starting at the famous Maya Bay from Leonardo's film 'The Beach'. It is without a doubt a slice of paradise. We arrived with hundreds of other spectators and this beach was very busy but I assume u can go early morning or later in the afternoon in the hope of something slightly quieter. With white sands, crystal clear water and blue skies, we didnt mind sharing the experience with others.

We headed by speed boat the other side of the small island to Lomprahah Lagoon and had a swim in the fresh waters and did a spot of rope swinging and jumping while trying to encourage our new found Chinese friends to come in the water and teach them how to swim.

We headed further round the island to Monkey Beach which has exactly as it suggests - hundreds of monkeys on the beach. When we first get off the beach we wondered what all the fuss was about but as people surfaced with watermelon, peanuts and mangoes the monkeys literally came from everywhere until we were completely surrounded. Bearing in mind these monkeys are wild Thai monkeys it was a bit unerving but there is no stopping some people who were happy to have them clamber all over them despite being warned many times by our boat driver not to touch them!! People soon learned their lessons when their belongings went missing up the mountains with no hope of return, others were bitten and scratched by them, one monkey even ran off to a corner of the beach consuming someones pepsi from the bottle. We quickly retracted to the 'safety' of the boat.

Phi Phi Don had a very relaxed vibe and it is clear they have recovered well from the 2004 Tusamni which destroyed most of the island. Although our guide informed us most of the budget accommodation was destroyed by the water and they are trying to make more money for the island by building more expensive hotels and intend on cramming them into every available space until it looks like a mini Phuket. This saddened us a lot as it was one of the few places we found that you could find paradise, a little luxury and also sample very traditional Thai life all together.

Snorkelling in the crystal clear waters with beautiful coral and fish touching your nose was an awesome experience.

We would definately recommend Phi Phi to everyone as one of Thailands true jewels.

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