Monday 14 December 2015
Today we have booked a full day trip to Phi Phi. Whilst it is nice to have a day out (and do something different), it is obviously going to be a bit of a struggle for Jackie as it involves a lot of water.
Speedboats with about 30 passengers set off in number as we have about an hour at speed to reach our destination. First stop before departure is the toilet – make sure that it is sometime before another visit is needed.
Then down to the boats and they are moored on a floating pontoon which is moving around. Not ideal! Then across the wide blue yonder. It is about an hour at decent speed before we reach our first destination for some snorkelling. Having never used one I do not participate – we can see some of the fish near the surface. I suppose I ought to learn.
We then move on to a beach where I do have a swim having found some shade for Jackie to sit in. Leaving and regaining the boat requires stepping off the step at the back and into the sea. No other way to do it.
The surroundings are lovely – but the number of tourists is almost overwhelming.
Lunch is not overwhelming. Very much mass produced and far from ideal.
After lunch we go to another area to see the local monkeys – which we see good numbers of from the boat before backing out and going to a green cove. Snorkelling again for most with Jackie and I not moving this time.
Final call is the famous beach where they filmed “The Beach”. Again huge tourist numbers. Jackie stays aboard and I do go through the woods to a beautiful view the other side. No photos as I cannot work out how to take the camera as I am then planning to swim in the sea at “The Beach”.
Later Jackie says that in the film Leonardo Di Caprio hears voices (when high). She heard much the same – the area is almost entirely encircled by fairly high rocks and the visitor voices bounce off all sides and are reflected back. She says it felt very strange.
Time to head back to Phuket port and on the way in we take a little more notice this morning that it is in fact quite a busy place. It is a large working port and no doubt makes the area more of a real working place rather than simply a holiday location.