Almost Not Island Paradise

The typical longtail boat picture, yeah that's where I was

The blissfulness of traveling solo came to a screeching halt after I arrived on the island of Ko Phi Phi. I caught the morning ferry from Ao Nang and arrived on Ko Phi Phi about two hours later. On first impression it was pretty but not what I had expected at all. It was complete touristville. And yes I know I’m part of the tourist crowd, although I prefer to call myself a traveler. 

First things first. I had to find a place to stay. Let me say it is so much more difficult on your own than if there are two people. All I wanted and didn’t think it too much to ask was a basic bungalow with a hammock and a view of the water. Well apparently that just does not exist here, at least in my price range. I looked for over an hour in the hot sun while carrying all of my things. The only thing I could find was a dungeon-like room with no view in the back alleys of touristville. I became so frustrated and at one point just sat down on the sidewalk and contemplated catching the afternoon ferry out of there. But after a cold coke and a self pep talk, I got back up and headed for the far end of the beach just on instinct. By some miracle and a stroke of good luck, I came across a place called Sunflower. It was a guest house posing as a giant ship wreck right on the beach. It was so quite and had a hippie like vibe. I had passed quite a bit of construction on the way which is why the place was so devoid of people and noise. No one came down this far. I am extremely glad I did. They not only had rooms available in my price range, it came with a hammock (the first I’d seen) and a beach front view. PERFECT!!! I later discovered it came with free wifi, a rarity even in the high end hotels here. Things were finally starting to be good here on the island of Phi Phi.

My view I searched for

 
So instead of bailing, I spent four glorious days on one of the most notoriously beautiful islands in the world. Some of you may know it from the movie The Beach with Leonardo DiCaprio, which was filmed here. And I must say the pictures do not begin to do it justice. My days were spent lounging in my hammock, lying under an umbrella on the white sand, and an occasional hike up the mountains. This place is beautiful not because of the pristine beaches and clear water, but for the amazing cliffs that rise straight out of the water. Most of the archipelago is uninhabitable because of the vertical terrain. But the view from the cliffs is breathtaking if you can get there.

The bay at low tide

The one thing that was hindering here was my budget. I’m thinking next time I will travel in five star luxury. Hahaha. Then I will wake up from that dream. But in all seriousness, if a five star vacation is what you seek, than Ko Phi Phi is the perfect place. For just $75 a night the possibilities are endless and high class. Think about it, for a family or group of four that is very good for an island getaway to paradise. 

A sign posted near my guesthouse

In the end I am thrilled that I stayed on the island and gave it one more chance. Even among all the chaos I was able to find a little retreat and a piece of paradise of my own It just took a bit of perseverance and a lot of luck.

View from the top of Ko Phi Phi