The best course of action is sometimes not clear until you list and weigh your alternatives.
The following paragraphs should help clarify what the experts say is important.
I have long dreamed of visiting the Phi Phi Islands. I first read about these beautiful remote islands off the coast of Phuket about 10 years ago and then, like everyone else, I was mesmerized by the stunning scenery depicted in the movie The Beach starring Leonardo DiCaprio.
After watching the movie a second time, I decided that Phi Phi would be one of my honeymoon destinations.
You can imagine my sense of anticipation when I finally arrived there with my bride a few weeks ago.
Most tourists arrive by sea from Phuket or Krabi, but we chose to fly there from Phuket Airport using the new seaplane service Blue Water Air.
As we descended to the landing, I looked at the magnificent view below us – towering cliffs and thick forests lining the golden strips of sand.
We boarded the speedboat and a few minutes later arrived at a beautiful little village on Ton Sai Bay.
Although commonly referred to as "Phi Phi Island", pronounced Pee-Pee, there are actually two islands.
The larger of the two, Phi Phi Don, is where everyone stays because the smaller Phi Phi Lei is uninhabited.
A big attraction on Phi Phi Lei is Maya Bay and its beautiful beach where the movie was filmed.
Phi Phi Don has several wonderful resorts dotted around the coast, but most of the accommodation is in Ton Sai Village.
The settlement is perched on a stretch of sand between two steep hills, with the sea on either side. My first surprise upon arrival was to discover that there are no motor cars on the island.
Porters use handcarts to transport luggage from the pier to your hotel room, and the fastest form of transport is by bicycle.
Between the hotels and bungalows are small winding streets filled with small shops offering everything from 24-hour internet services and diving packages to pizzas and crepes.
After booking into our hotel, Phi Phi Island Cabana, we went swimming at Loh Dalum Bay, just a few meters away.
It was surprisingly shallow and we occasionally waded in with a sea kayak or a Thai fisherman for company.
As the sun set, we laid back in the water and watched the lights of the waterfront cafes and bars twinkling under the palm trees.
We were in heaven! Later that night we celebrated our first night on Phi Phi with cocktails at the Jungle Bar, a fabulous beach bar lit by flaming torches.
We met a couple of young Scandinavian backpackers and they recommended we head down the beach to the Italian restaurant Ciao Bella for "the best pizza in Thailand".
My wife opted for the prawns from the fresh seafood on display but I ordered the pizza which lived up to its reputation.
Later I chatted with the Italian owner who told me he has lived in Phi Phi for over 10 years. His family lives in Phuket during the week, but he prefers a simple life in his beach bungalow.
Early the next morning we hired a speedboat and went to see Maya Bay, the bay where most of the movie was shot.
Amazingly, it has remained untouched despite the crowds that visit every day.
Get there early – or just before sunset – and you should have at least part of the beach to yourself.
When the first ferry of day trippers arrived, we set out to snorkel on the other side of the island. I have snorkeled before but this was really special.
I felt like I was floating above a marine wonderland with colorful fish swarming around me.
My wife was nervous at first, but later we tried to get her out of the water! We then took a trip around the island and stopped at quiet little coves to swim. Sometimes the most important aspects of a subject are not immediately obvious.
Keep reading to get the full picture. When we finally got back to the pier, I was ready to head for a late afternoon nap, but my wife had other ideas.
"How about a Thai massage?" she asked. We headed to one of the little massage shops and I fell into a blissful half-asleep for the next 90 minutes.
That night I was ready for another night of drinking and dining with my toes in the sand, but my wife decided she wanted to go somewhere "elegant".
“Honey, we're on an island, miles from anywhere,” I begged. "Don't be silly, we'll find something special here," she replied. And we did that.
That night we dined at Le Grand Bleu, an excellent little French restaurant located in an alley near the pier.
Fortified with a bottle of wine, we then headed to the section of lively bars frequented mostly by backpackers.
Our favorites were Apache, a noisy, massive bar consisting of a series of terraces clinging to a steep hillside, and Carlitos, a small bar that featured an amazing "fire show" where dancers twirled and juggled flaming batons.
The star of the show told us he's set up classes to teach his skills to the locals, so get ready for a host of fire dancing stars hailing from Phi Phi!
The next day we rented a longtail boat and spent the day at Bamboo Island about 30 minutes away.
Before we left the village, we rested in the shade of the casuarinas and palm trees lining the beach and read novels bought from the second-hand bookshop.
We had intended to take a scuba diving course, but the urge to do as little as possible increased the longer we stayed on the island.
There was always something new to discover in the village, my favorites being a reggae bar tucked into the hill and a bakery where the TV seemed to show movies all day to an appreciative backpacker audience.
Most of the time I was happy to lean against one of the little bars along the waterfront and chat to whoever stopped by, while my wife was content to lie and sunbathe on a beach chair that was only a few meters from here.
One afternoon we managed to rouse ourselves enough to take a fairly strenuous walk up a nearby mountain to a "lookout" - a place where you can enjoy the full splendor of the coves below.
It was amazing and worth the tiring hike. Our five-day holiday in Phi Phi seemed too short.
As we were about to board the boat to the seaplane's floating jetty, I insisted we take off our shoes and make one last appearance into the bay.
With my dream of visiting the island fulfilled, I now look forward to returning for a second honeymoon. It can't come soon enough.
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