Thailand: The Beauties of Koh Phi Phi

So I've mentioned that Phuket, the island, is a bit of a dud as a destination. It's the nearby islands and coastline of the Andaman Coast that are the real draws to the area.

You can't go very far in Phuket without hitting a company or person who will gladly sell you a boat trip out to the islands of Koh Phi Phi or the coastline along Krabi. They're amazing, beautiful, and by turns lush and stark regions of Thailand. The Phi Phi islands are perhaps most famous for appearing in the film "The Beach", and the locals make sure you're aware of that fact by reminding you about it every 5 minutes. It's worthy of adulation, even if it's overdeveloped and you can't go to any cove on any of the islands in the area without there being another 20 boats there with you. It's incredibly beautiful, so it's no wonder that people want to get there. You just have to put up with it.

The water ranges from transparent to deep blue, and there's so much gradation all around these islands, it's a feast for the eyes. There's snorkeling and diving in the area, and saw some of the biggest fan coral and parrot fish I've ever seen (those fish were easily in excess of a foot in length). There's spectacular Moorish angels in the area, along with huge sea urchins with monstrous spikes. The water's warm and beautiful, whether you're snorkeling at 30 feet or floating just off the coast.

Destruction from the 2005 Tsunamis is evident wherever you go. From memorials and shrines above the water to the paths of coral destruction still evident on the sea floor, you get a glimpse of just how bad those three waves really were. It's eery and unsettling to see vast swaths of the ocean floor all destroyed in a single direction near the shoreline. The fish and sea life survive, however, and it's taken no time at all for the islands to rebuild.

The bout of food poisoning I had prevented us from taking two trips out along the Coast. I had wanted to go north a bit and see Krabi and the famous caves along the shore line and the rest of the ruggedly spectacular island formations in the area, but that was not to be thanks to those bad prawns. It gives me a reason to go back, and I hope to. Someday.