We stopped on Phi Phi with plans to explore a lot more of Southern Thailand but found it almost impossible to leave! We stayed at the Maprao which is a bit of a trek (or a longtail boat) around the bay and absolutely loved it. The place is run by a big moustacioed Belgian, and his fantastic Thai staff, the accomodation is basic but cheap (suiting our budgets) and the whole place is far less commercial than reorts close to the main town on the island, Ton Sai. Almost daily the Thais staff challenge the "farangs" such as myself to a game of 5-a-side football on the beach. Initial respect when they thought that being English I'd play like David Beckham or Michael Owen soon evaporated and they ran rings around us. The scenery on the island is suberb, the diving fantastic - there are numerous beaches and islands to explore, including THE Beach from the film,
A lot has been said about the negative impacts of tourism in countries such as Thailand and this is all too evident on parts of Ko Phi Phi. However, the good outweighs the bad - I hope that this continues and development is kept under control. Visitors can do their bit by behaving responsibly.
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Jul 18th, 2000
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