Koh Phi Phi revisited

 January 29, 2026

What can one say about Koh Phi Phi other than like Railey it is crowded and spoiled. Since Michael and my visit 2008 much has changed. A row of tidy white cement block store fronts, two years new,  line the beach. Ferries of various sizes and speed vie for room on the pier. Long boats take up most of the beach front.  






Numerous visitors are lined up to disembark and others, laiden with suitcases, are waiting to leave. It is a crowded and somewhat chaotic scene. Our little rubber dingy slips in between two long boats and let's us off to explore. The weather is warm with a mild breeze and not much humidity.  We set off to meet at Anna's Cafe for a goodbye lunch with half our sailing buddies who will depart for home or other adventures.  We are sad to say goodbye to Brian and Colleen from Canada.  Brian,  our only male traveler managed wonderfully amongst nine women. Ellie and Kelly have a couple of nights to experience Phi Phi before traveling home to London and Scotland.  Laura heads to Phuket for three nights to rest and manage her newly acquired cold before returning to rainy London.

Phi Phi is a long mountainous island with rich green vegetation.  In 2004 a tsunami hit at around 4 am wiping out anything that was at sea level and a few stories high. Many perished. 5400 lost their lives and 2800 never to be found again. A total of 227,898 men women and children lost their lives across 14 countries.

 The explosion of commerce has, to my mind, ruined an otherwise pretty beach. Annalisa and another shipmate, Claudia from Sweden,  and I found a shady spot on the beach and waded into the extremely shallow murky green water to cool off. Each of us wishing we were on a deserted island somewhere else.

Two twenty-something sisters from New Zealand joined us for the remainder of the trip. And now we are seven as we sail away in search of quiet beauty in the Andaman sea to snorkel and have dinner at sunset.









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