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Published: January 11th 2007
The Cabanas
The nicest people ever... In continuation with the last blog on Phi Phi...
Part Two: Rai Lei, Probably The Most Beautiful Place On Earth.
I was sad to say goodbye to Phi Phi... And the massive party-scene! But our time is limited and we'd met a girl that spoke so highly of Rai Lei that we knew a visit was in order. So we got on another boat for another two hour journey... Once again, it poured rain throughout the journey. And to our surprise, upon arriving at Rai Lei we realized we had to board another much smaller wooden boat to get to the shores of the island... There isn't even a pier! At this point I knew that this place just might be close to the fantasy land I'd been dreaming and reading about.
My dad compared our landing to that of a war... The water was rough, everyone was nervous, and the series of little boats heading together towards the sands did create a sense of excitement like no other...
We safely arrived, had to walking in pouring rain through knee-high water, and then met a local who told us of a hotel called the 'Diamond Cave
Patong Beach...
Pretty doesn't even describe it... Resort' for 1500b a-night rooms. We made a long trek through mud and water to get there and upon reaching it, we were informed that those 'cheap' rooms had already been taken and the lowest available was 3000b a night. No good. Quite an argument ensued... And long story short, both Dan and I left red-faced, never again wanting to see any employee of that place. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone thinking about it. Why not trek a few more minutes up the mountain... That's what we did and beyond the mosquitoes, it was one of the most wonderful places I've visited in my life.
It was called the Railey Cabanas and was surrounded by greenery and high limestone cliffs... Chalita, our waitress/bartender/hotel clerk was about the nicest girl I've ever met and we shared many stories throughout my days there. Her English wasn't very good, my Thai is non-existent, but we still managed to communicate and laugh with each other.
I can't even describe how beautiful and wonderful this patch of heaven is... There are no roads in Rai Lei, nor are there cars or motorbikes to travel on them. The place remains as one of
The Diamond Cave...
For 40b, it's worth a visit... the least developed islands that many people actually go to... And for good reason... The rock climbing is first rate, as are the glorious white-sand beaches with crystal clear water. There are also massive caves everywhere that you can enter and explore, though I'm sure many are dangerous and I wouldn't advise it... Even dad, in his rush from place to place, had to stay for a least a few days. It was near-perfect here. And I WILL come again.
We met many Europeans and an occasional American while sitting at the Rai Lei bar... We shared some great stories and I got some great advice for my future travels and adventures. We met a lovely girl named Samantha from just outside Amsterdam whose traveled with us since... Or maybe it's we who have traveled with her.
We also met a group of Norwegian kids who will be in the bay area soon... I've offered them my room back home and I'm pretty sure they will take it... Mom, don't worry, it's only for a few days.
I can't really say in words just how wonderful this island is... So I will let the pictures speak for
Roads Are Trails...
Very little 'street pavement' here... themselves. The only thing that dampened it were the horrid mosquitoes (over 50 bites on my body) and the freezing shower in my cabana... That's little if nothing at all compared to the positives of this beautiful place.
I want to come back. I will come back. And next time, I'll spend more than a few days... A couple weeks sounds better, and even then I feel I might leave regretting I didn't spend a year in paradise.
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