Ko Phi Phi and Maya Beach

Most people say Ko Phi Phi is too touristy. I think they should realize that Thailand is touristy. Its a beautiful place, with beautiful people and a tourism industry to support it. With that said, Ko Phi Phi is a bit ridiculous in some touristy aspects. Upon arrival you walk into a maze of guesthouses, restaurants, internet cafes - all with exorbiant prices - and begin to forget the beautiful view from the boat; pristine green tropical tree filled islands with large patches of limestonesqe rock spotting the hills, followed by blue/green water and white beaches. I made it to the arranged guesthouse where Ricky was staying and found him on the beach a few minutes later. The area was packed with people, but one cannot deny the beauty of long tail boats bobbing up in down in blue water in a bay with irradic tropical rock hills on both sides. Ahhhh, I made it.

We decided to go to Maya beach at 6 am the next day, the most popular tourist destiation located on Ko Phi Lak, the neighbooring island (and national park) made famous by the movie "The Beach". We found a willing longtail wooden boat driver and set sail for the spot. Turning into the cove we saw it and were very pleased. A few people had paid atrotious rates to camp there the night before, but the beach was relatively deserted and very beautiful. Just like in the movie, its a demostration of nature's wisdom with a quiet cove of huge stonehinge like rocks coming out of the sea sitting in blue water and followed by white sand and tropical jungle. We prepared to snorkel to the next little beach over and saw 3 baby reef tipped sharks feeding on a school of small fish. Then, while swimming to the next beach, Ricky and our new english buddy Mike, swam really fast away from me in a heavy panic. I reached the shore in a leasure pace and asked them why they were panting and freaking out. They informed me that a 6 foot reef tipped shark had swam right past me. Oh, damn I missed it! I guess its for the better...

We explored Ko Phi Phi as much as we could, but the island has literally been paved over. It was a ground zero for the tsunami of 2004, made evident by the evacuation route signs everywhere on the island and fresh construction of neverending guest houses. It was particularly pretty and fascinating to view the island from a viewpoint/evacuation route on top of one of the hills and see what destruction the enormous waves caused. Ricky picked up a book of an account of a Italian restaurant owner describing the ordeal and the disaster that destroyed this island was a topic of thought sitting on rocks overlooking the beautiful view of the island.

We headed south to get away from the tourist trap of Ko Phi Phi, towards Ko Lanta, as 2 nights was more than enough to experience what Ko Phi Phi is, and dream about how idyllic it was. Taylor