Koh Phi Phi

Saturday 28 September-Tuesday 1 October 2013

As we breakfasted at the Aonang Beach Home the heavens opened totally, blotting out all view of the nearby islands and even the neighbouring hotels. Fortunately, the wind was down and the seas fairly glassy so our planned sea crossing to Koh Phi Phi would not be too bad.

 

The usual ute style tuk-tuk picked us up on time and delivered us to the nearby pier where we boarded one of three ferries, all in seemingly good condition. Most passengers boarding scrambled for vantage points outside, but we headed in doors and found a spot to sit with room to stretch the legs. Our choice proved the best one, as later all the others had to seek any shelter they could find from the driving rain.

It is good to see that there is a life jacket hanging on every seat. It is not so good to see that most have torn webbing or broken clasps. Still, we have flown qantas and survived so we can surely manage a trip in the AndamanSea.

 

Once at Koh Phi Phi, there was just enough time to drop our bags at the Phi Phi Hotel and head off to find the Aussie Sports Bar to watch the Grand Final. Most of the crowd were Hawthorn supporters but there were a few cheers for the Dockers and these actually increased towards the end when people just started to appreciate the intensity of the game from both sides. Christine was openly a Dockers supporter while I didn’t really care one way or the other. By the time the game finished, we had consumed enough Change beer and French fries to be in need of a lie down.

 

Phi Phi is busier than Krabi but still on the quiet side, especially after the last ferry leaves at 2:30. Little has changed since out last visit a coupe of years ago except for the removal of the last of the tsunami created rubble on the shores of TonsaiBay, restoring it to a nice sandy beach. The prices are 10 or 20 baht up for most food and drink over Krabi but cheap living can still be found. Even the Phi Phi Hotel, one of the classier establishments in the main settlement, is still cheap at around $50 a night.

For most of our three days on Phi Phi, it rained. The temperature was a steady 28 degrees so it was pleasant enough but it wasn’t really great for lounging on the beach. We did feel sorry for the day trippers who were expecting some sunshine and swimming.

The Phi Phi Hotel is clean and comfortable and sports a nice pool area. Unfortunately, we had to have regular visits from “Engineering” to fix all the things that wouldn’t work. The air conditioner needed daily re-gassing, although they tended to over-do things somewhat and it was then subject to icing up. When the big thaw set in, we got flooded with cold water and ice particles. The toilet either blocked or wouldn’t stop running but we managed maintain that ourselves. The safe refused to cooperate until they changed the door. Unfortunately, they left the whole safe unscrewed, negating the effectiveness of locking up your valuables. Everything was repaired promptly with a smile.

 

Despite walking extensively and inspecting many menus, we ended up eating most meals at the Khun Va Thai restaurant on the beachfront. This is a touristy place with a menu selling the usual array of “Thai” dishes and “Italian” fare. At night, it has a fresh seafood display out the front and tanks of live crabs and crayfish. A crayfish goes for around $100 per kilo. We watched one young couple order a whole grilled barramundi, a lobster, several crabs and assorted stir-fries. An expensive honeymoon! We kept to our $3 meals and couple of beers.

 

When on Phi Phi, we usually hire a longtail boat and go to some nearby spots to snorkel or lie on a beach with fewer people. This time, the weather ruled out such activities but we did managed some kayaking along the cliffs bordering TonsaiBay. We organised a double kayak for 200 baht ($7) and set off with Christine in front. Neither seat was equipped with a backrest like we are used to with our own kayaks and both our backs soon started to protest. Christine’s problem was solved by packing lifejackets behind her with me supporting them with my feet but I was a wreck by the time we reached a small cove with a sand beach. We pulled in for a much needed rest. It was quite interesting because we found the beach and adjacent forest was littered with the remains of wooden boats, testimony to the power of the tsunami.

We set off again with Christine behind, supported with the lifejackets and me up front, legs dangling over the edge. This slowed progress but the rest of the trip was much more comfortable. Once back on the beach, we went to a small establishment for lunch. As I went to pay, I found 200 baht in my pocket and realised that we hadn’t paid for the kayak. So off we went back to the kayak man, who was with his mates.

“Sorry,” I said, “We forgot to pay.”

“No,” he replied. “You pay.”

“Yes”, chipped in his mate. “You pay him.”

“No”, returned man one, “You pay him,” pointing to man two.

Slowly the light came on with big smiles all around and much laughter. Man one happily took my 200 baht with much “Thank you Pappa.” It’s the first time we have every had to engaged in a bargaining session just to pay a bill.

On our final day on Phi Phi, the Thorsbys arrived from Phuket for a day trip. We managed to organise a ticket back on the same boat as them and even patched in to their hotel transfer on to KaronBeach. Dean and Pippa had only crawled in at 5am after a night out in Patong so we didn’t get much out of them but it was great to catch up with Chris and Carol and hear all the news about Kalumburu.

For the next three days, it is KaronBeach on Phuket.