We arrived in Phuket only to find it was exactly as I had pictured it. The word gross comes to mind repeatedly when I think about it. Patong Beach is a series of roads that resemble Koh San Rd in Bangkok and are reminiscent of Vegas. Along with a strip full of Farang tourists, pushy Thai salesman, and aggressive women offering their services, among countless hotels, bars, and over- priced restaurants. Just gross. The intent was just to pass through, and that's exactly what we did. Arrived at our hotel (which was nice enough) Thursday night, and left on our ferry to Ko Phi Phi at 1:30 pm the following day. If the intent had been to spend a few days there we would have stayed on a more remote part of Phuket and I am sure it would have been nicer. However moving on to better places was the priority and precisely what we did.
The ferry to Phi Phi takes about an hour and a half. The excitement and giddiness I experienced was unprecedented as I have never seen a tropical beach before, let alone water the color of turquoise, yet clear! Phi Phi is indeed the Cancun of Thailand and is bizarre in it's own right. Luckily it's beauty make up for this, and I now understand why people put it on their bucket list. Sara had done an amazing job of pre- booking all our accommodations and we were excited to arrive and find our bungalow. Upon arrival at The PP October Guest House they informed us they did not have our room anymore. Even though Sara had confirmed by email a few weeks prior. Our new friend Andy a foreigner who works at the Visa Dive Shop, lives on the Island and acted as our center for info during the trip, informed us that they most likely gave the room away earlier that day to some naive farangs. Whom most likely walked in and unknowingly were charged twice the price. He also warned us that the Thai people on Phi Phi have become greedy and overcharge any chance they get. He was right. We immediately went on a mission to find accommodations and ended up at an alright place with ac and cable. It worked out fine as most of our time on Phi Phi was spent exploring. The following day we went to the highest point on the island to enjoy the viewpoint. It is indeed a trek and Nicole and I fell behind as she was hungover, my flops were slippery (I have sweaty feet, gross I know.) and Sara and Nick walk much faster. They didn't wait, and we didn't go looking for them so it ended up that we were separated for a short time only to intersect with them on a random trail near the top. The view was breathtaking, and we eventually made our way back down to the room to rejoin each other. Followed by a nice beach- laying- nap- reading session on a quiet part of the island Andy had recommended.
The next day we took a long boat ride to Maya Bay. It's very famous and well known not only for it's remarkable beauty, but because the movie "The Beach" was filmed there. Which I still have yet to see. I am not entirely sure how to proceed describing this place. We made a stop to swim a bit in the most beautiful water I have ever seen. The driver of the wooden longboat we hired to take us to Maya Bay and around for 3 hours proved to be awesome. He took photos for us while we were in the water, found the best spots, and allowed us to frolick on our own private beach in Maya Bay. A photo shoot promptly ensued. The only disappointment of the day was we arrived in Maya Bay during high tide, and it was very crowded so we did not actually get out of the boat on "The Beach." Otherwise it was perfection and I snorkeled for the first time in my life!
The following day we left for Ko Lanta and arrived at our resort in the afternoon. Pearl Beach Resort proved to be an amazing find (thank you Sara). Right next to the beach, we stayed in a beautiful hut complete with a/c and a flat screen. Upon arrival there was an issue with our reservation but luckily this time we were taken care of and even given a discount. The two main guys running the resort are A and Tong. Both delightful people that really made our stay wonderful. Unfortunately I got pretty sick and spent most of the time nursing a gnarly head cold in bed. This did not prevent me from enjoying time on the beach. The rest of our crew hung around the resort as well. On our second evening I was feeling particularly ill. I went up to the front to ask A where the nearest pharmacy was. Some speaking in Thai ensued and next thing I knew one of the women was taking me on her motorbike to her sisters pharmacy. They were so helpful and made me feel looked after. Always a nice thing when you feel like poo.
Ko Lanta really was the epitome of a relaxing mellow vacation and despite the sickness, I really enjoyed our time there.
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