The Incredible Phi Phi Islands

The lesser-known jewels of marine tourism in southeast Asia

- Renuka Krishnaraja

In our day's expedition, we had set out from Phuket town to explore the incredible Phi Phi islands, a group of islands situated in Thailand's Andaman Sea. Emerald green waters at the shore flawlessly turned into turquoise as I looked deeper into the sea, and virtually merged with the brightest blue skies I had ever seen.

Stark limestone cliffs, typical of the region, towered out of waters upon which our speed boat was streaming through at a speed of 35 knots per hour with terrific waves constantly hitting the boat with all their robustness. The cruise was rough yet thrilling. And the visual treat assured me that we were in tropical utopia.

Among all six of Phi Phi's islands, Phi Phi Don and Phi Phi Leh are the largest and the most-known ones. The natural environment is protected and is part of the marine national park. Rising from the sea like castles, the islands feature scenic soft sand beaches with crystal clear water.

The larger of these two, Phi Phi Don has sheer limestone cliffs, fine sand beaches and some hidden coves. With no roads or vehicles on it, getting there was possible just by boat.

A tiny village united the two sides of the island that's lined by cafes, bars, restaurants, souvenir shops and stalls and looked quite like a walking paradise.