Koi Phi Phi is a small island cluster nestled in the south of Thailand between Phuket and Krabi. The incredible rock formations here jut hundreds of feet out of the water and look like a scene straight out of Game of Thrones. The beaches are covered in silky smooth white sand that slides effortlessly between your toes. The scenery, the cliffs, the long-tail boats lined up along the sand, everything is all just so stunning. I could feel my excitement building as we approached the islands.
The quintessential staple of Southern Thailand is the famous longtail boats (here’s a great article on their history). These 20–50 foot long boats have been around for decades without much change to the technology or style. They’re a bit clunky, but they work well and are a blast to go exploring in. The boats are outfitted with, I kid you not, old car engines mounted on a pivot above the stern. The engines, sitting fully exposed, can be a bit loud (a few times I thought the noise was a plane landing).
A long pole (tail) is attached to the driveshaft of the engine and extends out into the water with a propellor at the end. The driver has a steering wheel, but also steers the boat by lowering, raising or turning the tail in the water. I eventually took a stab at driving, and it can be one heck of a workout. Our group rented a longtail for the afternoon and departed from the main beach around 12:30. First stop, Monkey Beach.
MONKEY BEACH
You probably have a picture in your head of what a place called Monkey Beach might be like. If you’re imaging a beach overrun by monkeys, you nailed it. I’m talking monkeys everywhere, hanging from the trees, swimming alongside you, jumping on your shoulders, playing around with each other and happily accepting treats of food and the occasional bracelet stolen off the wrists of innocent travelers.
Things got a bit crazy at times, with a group of monkeys taking over several people’s kayaks after finding their food supply, which clearly wasn’t hidden well enough. They ripped through plastic bags and gorged themselves on the bread and fruit, wrestling with each other for the biggest pieces. After having their fill, they would dive back into the water and swim to shore. Truly an incredible sight to see up close and I was in awe of just how open the interactions were between the monkeys and people.
What a way to start off the day. Next stop, the famous Maya Bay.
MAYA BAY
This little slice of heaven was everything I expected it to be and more. Even with all the tourists and boats, the majesty and grandeur of this place overwhelms you. Cliffs and mountains hug either side of the beach and wrap around the bay forming a horseshoe shape that was fascinating to be in the middle of. Swarms of colorful fish swam in large schools just off the shore — with a nice pair of goggles and a snorkel you could float around for hours taking it all in. Along the beach in front of the cliffs, water over the years had worn away the bottom part of the mountain, leaving stunning overhangs to lounge under when you wanted a break from the sun.
I could go on and on about Maya, but nothing can tell the story quite like pictures and video — definitely add this place to your bucket list. It’s an amazing sight to see. Nothing quite like it anywhere else in the world.
LOH SAMAH BAY
After the crowds at Maya, we were in the mood for something a little more private. Our driver knew just the spot, and took us to the quiet paradise that is Loh Samah Bay for some mid afternoon snorkeling. We could see right through the crystal clear water all the way down to the bottom, and hundreds of little colorful yellow fish swimming around! Everywhere you looked underwater you were surrounded by them, and they’d swim right up to you if you stayed still enough. One of my friends even saw an octopus!
LOH DALAM BAY
With the afternoon winding down and the sun starting to set, our driver took us to the northern beach on the other side of the pier. When he stopped more than 100 yards from shore and beckoned for us to get off, I was a little confused…until he hopped out to show us that the water was hardly a foot and a half deep. Natural wading pool! We grabbed our beach gear, tipped the captain, climbed off, and make the trek back into shore. What a day!
LOH MOO DEE BEACH
We had such a great time on the longtail adventure that we booked another one the following day, this time deciding to work our way around the east side of the island. I’m not sure if it was the weather or the side we were on, but the water was far more rough. Gusts of wind and 5-foot crests rocked our longtail side to side, and our captain, a short dark-skinned Thai man named “Me,” was clearly battling to maintain control.
Me managed to navigate our longtail close enough to shore for us all to jump out and wade across to the sand while the waves and wind continued to gain strength.
On my way back from climbing the coconut trees, I see Me in the distance frantically trying to control our boat, which had washed up dangerously close to shore teetering on the brink of tipping over (the rope connected to the anchor had snapped!). I raced over to help, but the two of us were outmatched by the power of the water. We were doing everything we could just to keep the thing from tipping.
Finally a few more locals and beachgoers saw us struggling and rushed over to lend a hand. I rallied the group from the left side and with a collective effort we were able to straighten out the boat and push the stern far enough away from shore for Me to lower the tail into the water and propel the boat back out into the safety of the bay. Crisis averted. Workout for the day complete. Time to relax over a beautiful view.
All in all, if it wasn’t clear from the above, watch the video I put together below and go visit Koi Phi Phi! The island is without exaggeration a slice of heaven. The water is pristine, emerald green and the stretch of huge limestone karst formations has cultivated some of the most incredible beaches known to man. Hope to see you there :-)