Ko Phi Phi Don Hotels
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Familiar faces
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Feeling rather fragile and parched when we arrived on Ko Phi Phi, I didn't really take in any of our new surroundings. I just wanted to get off the boat and into a hotel! Phi Phi is a small island with no roads, so meaning there are no cars or motorbikes. Bliss! This means for the next few days we would not hear the constant bleeping of motorbike horns! We had been told that the majority of the island is made up of jungle and there is one main strip of hotels, nightlife and restaurants going from one side of the island to the other but we still weren't sure what to expect.
After booking some accomodation from people at the pier, we were told someone would pick us up to take us to the hotel. As there are no cars we thought this would be interesting. Ten minutes later a little thai man with a wooden cart appeared and I wondered whether that would be for us to get in or just our bags. Being hungover and pretty tired, I deeply considered it but from a look from Nick, I decided it would be best not to embarrass myself!
That night, I arranged for us to meet up with one of my old Uni friends, Nicki. She is travelling with two friends, Rory and Ruth and they had made friends with another two girls along the way so we were in for a heavy night. We ventured out to a bar called the Reggae bar which they had been to before. The centre feature of the bar is a massive boxing ring with tables around it. Every night people watch a professional Thai kick boxing match to inspire them and then the drunken public is given the chance to battle it out to win some free buckets of alcohol (as if the people that volunteer need more to drink!)
I have never seen a boxing or kick boxing match before (except the odd glance at the TV). It was brutal but surprisingly addictive; I had to keep watching it. The Thai guys were mental and held nothing back. At one point they managed to kick each other out of the ring onto the tables of unsuspecting revellers. One Thai guy dislocated his shoulder to the sound of shocked gasps from the drunken crowd while the referee had the task of popping it back in place - Gruesome! There were a couple of people who volunteered to fight which were pumped and muscly, obviously used to some form of physical activity and taking it all very seriously. Then there were others that had just had too many vodka buckets and decided they could take on the world! These were the funniest fights and the beer bellies bouncing around the ring of those drunken idiots kept us entertained for hours! Why anyone would volunteer against someone bigger and harder then them is beyond me. There were a couple of women fights which I excpected to be nothing more than a couple of sissy throws and some running around to get some free drinks but some pikeys got in the ring and made mincemeat out of two Swedish girls that were just having a laugh! I felt sorry for them.
After the novelty of the fighting wore off, we entertained ourselves with more vodka buckets and a few games of pool. This is just an average night on Phi Phi. One of the days (when everyone wasn't too hungover) we hired a longtail boat to take us to Maya Bay where a part of the film 'The Beach' was filmed. The views were lovely and the crystal clear waters made for some great snorkelling. I am sure this spot won't stay this way for long as the hordes of tourists pour off of boats to catch a glimpse of what is meant to be 'secluded bliss'! The next few days were spent sunbathing and catching up and to be honest if we hadn't have had to book a minimum of 4 nights on the island, I think we would not have stayed here that long.
What surprised me the most about Phi Phi was just how much they have crammed into such a small area. It was wiped out during the Tsunami but you would never be able to tell. The scenery around the island is amazing; so picturesque and beautiful and then you glance towards the strip and it is like a piece of Ibiza (and not a good part) has been dumped onto the island. It seems so out of place for the setting. Like a lot of places we have been, this is an island being ruined by tourism and over-development. I keep saying it but it is true and it is such a shame. By being here we are adding to it and it will just keep getting worse. Every now and then, the scenery is spoilt by the smell of raw sewerage and the noise of drunken westerners. I think its so noticeable because the island is so small that you can wlak through the developed bit in about ten minutes! I did enjoy my time here but only because we had met up with friends.
So after our experience on Phi Phi, we decided to go to an island which is a bit more laid back. Ko Lanta fit the bill and we all decided to leave Phi Phi for a bit of peace and quiet. The boat is also only for a couple of hours so it wouldn't take too long to get there for a couple of days before making our way over to Koh Samui for xmas. I look forward to a bit of peace and quiet... More thumbnails ...
Where I stayed:
Rimlay Resort
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