Phi Phi Paradise

Another early morning alarm clock shook us from our sheets, and forced us out of bed to greet the day.

Again, we lathered on coats of sunscreen, packed our cameras and swim towels and strapped on our suits.

Phi Phi island was waiting for us…

Months of research on Thailand coupled with reviews from friends, family and fellow travelers solidified our decision to book a day trip to Phi Phi — we are SO happy we did!

Our first boat dropped us off on Phi Phi Don – the mainland – where we had a light Thai breakfast before jetting off to Phi Phi Leh.

Phi Phi Leh is quite special in that no resorts or businesses are based on this side of the island. Its natural beauty and rocky terrain have been preserved as a National Park; it is literally one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. The rocks are covered in luscious green moss and jet out of the water in the most magnificent shapes. The crystal clear blue sea is so vibrant that in many places it looks turquoise when reflecting off the sand. And the algae coats the shoreline in colorful greens, reds and purples.

Our boat toured us through the famous Maya Bay, where the movie ‘The Beach’ was filmed, which was our first stop for snorkeling.

The fish were so close to my body that I could reach out and touch them – stunning hues of blue and yellow, deep red, light gray and purple – floated all around us. We snapped underwater photos on Ian’s GoPro and admired the scenes from below. My personal favorite (for obvious reasons) were the rainbow fish… If only I could look that good in multiple shades of awesome!

Some of our fellow snorkelers even spotted sharks closer to the rocks. While we missed the sharks, we did catch sight of a crazy razor fish… which I suppose is almost as cool and slightly less frightening too.

We continued our snorkels on the opposite side of the island in Pileh Bay… What a view! It looks almost as if this side of the island was created solely to capture the most beautiful beach photos of all time. The bright blue waters float along one of the whitest, fluffy sand beaches I’ve ever touched foot on. And when you turn to gaze out into the distance, it’s nothing but sea bordered by massive rock formations… Paradise (pictured above)!

Our boat looped us around Tam Viking cave, made famous for the distinct carvings on the rocks, and Monkey Bay where we were able to feed wild monkeys from the boat.

The day-long adventure ended with some rest and relaxation on Phi Phi Don’s Loh Dalam Bay, before heading back to Ko Lanta for sunset and dinner at May’s Kitchen.

Wiped out from the days snorkeling and sun time, we decided on a low key evening with beers back at our hotel. We sat together, talked, laughed and played games until we could barely keep our eyes open.

We slept soundly, and rested up for our last day on island time.

-Two for Takeoff