Arrived on Phi Phi today and more of what has come to be known as D-myths have been debunked.  I have to say though, the full moon could have something to do with it.

An acquaintance of mine said we should book before we go to Phi Phi because it’s high season and everything will be full. D-myth.  We ignored his advice – mainly because pre-booked accommodation were all THB1,500 plus per night, somewhat beyond our budget.

A short walk from the pier (ignore the numerous touts who are not as aggressive as in Patong) revealed several accommodation options for between THB750 and THB1000 (after negotiations).  We were up for a bit of comfort but not too much walking, so we settled on H.C. Andersen’s.

Somebody told us that it could be due to the full moon and many holiday makers having moved to Koh Panghan, otherwise it might have been a lot harder to find something decent at a good price. There are loads of options though.

The lady who assisted us at H.C. Andersen’s was really friendly and honest, so we settled in.  Everything is clean is neat. Our bed’s mattress has some odd indentations and the air-con takes a while to chill, but it has free wi-fi, the mini-bar’s prices is almost as good as the mini-mart, so we’re happy.

We booked a sunset cruise which is a bit of a tour of mainly Phi Phi Leh, which is the island where The Beach was filmed. Before the cruise we arranged a diving excursion with Gop from Phi Phi Island Divers – service was great and the facilities seem top notch – seeing my glasses, she even offered me prescription dive goggles!

We had a quick nap before the cruise.  Our first stop on the cruise was at Monkey Beach, which, unsurprisingly, is a beach where you can see monkeys.  They are not as relaxed or as arrogant as the monkeys we found at the Enchanted Monkey Forrest in Bali, but they certainly liked, and was used to, being fed.  As is the thing with monkeys, the excitement wore off quickly.

Our next stop was on Phi Phi Leh itself, and we paused for a bit of kayaking and snorkeling.  The quality of the corel and the variety of the fish I saw bodes well for our diving excursion tomorrow – can’t wait.

Next we headed towards the cave-like entrance to The Beach where we encountered numerous other boats aiming to do the same thing.  It wasn’t too crowded though.  After we scampered ashore and through the cave we walked along a forest path for some 5 minutes before we reached the site of the film – it is as beautiful as is depicted in the film and is still relatively unspoiled.

And what else would you do if you find yourself on an idyllic, major-motion-picture-perfect beach? You play a bit of Ultimate frisbee of course!  Well, we tossed it around at least – no games though

Just before sunset we got back on the boat, which had in the meantime pulled into the main bay.  As the sun set we had a simple fried rice dinner and started heading back as the last rays of the days dissolved in the increasingly darkening water.

Back on Phi Phi we were reminded that this weekend is going to be a dry one on Phi Phi.  A member of Thailand’s Royal Family passed away on this day last year (I think) and there will be 3 days of observing the anniversary – this means all the bars on Phi Phi will be closed! Bummer.

Good news is restaurants are still open and they too serve alcohol.  There are also numerous convenience stores dotted across the island, which sells beer at THB50 for a big bottle of Chang.  Cans start at around THB50 and stuff like Smirnoff Ice and Bacardi Breezers are around THB80 – they do vary. Strangely enough, the only 711 on the island won’t be selling alcohol until Monday.

We explored the island a little this evening walking around the narrow street devoid of street-lights, but lit up by the many stores fringing the paths.  As all the bars were closed, many restaurants were full with people drinking, but there was a distinctly somber mood about.  We covered a good part of the island but found nothing party-like – except perhaps at the Hash Bar, which was packed with people watching The Beach on a big screen.

It would have been an early night had it not been for the DVD we bought and watched in our room – which like the one in Patong is equipped with a TV and DVD set.  We also got the wi-fi Internet access going, which had been off earlier on in the evening.  Phi Phi is virtually blanket covered by some or other wi-fi network – it seems every shop has a network, which is either encrypted or requires a log on of some sort.

Tomorrow we have to get up early for our diving excursion, so off to bed I go.

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