Day 8: It’s Pronounced Pee-Pee, Actually

December 27, 2024

Boat day today!! No time for breakfast because we were picked up bright and early for our tour of the Phi Phi Islands.

Once we arrived at our meeting point at Ao Nang Beach, we met the rest of the tour group and headed over to the boat. The group consisted of 2 other couples like us on their honeymoons, a single Moroccan guy, and a 9-person Indian family of varying ages. Our guides were Bla, a young Thai woman, and Mark, a European guy who spoke Spanish and French and looked like a character from Pirates of the Caribbean (lazy eye, missing teeth, flowing curly hair, you get the idea).

We boarded the boat and soon realized it wouldn’t be the festive catamaran experience we had both imagined. This boat was much more utilitarian, getting us from point A to point B with no frills such as music, drinks, or spaces to lounge in the sun. We sat inside on hard benches, legs touching, while we listened to the history and background information of the islands we’d be touring. Turns out the islands, while spelled in English “Phi Phi” are actually pronounced “Pee Pee”— similar to how the “ph” in Phuket is just a “p.”

While the boat was not particularly comfortable, it was particularly bumpy!! It hit every wave like a ton of bricks and we thudded along the water, sure we’d be developing some bruises or at least some sore booties by the end.

The good news is, we made friends!!! We spent most of the day with our new pals Natalie and Joey, who were visiting from San Diego and were also on their honeymoon. They shared some great Chiang Mai recs (at least we hope they’re great) and were fun to hang with.

First stop on the tour was Maya Beach, a gorgeous beach with the softest sand we have ever laid feet on. No swimming is allowed at Maya, in an effort to preserve its natural beauty. They carefully watch tourists to make sure they’re not wading in deeper than knee-high. We got some pics and a snack there before we were back on board the boat.

We were able to view the beautiful landscapes through the tiny windows in the boat, and took an opportunity to sit outside at the front (only 4 people allowed at a time) which turned out to be even more bumpy somehow!! Not to worry, we soon arrived at our next stop, Viking Cave.

Just kidding you can’t get out at Viking Cave! We paused to look at it before moving on. This tour was a lot of stop and start.

Our first water activity stop was just for swimming, where we chatted more with our other honeymoon pals. I even jumped off the boat! On the other hand, the other family struggled with getting in and out of the water and were barely in by the time we were summoned back to the boat.

Next stop was another drive-by to see some monkeys. Having come from Railay Beach where we were able to walk right up to the monkeys, this wasn’t so exciting but it was still cool to see them hopping through the trees and rocks.

Finally, we got to a snorkel stop! We were ecstatic to be able to jump into the water. The large family now admitted that they did not know how to swim and had never snorkeled before so they caused a significant slowdown getting off the boat and into the water, but eventually our guide Mark cut them loose and took the rest of us high performers on our own snorkel journey. We saw tons of cool fish and different types of coral. It was some of the best snorkeling we’ve done, and I didn’t get hurt which is a huge win.

After about 40 minutes, we got back on and relocated to another more low-key snorkel location. This time we were more on our own, but I was too nervous about the coral (and tired from round one) to venture too far out.

Off to Bamboo Island for lunch and some free time! The crew had prepared a surprisingly good Thai meal for us including Pad Thai (of course), spring rolls, rice, massaman curry, and chicken with cashews. We ate and then wandered around the island. A quick rain shower led us to park at a covered picnic area where we stayed for the rest of the time. While the time was intended to be used for swimming, the beach was SO crowded that we decided against it.

Back on the boat for our violently bumpy trip home! They toasted us honeymooners with some sangria (which I literally could not drink without spilling due to the boat) and we rode back, tired and sun-kissed!

Finally back on solid ground, we exchanged numbers with our new friends with plans to meet up at the night market later. But first, a nap and an extremely necessary plunge in our personal pool back at the hotel.

We toasted with champagne (thanks, Dylan) to five whole months of marriage. Then I napped and we showered, ready for our big night out at Ao Nang Night Market.

Imagine a small county fair, plus some of the strangest fried insects and other meats on sticks, plus cheap souvenirs in every color, and you have the night market. We wandered around for a while, taking it all in, before deciding what to get. We were too nervous to try anything risky food-wise (flying out the next morning) but we got some made-to-order Pad Thai and dumplings from the market. We met back up with our boat friends and hung out in the “beer zone” listening to live music. The Thai sure do love their Coldplay!!

Time to head back to pack and get ready for our flight to Chiang Mai. Today was a weird and fun day for sure. Our new friend Joey said it best: the Phi Phi Islands are kind of lame but you have to go see them. Would we go back? Probably not. But was it worth it? Definitely. I still feel like I’m on the boat when I close my eyes.

We’re so sad our time in Krabi is coming to an end but we are super excited for our next stops. More tomorrow! Leave us a comment! Can you believe we’ve been married for five whole months?? I can’t!

Love, Emily