Exploring
The Phi Phi Islands
Long-tailed Boats
The Phi Phi Islands in southern Thailand would be an excellent choice for a relaxing tropical island holiday should you only have a couple of weeks stay. Your best choice would be to start from the island of Phuket as once there, you will have a choice of several islands in the area to explore. Phi Phi Don is an island shaped like a lop-sided butterfly, and only 45 minutes by boat from Phuket and by far one of the very best islands in this region. The turquoise waters and soft white sandy shores must surely be what dreams are made of. Can you just imagine lazing on the palm-fringed shores with thick lush forested limestone as your back-drop. Shall I leave you with your dreams.
Phi Phi Don Island
Relaxing Island Style
Phi Phi Leh, not far off, is an uninhabited island with spectacular sheer cliffs and caves. A long-tail boat ride will take you to Viking Cave on the island first. Here in these caves, sea swallows build their nests which they produce using their own saliva. This delicacy is then made into a soup much loved by the Chinese. There are a few restaurants around the country catering for their needs. I have come across one in Pattaya where you can dine on Shark Fin soup as well as Birds Nest Soup. The Super markets and Seven Eleven stores sell a beverage made from the bird's nests. So go on and give it a try. I dare you. I have some in my home but will admit, I have not opened it as yet. Many of the caves around this area are now patrolled by armed military personal to protect the nests from unauthorized persons and possible poachers.
Tropical Fish in the Coral Reefs
Mayo Bay, on the western shores of this island is famous for the movie "The Beach", which was partly filmed here. They do seem to film a lot of movies here in Thailand. Must be the stunning beauty of this amazing country. Either that or perhaps the government was having cash flow problem at the time. Just kidding! The local Thai people seem to capitalize on these movie locations and I will admit, it does seem to work for them. Be careful as prices of curios on some of these islands are relatively quite high. It is better to buy handicrafts and other gift items on the main land. Nevertheless the relatively deserted white beach of Maya Bay is an excellent place to stop over for a bit of snorkeling in the surrounding coral reef.
Parrot Fish munching on Coral
A short history lesson: Did you know that each year parrot fish munch their way through about 12 kilograms or 26 pounds of coral which is then digested and later excreted as fine sand. So if you hear grinding noises while snorkeling, you will know that there are hungry parrot fish near by. Check out the photo above!
Boats suspended on the water
You get the impression that all the boats on these shores are suspended on the crystalline waters here. Luxury cruise vessels can be arranged through numerous tour companies from Phuket as well as Krabi. The Islands here are arguably some of the most beautiful in Thailand especially for diving enthusiasts where you as a visitor can earn your open-water dive card from any one of the many dive shops.
Getting There
Tours and cruises can be arranged from the island of Phuket with public ferries departing from the Phuket Ferry Pier. The journey will take around 2 hours depending on weather conditions. Should you be going directly from the airport to the Phi Phi Islands, then allow for an extra 1 hour for road transport.
Want the ultimate convenient experience! An alternative option would be to hire a private speedboat. This way, not only would you not have to wait for other passengers to arrive but you have the advantage of arriving much earlier as well as being able to disembark at a beach possibly close to any resort hotel that you may have a booking. Remember, there are no roads on these islands. Tonsai Bay is where the main Phi Phi Pier is located. There are a number of speedboats to choose depending on the size of your party. The smallest single engine speedboat can carry between 2 and 4 guests, another between 6 and 8 guests and the larger twin engine speedboats can accommodate up to 20 guests including all your gear should you want to explore the superb dive sites around the islands. Departure starts from Phuket at 7 am until 4.30 pm with the journey taking as little as 45 minutes. Boats also depart from Krabi town and Ao Nang beach several times daily during the high season between November and April. During the low season between May and October, there is far less activity and departures depend on weather conditions. The duration of the trip takes approximately 90 minutes with a further 30 minutes should you be going directly from Krabi Airport to the Krabi Pier.
Return from Phi Phi to the Author page
Return from Phi Phi to the Thailand Islands page
|
