Phi Phi Island (Koh Phi Phi)

Southern Thailand

Page Three

I'm going to bring the map back for a second so you can see where the following pictures were taken. I went down by the jetty, waited my 5 seconds, and answered "Yes" when "Tuk Tuk" asked me if I needed a boat. He took me in his long-tail (600 baht standard price) to Phi Phi Lea, a 15-minute ride to the south. If you looked at my Phuket page two, you saw a picture of a cave. Well that cave, I know now, is Viking Cave on Phi Phi Lea.

Anyway, Phi Phi Lea has two large bays, as you can see on my map (although the smaller one on the east side is kind of smirched by my artsy-farsty drop shadow). I'm including pictures of those bays here.

	OK, just put yourself in my seat here for a minute, as the boatman "Tuk Tuk" cuts the motor and we glide into this pristine bay -- water clear as blue diamond, cliffs towering straight out of the water on all sides, skies perfect. What do you think but "God, we live on a beautiful planet."
After a circle around the bay, "Tuk Tuk" rounds the southern tip of the island, marked by the rock formation you see, en route to Maya Bay for a little snorkeling.
	Maya Bay. It has the only beach, visible here, I saw on Phi Phi Lea. Although the water was very clear, the snorkeling was disappointing: the coral was deep (it might have been high tide though) and there wasn't so much of it, although it was in pretty good shape. The worst thing, though, was that I got absolutely eaten alive by sea lice and spent the next few nights scratching the hundreds of bites all over by body! According to "Tuk Tuk," their presence is unpredictable, but be forewarned! One hint -- I noticed that they didn't bite where I was wearing sunscreen. It wouldn't be very "green" of me to advise you to grease yourself all up before going in, though, would it?
Here's a look at the Phi Phi Lea skyline as "Tuk Tuk" takes me back to Phi Phi Don. It bears no resemblance to its image on the map, does it? The water was pretty choppy and both "Tuk Tuk" and I were up out of our seats, using our legs for balance.
	If you're still with me here on page three, you must be pretty serious about going to Phi Phi (and you should, by all means!), so here is some more hotel information for you. Bear in mind that I'm a teacher, not a travel agent, and I'm not doing this out of any sales interest at all. This is the Phi Phi Hotel (go back to page one for its position on the beach). You can call at 66-1-230-3138, fax at 66-1-579-5764, email at phiphi@samart.co.th, or visit their website at www.phiphi-hotel.com
These cabins are part of the Tonsai Village complex. They have their own reception office and desk, so I was surprised to find out that they're actually run by and a part of the Cabana Hotel. They are located near the far end of the beach that has the jetty, and there's nice coral in the sea just in front of them. The cabins TA01 through TA17 are pictured here; other numbers are behind them away from the beach and therefore less desirable, IMHO. They quoted me 1,600 baht per night at the front desk for a double. If you'd like to book here the tel./fax number is 66-75-612-434. It's the same number as for the cabins below or the rooms you saw by the pool.
	One more look at the cabins we stayed in. They're about a 3-minute walk from the cabins above. OK, that's about it for my little tour of Koh Phi Phi. It's perhaps one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen, so if you found this page while trying to decide whether you should go or not, my vote is a resounding "YES!" I'm sure you'll enjoy your trip. We certainly did.