Koh Phi Phi 11.02.10 - 13.02.10

longtails on Koh Phi Phi main beach

Once we arrived in Phuket Town after an eight hour bus ride and one hour speedboat transfer from Lipe we decided to make one last island stop before journeying up to Bangkok. We decided to head for the jewel in the Andaman Sea, Koh Phi Phi. Our expectations were high because we'd read how spectacular it was and we weren't disappointed by the island itself, just the numbers of people. Being Chinese New Year holiday probably had something to do with it but when we arrived on the pier to be greeted by a full on tourist town hoaching with people we were a little put off. Not quite the island paradise we'd hoped for. There are some more isolated beaches on Phi Phi's rugged coastline which can only be reached by boat but the main two, Tonsai and Lau Dalam are crowded with longtail boats, bars, restaurants and hotel complexes. Having just come from Lipe where the development is much less, and the physical size of the island is much less, this is a bit of a shock to the system. Although prices on this island are skyhigh, it's a package holiday haven and the majority of consumers here are tourists on holiday, not backpackers. Having said all this, there is a definite reason this place is popular. It's limestone karst scenery is the most spectacular we've come across so far, with huge cliffs dripping stalagmites and boulders protruding straight out te turquoise sea. Koh Phi Phi Ley, it's sister island, is where they shot 'The Beach' and it's an impressive arrangement of steep crags and hidden bays worthy of anyone's idea of a remote getaway. On our second day we take a day's snorkelling boat trip, stopping at Maya Bay (from The Beach) on Phi Phi Ley, Bamboo Island, Mosquito Island and Shark Point and finishing up watching the sun set off Tonsai Bay.

one of the striking islands on our snorkelling trip

On our 5km journey on longtail across to Phi Phi Ley the island beckons us with it's soaring cliffs and shallow turquoise seas but when we turn into Maya Bay we are greeted with a depressing sight. The tranquil setting portrayed in the film is replaced by an overcrowded beach and a constant drone of boats echoing round the enclosed bay.

It's very difficult to imagine the place without the thousands of daytrippers so we give up and float on our backs in the water, trying to drown out the noise. Our next point of call is not so disappointing. Although we still have to dodge the incoming speedboats while swimming in the next bay there are no beaches here so there aren't the crowds.

It's almost possible to swim towards the cliff faces and pretend you're the only one there. The waters in these secluded bays house expansive coral reefs with great snorkelling and diving and we enjoy especially snorkelling off Mosquito Island, because the shoals of stripey yellow and black fish, little swordfish and tiny white bait are choosing to swim closer to the surface and therefore all round us. The water's also filled with strands of plankton floating up and down, which look like clear worms and several clear jellyfish. We enjoy the experience underwater but the day is marred by the witnessing of several acts of destruction to the coral. Firstly, other snorkellers seem to see no problem with standing on top of the coral, destroying an organism which has taken over 300 years to form. Secondly, the longtail boatmen we are being ferried by, insist on putting down a large metal anchor directly into the reef, damaging it irreparably. We are informed by a boat captain from a neighbouring ship that he's been touring the reef for over twenty years and has laid ropes for the longtails to anchor to but they keep on dropping their anchors nevertheless. Thirdly we witness tourists purposefully removing live coral from off the shore to use as an ornament in their homes. Hopefully they'll get caught as they go through customs, as it's illegal to take it out of the country. As we ponder these issues we come to the conclusion, tourism is a curse here. It causes the destruction. If people didn't want to come out here, the tourist boats wouldn't destroy the reef. With the mediterranean destinations of Greece, Italy and even Spain becoming more expensive with the advent of the euro, people are obviously choosing farther afield holidays where the flight may be expensive but the day to day expenses are a fraction of Europe's.