Islands on the west - Phuket and Phi-Phi

Shawn para-sailing in Phuket
see all photos »

Phuket - It's the size of Singapore and therefore lacks the secluded calmness that one would expect from an island holiday. There is however plenty going on and it offers lots in the way of bars, restaurants and clubs.

Phi-Phi - now this is bliss !!!! There are no cars, no motorbikes and very little development due to the terrain. The water is translucent and the snorkling is like swimming around in an overcrowded fish tank (overcrowded with fish until 10am and then it just gets overcrowded with tourists).

On Laem Singh beach, Phuket
see all photos »

Things we'll always remember:

• Escaping the madness that is Patong Beach in Phuket, hiring a scooter and finding a great little spot to relax for the day
• The snorkeling in Phi-Phi. Shawn and I both swore we would never scuba dive - me because of past ear problems and Shawn for fear that he'll be attacked by a man eating anything - but we've since changed our tune. We were probably spoilt by some of the best snorkeling in near perfect conditions but WOW, what an experience.

Sunset on Karon beach, Phuket
see all photos »

Forgettable:

• I don't mean to dwell on the fact, but long gone are the days of having a cheap holiday in Thailand. Relatively speaking (that's relative to Europe, not the rest of SE Asia), it's still not expensive but since the Tsunami the prices have crept up and not stopped. Accommodation, ferries, restaurants etc are all at least 3 times what our 2006 guide book tells us and 10 times more than what we remember friends telling us. It doesn't seem to have stopped the tourists though and the locals will keep trying their luck  - they know they're sitting on a gem.

Dinner in a market in Patong, Phuket
see all photos »

Details

Day 59 and 60 - It took us nearly 12 hours to get  from Ko Phangan to Phuket so by the time we arrived we had just enough time to find accommodation and stroll the very busy streets before crashing for the night.

The next day, after breakfast, we hired a scooter and found a great, slightly quieter beach (Laem Singh) where we spent the day and also where Shawn went para-sailing for the first time. We scootered past a few more beaches for a quick squizz and then stopped at yet another one to watch the sun set.

Bang-La road, Phuket
see all photos »

Day 61 and 62 -  The ferry from Phuket to Phi-Phi took just over an hour and a half and took us on a quick tour of Phi-Phi Lay (Phi-Phi is made up of 6 islands - Phi-Phi Lay being a nature reserve and also where 'The Beach' was filmed). After finding accommodation on Phi-Phi Don we walked in the shallow waters spotting all sorts of fish, took a dip in the deeper waters on the other side of the island and organized ourselves a taxi boat to take us snorkeling the next day.

The waters around Phi-Phi Lay
see all photos »

At 7:15am the following morning, to beat the crowds, we were on our way to Phi-Phi Lay. The deeper water is a beautiful turquoise and the shallower water is crystal clear.

When you enter the water for the first time and adjust your goggles you have no idea that swimming around you are literally hundreds of fish. It's eye opening (and a little bit scary) as you put your face under for the first time and come face to face with them. The waters are teaming with life and although some completely ignore you there are others that are very inquisitive and swim right around you. The colours are so bright and vibrant and the sounds are amazing too. There seems to be a constant crackle in the water which just gets louder as a school approaches.

Maya Bay - where 'The Beach' was filmed
see all photos »

Our second stop was Maya Bay where 'The Beach' was filmed and it truly is jaw droppingly beautiful.

By 10:15 we were on our way back as hoards of boats were making their way there.

We spent the hottest part of the day indoors and the rest dipping in and out of the water.

We ended our island break rather fittingly with a Thai massage for Shawn and a back and neck one for me - fantastic !!