Exploring Phi Phi Islands
-
- May 11, 2015
Every Sunday, Tiger Muay Thai essentially takes a break—no classes, no obligations. It’s our designated rest day, and trust me, I’m not mad about it!
Yesterday, I took full advantage of this downtime and went on a day trip to the Phi Phi Islands with a group of friends from TMT. I could write a novel about how amazing it was, but honestly, the pictures speak louder than words. That said, let me provide you a little bit of word salad to give you the lowdown on our adventure.
Our first stop was Maya Bay on Koh Phi Phi, which got its 15 minutes of fame thanks to the movie The Beach. This place is every bit as stunning as you’d expect. The clear blue waters, towering cliffs, and lush greenery are like something straight out of a travel magazine.
Okay, this part is mostly for the ladies—the bathroom situation was, well, yikes. It was the stuff of nightmares. Think port-a-potty, but worse (squat toilets and cockroaches everywhere). It was bad enough that I seriously considered holding it until we got back to Phuket, but sometimes you just have to deal with it. (I’m editing this years later, and honestly, why didn’t I just pee in the ocean? Smh.)
Okay, this part is mostly for the ladies—
the bathroom situation was, well, yikes. It was the stuff of nightmares. Think port-a-potty, but worse (squat toilets and cockroaches everywhere). It was bad enough that I seriously considered holding it until we got back to Phuket, but sometimes you just have to deal with it. (I’m editing this years later, and honestly, why didn’t I just pee in the ocean? Smh.)
Monkey Time
Next, we headed to Ao Ling, also known as Monkey Bay. This place is where you get to hang out with wild monkeys. These guys were everywhere—swinging from the trees, playing around, and generally being adorable. It was a real treat to see them in their natural habitat. It’s a bit of a downer to think about how many of these monkeys are kept in captivity, dressed up in silly outfits for tourist photos. Seeing them free and doing their thing was a refreshing reminder of why it’s so important to protect their natural homes.
After monkey-watching, we jumped into some snorkeling. The underwater world was just as impressive as the beach itself. Colorful fish darting around vibrant coral made me feel like I’d stepped into a live aquarium. It was a nice change of pace and totally worth the effort.
We wrapped up with a chill lunch and a bit of downtime before making our way back to Phuket. The journey back was dotted with stunning views that made it tough to leave such a paradise behind. There was this quirky beach bar we stopped at, though we had to dodge jellyfish to get there. It added a bit of adventure to our day, but totally worth it for the unique vibe of the place.
I could definitely get used to island life and the gorgeous scenery of the Phi Phi Islands. But with Monday rolling in, it’s back to the grind with training. I made sure to savor every minute of this trip and it was tough to focus on snapping photos when I was so eager to just live in the moment.
And finally, here’s a picture of a picture—one of those 150 baht souvenirs that probably won’t fit into my backpack, but it was worth it for the memories. Shoutout to the awesome TMT crew who made this trip unforgettable. It was a day full of beauty and fun, and I’m grateful for every second of it!
