Phi Phi and the surrounding islands are famous for pristine waters and day trips from Phuket & Krabi go out regularly for snorkeling trips and diving. The tsunami did not affect the coral, only the number of tourists going to the area. So on our third day there, we decided to pry ourselves away from the Holiday Inn for a few hours to do some snorkeling and we hired a longtail boat to take us to Bamboo and Mosquito Islands, directly across from the resort.

We had Mosquito Island all to ourselves and anchored offshore for some pretty spectacular coral and numerous fish. Bamboo Island was more crowded with one other boat docked nearby but it also had some nice fish although the coral was not terribly healthy. We decided we needed a break after all that snorkeling so we extended our stay at the resort for another night.

On our last day at the resort we hired another boat to take us to a bay we had spotted on the way in from Phuket and which we were determined to check out. The opening to the bay was so narrow that we thought we’d have to swim in but we were surprised when the boat driver squeezed through the gap. The fish in this bay were apparently used to boats feeding them because they attacked us as soon as we jumped in the water. After fighting off the fish, we took the boat to Phi Phi Leh Island and our first stop was Maya Bay where we joined the crowds to walk in Leonardo’s footsteps. The coral here is mostly dead closer to The Beach but there are some nice caves in the surrounding rocks and The Beach itself is pretty nice. Our last snorkeling spot on this trip was a bay on the opposite side of Maya Bay, through some choppy water with waves up to 2 meters high, but it was worth the trip. A narrow gorge led us to a calm turquoise lagoon with some of the most beautiful water we’ve seen. Unfortunately, the reef (with the corresponding fish) was located at the mouth of the bay in the rough water so we had to settle for swimming in clear calm warm water.

Our boat then dropped us off at Tonsai Bay, the main town of Phi Phi. We could not believe our eyes when we saw the state of the beach. Everywhere we looked there were uprooted coconut trees and rubble strewn along the sand. Tobi & Gino had come to town a day earlier to help with the reconstruction effort so we set off to find them. We found Gino who was helping rebuild a seafront store that had been completely destroyed except for the outer walls. Tonsai Bay was virtually destroyed by the tsunami with nearly every business receiving some damage. Over 1000 people died here and many more were injured. The government was slow to give aid so a local businessman organized a volunteer relief effort and since then over 421 western volunteers have worked to get PP back on its feet. It will take years for Tonsai Bay to fully recover but a business reopens every day.

After finding a newly refurbished bungalow, we toured the town with Tobi and we were shocked by the devastation we found. One of the few places still intact was the hotel we stayed at 4 years ago, which is up on a hill. We had a drink at the swimming pool there and it felt out of place to be relaxing while nearby bulldozers continued to clear the wreckage off the beach.

Tonsai Bay, both before and after the tsunami is definitely a place for the young, something that became very apparent that night. The bar scene is hopping and getting hotter every week. Overall Tonsai Bay left us depressed and to be honest we cannot recommend staying there unless you want to be part of the volunteer force. Right now there is a need for skilled craftspeople and laborers but there is so much work that anyone just willing to pick up trash on the beach is welcome. We had a tour booked for the following day and we were not sorry to be leaving the area but Gino & Tobi decided to stay and help so it was there that we said our final goodbyes.

As a note, we've been writing these last few entries together so regardless of the name on the entry, you have both of us to blame if they're boring.