The ferry took about two hours for the crossing. We fell asleep and when we woke up, we found ourselves catapulted into a world that, apparently, looked more like one of hell’s circles than
a paradise. Hundreds of people with a lost look
on their faces; hundreds of natives who welcomed their hotel’s guests and the people looking for a new
lodging: it was a total mess! But don’t be fooled, it's just the impression of an unusual initial impact; everything else is just wonderful!
We immediately found out our correspondent, who loaded all the
luggage on a huge wheelbarrow and took us to the Phi Phi Casita Hotel, the
place we had booked by Internet before we our departure.
Situated right behind Ao Lo Dalam beach, this elegant imitation of a fishing
village consisted of small wooden bungalows arising from a muddy surface
completely covered with flowers. We thought it was a great accommodation with a
good quality/price ratio.
While waiting to check-in, we took advantage of the pool for a refreshing bath; then, we
went for a short walk in the small but
intricate village so that we
could orient ourselves better and, last but not
least, we enjoyed a relaxing Thai massage.
Ko Phi Phi is amazing. The sinuous beaches, the quiet coves and the stunning limestone cliffs attract travelers from all around the world. Ko Phi Phi Don belongs to the Marine National
Park of Ko Phi Phi, which also includes the nearby island of Phi Phi Leh.
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| In the pool at Phi Phi Casita |
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| The bungalows at Phi Phi Casit |
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| Around the small village of the island |
The following day, we spent our time in a boat, having a ride around the
whole island and stopping by the most interesting spots: we visited the fish
cave, we practiced snorkeling in the Pilah lagoon and then, we are taken by a canoe
to a ladder that gives access to Maya Beach, on the opposite side of the
island. This is the place where the movie "The Beach", with Di Caprio,
was filmed and since then the number of tourists had increased significantly.
It should be a spectacular place, but the hundreds of people scar the landscape
and its peace. We made a quick stop, just the time to realize that this wasn’t
a great place for us, we took a few pictures and then we went back. We dove
back into the sea, jumped on the boat and went back.
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| Fish Cave 2011 © Giovanna Puccia. All rights reserved. |
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| Shipwrecked in Maya Beach |
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Maya Beach
2011 © Giovanna Puccia. All rights reserved. |
We continued our tour but we had to go back to the dock
because a lady wasn’t feeling well, and started to vomit non-stop! We went
snorkeling on the eastern side of the island. I went through a lot of difficulties,
due to the strong currents, and I couldn’t go back by myself. Sebastian tried
to help me but all of a sudden, a mysterious man appeared, who took me by the
arm and started dragging me: he will be crowned as my hero. The only thing I
could remember about him was the fact that his hands were rough even in the
water. Later, I found out that he was a young Chinese man.
We stopped at Bamboo Island and Monkey Beach. It started raining and a strong
storm forced us to stop in the middle of the ocean, with no visibility at all.
There's a guy who was scared by thunders and kept covering his ears every time
one would hit, and he became the laughing stock of the entire boat! We can’t
help but laugh in his face every time he covers his ears. What a coward!
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A cool Singha drinking on the beach under the full moon and the fire shows brought the day to its end.
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| At Bamboo Island |
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Bamboo Island
2011 © Giovanna Puccia. All rights reserved. |
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| Monkey Beach (no monkeys viewed) |
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| Find the cat...and bon appetit! |
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| Fire shows on the beach |
The following morning, we took a taxi boat and we reached
Hat Yao, also known as Long Beach. It can be reached by a boat tail or with a
45-minute walk through jungle trails. The beach was fantastic and much less
crowded than the ones in Tonsai. It's a dream, but like all dreams, it could be
interrupted by something unexpected. A sudden thunderstorm forced us to take
refuge in a restaurant on the beach, where we decided to stop for lunch, hoping
that in the meantime it would stop raining. Unluckily, the weather didn’t
improve so we decided to return to the village, where we explored the
still-unknown streets of Tonsai. We took a bath in the swimming pool while
another storm was about to come, and then we went resting in our bungalow until
dinner time.
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Long Beach
2011 © Giovanna Puccia. All rights reserved. |
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Long Beach
2011 © Giovanna Puccia. All rights reserved. |
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Long Beach
2011 © Giovanna Puccia. All rights reserved. |
The following day, we returned to Long Beach but this
time we chose to walk through the jungle. The weather was wonderful and we
could finally say that we were truly in heaven! The time went by between a
refreshing swim in the warm waters of the ocean and a nap under the palm tree.
I got burned. Sebastian got a tan.
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Long Beach
2011 © Giovanna Puccia. All rights reserved. |
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| Taking a break on the path that leads from the village of Tonsai to Long Beach |
On our last day, we decided to go to the View Point, at the top of the island. There are two ways to reach the destination, one easier but long, and the other one shorter but very rugged and entirely made of stairs. Unaware of what was awaiting us, we opted for the first one, but we had the chance to meet one of the few trucks on the island and we scrounged them a lift. Sebastian was generous and left the driver a
40 Bath tip. So in a short time, and with minimal effort, we reached the peak. And thank God we had met those kind gentlemen, or we would have surely given up before
arriving at the place.
From the top of the island, the view of the twin
bays, the thin strip of emerald green, turquoise and jade, the sheer karst cliffs and the peaceful Phi Phi Leh offered a
perfect image for a postcard. Just the time to rest a little and take some pictures, and we were on our way back. One of my slippers broke and I had to walk bare footed
all the way back.
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| Thai flower composition2011 © Giovanna Puccia. All rights reserved. |
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| Point View Phi Phi Island |
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Point View Phi Phi Island
2011 © Giovanna Puccia. All rights reserved. |
We ate at our favorite restaurant, Seba tasted yet another
Thai typical dish, and I ate the usual local food: I was sick of the strong
local flavor, and I ordered a shrimp salad, which came with the usual 3 actual shrimps.
We reached the dock where we took the last ferry of the day to Phuket. A
minibus took us to the airport, the usual storm raged and with the usual thai
delay, we arrived in Bangkok in the middle of the night. At the airport, we met
the representative of the hotel we had booked online and he drove us to the
hotel. It's almost 2 am when we fell asleep.
Keep reading...
Keep reading.... My travel story continues in the next post!
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