I refused to believe that there’s a gap on the limestone karsts surrounding The Beach. But believe, I must, even if the secret cove where DiCaprio and a bunch of other transcendental backpackers swam, fished, fought sharks, and played their beach games was totally closed off. Well, that’s where we came in to dock at Maya Bay, the very place where Alex Garland’s novel was turned into a cult backpacker’s film. And it was not as it was.

A LUXURY CATAMARAN AT MAYA BAY

Cue Moby’s Porcelain.

It was on our third day in Koh Phi Phi Don when we finally decided to book a tour to see the famous Maya Bay. We initially thought of getting a sunrise tour, to arrive before the hordes of tourists get to The Beach, but it was just way out of our budget. We checked with the tour operators on the island and found the cheapest deal at a stall near the Loh Dalum Bay area.

The tide was at its lowest when we arrived. It was late in the afternoon and we were at Loh Dalum Beach, one of the two most popular beaches in Koh Phi Phi Don. The crescent stretch of cream-colored sand was almost devoid of tourists as we strolled along, trying to go as far as we could towards where the water retreated. It was, surprisingly, farther than we were willing to walk.

LOH DALUM BEACH DURING SUNSET

Well, that wasn’t quite true, there were a lot of European backpackers on skimpy bikinis lazily meandering about the beach, but once you’ve been to Koh Phangan’s Haad Rin Beach, this place is comparably deserted. We waited until the sun fully set, drinking our Chang Beer right by the shore, before going back to the chaotic narrow streets of Koh Phi Phi.

Tired, sweaty and caked with orangey dust, we beheld the island of Koh Phi Phi Don from above with the far-off silhouette of Koh Phi Phi Leh hovering in the hazy distance. Unwillingly, we found our way to the island’s peak, at its famed view point. But what we were really hoping to see was Koh Phi Phi’s Long Beach, instead, the mountains called us.

THAI LONG-TAIL BOATS DOCKED AT KOH PHI PHI

We departed early from the Bayview Resort Phi Phi, me with surf shorts and C, with bikinis on. We even passed off the resort’s breakfast buffet, wanting to arrive early at Kho Phi Phi’s almost kilometer-long Long Beach to lounge along its sandy shore and swim about its aquamarine waters.

The mythic view of Koh Phi Phi Leh opened right before our very eyes as I parted the floor to ceiling glass window dividing the balcony of our bungalow. Our lodging sat along the slopes of Koh Phi Phi Don and faces Tonsai Bay where Thailand’s infamous secret island lay—well, if you’re basing your reality on a piece of map given to a young and scrawny Leonardo DiCaprio sometime in the year 2000, that is.

ARRIVING AT KOH PHI PHI IN KRABI

We arrived at Koh Phi Phi Don at noontime. And it was the worst time to dock on the island. The sweltering tropical heat was something of a norm in Thailand, the problem lies really in transportation. From the pier, where hordes of tourists were disembarking at the same time as we were, the only way to go to our resort was by foot. Okay, not only to our resort, but to every other place you need to on the island. There is absolutely no public land transportation.

I jumped, mask firmly in place, biting on my snorkel. The warm translucent water enveloped me, thousands of bubbles forming right before my very eyes. Once my vision cleared, the underwater world of Koh Rok opened before my eyes, gigantic mounds of healthy corals teeming with colorful tropical fishes. Paradise.
 
It was a typical morning stay in Koh Lanta for us—waking up early and having a leisurely breakfast at Soontreeya Resort. The only difference was, instead of simply wasting another day walking around and lounging at Long Beach, we actually have something else to do.

The sun hung low on the horizon, waiting for us to run and cross the golden sand, waiting for us to be enveloped by the sea’s warm water, waiting for us to reach out and touch its shimmering rays across the sea’s surface. Day in and day out, our afternoons at the Long Beach in Koh Lanta seemed nostalgically magical.

PINES, SAND, AND SEA AT KOH LANTA’S LONG BEACH

We visited Koh Lanta during its low season. The streets were almost devoid of tourists, the lodgings are empty, and so are the island’s beaches. Phra Ae, or most commonly known as the Long Beach—one of the ten beaches on the island and, undoubtedly, its most popular—was almost deserted.

Every morning, we’d tell ourselves we’d swim at Soontreeya Lanta Boutique Resort’s pool. But minutes tick by and hours pass and we’d still be dry as bones, sitting comfortably at their al fresco restaurant, sipping ice cold fruit drinks and whipping away paragraphs after paragraphs of stories of the past days on our laptop.

SOONTREEYA BOUTIQUE RESORT IN KOH LANTA

Koh Lanta was our third destination in Thailand for our Beach Hop Asia 2016 tour. After experiencing the rush of Koh Phangan’s Full Moon Party and an island hopping tour of Krabi, it was finally time to chill and slow down. As the rest of the TeamRH went back to the Philippines, we transferred by van and ferry to the island of Lanta right after our brief stay in Ao Nang.

With engines in full throttle, our wooden long-tail boat parted the aquamarine waters of the Andaman Sea. Our destination, a vague menagerie of islands and snorkeling spots that I failed to grasp when it was relayed to us. It really didn’t matter, as long as we’re at sea, I’m totally good.

ISLAND HOPPING AT KRABI

From the horizon, we can see the outline of massive stone karsts jutting out from the sea like humps of a sea creature totally alien to us. Our boat moved closer and our jaw dropped in awe. The rocks soared, higher than I have imagined them to be, lush green vegetation and dry ones in golden hues interspersed across its dark craggy face, the morning light adding poetry to their splendor.

Refreshed from a dip on the pool, we sat on the third floor balcony of our room and watched as the sky turn from deep oranges to electric blues. We sipped our hot coffee, reminiscing the party that was, laughing at all the crazy things that happened the day before at the Full Moon Party in Koh Phangan.

FROM KOH PHANGAN EN ROUTE TO KRABI

THE GROUNDS AT HOLIDAY INN KRABI

We arrived at the Holiday Inn Resort at Ao Nang, a beachside town in the province of Krabi, past noontime. Dirty, tired, dazed, and full of bedbug bites from traveling all the way from Koh Phangan. We left the party island just as the sun rose—boarding a van, a ferry, a bus, and finally, another van. Crossing the eastern to western seaboard of Thailand with hardly any sleep, it was definitely one of the longest transfers we’ve ever done.

The good thing about it was that the whole TeamRH gang was with us all the way. And there’s never a dull moment when traveling with them.