I love the beach. There is no other way to put it. I can bask under the warm sun, listen to the sound of birds singing, waves rolling in and lay on the sand for hours on end. My freckles serve as a recollection of the days when sunblock was of no existence to me. I simply love it. So that day was spent for our scheduled three-island tour. Phi Phi Lay Island, Phi Phi Don Island, and Khai Nok Island with some side trips to Maya Bay and Monkey Beach.

     It got pretty gloomy that morning while we were heading to Royal Phuket Marina. I prayed for the sun to come out soon! We were oriented by an awesome host! His (Her) name was Coco Chanel (No. 5). We were so lucky to have her as our guide because she was all out madness! No regrets booking the premium service tour! Blue and Pink bands were given to the guests upon arrival. If you paid ahead, make sure to bring the payment slip because you're going to need it for the transfer back to your hotel and for the registration. We got blue bands so we got to go with Coco! Chinese- speaking visitors were oriented in a seperate room. Lawrence and I were both chinese-looking, but to speak Chinese would be the last thing you'd ask us to do. (lol) Toast, coffee, candy and other snacks were given, too. If you haven't got a waterproof cam with you (ours got broken after I immersed it in sulfur-ish volcanic water), no need to worry because they have a camera man with them, Mr. Hollywood's the name. :) Minutes later, after roll call, we got on the speed boat the real fun began!

First to Phi Phi Leh, we went snorkeling in the clear, aquamarine waters. The ride was bumpy, the tide was high. Luckily, the weather turned around when we reached the place. Mr. Sun showed up at last! Fish went near us, which totally freaked me out at first because it was a whole school of fishes. You could see the white sand and such amazing marine life at the bottom.

Quick stop at Maya Bay, where the movie The Beach was shot. It was all so surreal. Literally paradise on earth. A beach bum's ultimate paraiso! It's like 3D --- HD, on big screen, only 10000000 times better! Nothing compares!

Then to Phi Phi Don for lunch. Phi Phi Don's a part of Krabi.  Yum yum in the happy tum!





We got to have a look see of the untamed monkeys at Monkey Bay. Coco told us not to go down since there had been a lot of incidents where the monkeys bit the visitors a week before. So we remained on the speed boat for just about 5-10 minutes. :)












Last stop was at Khai Island (egg island). It got the name egg island because the fine sand is like the color of an egg shell. Not to mention turtles also lay their eggs here (I'm not sure about now).  Fruits, biscuits and drink greeted us. hihi. :) It was beautiful but too commercialized. Litter was floating on the shore and trash was everywhere. You can barely appreciate the sun and sand with all that trash. It was supposedly a good place to chill out. :( We took pictures and got back on board.











Phi Phi Islands were all so stunning. What got me the most was having to witness entering the fortress like rocks. They were so breathtaking. Almost unbelievable that such places existed! We both were beguiled by the beauty that is Phi Phi. <3 <3

But Alas, it's sad to say that this blissful feeling needed to come to an end. I was still floating in cloud nine as we went back to Royal Phuket Marina. Talk about instant hang over. Phi Phi definitely left a big chunk of wow in my box of memories. This won't be the last. <3

That night, as usual, we went to Banzaan for dinner. We ordered beef noodle soup. I could taste the beefiness of the broth. The vegetables and herbs perfectly balanced out the taste. Too hot and spicy for my liking but good enough for the brave soul.lol They have coconut milk pancakes there. Like the size of two five peso coins! Cute! Satisfy your gastronomic lust in Banzaan. You won't be sorry!


September 24, 2014

Good morning dear enthralling Phuket. I was psyched for the white water rafting and elephant trekk that was about to happen! It was going to be another one of many firsts. It was a long ride to Phang Nga National Park. I didn't keep track of the time because I was too darn disoriented. (I get easily nauseous in long car rides). We witnessed the other side of Phuket. All vegetation and grassy highlands. We stopped at Wat Suwan Kuha temple for 20 minutes. There's a ginormous golden reclining buddha inside along with many other smaller buddhas. Monkeys descended the rocky facade of the cave. Long curling, dark green and leafy vines were hanging from the top. A lot of stalagmites everywhere, it was a bit dark yet cool inside. Talk about The Mummy feels (only that we weren't in a desert). You can buy bananas and peanuts for 80 Baht if you want to feed them. There were more monkeys inside...with their swollen - looking throats, they gladly accepted the bananas we gave them.









Next stop, river rafting! After the short orientation, we hopped on board together with a couple from Egypt. You have the option to have the 5 km or 9-km raft. We settled for just the 5. When the water began to rush down from the dam, we greatly anticipated a rough, rough ride! It was a mind-blowing experience. The guide capsized the boat and we got thoroughly soaked! We bumped on huge rocks and screamed with excitement with every sudden drop. Our bodies completely numbed by the cold water! While at this, we found delight from the ravishing view of bananas and elephants along the riverside. People even waved at us. Overall, that was one of the best rides of my life. :)




What was I thinking? I didn't bring extra clothes, only a towel. I was left with no choice but to wear damp clothing and leave the air and sun to dry them for me. We talked with the Egyptian couple while having lunch. One of the many things I like about traveling is that I get to talk with other people and know about their story. Nice!

After lunch we left for the Elephant Trekk. There were about five or six of these majestic creatures in the area. All of them I absolutely loved. I wanted so badly to bring one home. :( Lawrence and I took turns in front. I hugged Choopoo, the elephant, all the way to til the end. Even if it meant me risking my life falling of the big boulders of rocks by the river. Hihi :)







The sun slowly was coming down as I looked outside. It was a bittersweet feeling, really. How I wished time stood still for a moment or two. We took a different, longer route going back as we dropped some guests to their respective hotels. As we passed by the hillside, the view of Andaman sea got me like THIS. The golden yellow sun slowly sank behind the thin sheets of gray and white clouds. And there we were, captivated in silence.

Our last night in this blissful paradise was spent on coffee, beach side walks and of course, authentic soothing Thai massage. I felt so hyper-sensitive-like of everything. (charing!) Just imagine your senses opening to the world around you. I was that elated, folks. Would't you be, too?