Phi Phi Island hopping is one of the best experiences I have ever had on sea. In fact, this is probably one of the best experiences you can have in Phuket! As my uncle said, "You've never really been to Phuket if you've never been to Phi Phi!" 

So, on my second time here in Phuket, I once again went to Phi Phi (read about my first experience in Phi Phi last March 2014 here).

But first, let me ask you...

What is it about nature that inspires you?



Me? I'm all about the sand, the sun, and the sea.

I don't know if it's about the fact that I was born in summer and so every birthday I've had since birth was spent on a resort that I have come to develop a love and lust for water.

And up until this day, I still consider Phi Phi to be the best beach experience I've ever had.

Luckily, on my second time, our guide did a different route from the first time. And so it didn't seem repetitive to me compared to the first time I went. It was like touring the mini archipelago again for the first time!

This is the map of where the tour will take you.

From the Boat Lagoon, you will be toured around the Phi Phi Islands (the stops are Maya Bay, Loh Samah Bay, Pileh Cove, Viking Cave, Monkey Beach, and Phi Phi Don) and the last destination will be Koh Khai Nai beside Khai Nok.

 These islands are located in the Andaman Sea, east of Phuket.


TIP: If you are joining a group tour like this, make sure you are sensitive and considerate of the tour schedule and keep in mind that other tourists are sharing the trip with you. I have observed that Thais are very strict when it comes to following a schedule and so they are never late. If they ask you to come back after 20 mins, be back after 20 mins. Or else, they will leave without you and you will be left in that specific island. This happened during our James Bond Island hopping trip when we stopped over for lunch at Koh Panyee and we're instructed to come back to our boat after an hour. Two tourists from our group didn't come back after an hour and so the boat left without them. The tour guide just called another boat asking if they can take the two tourists to our next destination and they'll just catch up there. The boat waits for no one. 

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Upon boarding the speedboat, we were greeted by our friendly English-speaking Thai tour guide, the boat captain and at least 20 other tourists who came from different parts of the world. It was like a mini United Nations convention right there. In front of us was a Malaysian family, beside us were Thais, and there were also French, Korean and Middle Eastern people in our group.

We left the jump off point at around 9am after the safety briefing about the tour and our captain decided to take advantage of the calm seas and brought us to the snorkeling spot first.

SNORKELING


The boat stopped on open water and while everyone was hesitant to jump in, I couldn't contain my energy so I jumped out of the boat first.





The colorful fish greeted me and I was laughing really hard because they keep poking on me and I was ticklish. Hahahaha! 



It was December so it was a little cold but that didn't stop me diving and going deeper. I feel like Ariel's daughter melody who just loves to have fins in exchange of her feet.




The snorkeling part of the trip was only for 30-45 minutes and the tourists were then asked to get back to the speedboat so we can head to our next destination...


PHI PHI DON

Phi Phi Don is the largest among all islands in the Phi Phi archipelago and is the only one that has permanent inhabitants. The island is where chains of restaurants are located where tourist groups going on an island hopping tour stop for lunch. Beneath the chain of restaurants sea front are souvenir shops where one can buy shirts, jewelry and other trip memorabilia.






MAYA BAY in KO PHI PHI LEY 

If you have read about my previous Phi Phi Island hopping trip (which link I posted above) last March, then you'll know how much I brag about Maya Bay!

It is truly one of the most remarkable beaches every because of the way it is enveloped between three limestone cliffs. It's like a hidden gem hiding, literally. No wonder my uncle has been talking about Maya Bay even before we got there last March. 

Seeing Maya Bay for the second time is like coming back to paradise. I have been very lucky to have the chance to see it twice in one year!

So this is Maya Bay...

...an enigmatic, charismatic beach that's sheltered inside three limestone cliff and is tucked away  in the island of Phi Phi Ley. The other beach in the island is Loh Samah which is famous for its diving spots.

I don't own this photo. Just showing you this aerial shot because this is the best way to see how Maya Bay is hidden from the open sea.

Credits to: flyerizer.com
http://flyerizer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/maya-bay.jpg
Maya Bay has consistently made it to lists of best beaches not just in Asia but also in the world. It is one of the reasons why Thailand is a promising destination if you are on the lookout of beaches which are serene and well taken care of by the government. In the area, there are no trash lying around and the water is clean and clear.


Now, as a Filipino, I know that out standard for beautiful beaches are high because we, too, have our fair share of virgin islands and beaches and one of the most popular ones is Boracay. However, I have never been to Boracay so I cannot give you a comparison. I am saying this because people are asking me which is better, Maya Bay or Boracay. Sadly, I cannot give you an answer. However, my sister has been to Boracay and she said that the sand is almost the same but Maya Bay's is more powdery. For me, I think it's closest with our very own Calaguas Island in the Bicol Region.

 They both have that creamy white polvoron-ish looking sand and the water is as clear as day.

 I mean, just look at that sand!



Maya Bay's popularity among tourists gained more momentum after it was chosen to be the location for the Hollywood film "The Beach" which starred Leonardo di Caprio in 2000.






 After this, we had a quick stop at the other parts of Phi Phi Ley: Loh Samah, Viking Cave and Pileh Cave. Then another quick stop at Monkey Beach where we fed monkeys. 

 I remember our tour guide saying, "Okay, tourists from the Philippines, Malaysia and Myanmar, please don't be too excited. You have the same monkeys in your country. Tourists from other countries, you can be excited, you don't have these monkeys."

 And everyone laughed so hard. LOL! Which was true! I wasn't that crazy about approaching the monkeys because aside from the fact that I can see the same specie in Manila Zoo, I am afraid of monkeys. (We once had a neighbor whose hair was grabbed by a monkey and a part of her hair got bald as it was violently snatched by the primate, so that's why...)
KOH KHAI NAI

Koh Khai Nai is one of the three islands in the Khai Islands - the other two are Koh Khai Niu and Koh Khai Nok.

It is the lasts top of the tour as it is considered the "swimming beach" where you get to spend the rest of the afternoon. In Maya Bay, tourists are only given half an hour to swim or take photos or buy souvenir, but in Kho Khai Nai, this is where you can actually lounge in the sand, enjoy the sun, rent a beach pod and umbrella, enjoy cold drinks, feed fishes, and lots more.

The sun wasn't shining that day and all we can see are skies but that's okay, at least there's no risk of getting burned.







Unfortunately, the fishes were not by the beach that day unlike the last time where you can feed them. Here is a photo of the same location as above, taken March 2014 where the fishes are very near the bay.






The Phi Phi Island hopping tour costs 3,500 THB but since my uncle has been living there for more than a decade and knows people who offer these tours, he got it for only 1,700 THB per person.