Frolicking around Phi Phi: Mother-Daughter Adventures

This February, Mama and I ventured out to Krabi to make up for a very hectic Q4 of 2024. On our last day, we joined a group tour to explore the Phi Phi Islands. These tours are not for the faint of heart! They are designed for adept swimmers and climbers, adaptable to being packed like sardines in a wet-hot boat.

Our first stop was Loh Dalum Bay, where snorkelers could see fish right up close to the edge of the teal-clear water.


After an hour of swimming and getting soaked by the sun, it was off to Monkey Bay for a peek at some simians from the boat! 


Next, our boat took us to past Viking Cave, where those of us addicted to seawater could dive in for a swim. After this, a crowded, bobbing dock and hundreds of tourists were all that was in the way between us and Maya Bay.


This beauty is a sight for sore eyes! A coral conservation site, Maya Bay gained international fame after it was featured in the 2000 movie “The Beach,” starring Leonardo DiCaprio. We snuck in a photoshoot among guards whistling if we got more than ankle-deep in water, and constant warnings about sharks over loudspeaker. Despite the commotion and tourist throngs, this is the place we would most recommend for a taste of the most serene natural marine scene.

Having been out on the boat almost 8 hours, our last stop was Pi Leh Bay and a neighboring area rich with marine life. I tried my hand at snorkeling for the first time in 12 years and quickly ditched the snorkel in favor of my prescription swimming goggles - a bustling ecosystem awaited! 

I was greeted by a barrage of bright blue and yellow fish (species to be determined), spotted at least four parrot fish, a clownfish (Nemo) hiding in the thick black reef, and schools of graceful periwinkle blue fish flip-flopping in unison. But the real kicker came when our guide encouraged me to come over to see a shark!! About a foot and a half long, this guy was a perfect miniature of what you'd imagine when you think "shark." Think JAWS. While I did not break out the underwater iPhone camera this time, this image from Shedd Aquarium best captures what I saw in the wild: 


Equal parts creeped out and exhilarated, I scrambled back onto the boat, now squelchy with on-again-off-again flip-flops, and thanked my seasick mother for taking me out to see one of nature's wonders!!!!

We were relieved to be back on land at Ao Nang Beach at the end of the day...but not for long. Feeling senti that it was our last day, we took the last boat out to Railay Beach with packed pad thai in hand, ending our day with a sunset view over the shimmering Andaman Sea.


(shark) fin.

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