Youthapong Charoenpan
It’s another beautiful day on the island of Koh Phi Phi. Not wishing to spend another day snorkeling or walking along the beach, which is quickly starting to fill up with sunbathers, my companion and I spot another interesting possibility - a row of flashy-looking kayaks available for rent at 2,500 baht (US$75) per day. 
Instead of simply circumnavigating the main island of Phi Phi Don, my companion convinces me to try something rather more daring and adventurous and head for Phi Phi Lei, the smaller islet to the south, which makes up the island grouping. The island is probably best known these days for its role as the setting for the Hollywood movie The Beach (2000), starring Leonardo Di Caprio.
Our objective was to reach Maya Beach, and, while there are many ways to skin a cat, I quickly got the feeling that we had chosen the most difficult method.
While a speedboat would easily be able to complete the trip in 15 minutes, it would clearly take considerably longer for us to reach our destination.
Ideal conditions
It's about 10 am as we prepare to set off, and the sun is starting to get stronger. However, the conditions at sea are otherwise excellent, with relatively calm waters and a gentle breeze.
Thankfully I have a disposable underwater camera with me, which I keep inside a handy storage compartment at the back of the boat. The ocean is so clear that it would prove to be a useful accompaniment during our adventure.
As we leave Phi Phi Don, the sun makes way for some cloud and the breeze begins to pick up. The sense of adventure only begins to intensify as we reach the midway point between Phi Phi Don and our destination. The waves start becoming much bigger and more powerful at this point and so it's increasingly important for us to put in more physical effort as we negotiate our way across the ocean. I must admit that I start to feel that we may have been rather too ambitious in our plans. My companion is looking rather pale and so I hand him some chocolate to build up his energy levels since we still had some way to go before reaching Phi Phi Lei.
Rocks and a hard place
With much relief we finally reach our destination after about an hour at sea. Nevertheless, even our arrival was marked by some further challenges. Unfortunately, as we approach the island, we aren't greeted by sandy beaches but by rocks due to our chosen approach, and so again we need to be extremely careful as we try to navigate our way around without coming into contact with the rocks. This requires a good deal of physical effort given that the wind is pretty strong, while concentration is also required to carry out these kind of maneuvers.
My companion points out that I'm also starting to look rather pale, which is more to do with our somewhat hazardous journey than through a lack of food. Since we were hoping to enjoy an adventure, I guess we can't be too disappointed when it becomes somewhat more intense than we had originally expected.
An idyllic spot
It would take another 40 minutes to finally make our way around the island to the white, powdery sands of Maya Beach. Fortunately, a combination of the stunning setting and our pride in reaching our destination through a good deal of physical and mental effort meant that a good deal of the tiredness and worry we accumulated during our trip quickly vanished.
We are rewarded by a round of applause from a group of young tourists, who are enjoying a game of beach football as we make our way on to the shore. As I meet my companion's gaze, it becomes clear that while our adventure had been rather scary at times, it was also a lot of fun.
Double check
While this trip certainly proved to be an exciting adventure, we suggest that you always first check on local weather conditions and with a local expert before setting off on a trip of this nature. Before making any decisions regarding travel, it always pays to remember the old adage, 'it's better to be safe than sorry'.
Transport connections:
Koh Phi Phi is off the southwest coast of Thailand in the Andaman Sea. It is about 100 miles from the south of Phuket. After being devastated by the tsunami on December 26, 2004, the island has managed to successfully rebuild its tourism infrastructure and is again one of the most popular destinations in the south of Thailand. It should be noted, however, that there is no formal accommodation available on the island, so it remains an adventure in the 'day trip' category.
Boat: You can reach Koh Phi Phi easily by boat from either Krabi province (a one-hour trip), or Phuket (a two-hour trip).
source: tannetwork.tv
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