Snorkel, Scuba, Private Beaches, Shopping, Thai Food multiplied by various modes of transportation, all in one trip! This is what our fantastic trip to Thailand was all about.
We planned our trip for Thailand and China together for over a week. In this blog post I will be writing about our expedition to Thailand covering majorly Phi Phi Islands and Bangkok. To know more about our trip to Hong Kong and Macau, please click here.
Bangkok, as you may know is famous for the temples, beaches and super reasonable for shopaholics, but very few people know that it is surrounded with beautiful not-so-explored islands as well. We decided to spend more time at the islands in the Andaman sea called ‘Ko Phi Phi Don’ and to explore Bangkok in the remaining time.
Asian countries are well known for their urban transportation services, however when you ask me how do I reach my destination in Thailand? my answer would be, “To ask around!” and not to rely solely on google maps. This is what happened on our semi-planned trip to Asia! It turned out that the last leg of the trip to reach Phi-Phi islands was the most adventurous to get to and surreal in its beauty so, I would love to talk about it first.
How to reach Phi-Phi Don?
Mode of Transport One: Flight
We landed at Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) directly from Hong Kong around 11pm. We decided to spend that night at the airport itself as our next flight was in about 5 hours. Bangkok airport has a bunch of café’s open during the night, so coffee and snacks are not an issue. We took an early morning flight from Bangkok (BKK) to Krabi International Airport.
Mode of Transport Two: Local Taxi
It won’t take you long to locate the local taxi agents shouting upto you near the baggage claim at Krabi Airport to drive you to your destinations. We figured that to get onboard a ferry for the Phi Phi Islands, we will have to reach the closest pier from the Airport. We hired a local taxi to drive us to Phi Phi Island Pier. With a group of 10, squeezing in a small jeep, I was one amongst the three who got the front seat next to the driver.
Mode of Transport Three: Ferry
We took a 30 minute ferry ride to the Tonsai Place/Pier at the Phi Phi islands. One can buy return tickets from the Phi Phi Island pier itself. Are you thinking that we finally reached our destination? Our accommodation was at Holiday Inn resorts on Phi Phi islands which was on the same island but had no entrance via the road.
Mode of Transport Four: Long Tail Boat
After gulping down chilled coconut water at the Tonsai pier, we reserached about the route to reach holiday inn. The best part about Asia is you don’t need GPS/google maps but all you need to do is ask around and people will guide you. After talking with one of the fishermen, we were able to bag a deal (1000 Thai Baht) to reach the hotel riding the most exciting ride on our trip. The boat was a long, narrow watercraft that has an engine installed to run at the same pace as a speed boat. It was amazing to find this huge resort that has an entrance only via water.
What is Phi Phi Don best for?
Scuba Diving:
Phi Phi is the Hawaii of Asia. I can vouch for it as we had travelled to both the places in the same year. It is a paradise for the water lovers. We explored the mesmerising colors of the underwater reefs and the coral beds during our snorkel and scuba which reminded me of being on one of the national geographic shows. We did snorkel and scuba, but the highlight was spotting a reef shark in the open ocean waters.
Our water adventure trip was a half day activity starting right from the Holiday Inn reception and was arranged by Phi Phi Seven Sea Club. They had great instructors who were very experienced in training first time divers. Our instructors conducted few learning sessions in the swimming pool and then took us out in the beautiful crystal waters around the sister island from Phi Phi Don called Ko Phi Phi.
This island is well known for beaches, rocks and Maya Bay. Maya Bay is the most popular tourist attraction near the Ko Phi Phi area. We were very lucky to find the bay area not so occupied by the tourists giving us a chance to admire the beauty of the place. 2 dives, multiple snorkeling dips, 2 amazing instructors, sparkling water and tiny friends in the water made our stay at Phi Phi as tropical as it could get.
Private Beaches:
The islands of Phi Phi have miles of white sands around it, giving a private beach to most of the resorts and inns. At Holiday Inn, we had a beach facing bungalow, giving access to the sands and the water the entire day. This property is one of the best if you are looking for private, well maintained beaches.
Since our return trip was from Bangkok airport, we decided to spent half a day in Bangkok enjoying the shopping malls and experience some local excursions.
Thai Cooking Class:
When in Thailand, we tried to understand the culture, for which it is important to learn about the food. One of our colleagues recommended to reserve Silom Thai Cooking School for a 4 hour excursion at Bangkok to learn about the Thai culture, spices and art of cooking thai delicacies. Right from picking vegetables from a local market to cooking a 4 course Thai meal, the instructors taught in a very relaxed and friendly environment.
With thousands of flavors in our heart and the serenity of the beaches, this trip is highly recommended for honeymoons, relaxation or pampering yourself.
"There is always little something a place offers and there is always something about every place that prepares to call me again"
What will I do on my next visit to Thailand -
1. Ko Samui Islands
2. Lampang City
3. Elephant Tours in Northern Thailand
Download this one pager to take along to your next trip to Phi Phi.
~ Nomadic Traveler ~
Comments