Chillin' Out in Koh Phi Phi

If you've read a lot of our blog, you've probably noticed that we spend a lot of our travel time learning about new cultures and local customs. Our latest trip was an exception. Jennifer found us a beautiful beach and we stayed there, soaking up the sun and eating Thai food! It was our first trip to Thailand without seeing a single Wat! Craig was thrilled!

A few hundred miles north of Penang is Koh Phi Phi (pronounced "koe pee pee", and yes, Craig giggled every time we said it). It's part of the series of tranquil Thai islands located in the blue waters of the Andaman Sea. We flew into Phuket (pronounced "poo-ket"), then took a speedboat due east until this tiny island emerged on the horizon.

We stayed in a hut on stilts with a grass roof and modern amenities. Craig loved it! We had air conditioning, satellite TV, and a refrigerator. Craig said it was like Hagrid's hut, and gleefully exclaimed that while staying in it he should be referred to as "Rubeus Craigrid".

The island is so small that there's really no roads or cars. The locals get around by riding bikes through the jungle, but the most efficient mode of transportation is to take a longtail boat wherever you're going.

We took a longtail boat into Ton Sai Bay, where the largest "town" on the island is. It's not much of a town, really it's just a stretch of beaches with a cluster of resorts, restaurants, a mosque and some shopping. It's perfectly charming and great for a family wanting to escape!

Here is our "blue hat traveler". Isn't he cute?

Here's the un-shaven weirdo with the batik shirt. Nice hat.

While we were there we went to Mosquito Island and Bamboo Island. Both are part of a national park. Bamboo Island, pictured above, is home to a pristine beach with crystal blue waters. It was great for a swim!

The snorkeling near Koh Phi Phi was outstanding! Our long tail boat pulled up to the best places, then Jennifer and I dove in to view the world waiting for us along the corals below.

Craig wasn't too fond of getting into the water to swim with the fish, but her certainly enjoyed feeding them!

Craig would attract the fish by throwing potato chips into the ocean and then Jennifer would swim through the resulting feeding frenzy. These little striped fishes would nibble at you if you stayed still for too long.

We saw lots of colorful fish, from parrot fish to Moorish bannerfish. We also found Nemo swimming in an anemone surrounded by sea urchins.

I don't know what these fish are called, but there were tons of them! Jennifer and I had a blast swimming around the corals and watching the colorful fish!

Craig had a blast from the boat!

Koh Phi Phi was awesome! We loved remembering why we love Thailand! The food is wonderful, the people are friendly, and the beaches are incredible! I especially loved traveling with my two beach bums! What a family of adventurers!