Day Trip to Koh Phi Phi

I have never seen the movie The Beach, but I have heard people refer to it thousands of times.

I know the premise goes something like this: a young man (Leonardo DiCaprio) escapes to Southeast Asia on a life-defining journey. Along the way, he meets someone who tells him myths about a secluded and beautiful beach that lies on a secret paradise island.

I never heard much about the plot of the movie, though. For nearly all discussions of the travel book turned hit drama focuses on the beauty of its backdrop–Maya Beach on the island of Koh Phi Phi.

After its release, the movie propelled Maya Beach to fame and tourists began flocking to the crescent of powdery sand in Thailand’s Andaman Sea. Some called Maya Beach the most beautiful beach in the world and, as a result,  thousands of vacationers flooded the strip of white sand along Maya Bay in search of paradise.

I wanted to visit the beach partly because memories of the San Blas Islands left me yearning for crystal waters and partly because I wanted to see the alleged beauty myself.

Most travelers I met had spent a few days on the Phi Phi Islands as a side trip from either Krabi or Phuket. In hindsight, spending at least one night in the Phi Phi islands would have been preferable.

But since I had very little time to research my trip before boarding a plane across the Pacific, I decided to stay in Krabi and figure out a day trip to Koh Phi Phi from there.

The hostel I stayed at has an affiliation with Barracuda Tours and offers day tours to the islands at a great price. Since I was traveling alone and had limited time in southern Thailand, I figured a day trip would be the best way to maximize my time, while meeting fellow travelers along the way.

But, while I enjoyed the excursion overall, I immediately realized that I had just joined the exact type of tour I have often tried to steer clear of in my travels. My tour consisted of about fifty people, the majority of whom were Chinese or Russian package vacationers traveling in groups of ten or more. The tour shuttled us from beach to beach, giving us barely enough time for a quick dunk in the water.

Our first destination was Bamboo Island–a beautiful circular patch of green encircled by a stretch of snowy-white sand. It is a stunning beach, made all the more beautiful by the translucent turquoise of its waters.

But it was also extremely crowded when we visited. In the hour or so that we were on Bamboo Island, at least ten boatloads of tourists came to share the beach with us. Hundreds of people on package tours dotted the white sands. They lay strewn about the beach, snapped picture after picture with their selfie sticks and danced around to music blaring from the boats.

So I scrambled over a a few boulders and found my own strip of sand completely apart from the commotion and noise. I swam alone in the warm turquoise waters and experienced a few moments of pure bliss.

Until I heard the leader of my group call out that we needed to get on board to our next destination

Every time I finally found my own secluded paradise, I would hear our tour guide’s shrill whistle and march back to the boat so that we could hurry on to our next destination.And so was the story of my tour.

We stopped by Monkey Beach, where we had the opportunity to swim amongst exotic tropical fish. Then, we entered  the stunning and dramatic Loh Samah Bay for a quick photo opportunity before continuing on to the crown jewel of our little excursion–the famous Maya Bay.

Until the tour leader’s shrill whistle jolted me back into the boat once more.I walked to the far end of the main beach, plopped down in the shade of the monoliths and did my best tattoo the beautiful image into my memory.

Cheap tours in Thailand–like the one I fell prey to–are everywhere. They are all pretty much identical and sell the same product for the same price. As I followed the tour from beach to beach, I couldn’t help but feel there was something missing in the excursion. It felt mass-produced, impersonal and centered around checking locations off a list rather than absorbing their unique scenery.

Whenever I found my little patch of beach away from the crowds and simply stared at the incredible nature around me, I would grow overcome with an overwhelming sense of awe and contentment.

Perhaps Maya Beach is not as secluded and secret as the 2000 Hollywood hit drama may have you believe, but those movie fans who flocked to Koh Phi Phi after its release were right about one thing for sure.

That–crowds aside–the beach and its surroundings truly embody the definition of a paradise island.