The Art of Island Hopping: Koh Phi Phi

Krabi

With school out for the summer, I packed up my bag, picked up Molly at the airport, met my friend Allison from orientation and flew to the port town of Krabi on the second day of March. The plan is to travel around the islands for a bit before making a visa run way up north in Laos. The Thais fly a lot like they drive. As soon as everyone is on the plane they close the doors and start to taxi. None of this "sit down and buckle up" nonsense. Allison was standing on her chair to get into the overhead compartment while we were flying down the tarmac to get to the runway. Most planes tend to fly around black, billowing thunderclouds. Not the Thais; they fly straight through that shit. And there was a moment there when the plane was dropping and dropping and rolling to the side that I thought for sure he wasn’t going to level it out.  We landed at an angle where I thought the wing was going to scrap the ground. Sketch.

We spent one night in Krabi before hopping on a ferry to Koh Phi Phi, an island said to be the most beautiful in all of Thailand. It’s not beautiful, it’s stunning. The water is the clearest I’ve ever seen. Even at night you can wade out to the water and see the sand beneath the surface. The main island is shaped like an hourglass with a very thin stripped of beach between two large chunks of island. And while the island itself is gorgeous being on Koh Phi Phi is not that pretty. Phi Phi was almost whipped off the map by the ‘04 tsunami. 2,200 people died on this tiny strip of beach and the beach itself was completely leveled. 7 years later that strip of beach has been rebuilt into a dense maze of margaritaville restaurants and guesthouses. No signs are in Thai and all the roads are paved cement or brick. If I didn’t know any better I’d say I was in the US Virgin Islands.  It’s loud and dirty. It took us two days to find a secluded beach which was owned by a resort we had to sneak on to.

Still, this place is beautiful. On our second day Molly and I got up early and took a hike up to a viewpoint where the above picture was taken. We ventured off the paved path onto a local trail where we wandered through island jungle to a deserted cove of lime stones that we climbed to get a view of the other side of the island. Untouched beaches owned by smaller resorts one can only get to by water taxi make up the coves we saw. If you have the money, that is the way to see Phi Phi.

Walking back through the jungle we were drawn to an abrupt stop by some serious movement in the jungle ahead of the trail. Out pops a monkey. A big monkey. He runs across the trail then spots us and stops. As Molly takes a photo he starts to run at us, teeth flashing just a bit. He stops short of us then stands up so we can see just how big he is; about as tall as an eight-year-old boy. As he stands up two more very large monkeys run across the path, tails curled up behind them, but Big Boy is watching us, looking ready to charge. We calmly retreat down the trail but there really is no other way to get back to our beach except through monkey territory.

Being an adopted daughter of Colorado, I know how to handle wildlife you stumble upon. Mountain lion creeping up on you? Make yourself really big and scare him into submission. Interrupt a black bear during his walk? Make yourself huge and make as much noise as possible, that little cuddly guy will move along. Grizzly bear got you in it’s sights? Play dead because he’s probably going to kill you anyway. Lucky enough to see a stealthy moose? Snap some photos then leave that boy alone.

Monkey running at you at full speed? ……. I got nothing.

“Get a big stick,” I tell Molly, jokingly was we prepare to walk.

We both grab sticks.

“Let’s make a lot of noise,” Molly says.

We start singing Journey really, really loud. None of this works. We are walking quickly but the monkeys keep running out of the bushes, stopping just short of us then running away. We’re out numbered and flanked. And just when the situation gets more tense than it does amusing they disappear, most likely to pat themselves on the back for having scared another group of tourists invading their territory.

That evening the three of us decide our budget will never be able to survive this island. At press time we’re not sure where we are headed next. Today, we are splurging on a daytrip on a boat, snorkeling and cliff jumping. The day will culminate with a camping trip here (picture stolen till I get my own.)

It’s okay to be jealous.