The only side trip we took while in Phuket was a snorkeling excursion to the Phi Phi and Khai Islands. Our resort at Laguana Beach was on the west side of the island and we had to take a van to the east side (only about 15 minutes away) and from there it was about 30 minutes boat trip. Technically, these islands are not considered part of Phuket, but rather a part of the Krabi province of Southern Thailand.
The scenery on this trip was at times breathtaking, even for what are essentially giant tree-covered rocks in the middle of the ocean. This one was called Camel Rock.
Ko Phi Phi Don is the largest of the group (ko means "island" in Thai) and the only place on our trip that has permanent inhabitants and resorts and hotels.
Some of these inhabitants reside at a place called Monkey Beach. We fed these cute little creatures bananas from the boat, but were advised to not get too close to them. The snorklers in a nearby boat apparently didn't get that warning, but everything seemed OK. You just never know with wild animals, so it's better to be safe than sorry.
The next largest island of the group was Ko Phi Phi Ley. If you've seen the movie "The Beach" starring Leo DiCaprio, then you may recognize this place (I have not seen the flick).
One highlight at Ko Phi Phi Ley is the Viking Cave (we weren't allowed to go in though).
We spent some time on the beach at Maya Bay, which also offered some nice views.
This stalactite reminded me of something...
On the island was a "Snake Bar." No, there were not any live snakes there. And "Snake Bar" wasn't the proper name of the place (like "Cheers" or "Moe's Tavern" for instance). No this sign was just made by someone that did not know the difference between the spelling of the words "snack" and "snake." You get used to that sort of thing here in Thailand.
When visiting a tropical paradise, one learns that there is no shortage of women (in this case one of our shipmates) who want to offer you another breathtaking view free of charge. I don't think Max fully appreciated this one.
For lunch, we stopped at a National Park and had a nice buffet. The food was OK, but more importantly, it gave us a chance to relax a bit before doing some more snorkeling.
We finished the trip at Ko Khai. Most people just chilled out there, but Max and I snorkeled some more, right off the beach.
All in all it was a great trip. I really love snorkeling and the trip was well-organized with plenty of fruit and drinks available on the boat (you need this sort of thing after having your mouth in the saltwater for an extended period of time. Thankfully no chips or pretzels were offered). I think it's a perfect thing to do with a kid around Max's age (8). I could tell he was pretty impressed with it and I hope the trip was educational for him as well. I regret not bringing an underwater camera, so the only picture I got of fish was this one that was taken when they were whipped into a frenzy as we threw bread from the boat.
If you've never snorkeled, I can't recommend the experience enough. Until you put your mask-covered face in the ocean, you kind of take for granted that there's a whole other world underwater just waiting to be discovered. I can't wait to try scuba diving next.
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