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I have long dreamed of visiting the Phi Phi Islands. I started learning about these beautiful remote islands off the coast of Phuket about 10 years ago and, like everyone else, was amazed at the magnificent scenario shown in the film, The Beach, starring Leonardo DiCaprio. After seeing the film for the second time, I decided that Phi Phi would be my honeymoon place one day.
You can imagine my longing when I finally got there with my bride a few weeks ago. Many tourists arrive by sea from Phuket or Krabi, but we decided to fly from Phuket Airport using a new maritime service, Blue Water Air. As we descended, I gazed at the magnificent view below - rising cliffs and dense jungles lined with golden sand. We boarded a speeding boat and a few minutes later arrived at the picturesque little village of Ton Sai Bay.
Although commonly referred to as the “Phi Island”, Pee-Pee, there are actually two islands. The older of the two, Phi Phi Don, is where everyone lives, as the little Phi Phi Lei is empty. The highlight of Phi Phi Lei is Maya Bay and its beautiful sea, where the movie was shot. Phi Phi Don has some of the most beautiful beaches on the beach, but most of the resorts are located in the Ton Sai area. The residence is set on sand between two high hills, with the sea bordering on both sides.
My first surprise when I arrived was to find that there were no cars on the island. Carriers use handcarts to transport luggage from the boarding pass to your hotel room and the fastest way to transport your bicycle. The narrow, winding trails run between hotels and bungalows, full of small shops offering everything from 24-hour online services and diving packages to pizza and cakes.
After booking at our hotel, Phi Phi Island Cabana, we set out for a swim in Loh Dalum Bay, just a few feet away. It was surprisingly low and we went out with an occasional sea kayak or Thai company fisherman. When the sun goes down we sleep in the water again and look at the lights of the seafood restaurants and the glittering bars under the palm trees. We were in heaven!
Later that night we celebrated our first night at Phi Phi with cocktails at Jungle Bar, a beautiful seaside bar lit by flaming torches. We met some young Scandinavian packers and they advised us to go down to the Italian restaurant, Ciao Bella, to "get the best pizza in Thailand". My wife chose to buy prawns from the fresh seafood on display, but I ordered pizza, which lived up to its name. I later spoke with an Italian owner, who told me that he had lived in Phi Phi for more than 10 years. Her family lives in Phuket during the week, but she prefers a simpler life at her beach house.
Early the next morning, we rented a canoe and set off for Maya Bay, a desert area where most of the filming took place. Surprisingly, it remains the same despite the crowds visiting it every day. Get there early - or just before sunset - and you should be part of the ocean on your own. When the first passenger boat arrived, we set off for snorkeling across the island. I've played snorkell before, but this was really special. It was as if I were drifting over the amazing ocean floor, with brightly colored fish all around me. My wife was terrified at first, but later she had a hard time getting out! Then we took a walk around the island, stopping in quiet places to swim.
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When we finally returned to the fishing grounds, I was ready to go to bed for the afternoon, but my wife had a different opinion. “What about Thai massage?” he asks. We headed for one of the small massage parlors, and, for the next 90 minutes, I wandered off into a coma.
That night I was ready for another night of drinking and eating with my toes in the sand, but my wife decided she wanted to go somewhere “beautiful”. “Dear, we are on an island, miles away from anywhere,” I plead. "Don't be silly, we will find a special place here", was his reply. And we do. That night we had dinner at a prestigious French restaurant called Le Grand Bleu, located on the sidewalk near the airport.
Strengthened by a bottle of wine, we headed for the barracks that the packers often visited. What we liked most were the Apache, a noisy, large bar that included a series of terraces clinging to a steep hill, and a small Carlitos bar displaying a spectacular "fire show", in which dancers twisted and tossed burning sticks. The game star told us that she has set up classes to teach her skills to the local people, so get ready for a bunch of dance stars from Phi Phi!
The next day we rented a houseboat and spent the rest of the day on the island of Bamboo 30 minutes away. We relaxed in the shade of casuarina and palms on the beach and read novels purchased at a secondhand bookstore before leaving the area. We intended to take a scuba diving course, but the desire to do as little as possible grew as we stayed longer on the island. There was always something new I found in the area, my favorite reggae place set up on the mountain and a bakery where the TV appeared to be showing movies all day to a hostile audience.
Most of the time, I was enjoying myself at a bar on the beach talking to anyone who came in, while my wife was content to lie and sunset on a deck chair just a few feet from the beach. One afternoon we were able to get up early to take a difficult trip up a nearby hill to a “viewing” area
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