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Published: December 12th 2014
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Hi folks
Last blog, return to sunny Scotland in five weeks!! . Arrived in Bangkok on the 16th November, good to see but chaotic. Didn't do much sight seeing apart from visiting China town, Oliver being the focus of attention everywhere we went because of his blonde hair. Spent four days mostly hanging around the hotel waiting on Debra's paperwork to be completed and then flew to Phuket where we got the ferry to Phi Phi Island for a glorious ten days and Debra's wedding. Sun, sea and sand! The resort (Outrigger) is first class with several restaraunts, cafe and bars. Even a bar in the middle of the swimming pool which was huge, looking out onto the sea. If you didn't want to go to the restaraunts, they delivered the food wherever you happened to be, either in the rooms, by the pool or on the beach. A huge spa facility on site too, cooking classes, yoga, gymnasium, canoe hire etc etc. The setting for the wedding was beautiful and the detail and care and attention of the staff on the day was excellent. They were so excited to see someone in a kilt lol ! Everyone has had
such a great time, it was all over so quickly. After the excitement of the wedding, it was so good to relax, lazing by the pool or going for long peaceful walks along the beach. The huts were gorgeous and the staff going out of their way to make them extra special, flowers and towel sculptures on the beds, fresh fruit! every whim catered for, felt like a VIP
Just round the corner from the resort is the village with plenty of restaraunts and bars. Just as you enter the village there is a small memorial to the victims of the tsunami. The island is just starting to recover financially now that the tourist are returning! tourism being there main source of income. The food and drink is cheaper than at the resort and only a few minutes away. The locals are friendly and welcoming, offering laundry services, scuba diving, snorkelling and tours. We hired one of their longboats for the day with a guide and visited Maya bay made famous by the film the Beach, stunning to say the least. We had some great fun snorkelling and the kids did amazingly well at it, even wee Oliver. Saw
some turtles,a black tip reef shark and some of us even saw a sea snake. (Extremely poisonous, just as well it was curled up sleeping in the rocks) We then went to Monkey Bay to feed the macaques and one cheeky chap stole an iphone from a tourist. It was hysterical, he was sitting up the tree trying to press the screen and looking as if he was texting his best friend! We also took a night trip on the longboat to the famous Tonsai Bay! That was quite an adventure too, one guy driving the boat while the other was at the front with a torch looking out for rocks because the water is so shallow when the tide has gone out. We had to paddle our way onto the shore quite a distance in the dark. All the young ones head here for the beach parties and spectacular fire shows! a hot spot for backpackers. The bay is so noisy compared to the outrigger resort at the other side of the island, definitely not for kids. It's okay during the day, lots of quaint little restaraunts and market stalls, very cheap to eat and drink too.
I
took the public ferry from Phi Phi to Koh Lanta to visit my dog and cat friends at Lanta animal welfare, my first volunteer placement back in March, (feels like yesterday) The ferry only sails twice a day so I stayed overnight at the centre. It's just over an hour away from Phi Phi and costs about six pounds, you can hire private boats but if it's just one person it can work out quite expensive, it's such a lovely trip too. I met up with a couple of the volunteers still working there and giving so much of their time. Claire who is now the volunteer coordinator and Vicky the vet who went for three months and ended up staying three years!! I also met up with another old friend, Marlee the cat, she has been at the centre since she was a kitten and now she is coming to live with me at the end of January.
(Detail about the island Courtesy of Outrigger Resort )Phi Phi Islands are among the most beautiful tropical islands in the world and have become one of the most popular tourist attractions of Thailand. Phi Phi is located half
way between Phuket and Krabi Provence. In former times the local people called the island Pulau Piali derived from the language of the sea gypsies meaning "Pulau- island and Piali being the name of a plant growing in the mangrove swamps". During the last century the name changed to Phi Phi, this name referring to the wood mangrove found there. six islands are in the group Phi Phi Don ( the largest) Phi Phi Ley, Koh Bida Nai, Koh Bida Nok, Koh Yoong and Koh Phai. The total size of the area is 42 km and formed the National Park in 1983.
Phi Phi Don covers 28km and consists of two parallel running wooded hills that are connected by a narrow sandy isthmus covered by coconut groves, several hotel buildings rimmed with beaches on either side. The Southern Tonsai beach lies deep within a bay with limestone cliffs on one side and wooded hills on the other. The center of the island has the long existing Muslim and Sea Gypsy village. Half an hour uphill is a magnificent viewpoint really worth the visit. The trail starts from the Phi Phi viewpoint restaraunt on the east side of Loh Dalum
Bay or with a staircase at the bottom of the mountain behind the centre of the town.
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I have lost count of the times over the last year that I have used the words incredible, stunning, amazing etc etc, Sometimes words and pictures don't do it justice and of course everybody views and sees things differently. I hope you have enjoyed the journey and been inspired by the amazing people out there doing so much for our furry friends, I know I have loved every single minute of it and have some very precious memories and it's just the tip of the iceberg. It's hard to believe that a year has passed already and I've only covered a very small part of the world, there is still so many amazing places and people out there to meet and see, all it takes is a single step! If I can do it anyone can. Thank you so much for your company along the way and Please, Please Please if you are thinking of getting a pet visit your local rescue center. Adopt don't shop!! Back in Oz now for Christmas and will see you all very, very soon.
View from the beach hutWishing you all a merry Christmas and great things for the new year.
Namaste May xx
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Veronica
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May. You are an inspiration. Wonderful to read your adventure and walk with you in cyber land. Have a truly magical Christmas & safe passage toward your homelands. Mum is doing ok & says hello. Love V xx