07.43.967N 098.46.368E Tuesday 9^th December   Ko Phi Phi Don – one of the most photographed icons and ranked as one of the three most beautiful islands in the world (certainly by Thailand tourism) and here we are – with low expectations and low hopes.  Motoring into the anchorage it was not what we had in our mind’s eye – the spectacular towering limestone giving way to a flatish sprawling island with the more mountains inland; the bay was far larger and less intimate than we expected.

Famed Phi Phi Don…..

The traditional long boats lined up on the beach

…….both ways!!

….The Beach……..

Once ashore we found a mass of tourism aimed at young backpackers – a facade in fact – with miles of alleyways housing unit after unit selling island tours, rock jumping, diving, snorkelling, fishing, camping, sailing, all night parties, restaurants, happy hours, massages, bicycling, jewellery, T shirts, clothing, health drinks, cookery courses, liquidised fruit drinks, meditation, internet, mini supermarkets……..and on and on and on it went – all very up-beat and friendly though.  We shared a great green Thai curry for 150 Barts (£3), hopped on a bike (£2 for three hours) and rode around the island to investigate………

…shanty dwellings (Paul bicycling off in the distance)

Depending on your perspective (from a teenager’s point of view a really cool place to be)……..but heartbreaking really; this splendid island is being literally raped of its beauty – the breathtaking images of ‘The Beach’ have been replaced with filth, squalor, rubbish, trash, sewage and an inherent stink which lurks literally a few hundred yards behind the illusion of this trendy quick fix adrenalin rush resort.  The island is literally imploding – half completed building sites everywhere with blatantly no infrastructure to support them – a health hazard waiting to happen and hundreds of kids constantly arriving on every ferry and tripper boat from the mainland.  We spoke to some of the English commission only sales people – and not one of them was making a living….. hardly surprising when the national minimum wage is under 200 Bart per day.

….behind the façade

….and more (this is the ‘jungle’ accommodation for rent)

…although some of it was smarter

…..but more trash around every corner….

……and more

…..for wastewater collection – read open water

stinking sewerage!

Anyhow, we have been here and seen it for ourselves (and enjoyed aspects of it) but it’s one of those ‘dreams’ we have seen in the travel brochures…… which can now be put firmly to bed! 

Even the ‘façade’ has bags and bags of rubbish on the beach