Phi Phi IslandsOct 10, 2007
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The beach we went to
The view from the shore
The cliffs in the distance
| 10th Well after our journey from Krabi to Phi Phi, we arrived to the hustle and bustle of everyone wanting you to stay with them in their guesthouse, quite annoying when we have our big bags on andreally are not in the mood for it. We ended up in a tourist information office and they booked us a room for a night in 'Uphill Cottages' for 600 baht a night actually seems like we were a bit ripped off for it as the room was pretty grotty and really dark all painted in a brick red. So we only stayed there for one night and looked for another room ourselves for the rest of our stay. Phi Phi is a really nice place but it is still getting over the Tsunami so there is building and construction work going on everywhere, so where ever you sleep its pretty noisy and they start nice and early- brilliant for the lie in! The first afternoon we arrived in Phi Phi we headed straight down to the beach for a chill out session and swim in the sea- although swim was really the word when the water is no higher than your knees! It was also really warm and felt like we were in a bath (so no good for cooling us down when we were boiling!) After spending a couple of hours in the sun we headed off for a fruit shake in a local restaurant and then went back to our room, to cool down. That evening we went to a little Italian and Thai restaurant and both had a Thai Penang curry which was lovely and not too spicy which was good. Then we headed back to the room and played cards before falling asleep. 11th On the second day we moved guesthouse to 'Lux' guesthouse which only asked for 300 baht a night much better and for a nicer room. We again headed down to the beach. Alot of tours went from the beach we were sunbathing on but it got really shallow at around midday, and one of the big tour boats got stuck so all of the guys from the boat had to get out and push the boat out to sea. quite a funny thing to watch people were getting soaked in the propella backspray! That afternoon it got so hot i was in the shade but it was still incredibly hot so we only managed it until 3pm before we had to go back to the room, where we had a little nap and shower then went out for dinner. We'd seen a really popular Italian place and thought we'd give it a try but the pizza wasn't the best we've had so a bit of a dissapointment. Walking around Phi Phi markets there are lots of things to buy mainly jewllery stalls and clothing shops selling touristy t-shirts and absolutely loads of tourist operators and scuba diving places. We got a Thai Pancake with nutella each as we walked around the stalls and shops, then ended up sitting in a cafe watching Blades of Glory as unless you want to drink in bars there isn't loads to occupy your evenings with. 12th When we woke up on the third day we decided to spend a day out of the sun as it is so hot and we got woken up early due to the builders, so we looked around the markets and explored the town more. We found a food market near the beach and went for the best fruit shake probably of the holiday i had banana and yoghurt, so lovely and the people there were so nice and welcoming. So we decided to go back later on that evening to try some traditional Thai food. Up until around 3pm we walked around and then it just became to hot again, so we went back to the room to cool down again. Then at about 5.45 we walked up the viewpoint up the hill from our guesthouse and it was definately a steep climb. There are two viewpoints the first one was 350 steps up and had a good view over Phi Phi but the second point was amazing in comparison and we sat there to watch the sunset. Then after a very hot and exhausting walk arrived back at out guesthouse for a shower, and went out for dinner at about 7pm. We went back to the market where we had been previously in the day and had some lovely Thai food i tried a Thai chicken and noodle soup, and then a beef yellow curry with rice. Hannah had a fried rice with cashewnut and pineapple dish. All the dishes were so nice and really tasty some of the best Thai food weve had, was from a market stall. Then after dinner we went to another little cafe that was showing some films and watched Hairspray, which was a rather cheesy american film but stopped us from being bored in the room. 13th Boat trips are a really big thing in Phi Phi so we knew we had to go on one, so the fourth day was an excellent opportunity to do one. We'd already bought a ticket the evening before so turned up at 10.45 at the tourist operator, who walked us behind a load of buildings to the harbour. There was easily around 40-50 people who had also paid to do a boat trip that day, luckily we'd chosen to go on a Longtail boat so we thought it would consist on about 8 tourists on a boat. It ended up being a bit different as they used larger Longtail boats and they piled 17 of us onto one boat. With people from all different countries there was Hannah and me and another couple from Engaland; 4 people from Australia, 3 girls from what we could make out were from Brazil, a couple from Japan and 3 other people but we couldn't work out where they were from. The boat first of all took us to Monkey Island which is just full of wild monkeys running around in trees and on the beach. We were next taken to Shark Point where we snorkelled and saw some amazing tropical fish and coral, we saw clown fish, angel fish, a jelly fish which we were'nt too pleased to see. There were fish everywhere it was so cool i didn't want to get out the water when he blew the whistle to get us to come back in. We were then taken to an Island where we had lunch (fried rice with vegetables) and watermelon and pineapple, we had an hour to chill out and explore the island. After lunch we were taken to Maya Bay which is where the film 'The Beach' was filmed, it was so picturesque but unfortanetly some of the Thai beaches really need a big of cleaning up as theres bits of rubbish floating in the water. Apart from that though it was great to see and say we have been to 'the beach'! The rest of the boat trip he took us to really good snorkelling areas, there was one on the other side of Maya Bay which was just swarming with fish everywhere, we even saw a snake type of fish which was cool. Near the evening we were taken to watch the sunset, where we sat and spoke to the couple from england as they have already been to Australia so they were telling us where was good to go and what to see. After the sunset we headed back to Phi Phi, and we ran back to our room to have a shower as we were so hungry we needed some food! We went back to the same place that we had eaten on the first night and i had vegetarian lasange and Hannah had seafood fetticine. For the last time we walked around the market and had a look if we wanted to buy anything at all to send home. We then headed back to the room, as much as i wanted to watch the rugby it wasn't showing here until 2am, and i was knackered and didn't think i could make it that long, but iv heard today that we won and are in the final can't believe it! At night there was the biggest storm with thunder and lightning, along with a guy who snored so loudly (think he was in the room above us) iv never heard someone snore so loud!! 14th We woke up this morning and walked to the pier to head back to Krabi so we can head down to Singapore tomoro. The boat took an hour and a half, and once we got there we were hassled by all the taxi drivers and got a bus into Krabi town for 30 baht each. We had seen a guesthouse that advertised rooms for 200 baht last time we were in Krabi so we headed straight for there, and they had rooms avaliable. When we arrived the town was full of tables done up in red clothes, and a lady on the bus told us it was a Chinese festival and tradition. Walking from our guesthouse into town we saw a poster which said it is the Vegetarian Festival this week in Krabi, so we went to check out what the tables were all about. We first returned to the book shop we'd found the other week and went to read up about Singapore and Hannah bought a book so we know what we can expect to see, there seems to be so much to do in Singapore it's going to be great. The festival/ parade was rather wierd and disturbing to say the least! There was fire crackers going off in the distance and Thai people all stood behind their own table which had food and water on. Then the parade started down the street and there were guys with swords and knives sticking through their mouths like through their cheeks (rather odd). While other guys walked up to the stalls ans drank the water, chucked rice over them and then gave then back some of the food that the had provided. (Whether for the goods or something?- we aren't sure). The fire crackers kept going off and they had a chair with little puppets on dancing underneath them, we don't know if the fire crackers were a symbol to say the puppets were being shot- didn't quite make sense! But later on down the festival they had guys cutting their tongues with swords and knives, whether it was an illusion and it was red capsules they were breaking or their actual blood it was rather wierd it was running all down their face and chest though. So didn't want to see it made me feel a bit sick. A rather wierd festival and me and Hannah couldn't understand where the vegetarian bit came into it! After about 2 hours the festival finished and the street got a mass cleaning. We haven't as of yet managed to find out exactly what the festuval was about but were going to ask someone at our guesthouse later on. We have booked tickets to Singapore for tomorow as well and were paying 1,100 baht to travel by bus on a 24 hour journey from Krabi to Singapore so be a long old time to sit on a bus for but not too bad. So when i write my next blog update i will no longer be in Thailand, it's been so much fun and i've loved every minute of it but am now really looking forward to arriving in Singapore ready to explore a new country! Hope your all really well and doing ok, Lots of Love from Caroline xxx |
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