Phi Pho is only accessible by boat, and when you come around the rock face of the island, you can see the cove at Tonsai Harbor filled with boats - everything from longtails to ferries to small yachts and speedboats. Once you get off the pier and into the village of Tonsai, the most noticeable thing is that there is no motor traffic, only pedestrians and bicycles. The streets are very narrow and winding and filled with shops, bars, restaurants and hostels. The village is small and lies on a sandy isthmus in between the rocky mountainsides that make up the majority of the island.
Opposite the harbor on the other side of the village is the beach, which is a wide sandy cove with a small opening between rock faces to access the open sea. After a few minutes on the beach, I noticed that 95% of the people there were between the ages of 20-27. I've never really seen a place with such a high concentration of people my age from all over the world. There were loads of Aussies as usual, but also a ton of Europeans and a handful of fellow Americans. I guess it must be kind of like spring break, but much less obnoxious and a lot more international.
Nightlife in Phi Phi is entirely different from Patong and more reminiscent of Phangan. No sign of the seediness of Patong. The beach bars and restaurants lay bean bag chairs all over the beach at night for people to hang out in between bouts of dancing to the mostly European-style dance music that is blasted on the beach. The buckets that we enjoyed so much at the Full Moon Party are also widely available in Phi Phi. There are a ton of bars in town that range from relaxed to wild. One called Reggae Bar has a Muay Thai boxing ring in it where real fighters show off their skills and any eager bar patrons can also volunteer to fight. It was pretty cool to watch. A lot of the amateurs were pretty awful, but the Thais were impressive with the way they can knock their opponent down with a powerful kick to the face. I had a great time partying in Phi Phi and met a ton of great people from all over the world.
The area around both Phi Phi islands is one of the most beautiful I've ever seen. If you have seen the movie "The Beach," starring the one and only Leonardo DiCaprio, this is where that was filmed. There is some of the best snorkeling and diving around the Phi Phi islands. It's incredibly picturesque and the weather is perfect.
If it weren't for our pre-booked trek starting in the north, I would definitely change my travel plans and stay in Phi Phi for a few more days!
Photo 1: Tonsai village
Photo 2: Tonsai beach
Photo 3: Slinky's Beach Bar
Sent from my iPhone
No comments:
Post a Comment