A two and a half hour ferry ride away from Phuket is a small island called Ko Phi Phi, a place to call home for the next couple days. On our way there, we passed through an incredible rain storm and unfortunately it rained almost every day for the next couple of days. This meant we wouldn’t be able to venture out to see some of the popular islands close by because the long tail boat drivers wouldn’t go out if it was raining. While it rained, we wandered the streets, visited the little shops and restaurants and tried to get off the beaten path a little bit.

Ko Phi Phi is definitely built for tourists and it was a little disappointing to see a lack of local life but we were able to find a small section of the island where locals hang out. They sell and eat their own home cooked food, let their kids play in the puddles and try to forget that their home has been over run by outsiders looking to get drunk in a foreign country. We would get back to our room, wring out our clothes and listen to the thunder as the night wore on and our only thoughts were of sunny skies.

It was our second last day and we were getting antsy about not being able to get out and see the surrounding islands. We decided to take our chances and book a sunrise boat to the lagoons and bays and crossed our fingers that it wouldn’t rain. We were unsure what the day would bring as we ventured out the next morning and made our way through the dark streets before sunrise. It was a risk to take such an early morning ride because the weather can change in a moment, but it was worth it as we noticed the sun begin to break through the clouds and reveal what would end up being a beautifully blue day.

We were the only ones in the lagoons we visited and we were constantly being reminded of how lucky we were by our captain. He couldn’t believe no one else was taking advantage of the clear morning as we pulled into bay after bay to find we were the only ones there. Crystal clear waters that sat as still as glass and hundreds of schools of fish waiting to greet us as we jumped into the warm water. It was a perfect end to our short trip on Phi Phi island and we returned to port an hour earlier than expected.

We asked if the price was cheaper because of this turn of events and were told that it was 1500 baht for three hours, so naturally reasoned that it would only be 1000 baht for two hours, unfortunately (like I said in my blog about Phuket) they get very defensive and dismissive when prices are questioned. Our captain turned cold VERY quickly, told us to leave and that he would only accept the full payment or nothing at all, we laughed it off and gave him the full amount.

Our day had been too good to let a little dispute over the price change our moods, we were so lucky to have had a sunny morning, the islands were amazing and our driver had been very nice to us during the trip. We talked about his family, children and life in general, we face timed our parents and he smiled and reassured them that we were safe. We were ecstatic to have had all of our destinations to ourselves and he even played look out as I flew my drone out over maya bay and the surrounding area. He had informed me that if the park rangers saw me flying it they would come and give us a ticket, but with how quiet it was in the morning he said he would watch for them and that it was too nice to miss the opportunity. All went well and no tickets were payed. Overall we had a great couple of days on Ko Phi Phi, we walked through the warm rain, spent some time with locals and had a picture perfect morning. We arrived back at the port around 9am, went to our hotel to pack our bags and caught the next ferry out en route to Krabi.