Koh Phi Phi, Thailand

Our adventure continued when we decided to purchase a ferry ticket from Phuket Island to Koh Phi Phi. It's about an hour boat ride between the two islands and we were able to buy our tickets right from our hostel in Phuket. That's when I was saying the employees were so friendly. They would do anything.



We didn't have any hostels booked in advance. My friend thought that we shouldn't do that in case we didn't like one place, then we weren't forced to stay there. I would have rather booked a place in advance just to make sure, and because it was over the New Year break, so I knew there would be many people there. Either way, we didn't have a place to stay the first night.



Right as we arrived, we disembarked and looked at the information booths to see what kinds of rooms were still available. Not to my surprise, there were no more cheap ones available. We ran into this British couple and their boat arrived at 3pm (ours arrived at 6pm) and they came to us and asked if we had a room and told us they have been looking for three hours. This wasn't a good sign. At least there were other people in the same boat. There were two expensive room for 5000 Baht, which is like $170, which is very expensive - obviously. So we really had no other option but that, my friend and I took one and the Brits took one. The room was nice, but we also stayed in a Renaissance Hotel in Bangkok that was the same price, and that was much more luxurious. Whatever. It's fine. So we clung to the Brits because all Brits are awesome. There were many Brits just randomly traveling Southeast Asia. I was glad.



We did get free breakfast the next morning at the little restaurant next to our 'hotel.' It was very delicious: coffee, orange juice, eggs, garlic toast, deep-fried bananas, French toast, and fresh pineapple. EXCELLENT for being free.



After, we split from the Brits because my friend and I wanted to go to on a tour of some of the islands and to go snorkeling and see Maya Beach. If anyone has read The Beach or seen that movie, I think this was the beach that it was based off of. I have never seen it or read it, but apparently it's about the perfect beach were there are no tourist and it's a secret that nobody knows about. It seems very peaceful. But when we arrived, there were many tour boats full of tourists. Ironic.



Snorkeling was awesome. It was like being on the surface of a huge fish tank, but instead of looking in through the top or the side of the glass, you we looking at it like first person. I can't describe it. It was beautiful. Once I jumped in and got my goggles and breathing tube all settled, I looked under for the first time and it was amazing how close the fish swam to you. You could reach out and touch them. Some of them weren't too fast in moving out of the way, so it was eerie at the same time. Such a great experience.



That took up most of the day (until sunset) so we went back to our room and rested for a while. I don't remember where we ate dinner that night, but I don't think we met up with the Brits. But later, we must've randomly ran into them on the beach. There was a fire show that we stayed and watched for 20 minutes or something; we were just so tired from being in and out of the water and in the sun on the boat all day.



The next day we had a few hours to lie on the beach and soak up some rays before we had to catch or ferry back to Phuket. It was a great island to travel to. A little more expensive than Phuket, but overall I thought Thailand was fairly cheap. Lots of great islands and beaches in southern Thailand. I highly recommend it.