Our last stop in Thailand was the island of Ko Phi Phi, a small hilly strand of land surrounded by the sea in the south of Thailand. The area is part of a marine national park and as such development is ‘limited’ to the largest of the islands, though the extent of the development is such that the midpoint of the island, sandwiched on either side by large bays along a narrow isthmus, carries a distinctive resort feel and in some cases, resort prices. It is also a stunningly beautiful setting, complete with turquoise waters, sandy beaches, rainforests, and steep rocky cliffs.

We flew down from Bangkok to Krabi, the launching off point for the short-haul ferries that take the tourists to and fro. Indeed, it seemed that at least the majority of people on board were foreigners, with only a few Thai natives. This does cut into the experience, but at the same time it is easy to forgive everyone demanding their slice of paradise when it is framed by limestone peaks. The ride over was uneventful and we found our lodge without too much trouble.

Our first full day on the island we joined a group doing a half-day trip of the island and surrounding areas, including a trip to ‘The Beach’ from the DiCaprio movie. I haven’t seen the film, but the beach was nice, if packed to the gills. We all had the chance to snorkel at multiple points and despite my visual handicap it proved to be quite fun. I was left wondering why my memories of snorkeling in Hawaii were distasteful until I got close to shore and worried again about cutting myself on coral. Much easier to just jump off a boat in 20-30 foot deep water. Tons of schools of little fish moving about, always just out of my grasp. The reef itself was badly damaged by the tsunami that hit the region a few years back, and it still seems as though a wrecking ball tore through the sea floor.

On our second day we hiked through the forests outside of Phi Phi Town towards a small beach we had seen the day before on the boat trip. We had the beach to share with 2 other couples until they parted and we enjoyed it for ourselves for a few hours, swimming, laying out, and gathering shells. Despite my better efforts in relation to sunscreen, I still managed an excellent burn that turned to peeling. I don’t think my genes are well suited to such an environment.

After a few days of well-fed and well-sunned down time on Ko Phi Phi, we had to leave, a bit reluctantly, and move on with our trip. On a whole the island and its neighbors were lovely, every bit the picture postcards they sell in the souvenir shops. We waited around at the Krabi airport for a few hours before we set off for our final leg of the month-long jaunt: Singapore.