Phi-Phi Islands

Editors Note: Phi-Phi Island has been in the news a lot lately due to the filming of a Hollywood movie titled "The Beach" starring the same actor who brought us that overly long and excruciatingly boring movie "Titanic".

Much has been made in the local press about a foreigner firm company being allowed to destroy the the pristine beauty of Phi-Phi Island. While, I never thought I would be defending the movie industry I can assure you that the environment of Phi-Phi Island was destroyed long before this movie. The Thais themselves are responsible for the pumping of raw sewage into the surrounding ocean from the ever-increasing number of hotels, and for huge piles of rotting garbage and building materials that dot the island. The fact that this has been allowed to happen in a protected national park speaks volumes about the sincerity and ability of government authorities to protect the natural treasures of Thailand.   

Are part of a national park perched at the southern end of the Phang-nga chain, 34km (20miles) southeast of Phuket. Two islands of awesome beauty studded with huge emerald green limestone mountains. The two enormous mountains that dominate the islands -- one 498m (1630ft) tall -- are linked by a strip of sand to create what from the air would look like a giant dumbbell. The strand of sand separating the islands is so narrow that one can stand on one shore and kick a football most of the way to the to the opposite shore.

The larger of the two, Phi Phi Don, is 20 km in circumference. The nine shimmering coves of powdery sand, adjoining coral reefs, and warm turquoise blue water give the island its reputation for sublime beauty. Its small population lives in a scattering of fishing villages that are rapidly disappearing in the onslaught of resort development.

Phi Phi Le lies just offshore, and is almost all sheer cliffs, with a few caves and a sea lake formed by a cleft between two cliffs that allows water to enter into a bowl-shaped canyon. It is uninhabited but has several nice beaches, but its major claim to fame is the caves that are the favorite nesting ground for the migratory Forktail Swift. The swifts who favor lofty limestone caves and cliffs as a nesting habitat. Between January and April each year, thousands of these birds descend on Phi Phi Le to spend about 2 weeks in the caves building nests held together by their saliva. These famous nests are prized by Chinese gourmets for bird’s nest soup. The island holds a second cave (dubbed Viking Cave) whose walls are decorated by what appear to be Viking ships.

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Bird’s Nest Soup

How did the Chinese develop a taste for that exotic delicacy known as bird’s nest soup? Legend offers several explanations. According to one, a group of sailors were shipwrecked on an island in Southeast Asia and were saved from starvation by the tiny nests. Another legend claims that a eunuch named San Pao was sent by the Ming emperor on an expedition to the Malay Peninsula, where he was served the nests; impressed by their taste and, even more, by their alleged medicinal powers, he brought some back to his royal patron.

Whatever the origins, the culinary use of bird’s nests became a Chinese passion. One much misunderstood in the West, where nests are thought of in terms of twigs, feathers, and other unpalatable ingredients. The nests produced by the by the tiny brown and charcoal colored swift known as 'Collocalia esculenta' and consumed by the Chinese are a far cry from the western conception. The material from which the nests are constructed is a gluey secretion discharged from two glands under the bird’s lower jaw; this comes out in long strands that soon dry into a strong, resilient substance after exposure to air.

Collecting bird’s nests is a big and profitable business with small good quality nests selling for over $2,200 per kilo. Hong Kong alone purchases over 25 million dollars worth of nests each year.

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The Standard One Day Tour

Usually departs from Chalong Bay or Phuket town, and costs between 500-1200 baht including lunch. The cost depends the speed and type of boat, and if snorkeling and if touring the coral reefs in a glass bottomed boat is included. This tour starts around 7.00 AM and usually returns by about 6.00 PM. Many of the newer boats can now make this trip in about an hour. The boats arriving from Phuket and Krabi usually land at an old fishing village on Ton Sai beach where most of the tourist activity is centered. On one side of the bay, sheer limestone cliffs shaggy with jungle growth rise hundreds of feet out of the aquamarine sea, while on the other side there are a series of beaches that offer excellent swimming and snorkeling. Upon arrival there is time for a swim while others take off on a 30-40 minute glass bottom boat ride to see the nearby coral reefs. After a standard seafood lunch you are off to Phi Phi Le for a look at the caves that hold the birds’ nests and to the Viking Cave.

Phi Phi Le offers dramatic scenery and a number of small isolated coves, each with a snow-white crescent of sand. One of Phi Phi Le’s most celebrated attractions is an immense cave festooned with theatrical stalactites and stalagmites, where bird’s nests are collected and, after processing, dispatched to Chinese gourmets all over the world. This is all well and good, and some people will no doubt find it very interesting, but access to the cave is via a rickety bamboo landing that leaves a lot to be desired. You are then charged an additional admission fee and taken into a huge hot humid cavern with an overpowering smell of ammonia from the guano deposited in the cave by countless millions of birds and bats. The next stop is the so-called Viking Cave where on one wall there are several crude paintings of unknown vintage (but certainly no more a than a hundred years old) showing various kinds of sailing craft that called at the island to collect the valuable nests in the distant past. Most people who know what is in store for then will opt out of this portion of the tour and spend in on the beach. The boat then returns to Ton Sai for a bit of swimming before returning to Phuket for the transfer to your hotel. If you are serious about snorkeling , consider bringing your own equipment because the masks provided by the tour operator are not in very good condition and contrary to the promotional ads swim fins are not provided.

It takes longer than a day to fully explore the sights of Phi Phi Island. For those with time to spare, staying overnight at one of the growing number of accommodations is an option. The 1km long Ton Sai beach holds numerous bungalow complexes plus a wealth of travel agencies and restaurants and shops. The southern coves are separated by rocky headlands. Each has cheap bungalows for budget travelers. The most popular of the southern beaches is Haad Yao or ‘Long Beach’ where the best snorkeling reefs are found. Boats leave regularly from Ton Sai dock. Otherwise, do it the scenic way at low tide: walk for half an hour along the shore.

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One main attraction of staying overnight is to walk up to the lookout point and view the grand vista of island and sea that you get from a large flat rock located high on a bluff at the end of Loh Dalum Bay. To get there, walk along Loh Dalum Bay past Phi Phi Princess and Pavilion beach resorts. Follow the signs up the hill past Viewpoint Resort to the vantage point. It is one of the most beautiful panoramic views imaginable, and well worth the modest climb. Beyond the luxuriant green jungle canopy are the twin bays of Phi Phi, barely separated by a thin strand of sand.

If you are staying at Phi Phi, consider booking yourself on a round-island long-tail boat trip, easily one of the most rewarding trips you can do. Each longtail can take about 6-8 passengers. The first stop is at the Viking Cave followed by a trip into Pileh Bay and Maya Bay for snorkeling. The boat then takes a route passing the sheer cliffs of Phi Phi Lei to stop at nearby Bamboo Island for a simple packed lunch, after which there is time at leisure for swimming or lazing on the powdery white sands. The boat then proceeds to coral beds teeming with colorful fish just off Bamboo Island for some more snorkeling. On the way back the boat stops off at the final snorkeling site for the day: Hin Phae (Goat) reef. The boat arrives back at Ton Sai around 4.30pm. All the travel agents on Phi Phi sell this package which includes a fried rice lunch. It is the one exception where a standard package tour is both great fun and good value.

Many in the travel industry would have you believe that no trip to Phuket would be complete without a visit to the Phi Phi Islands. The truth is a growing number of informed visitors are opting out of a trip to the Phi Phi Islands as a silent (but effective economic) protest to what they see as the massive degradation of this national treasure. Unchecked and unplanned growth have had serious consequences for the environment. Short-term profit, no matter the cost, seems to be the name of the game. For example, no money can be made from hauling away the piles of used building materials or huge piles of garbage, so they are left to rot and decay in the tropical sun. No money can be made by properly treating the waste-water and runoff caused by the burgeoning population needed to support the tourist trade. Waste material is dumped in the ocean and everyone pretends not to notice the effect this is having on the water quality and the surrounding coral reefs. Many people wonder how all this can happen to a national park in a country where tourism is as important to the national economy as it is in Thailand.

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Phuket Watertaxi

A fleet of high speed boats (30 knots) allows you to make the journey to Phi Phi Island in just under an hour. Plenty of time to sightsee around he islands, enjoy lunch and dive or snorkel on some of the beautiful and remote beaches before returning to phuket.

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Suwan Macha

Offers 4-day, 3-night sailing cruises aboard a modern version of a traditional Siamese rigged junk schooner. Spacious and comfortable accommodation is available for up to ten passengers in five double berth cabins. This unique cruise combines three fascinating destinations the Phi-Phi Islands, Krabi, and Phang-nga Bay into one unforgettable adventure. 

Songserm Ferry Line Company

51-53-55 Satoon Rd., Phuket District
Phuket 83000
Tel : (076)222570-4
http://asiatravel.com/songserm/v13.html

Chances are very good if you are booked on a package tour of Phi-Phi Island you will be going on either the Jet Cruiser or the Sea King II, these high speed ferries make the journey in about an hour and allow passengers to visit Phi-Phi Island do some sightseeing , enjoy lunch swim or snorkel along a coral reef and return to Phuket on the same day. They also operate the Reef Explorer, a glass bottom boat for viewing the nearby coral reefs.