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| Virgin Island |
from Milet Miranda on Vimeo
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Special thanks to Rod, Krissy of Chill Out Guesthouse and Kathy Cubero :)
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| speeding dolphins! |
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| early morning at Alona Beach |
We scheduled our Dolphin Watching and Island hopping tour on the second day of our stay in Bohol. Rod and I woke up early and went to Alona Beach at around 5:30 AM. The weather was not promising and the waves are strong so we had to cancel it.
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| getting ready |
On the third day, I was praying so hard for a good weather. God is so good! The weather has improved compared to the previous day. I asked our boatman if there's a big possibility of seeing many dolphins, he just answered 'Tignan po natin Ma'am.' I was not really expecting a lot because I know the weather is not good for the past few days. After about 30 minutes, we stopped in the middle of the sea. Two dolphins emerged from the water. I was so thrilled! I immediately grab my camera so I could get a decent photo. I did not know it would be too hard. They swim real fast! Dolphins came by in groups and it was like they are teasing us. The playful dolphins are so adorable!
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| we were that close to speeding dolphins! |
Now I know, a quick finger-camera shutter speed coordination is essential when capturing a photo of a dolphin. lol. I only got one decent photo! Bummer. Anyway, I was able to record a two minute dolphin show. I am still in awe. It was really exhilarating to see them playing in their natural habitat.
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| Koh Phi Phi |
The Phi Phi Islands are located in the Southern Part of Thailand. It is administratively part of the Krabi Province, not Phuket. There are six Islands consisting the Phi Phi Archipelago namely Ko Phi Phi Don, Ko Phi Phi Leh, Ko Mai Phai (Bamboo Island), Koh Yung (Mosquito Island), Ko Bida Noi and Ko Bida Nok. Koh Phi Phi Leh, home of the famous Maya Bay, is the second largest and an unhabited island. Koh Phi Phi Don, on the other hand, is the largest among the group. It is the only populated island and it can be reached by boat either from Krabi or Phuket.
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| Transport services available at the airport |
If you are flying to Krabi International Airport, there are several transport services available to take you to the pier. Another option is to rent a private car. Travel time from the airport to pier is about 30 minutes.
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| Jett and I at Krabi Pier |
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| the streets of Ton Sai Village |
Koh Phi Phi Don is comparable to our very own Boracay. But unlike the latter where you can walk straight to explore the beach, you have to trek to the hilly side of the island to get to the long beach of Koh Phi Phi. Alternatively, you can hire a long tail boat to reach the other parts of the island.
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| 40 minute trek to get to the long beach |
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| resto in Ton Sai Village |
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| The most popular island tour - Maya Bay Camping |
The highlight of most of the island tours is Maya Bay, located in Koh Phi Phi Leh. Most tourists would go for a day tour, but others would opt to avail the Maya Bay Camping to avoid the crowd. This is perhaps the most popular tour being offered to tourists which costs THB 3000.
Another interesting tour is the Plankton Sunset tour which starts late in the afternoon. This is a great way to enjoy the sunset in Maya Bay. After sunset, you can enjoy the moon above you and the glowing plankton all around the waters.
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| at Tonsai Bay |
If you have limited time in Koh Phi Phi, Island day tour would be the perfect choice. You would be able to see a little bit of everything. Most of the island tours include 6 different stops, free lunch and free use of snorkel set. All-inclusive day tours are pretty common in Koh Phi Phi Don and Phuket, so expect prices would be similar.
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| my close encounter with a monkey |
Not many Filipinos have visited Koh Phi Phi, so Philippine-based blogs and forums aren't much help. Travelling to this part of Thailand might require an extensive research so I hope this entry would help you plan your trip :)
