Everybody has heard of Phuket, Thailand’s most famous beach destination. Some remember it because of the tsunami that hit the island in 2004 while other knows it because of its reputation as a sex tourism center.
Phuket is disconcerting at first glance: it no longer look like Thailand, you could be anywhere on earth.
One of Feng’s legs was resting over my left knee, his feet were on the dashboard, and I had one arm around his waist, another above his leg. Picture a Kamasutra-esque position without the honey-get-your-clothes-off bit. That’s what it took for the two of us to fit on the passenger seat.
Ko Phi Phi Ley, Phi Phi Don’s little sister, is a popular day-trip once your hangover is over. Pretty much all of the travel agencies in town sell a half-day boat trip to the small island for 250 baht (about $8). Still curious to see why people liked the area so much, we signed up for it.
The couple walked into the restaurant and sat right behind us. The first thing I noticed was that we had the same shoes, a pair of red rubber flip-flop, the kind everybody wear at the beach. Her feet were tan, like mine, and I could see a whiter patch of skin where the sandals’ strap rested.
We had heard a lot about it. Ko Phi Phi (yes, it’s pronounced “pee-pee”!) has the best beach in Thailand, it’s a must-stop etc. Well, what we found there was very different from what we were expecting.
If you feel an irresistible need to read Tom Clancy while burning under the sun, wear a Speedo swimsuit and yell in some Scandinavian language, be massaged by young Thai girls, show off your bad-ass tattoos and listen to Scorpions while on holidays, you came to the right place. Ko Lanta has all of the above.
