Phi Phei is one of the most discussed and famous places in Southeast Asia. Thanks to its incredible beauties, Phi-Phi firmly delayed in the lists of tourist routes of recent years. The beauty of the island has no equal, even among the nearby islands of stunning landscapes.
Limestone rocks, turquoise waters, white sand beaches and a milestone of an impassible forest made Phi-Pihi perfect tropical acute, thereby many dream about in stuffy offices.
The events of the last 20 years, however, did Phi-Pi, the subject of serious disagreements. Those who wanted to preserve his naturalness collided his foreheads with those who wanted to make the island a place of leisure of world-class leisure, and, accordingly, to get a good profit from this.
To understand the cause of the dispute, imagine how the island was like more than two decades ago, when he was first "opened" by enterprising tourists seeking Eden on Earth.
This paradise garden, they found just the same on the phi-pi-don - long, wide sandy spit, elegantly beating between two magnificent islands, washed by the waters of two calm coves, which are ideal for swimming, snorkeling and diving. All this beauty surround the rocks for which it's so cool, and dense forests.
Once the island inhabited the tribes of the so-called sea gypsies Chao Ko (or, as they called themselves, people of the island). In those days there were no piers and shops, there was only a couple of boats, on which Tsygana went to the neighboring Islands to sell something or buy.
And when people suddenly began to look for a heavenly corner, then on the sarafined radio everyone was recognized about Phi Phi.
The once idyllic beach tone Sai became a port, scored boats and garbage, with a pier to accommodate large vessels, which constantly deliver tourists to the shore.
The sandstanders are almost unrecognizable now, all covered with villas, luxury hotels, bars, restaurants and internet cafes, travel agencies, banks, shops, jewelry kiosks and markets.
Tourists are chased by Thais and foreigners living on the island, advertise diving, boats for hire, accommodation and bars. In general, imagine noise. Those who remember that there was before, barely restrain the tears when they see the place today.
In the end, Phi-Phi is partly part of the territory of the National Park. It was possible to make a protected park with pleasure paths from the island, places for climbing and secluded diving corners. Then it would be lost paradise!
But wines lies not only with foreign tourists who are so rushing to the island of "Bounty" - they could still come to the wild island with small groups and cocked in Nehla coconut palm trees, resting in tents. The Thai government decided to make an island a well-developed accessible resort for holidaymakers from around the world.
Cases on the developing island of Phi-Phi accepted the tragic turnover in 2004, when the tsunami was overwhelmed by his shores. It would seem that nature itself rebelled against the tourist presence and gave a chance to people to make the island by the National Park. AN-No!
On the other hand, the island looks much better than in those times when tourism began only to develop, and the beaches were dirty. Thanks to the growing realization of the importance of the ecological state of this section of the sushi, today sand and water here are pretty clean, there are almost no cars on the island, and there are no plans for the construction of roads.
Several dozen motorcycles (sometimes with wheelchairs) are made through sandy and dirt roads (in the main settlement of paved roads), passengers to their hotels, as well as delivering goods and equipment. Well, scooters. Cyclists are also a lot, and it is already annoying, especially in the narrow alleys of Phi Phi, where the cyclists do not pay attention to pedestrians at all.
Like in front of the tsunami, the village of Ton Sai occupies a significant portion of the coastal and acts as the open-air shopping center. And tourists are offered a dozen bars from the fire show to the predestal clock.
Although the average prices for Phi Phi is higher than in many other Thai Islands, in general, it is amazingly cheap than in many other resorts of the world. Try you to find a decent room in Hawaii or in San Tropez for ten dollars per night! Not? That's it!
Recently, coastal parties are becoming increasingly noisy and fun and last until 3/4/5 in the morning. This can be a serious problem for those who stop in the beach area on Ao Loh Dalam. Licensing laws that regulate the sale of alcohol simply do not apply to some bars (if their owner has connections). Therefore, many travelers who arrived at the heavenly calm, ultimately simply move away or deep into the island.
Despite the large number of vendors and crowds of tourists, the village tone Sai washes to become an excellent help for those who love to have fun. And from the point of view of untouched tropical paradise, by which the island was once, good news for already upset - everything is there, in general, in order, do not worry! For example, the neighboring island with Phi Phi-Don, Phi Phi-le Almost completely wilder is available only for day trips on the boat. Although many are now complaining that these boats who come to the day, again, spoil the place and even the baby pi-pi-le is no longer the same. But, in fact, it is really a wild island. And very impressive, however.
And between the tone of the Say and Lake Tong, on the northern tip of the island, there are half a dozen beaches, to many of which you can only get on the boat - that you can escape from the unbearable crowd. There you can also find accommodation, from very cheap huts to quite exquisite hotels. And the marine gypsies, Chao Ko (as well as Loar Loom or Chao Talay) still live on Laem Tong, manage local shops where food and drinks are for sale at low prices.
Even a few minutes walk from the village of Ton Sai to Northern Piece of the Isthmus you will find a wide variety of housing, where you can easily forget about the dubious sights of the island, like bars and shopping centers. Why is this all if such beauty is going on here?