Phi Phi Don is a small island that is administratively part of Krabi. In the 1940s, the island was inhabited by Thai Malay fishermen. It was also a coconut plantation for a while. Today, it is a tourist destination. People come to Ko Phi Phi to dive, snorkel, and relax at hotels and resorts. A few thousand people are living on the island. The Thai population of Phi Phi Don is more than 80 percent Muslim, but the tourism workers are predominantly Buddhist.
We booked a snorkel trip with Blue View Divers https://www.blueviewdivers.com, a company recommended to us by our new friends Brandon and Liz who we met at the NatureMind-Ed
worldschooling retreat.
Ko Phi Phi Lay is famous because of Maya Bay, which is known for being the location for the filming of the movie The Beach. The notoriety of the movie brought a lot of tourists, which caused Maya Bay to become polluted. It was closed for several years. Tourism is more controlled now. The number of visitors is capped, and they close the beach for some time during monsoon season. No boats are allowed in the bay, and tourists are not allowed to swim in the bay.
Our first stop was at Maya Bay. We went early, and there were no crowds. The bay was full of black-tip reef sharks. We are happy to see the bay full of sea life because of the protection. We walked along the beach, and our guides, Caroline and Becca, told us about the conservation efforts at the bay and gave us more information about sharks because we were going to be snorkeling with them.
We spent an hour at our first snorkeling spot. We saw black-tip reef sharks and lots of fish. The coral looked healthy and colorful. We also visited Viking Cave where fishermen collect swift bird nests used in bird nest soup. One nest sells for 50-80k Baht ($1300/$2000).
We ate lunch and swam in Pileh Bay. The color of the water is mesmerizing. After lunch, we went back over to Viking Cave to snorkel. We saw more colorful fish, sea snakes, puffer fish, a moray eel, and more black-tip reef sharks!
The water was so clear that we also saw coral nurseries. These are man-made and provide a stable environment for injured corals to recuperate. Nurseries produce thousands of healthy young corals that get transplanted into areas where the coral is destroyed.
Becca also told us she participated in a project to remove crown-of-thorns starfish, which eat coral. Too many in one area can harm the reef. The starfish are poisonous, so she used tongs to remove the starfish from the water. They have to be killed out of the water because they lay eggs when they are killed. Her team buries them in the sand, where they die and can then be recycled back into the ocean.
We hung out at the pool at our hotel for the rest of the afternoon. Lucas, Henry, Austin, and Aiden went out to dinner by themselves and then played Roblox. They first went to Burger King, but the
worker there told them that it was overpriced and they should go next door to McDonald’s. They did and verified that it was about half-price.
Michael and I hiked up to a viewpoint for sunset. The hike is a bit strenuous- 400 stairs, but it is worth it. Afterward, we ate at a vegan/vegetarian restaurant called Dow, which has almost 400 menu
items.
After dinner, we all met at Hippie Bar to watch a fireworks show. It was an exciting show. The performers interacted with the kids, and Henry was part of the finale.
Our second full day on Ko Phi Phi was not as busy. I woke up at 4:40 a.m. to meet my friend Lucy and hike back up to the viewpoint for sunrise. We did laundry. Michael, Lucas, and Henry worked on their scuba certification course. We hung out at the pool and the beach.
Ko Phi Phi is a beautiful island worth visiting if you find yourself in Southern Thailand. We are looking forward to some more downtime in Phuket.
