Koh Phi Phi - Diving/Viewpoint

I have now made it to Koh Tao! A really cool island but sadly the weather is awful and looks like it will be for all of next week too so it's given me a chance to catch up on this blog! Before I left Koh Phi Phi I got the chance to go diving and also visit the island viewpoint. Both were amazing so I thought I'd write a bit about them.

Right let's start with the diving. I paid for a whole morning in which you got to dive twice. You spend about 45 minutes under the water each time as I think that's roughly how long the oxygen lasts (no longer or I'd  be swimming with the fish permanently). To see all the different creatures was stunning. Puffer fish, lobsters and bat fish were just a few of the animals I got to see. It was also so cool to see massive shawls of fish all grouped together. I was lucky enough to have my own instructor as no one else had booked up for the morning session. This made it so much better as she helped me out whenever I needed and it made the experience more enjoyable. It was tough getting used to breathing under water at first but after a while it was fine and I was able to relax and enjoy the sights!

Dive shop

Ready to rock

Off to find Nemo

Trying to get close to the small fish

The viewpoint over Koh Phi Phi was great and it was worth the 40 minute hike to the top. I arrived just before sunset so I watched the sun go down over the island and and it was a breathtaking view. The colours in the sky were amazing. I made sure I left just before it got completely dark as there are no lights on the walk back!

Trek to the top

Made it!

Sunset

Happy Sean

Another happy Sean

The whole island

Bye bye sun

Amazing colours

Heaven

Overall I'd say Koh Phi Phi has been my favourite place so far. It was difficult to leave there and I ended up spending 13 nights instead of 7! I'll definitely be back there again one day. Tomorrow I'll be blogging about  my time in Krabi


S x

Koh Phi Phi island - Maya Bay trip

I'm currently staying in the most gorgeous place I've ever visited. White sands, clear water and a great atmosphere. Very grateful to be here it is amazing.

Getting off the boat

The tide is out as the sun sets. In a  few hours it will  be back in!

So what have I done so far? Well I've been partying every night with a couple of fellow Brits and a guy from Australia. We've had some great nights out but sadly I broke my phone after running into the sea to help a guy who was face down in the water! I got back to the hostel and did the trick of leaving your phone in a bowl of rice to draw out all the moisture to maybe get it working but after waking in the morning, someone had stolen it! So people contact me on Facebook for now!

Besides drinking vast amounts of alcohol and pretending I'm a cast member from Baywatch, I got to visit Maya Bay. This is where they filmed the Leonardo DiCaprio film 'The Beach'. On the way there, the tour started with a visit to Monkey island where wild monkeys roam around freely. People feed them fruit and they seemed nice at first. However one lunged for my bag after I put it down on the sand and a guy got chased by three of them and they were scratching at his ankles! Something must have agitated them so we quickly left!

The little bugger wants some food

Looking confused

The one on the left is the monkey

We then moved on to a spot where we could have a free swim and do some snorkelling! The water is clear anyway but this part was even more transparent. Getting the chance to see all the colourful fish was brilliant. Also the water was so warm, a nice change to the bollocks destroying cold British sea!

Swimming and snorkeling spot

Clear water

View of the spot

Cheeky dip in the sea!

The final stop was Maya Bay. The longtail boat had to drop us around 30 metres from some stairs that would take us to the bay. This was because there are surrounding rocks that would have wrecked the boat so we had to go barefoot through a mini cave, it hurt a lot! After climbing the steep stairs, there was a small walk to the secluded bay. It is truly breathtaking and it was such a treat to go there.

Maya bay

Loving life

'Sean Maya Bay 2013'

Full view of Maya Bay - gorgeous

The tour takes roughly six hours and costs around £10. It is so cheap and a must-see if you visit Koh-Phi-Phi. I'll be doing a different blog tomorrow about my hostels and the local town. As we speak I have decided to sober up and relax for a few days. I've moved near the pier and I'm sat in a deckchair outside my bamboo bungalow!

S x