Stop 3: Krabi: Koh Phi Phi

We arrived at our hotel later on the Monday and unloaded into the lobby for a group meeting. I was sharing with Amy and we had Room 302, no lift in this hotel so we had to carry our bags up three flights of stairs.
It was only once I'd got into the shower that I realised I was maybe a little bit sunburnt from the morning. Ouch. I pretty much used up half an after sun to help with the pain. Need to reapply that suncream far more often than I'd even imagined!
We all then had an Orientation Walk with Boom. We had aimed to get to the beach for sunset, but it was earlier than expected. Still caught the last bit and took lots of photos. Next, she showed us a few different places to eat along the seafront and where best to shop. Then it was up to "Green Curry" for a dinner together. I wasn't too hungry, mainly tired, so ordered a fruit salad. It was very nice!
Off to bed ready for our tour of Phi Phi island tomorrow.
~
Slept really well once I'd found a comfortable position, planned to cover up for the boat tour today. Now knowing just how badly that reflection can sting! We were meeting at 8.40 so me and Amy headed for breakfast about 8. Doughnuts, coated chicken, bacon, watermelon and pineapple were all piled on to my plate. A very different combination to say the least.
Soon we were piling into mini buses again to drive to the port where our guide was waiting. I didn't catch her actual name, but we were told to call her "Winnie the Pooh". She slapped an orange sticker on us all and we wrote our names down for insurance purposes. Then we toodled off round the corner on to the sand and over to No.9 Speed Boat. Flip flops all safely stowed in a bag, we took our seats.
We were warned that being at the front of the boat was like being on a rollercoaster. It was pretty rough where we were to be honest! We got bashed about quite a fair bit. The scenery was amazing though so couldn't complain. It felt like we were in a film, powering through the bright blue sea, past limestone cliffs and towards the tiny islands.
Our first stop was Bamboo Island, a tiny patch of land in the middle of the Andaman Sea. It was stunning. White sand, blue sea, the lot. We only had a half hour stop so we all walked as far as we could along the bay. Some of the guys paddled in the sea, I was being good and staying in the shade. It was funny watching them try and coordinate their way through.
Before long we were back on to the boat and out to an open stretch of water. Winnie stopped the boat and it was snorkels on.. I hadn't been snorkelling since Durdle Door back when I was younger. This was something else! I couldn't be bothered to actually swim (lazy I know, but it wasn't just me) so grabbed a life jacket to help.
It was another world down there, I saw so many different fish and corals. The bravest were small yellow and black fish, they came swimming right up close. My favourite had to be the gorgeous rainbow fish, probably not their official name, they were colourful and shiny and very graceful. On the other side of the boat we even found Nemo, and Dory!
Back on-board again it was time to head to the main attraction, Phi Phi. The first stop was Maya Bay where "The Beach" was filmed, definitely need to watch that film now I've been! It was very picturesque, but so crowded. I wonder if was as busy before the film? Still, we walked through the jungle to a lookout on the other side. Then back to the bay for a few cheeky group photos. We tried to do the classic jumping shot.. and failed.
Time for lunch, we piled on the boat and were whizzed around the corner to a bigger bay, I believe called Loh Dalum? Again, this was idyllic. Thailand so far has just been paradise! Our meal was a buffet at a nearby restaurant, so we said goodbye to the beach and headed up. I ate rice and chicken with some noodles. It was pretty good, but the watermelon and pineapple for dessert was better. And the Magnum I had for afters was even better than that!
Once I'd had my fill I wandered back to the beach. There were even more boats than when we'd arrived! Walking along the sand I had to make sure I didn't trip over any ropes, or stand on any towels. Luckily, most people were in the shade and I was covered up and well suncreamed by this point, so I allowed myself a 15min walk in the sun! Bliss.
It was nearing the end of our trip, but we had a few stops to make on the way back. First, we stopped off at Monkey Bay, Winnie warned us not to get off the boat as the monkeys are aggressive and like to steal things. Sure enough, as we watched from the safety of the boat, one guy was fighting to get his Go Pro back from a particularly cheeky monkey. What an idiot!
The next stop was another snorkelling venture. I opted out this time, preferring to watch from above. Apparently I didn't miss out on too much though, the first time was better. Once all the snorkels had been counted and it was decided that we hadn't stolen or lost any, the fruit came  out. We helped ourselves to fresh watermelon and pineapple, just what we needed after a long day.
It was spitting a bit by the time we got back to the port. I don't remember too much on the way back.. though I did get a round of applause for my excellent nodding dog impression.

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