I Nevertheless F*Ing Loathe Ko Phi Phi
Updated: 2/19/2018 | February, 19th, 2018
Yeah, I used the F word. That’s how much I loathe Ko Phi Phi.
I was supposed to see Ko Phi Phi inward 2005, but the deadly 2004 seismic sea wave destroyed the island. Thousands were killed together with injured on the island. The entire coast was devastated, alongside Phi Phi ane of the hardest hit. It was ane of the biggest natural disasters to ever hitting the country. Determined to teach in that location together with wanting to contribute to the rebuilding, I made it my get-go halt inward Thailand when I quit my chore to go the globe inward 2006.
Construction was all over the place, tourists were returning — some also helping rebuild — together with the authorities was promising to arrive at the isle to a greater extent than sustainable. Spirits were high. Naturally, it wasn’t similar the postcards. The inner beach was littered alongside coral swept inward past times the sea, but simply exterior town was beautiful Long Beach, an undeveloped stretch of white sand together with turquoise water. I didn’t autumn inward dearest Ko Phi Phi, but I idea that if they express evolution as they said, this house wouldn’t live one-half bad.
Fast forrad 2 years.
I traveled to Ko Phi Phi (twice) patch living inward Bangkok to discovery that they hadn’t kept their promise: the isle had teach overdeveloped (again). Hotels were everywhere. Boats seemed to telephone the island, ferrying an endless queue of tourists. There were bars on the beach; the niggling street stall nutrient courtroom close the dock was gone; together with resorts, tourists, together with loud music were inescapable. Ko Phi Phi had teach an overpriced political party island. Long Beach was withal the alone haven, but tiny guesthouses had popped up, chipping away at paradise. You could enjoin it wasn’t going to live likewise long earlier it was wholly consumed past times the evolution sprawl creeping out from town.
Fast forrad another 2 years.
Everything that was bad nigh the isle had multiplied 10 times. Maya Bay, a location made famous past times the film The Beach, was bursting at the seams. The isle tours were filled alongside swim spots where you lot alone saw dead coral. Long Beach, though withal beautiful, at ane time had resorts, together with a sparse layer of boat fuel coated the water.
I left disgusted.
It was crowded, dirty, filled alongside drunkard tourists, terrible food, unfriendly locals*, together with an surroundings destroyed past times development.
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Fast forrad to finally month, when I visited Ko Phi Phi ane time again.
“I idea you lot hated this place,” a reader I ran into said to me. “Why are you lot here?”
“I’m hither to update my guide. I demand to see this house alongside fresh eyes.”
He laughed. “Mate, cipher has changed.”
He was right.
I hated it to a greater extent than than ever.
It’s condom to say that the adjacent fourth dimension the guide needs updating, I won’t live checking upwardly on Ko Phi Phi.
Maya Bay has been destroyed fifty-fifty more, partially cleared to pose inward niggling huts, a snack bar, bathrooms, together with fifty-fifty a smoking area. Trash is everywhere. (Update 11/2018: It’s then bad Thai officials hve finally closed Maya Bay to tourism. Thank god!)
Ko Phi Phi charges 20 baht to see (a conservation fee, they claim, though it’s obvious they are simply conserving their banking concern balance), Long Beach has been fully developed alongside large resorts together with hotels, music blasts throughout the isle twenty-four threescore minutes catamenia together with night, prices are high for no argue other than people volition pay up, together with the inner beach, withal littered alongside coral, is at ane time filled alongside bars from halt to end. In the morning, there’s to a greater extent than trash than beach.
The H2O is withal super polluted alongside a sparse cinema of…well, I don’t desire to know…on elevation if it. Trash together with sewage are dumped correct into the water. There were booze cruises, pricey boat trips, a McDonald’s, together with to a greater extent than restaurants serving Western nutrient than Thai food. The town’s buildings are then tightly packed that ane loses whatever feel of beingness on an island.
They literally paved over paradise:
(That is me standing at ane halt of the isle looking out to the beach across the way.)
Is Ko Phi Phi worth visiting?
As far as I’m concerned, Ko Phi Phi has lost what niggling individual it had left. It is an ugly, overpriced finish living off the fact people croak in that location because….well, I approximate you’re supposed to croak there?
I’ve been living inward or visiting Thailand for 13 years. I’ve been all over the country. Ko Phi Phi is ane of those places that takes the worst of Thailand tourism together with puts it all inward ane overpriced location. This house has cipher to offering you lot can’t teach on some other island.
Thailand is total of beautiful, picturesque tropical islands similar Ko Mak, Ko Jum, Ko Chang, Ko Adang, together with Ko Lanta. Those are the ones you lot see on postcards, the ones that spur the imagination together with entice adventure.
And if you lot desire to party, you lot volition discovery parties every bit as proficient — at cheaper prices — on Ko Chang, Ko Samui, Ko Phanang, together with Ko Tao.
I can’t actually figure why people croak there. I asked people I met. “I listen the parties are proficient together with I wanted to see Maya Bay. I dunno. It’s famous for a reason, right?”
There are amend together with cheaper islands inward Thailand for simply nigh anything you lot want.
Ko Phi Phi has no redeeming qualities.
And I don’t see myself ever returning.
The isle can’t back upwardly the pose out of people it gets anyway. Give nature a break. Save your banking concern account. Find a nicer place. Go elsewhere.
Please avoid this hellhole.
*I don’t mistake the locals. If you lot dealt alongside the obnoxious political party tourists I saw on that isle every twenty-four threescore minutes catamenia of your life, you lot wouldn’t hand a f*ck either!
Note: I know they receive got of late decided to close Maya Bay inward the off season to hand it a break. It’s the stride inward the correct administration but I don’t mean value it volition alter much. They already developed the island. They demand to take all the structures there, boundary the pose out of people who go, together with hand nature a fourth dimension to heal. Given the government’s rails tape on next through alongside environmental promises, I won’t live asset my breath.
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