We were picked up around 7:15 AM on Tuesday (21st February 2017) from the Nap hotel lobby. This was a full day excursion to the Phi Phi Islands. The early morning start didn't cause any problems as everyone was ready and even had time to have breakfast beforehand. The minibuses took us to the tour company's (Rak Talay) office for some briefing and information session with our guide, Mr.B. He was such a clown and everyone had fun with him. His rule was 'Be On Time".

Shortly after, we were brought to the boat and started our journey. The whole boat was mostly filled with our group, with the exception of 2 couples. The boat ride took around 45 minutes to reach our first stop, the Khai Island. This was a small island with shops, cafes and lounges for tourists to sit on. Some of us swam, some of us drank and I bought a large hat.

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Mr.B called us to go back to the boat and we went off to our next stop. The boat ride was bumpy and the water was amazingly turquoise. We cruised through little islands which was made of small 'hills', with trees and lush greenery surrounding them. 

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We stopped at the monkey beach, which didn't have a lot of monkeys. I wasn't particularly interested in seeing the monkeys anyway, I was mesmerized by the rocks and those 'hills'.

After another boat ride, it was time to jump off and splash around in this magical water. We swam in Pileh Lagoon, the salty water made it easy for us to float, but I still had my life jacket on because I am cool. We managed to somehow form a heart formation with Brandon and I in the middle. After that, we moved on to do some snorkeling in Loh Samah Bay, some of us used the flippers we had rented earlier. Cuong narrowly escaped being left behind! 

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Lunch was had at Ton Sai Bay, a Muslim village that served us halal food. It was a big canteen-style buffet lunch, jam packed with tourists and boat operators. Good thing they served spaghetti for Brandon's uncle's family to enjoy. 

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The last stop was Maya Bay, the spot that Leonardo DiCaprio made famous from his movie 'The Beach'. I myself have not seen the film, but I heard it tanked in the box office. Maya Bay was beautiful, but extremely over crowded. I wish I could go back there and enjoyed it in a more serene and tranquil setting. This is probably impossible given the amount of tourists that flock there every day. Still, it was truly a (not so hidden) gem of the Andaman sea.

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