Back in Thailand

We spent the morning wandering round Phuket town feeling pleased to be back in Thailand. In the afternoon we took the couple of hours boat journey to Koh Phi Phi where we would spend the next couple of days. Ko Phi Phi is a small island with no roads so the only way to get round is by foot or bicycle (there was the occasional motorbike also). The high season was only just starting yet the island was very busy - popular with both backpackers and holiday makers. That evening we met up with my friend from Bristol, Chris and we went out for dinner and to watch some Thai kickboxing with him and some others staying at his hostel. The bar invited people to try out the boxing so two of the guys we were with gave this a go which was quite amusing! We then admired the neon party lights from afar on a quieter area of the beach into the early hours - Ko Phi Phi is quite the party place!

A late start the next day and we headed up to the viewpoint in the middle of the island - worth the sweaty hike to the top as the view was brilliant. Ko Phi Phi really is a pretty paradise. We then spent the rest of the day at Long beach, a few km's from the town centre, which is a quiet beach with the softest sand and clearest water I've ever seen. A Thai massage in the evening after a busy day...!

Up early the next morning for a snorkelling trip where a small boat took us to a few good snorkelling areas around the island and also to 'The Beach' at Maya Bay, on a small island next to Phi Phi. This was my first snorkelling experience and I really enjoyed it - lots of different fish, incredible to view the underwater world. On the way back we stopped at 'Monkey Island' where we saw loads of monkeys all hoping to get fed bananas by the tourists! Afternoon was again spent on Long beach as it was so nice there.

The next day we took a boat to Koh Lanta where everything was noticeably quieter as soon as we arrived. Some areas even looked deserted as the island is bigger and much more spread out. We took to a very relaxed pace on this island, especially as the weather wasn't so good. We spent the next day resting and watching films! However, the day after we decided to hire a motorbike to explore. We covered a large amount of the island, stopping at some viewpoints and for drinks along the way. We visited Chris again in the afternoon as he had also moved onto Lanta. In the evening were the loudest thunderstorms I've ever experienced, with the heavy rain to go with it - it was quite scary actually! Luckily we'd decided to stay in our bungalow for the evening!

Continuing with the relaxed theme, we headed to Railay the next day. Railay is a peninsula close to mainland Krabi, which is only reachable by boat. It has a similar feel to Ko Phi Phi but on a smaller and much quieter scale. We spent two days here with a couple of lovely beaches surrounded by imposing cliffs, popular with rock climbers. We are currently in Krabi Town awaiting an overnight boat journey where we will arrive in Ko Tao tomorrow.

Nicola

latest pics: click here