Postcard from Ko Phi Phi, Thailand

This was the last shot taken with my camera before it died. I suppose if you’re gonna die, Ko Phi Phi a pretty good place to go out, huh?

koh phi phi viewpoint
I’d hopped on an early morning ferry from Koh Lanta to Ko Phi Phi and had a few hours to kill on the island before my overnight trip to Maya Bay. It was hot and muggy and utterly disgusting the morning I arrived, but the ONE thing I wanted to do there was hike up to the Ko Phi Phi viewpoint. I followed some vague signs that took me up a long, winding uphill road, then to a long, winding uphill path, which finally delivered me to the famous viewpoint. I was coated in at least 4 layers of sweat by that point, but the view was FANTASTIC.

And go figure, afterwards I found a shorter, much more direct path back into town. If you ever make your way to the Ko Phi Phi viewpoint, be aware that there are 2 ways up – and if you’re not ascending a series of stairs and following a steep path straight up, you’re likely on the longer, less direct route. Lesson learned!

And now, a bonus lesson for you: Phi Phi is actually pronounced ‘pee pee’. So in Western talk, you’ll hear Ko Phi Phi referred to as ‘pee pee island’ (come on, I KNOW the 5 year old in you is sniggering at that!).