Phi Phi Galore!

Ko Phi Phi Don was the beginning of the more luxurious part of the trip. We bought this trip from the same travel agent who had arranged for our trip to Phang Nga Bay. This time a huge ferry awaited us at Rassada pier. The sun deck was already crowded with people and the atmosphere was quite festive. We were served a complimentary breakfast of coffee and warm croissant and we were cozy already. It was a breezy and comfortable ride.

At Phi Phi, we were greeted by clear, azure waters, white sands and an absolutely cozy atmosphere. Hotel reservations were being offered on the ferry, however, we had booked ours online through “Global Reservations”. We were booked at the PP Casita resort and to tell you the truth, I was very skeptical about this place because we had booked online and did not have much information about the place and had paid the full amount in advance. So, I was really worried that it may not turn out good. But guess what, I was wrong. P P Casita was beautiful, in fact the word that comes to my mind when I think of it is "Delicious"!! Quite an odd word to describe a place to stay! But, PP Casita is done up in such a way that it deserves the description. The place has quaint cottages at a raised level with plants growing all around each cottage. The rooms are beautifully done up in Maroon, lavender and white. They are new, spacious and have an electronic safe and a fridge. The bathroom also boasts of an interesting decor. It almost feels like home. We stayed in the fan bungalow as we were on a budget, but realised that its better to take up an A/C room in phi phi as it gets quite hot inside the room during the day even though it was December. We paid about 20 USD per night per person for our lovely abode.

Phi Phi was certainly the high point during my two week vacation. For people who believe that a day trip from Phuket or Krabi is enough for Phi Phi, think again. Phi Phi is perfect for an idyllic holiday where all you can do is chill, relax, make friends at a bar and walk apart from snorkeling, climbing and diving.

Snorkeling trips can be bought from a number of agencies here, however, I would specially want to recommend Spider Monkey. We bought our snorkeling trip from them. They are essentially a climbing shop and specialize in climbing expeditions around Phi Phi island. They also have their own longtail boat, which can be rented for snorkeling trips. The best part about this shop, however, is the people who run this place - an english girl and her thai boyfriend. Very friendly and honest people who are a delight to talk to. The other interesting bit is that they have some really cool merchandise for sale like T-shirts, trousers etc. and we did end up buying quite some stuff from them.

When in Phi Phi, it is strongly recommended to just chill, relax and take your time. A perfect place to do so while you sip some interesting dessert coffee and watch the world go by is D’s bookshop. D's bookshop is apparently is a chain of bookshops in Asia, however, it was my first run-in with this place in Koh Phi Phi Don. A lovely shop in an idyllic setting with a nice little cafe serving up great coffees and desserts. They rent and sell second hand as well as first hand books. It’s a great place to strike up conversation with a fellow traveler.

Phi Phi is pretty well-known for its nightlife and there is something for everyone here. There are bars on the beach, there are cafes showing movies, shops which are open till 11 in the night. Its one festive place! Looking for something romantic, what better than to walk on the beach with your beloved with a medley of music ranging from ballads, pop and rock and the sound of crashing waves to give you company. Priceless!

We were up for something exciting and ended up spending our Christmas eve at one of the most popular bars in Phi Phi – Carlitos. Even the entrance to this bar is intriguing – it sports a hilarious signboard giving distances to Rekjavik, Mexico etc. – absolutely sets the mood for the traveler in you right away. Carlitos is right on the beach, so much so that as the tide changes, the waves start crashing at your feet and you will have to shift your table behind. It is packed most times and it seems like a global meeting joint as you will be surrounded by people from a number of nationalities at any point of time. Carlitos has a fireshow everyday after 10 pm, however, when we went, there was none, but we were not disappointed as we saw a fireshow done by the restaurant next door and it was simply awesome!


We liked Phi Phi so much that we wanted to extend our stay there, but the next day was Christmas, and everything was booked. We had to leave Phi Phi with a heavy heart.
We were approaching the final leg of our trip and we were going to live it up in style. More in the last post of this series. Keep reading!
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