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Published: September 15th 2012
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Although we were sad to leave Ko Lanta, we were ready to see people and stay up past 10 again so onwards to Ko Phi Phi! We had another very organized pick up by mini bus and transfer by fast boat, which was pretty painless aside from some sea sickness! We had a bit of a dilemma picking somewhere to stay in Ko Phi Phi. This island is well known as a package holiday and party destination. We were debating bypassing the major party area, but given our experience of low season quietness in Ko Lanta, we decided to just embrace the masses!
The centre of Ko Phi Phi is pretty easy to walk around, and we got to our hotel with out much fuss, mostly narrow tracks with bicycles and the odd scooter. We were checked in by one of the hotel's very friendly ladyboy staff. We headed out for a walk down a bit of a dodgy track along the coast for “long beach” which had been recommended by everyone as the nicest beach. The two beaches on either side of the centre of Phi Phi – Ton Sai and Da lam - are quite narrow and full
of boats, so not so relaxing for a day chilling! Long beach on the other hand was exactly what the name suggested! A beautiful stretch of unspoilt beach with the odd long tail boat coming in and a few loungers from one hotel. The sea was a bit choppy but there was a beautiful view of Koh Phi Phi Lei (where the some of The Beach was filmed), and we spent our day there until the rain started and we made a break for it!
On the night we headed out in to town. Its been a while since we have been in the thick of a party town and this really was that! This area seem to be built for British tourists, not just Europeans, quite specifically British! There were clearly a lot of students and school kids on summer holidays here, people looking far to clean and dressed up to be backpacking, all straight hair and immaculate clothes! My hair has not even seen a hair drier in 2 months! (Rach that is….well James too I guess!) The drinks were pretty expensive and again based around buckets of whiskey or vodka with redbull. There were a load
of fire shows down on the beach again and these were in large bars all boasting big parties with lots of English girls giving out fliers (but not enough free drinks to compensate how expensive it is here!). These bars even charged to use the toilets! However we did see the best fireshow yet, where this guy was pulling some great moves with flaming wheels and fireworks!
The next day we had booked a boat trip to Ko Phi Phi Lei to see Maya beach made famous by The Beach film. We had heard from many people that it was disappointing because of how many boats were there and supposedly the filming itself caused many environmental issues as they altered the beach itself. Despite this we felt it was something we needed to see really. Stupidly we booked a cheap half day long tail trip, supposed to take us to a few landmarks and to do some snorkeling. After a very hairy boat ride over to the island, we stopped in a bay in front of some rocks. Here we were told to climb off the boat and swim ashore. There was a little hole in the rocks where
we had to scale some ropes and climb through. It seems if you book a cheap trip you have to walk through to Maya beach. This means we have no pictures, not that it would have been worth it any way!
Getting in was VERY hairy! The sea was really rough and we had to climb off the boat (After climbing across all the boats tied together to the end one!) into deceptively shallow water with big pointy rocks into it, so queue bruised knees and twisted ankles! After this and in bare feet we had to scale some rocks, with the waves still lapping in, then climb through the hole and onto the island. We walked through to Maya beach, and could hear the loud speedboats and whistles before we got there. Bearing in mind this is quiet season we were confronted by an undoubtedly pretty bay and lovely white sand beach, with about 200 people on it and about 30 big loud speed boats! An area of rubbish filled sea, about 10m square was cordoned off for swimming. Pictures would have been pointless. We then had the challenge of climbing back to the boat again without getting
hurt…no easy task! We were then taken round the corner and told to get of for snorkeling. There was a nice array of tropical fish, but again far too many people as all the boats stopped together. We were then driven slowly past a few caves and things to say we had been there and then taken to Monkey Island. This was a very strange beach where 10 boats were all pulled up and all the people were feeding the small monkeys who were on the beach. Most people seemed somewhat surprised when the monkeys turned on them to steal food …strange hey! We were then taken back to the harbor. We did enjoy the trip, but I think in hindsight we might have to stop being so cheap and we might get a better service! It is a real shame that they don’t limit the people visiting Ko Phi Phi Lei, it is supposed to be a national park, and no one can build there, but it is being ruined by sheer volume of people. We spent the rest of the afternoon chilling in a bar on long beach, as the rain kept threatening. On the evening we headed
out for tea and watched the football in a much quieter less buckety bar!
Onwards to Phuket tomorrow, our last stop in Thailand, can’t believe its gone so fast!
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