Phi Phi Islands

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It has been the most amazing time. I have spent some great time on the Islands. Bamboo Island 1st, which was pretty deserted, the piece of island I had was literally me and my bag! The island is a 13km boat trip from Ton Sai Pier. It is a flat evergreen island with blending white sand and crystal clear water. The sand is so soft, white and the water as clear as a swimming pool.

From there I snorkelled in 2 bays, one of which is called Mosquito Bay, which gets its name from the black cloud of mosquitos at sunset. We saw an abundance of tropical fish, sea urchins, jelly fish and amazing coral.

Leaving there we headed into Maya Bay. It is a stunningly beautiful bay that's sheltered by 100-metre high cliffs on three sides. Inside the bay there are several beaches, most are small and some only exist at low tide. The main one is around 200 metres long with silky soft white sand, underwater colourful coral and exotic fish in exceptionally clear water; the whole bay is one big reef. It has has become the main tourist attraction of Phi Phi since The Beach was filmed there in 1999.

From there we sailed into Pi Leh Bay, which is an uninhabited island that lies 1.5km off the southernmost tip of Phi Phi Don. We had a few problems with the boat as the bay is very shallow, but you can see the fish so clearly and the coral glistens in the afternoon sunlight. There were a few private boats and longtail boats in the bay plus out speedboat. The scenery within the bay is outstanding. The beauty cannot be captured in a photo alone. Stunning vertical cliffs capped with green foliage give way to small sandy beaches and tropical coral seas.

From there we spent time on Phi Phi Don, which due to the tourist boom has made it my least favourite island, but still photogenic. Ko Phi Phi is one of the most talked about places in Southeast Asia, with its natural beauty and reputation for good times putting it firmly on the tourist trail. It offers Limestone cliffs, turquoise waters, white sand beaches and miles of trackless forest which make Phi Phi a perfect tropical island. Developments over the past 20 years however have made it the subject of great controversy. Those who wanted to preserve its natural character have been pitched against those who wanted to make it a world-class holiday destination, and profit financially from the trade.

I would love to have shared these moments with family as I truly cannot capture those moments on film. Although all the islands are very photogenic, to be there, experiencing the true beauty of the place is like living in a dream.

I'm so thrilled to have had the opportunity to visit these islands. I'll never forget those moments.

Off to the Hot springs and Emerald pool for my next tour and then I leave to Satun.

Love to all xxx

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