Thailand: Phuket and Koh Phi Phi

Phuket:

Our flight from Hanoi landed at 3pm, and by the time we had been through baggage claim and got the minibus to Patong we didn't get to the hostel until 6pm.

Once we'd checked in, we booked a boat to Koh Phi Phi for the next morning. We ate at a local restaurant and came back to hostel in time for the free vodka happy hour. The hostel was running 'beer olympics' - fun to watch although we didn't take part! It consisted of teams playing beer pong and flip cup, as well as some other games we'd never seen before. At about 11pm the local police came and shut down the party (we're not sure why, but it seemed like a regular occurrence) so we called it a night and packed our things ready for the morning. Koh Phi Phi: We left the hostel at 9.30am to get a bus then boat over to Koh Phi Phi. Our hostel was about a 30 minute walk through the town so we got to see a fair bit of it and made a note of where we fancied grabbing lunch.

In the afternoon we hiked up to the viewpoints over Phi Phi which were stunning! We also tried to get through the jungle and down to a nearby beach but it proved too difficult a hike for flip flops and the sun was quickly setting. Once back at the hostel, we booked a snorkelling trip for the next day. 

The boat trip took us to various points and beaches around Phi Phi Don and Phi Phi Leh. Our first stop was Nui Bay for the first snorkelling session.

Followed up Koh Mai Phai where we ate our lunch on a peaceful beach...

Then, Monkey Beach! Various aged monkeys were spread out along the beach - many looking like they were posing for the photos.

After about half an hour on Monkey Beach we got back on the boat and headed over to Wang Long bay for our second snorkel session.

We then visited the famous Maya Beach where “The Beach” was filmed, followed by a third snorkelling session because we had some spare time before watching the sunset on the way back.

Accommodation:

Phuket:

Slumber Party Hostel, 1 night, 350 baht per night for a dorm bed. We had stayed in the Bangkok branch for a few nights previously and were looking forward to staying here - it didn't disappoint! With a free vodka happy hour and outgoing staff, it was the perfect place to have a few drinks or get ready to party. 8/10. Koh Phi Phi:

Voyagers: 2 nights, 600 baht per night for a dorm bed. 

Recommended by Jess, who we met in Cambodia, this was the perfect base to explore Phi Phi. The hostel itself was just a couple of dorm beds, but it was a few minutes walk away from the beach and the bars and restaurants in town. The woman who ran the hostel was incredibly friendly and even recommended the snorkelling trip we booked. The only downside was that the beds (especially Will's!) were so hard! There also wasn't a bar or communal area but it was perfect for a few quiet nights. 7/10.  

#snorkelling #boat #fish #GoPro #island #Thailand