Phi Phi Day Tour by Express Boat
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When I told my wife I was going to Phi Phi she told me to
shut the bathroom door behind me. Okay, so the name’s
funny but the joke has long since burned out. The Phi Phi
islands have been constantly singled out over the years as
some of the world’s most beautiful islands and rightly
so.
The waters surrounding Phi Phi are the most luscious turquoise
imaginable and teem with thousands of exotically coloured
fish. The islands lie 48kms Southeast of Phuket and this translates
as roughly one hour 20 minutes, in ferry-speak. |
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All aboard
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| Arrival at Phi Phi
Don's Tonsai Bay |
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Phuket’s Ratsada Port at half-past eight in the morning is
everything you have ever imagined the Far East to be: horns beeping,
sailors helping people on board, passengers of every hue and size,
and it’s all very much like a scene from an Indiana Jones movie.
Luckily, there’s a semblance of organization and it isn’t
long before we locate the Sea Angel tour desk and are boarding Sea
Angel 2 – a fair-sized, three-deck ferry boat.
Land ahoy!
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| Tonsai Bay |
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Sea Angel 2 fairly skips along as we choose seats on the middle
deck under cover by the café. More hardy souls sprawl out
on the top deck while others opt for the air-conditioned, lower
all-seater deck. Before long we encounter a squall coming in from
the west but it doesn’t last for long and soon the decks are
steaming under the morning sun and everyone is back to where they
were.
Soon, the distinctive shapes of Phi Phi Don and Phi Phi Ley loom
ahead in the distance. We steam into west side of Phi Phi Don, at
the colourful port of Ton Sai, where ongoing passengers disembark
at the pier, leaving the ship much less crowded. The first impression
of Phi Phi Don gives is, “How can a place be as beautiful as
this?” Green hills frame the narrow isthmus that joins the
two ‘dumb bells’ as people like to describe it. And the
fish! – there are thousands of them coming up in fluorescent
shoals to nibble at bread thrown down by tourists.
Loaves and fishes
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| Maya Bay on Phi
Phi Ley |
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With an ear-splitting hoot from the ship’s klaxon we’re
off again to Phi Phi Ley, a striking uninhabited island jutting
out of the sea to the west of Phi Phi Don. The ship’s speakers
crackle into life and we’re told by a girl with a comically
mangled accent that it’s soon time to snorkel for an hour at
Ao Ling, or Monkey Bay. (Mask and snorkel free of charge. Rental
fins 100 baht, replacement of lost mask and snorkel 1,000 baht.)
But first we go to Hollywood. That is, we pass by Maya Bay where
The Beach was shot back in 1999. The sand looks impossibly white
from where we are but our ship passes this glorious sight by as
we’re on a mission and soon here we are at Ao Ling. On the
beach, monkeys do their thing while we don swimming gear and masks.
Thousands and thousands of multicoloured fish teem in the waters
below and show no fear as we slip into the sea to gaze at the beautiful
coral and marine life. This is a fabulous experience and not to
be missed. Passengers throw entire loaves into the sea and they’re
devoured in minutes… by the fish – not us. These must
be some of the best-fed clown anenome, rainbow and labyrinth fish
in the Andaman.
Lunch and chill out time
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| Loh Dalam Bay |
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After an unforgettable hour of sporting with the local marine population
we head back to Ton Sai for lunch (included in the price of the
tour). Phi Phi Don has been rebuilt since the tsunami and as a result
is now a much less cluttered place. We eat under an elegant giant
white canopy at the Phi Phi Princess Hotel and the breeze on the
Loh Dalam Bay side of the island is nothing short of delicious,
along with the buffet lunch, of course.
The best thing about buffets is that you can mix and match to your
heart’s content. Spaghetti and chicken drumsticks with bolognaise
sauce over it? Sure, and no one is fazed; in fact a few people get
a lot weirder than me. The beach at Loh Dalam is merely steps away
and that’s where we spend the next hour, lazing in the shade
with brief forays into the shallow water until it’s time to
head back to our Sea Angel.
Is this heaven?
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| Transparent waters
of Tonsai Bay |
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Following our marine-themed exertion and lunch we’re all a
little in need of a nap on the way back but personally speaking
the view from the top deck is too good to miss. A light cloud cover
and factor-30 sun lotion along with a sarong to wrap up in ensure
that we’re not fried by the afternoon sun. Ahead, in the shimmering
distance, a post-apocalyptic cloud formation boils and writhes over
Phuket.
Suddenly, a school of barracuda skims past on the water surface
and there’s magic in the air. Behind us, a husband turns to
his wife and says, “Honey, let’s remember this moment
when we’re back home, feeling cold and bored.” There’s
nothing quite like a day out to paradise.
Sea Angel 2 docked at twenty-past four and the crew implemented
a clever two-way system to help us all disembark and get to our
waiting pick up minivans for the ride back to the hotel.
By
Sam Wilkinson
Interested in this Tour?
Phi
Phi by Express Boat
Day Trip - 1,200 Baht |
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A trip to the Phi Phi Islands is an unforgettable experience. The
beauty of the area with sheer cliffs soaring from calm, clear seas
is stunning. Phi Phi Don, the larger island, has idyllic tropical
beaches lining its southern and eastern shores. Phi Phi Ley, to
the south, has shallow coral gardens, teeming with fish and perfect
for snorkelling. Lunch included. Read
more...
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