Koh Phi Phi

Donovan writes: The Koh Phi Phi islands are about a two hour ferry ride off the west coast of Thailand. The movie "The Beach" was filmed here. This island was devistated by the tsunami. Although there wasn't an official count, it was estimated that over 2,500 tourists and residents died on the island. We only visited the large island. Here, reconstruction is still occuring, but most businesses have reopened.

One of the greatest features of the island is that no cars or motorbikes are allowed. It means the only thing you are dodging on the streets are local teenagers on bicycles. It makes for a much more relaxing stroll through the town. It was a little rainy, as we expected, but it made a good excuse to catch up on some sleep. The weather cleared up after the second day and we were able to get some sun and do some snorkling. There was a huge shallow coral reef only a 20-minute boat ride from our guesthouse. We also hiked up the hills to the highest point on the island. It provided a great view of both beaches. The photo hanging from a tree near the viewpoint showed what it looked like just after the tsunami. For good reason, no residents in the town were interested in talking about the event. The nightlife scene was pretty good on the island. The biggest bar on the island has a boxing ring, which provide a free drink for anyone willing to enter the ring. The Thai boxers were good, but watching drunk guys and girls try to fight was the highlight. 

Jess interrupts...Honestly, the main draw here was geared to tourists in search of a beautiful, but westernized island. That and buckets of alcohol (literally) and meeting other bucket drinkers who like to drunk box...then go watch fire twirling shows on the beach while dancing to trance and techno music. Only to wake up with a killer hangover at noon and missing good sun that is in short supply during the rainy season. We skipped the beach, but caught the rest. One night was enough. Though, we did notice our fellow bucket buddies heading out night after night. We figure they must be single...

We shortened our stay to 3-nights before heading on to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia.