Paradise on Phi Phi

19th - 24th July
The title says it really, this place is glorious. I woke up excited, hopped on a boat from Krabi and an hour and a half later I was on the pier of one of the most famous and unspoilt islands in the world. Because of the national park status coupled with the fame through the filming of ‘the beach’ and the devastation of the tsunami, I decided to book ahead and was met by a little Thai guy with my name badly spelt on a whiteboard. As there is no traffic on Phi Phi, he carted my backpack in a trolley through the little maze of paved lanes, which wind through bars and cafes and are surrounded by mountains and stunning white beaches with crystal clear waters. Of course, there are a number of guesthouses and the usual resorts here and in the centre of the little town you’re aware that it’s hardly an undeveloped island but you can hardly grudge the Thais for cashing in on the breathtaking beauty of the place and offering us all the opportunity to be here. And in saying that, the excited ‘we’re actually here’ vibe is more than a little contagious. I’m staying at Golden Hills Bungalows part of the way up the hill and overlooking the (almost empty) reservoir and Dave, the English owner, is finally doing what every hostel should be doing and pairing solo travellers up in twin rooms to split the cost and help you meet people – and that’s how I meet Emily the day after.

Meeting people here is fantastically easy though, there are plenty of solo travellers and even those in groups are more than delighted to invite you along. There are a couple of movie bars, a late night book store/cafe, a free Thai boxing venue, a dozen other bars and a beach party every single night so unless you desperately want to, it’s not like you’re going to end up sitting in by yourself at night. During the day, the vibe is calmer and people head to the beach to sunbathe on perfect sand or lie in the shallow water among tropical fish when the tide is out. My first day is spent doing this and then on the second I decide to go for a snorkelling trip and see Maya Bay, also known as ‘The Beach’. The trip is an absolute bargain at 550 Baht, which is under £10, and involves 2 beaches, 2 snorkelling sites, lunch and the longtail boat for the day. It also involves climbing over coral and rocks and through caves, a lot of jellyfish and a few deadly water snakes, waves that make you seasick and worry that the boat will flip and the rare opportunity to freeze in Thailand. Once again, you get what you pay for! Fortunately though, I didn’t know the snakes were poisonous so I just admired their colours, the jellyfish didn’t touch me, I don’t get seasick and I quite enjoyed the swimming and climbing to get Maya bay - it should be a challenge to get to paradise! However, I did have a quick look to see where the lifejackets were at the worst point of the waves but let’s not dwell on the ratio of jackets to people. After we climbed through the cave, it was definitely exciting to walk down that sandy path and through the trees and wait for the beach to open up in front of you but the thrill of seeing such beauty is diminished somewhat by seeing how many other travellers you have to share it with. So for me, stunning as the place is, it really was about the journey.

Back on the island and Emily and I head down to the quieter beach to watch the Thai guys limbo, jump and play with fire and the occasional Western guy crashing through it all in a somewhat dangerous imitation! The tide has come in to leave only a few metres of sand and the weather is turning but the music plays on and this is Phi Phi so everyone dances until almost sunrise.
The next couple of days however are spent in the rain. So much rain in fact that loose materials from the Bungalows being built up the hill start slipping so we venture out to eat and to go for a wander in any of the brief pauses and that’s about it. Eventually it clears up and we have another day wandering the shops and lazing around but we’ve both decided it’s time to go so we head out for the most expensive dinner so far in Thailand (tuna sandwich and a pint – I kid you not), then Emily calls it a day and go to watch the boxing with 3 Irish girls and a guy who all end up getting piercings and tattoos!

Another thing that is less poignant than I expected, but still present, is the effect of the tsunami. Phi Phi was one of the worst hit but there is little reference to it except in one cafe full of photographs of the devastation and then the rebuilding by locals and travellers. The photos are amazingly full of life and smiles and the sign below the name says ‘Thank you, we will never forget you’, which actually brought tears. One of the most descriptive was of the pier, in bright sunshine and still standing among the devastation, full of people queuing with cases, armfuls of clothes, possessions and children. It’s difficult to imagine that this very cafe where the photos hang dissolved under the force of the wave and that the entire town was reduced to rubble in less than one morning but it’s also so heartening to see just how many people stayed to put it all back together again and the spirit that they created by doing so. I climbed the hundreds of steps to the viewpoint, now also called the evacuation point, to see the extent of the area and the beauty is breathtaking.

All in all, it’s hard to describe the 5 nights on this Island, even in the rain when there really isn’t much to do, it’s stunning. The people are so friendly and genuine and it’s easy to see why even a terrifying recent event can’t keep people away. I don’t think anything will keep me away from this place.