Little Phi Phi

We left Phuket for a two hour ferry ride to Koh Phi Phi (‘Koh’ meaning island in Thai). The boat took us past Maya Bay, a bay made famous by Leonardo Dicaprio’s ‘The Beach’ movie. Unfortunately we arrived to cloud and a bit of rain so we walked through the beaten semi-paved tracks into the heart of the island and checked into our hotel. The weather remained cloudy and raining on and off all day, but we tried to make the most of it.

We mooched around the island exploring the local shops and markets before heading to Phi Phi viewpoint. Little did we know, we took the difficult and extra long route so ended up walking uphill for 2 miles. Apparently there was a far shorter route with stairs taking you straight up to the viewpoint in 20 minutes, but of course we missed this. During our walk away from the main area we wandered past dirt tracks for streets, shacks for family homes and endless piles of rubbish. It was really eye opening to see the run down areas that people lived in, but despite this, you still heard the shrieks of laughter and giggling as kids chased eachother around. Once reaching the top after our unnecessarily long walk, we were pleased to say the views were absolutely worth it!

Koh Phi Phi is a tiny island with very few local people and very little infrastructure. There are only a few roads as you head out of the centre but no cars, only scooters. The only real way to get around is by foot. Due to its size, there's little waste management but a short walk from the centre and it's clear to see where the rubbish ends up. Despite this, it's a pretty island with plenty of character. Tonight we're heading out for dinner and to try the local cocktails and nightlife.Read more