PHI PHI ISLAND | Craving for sand & sea

It's been so long since I've last swam in the ocean, get sun and salt in my hair and skin, and just feel the sea breeze. Definitely one of the things I was really looking forward to during our Phuket trip. It's crazy how island hopping used to be a normal traveling activity that I took for granted, and after 3 years of getting holed up in little Macau, I needed it more than ever!

I won't even get in the details of our island hopping tour to Phi Phi Islands because honestly I don't remember which place is which. All I remember is the surge of tourist, especially in Maya Bay, the 1st location we visited. So much visitors that they prohibited swimming within the bay, which I personally believe was a great idea to preserve the beauty of the place.

Another thing that upset me was this obnoxious group in our tour boat. Being in tour groups, I know it's inevitable to be pissed with fellow travelers. I just don't appreciate it when the group started being pricks to our lovely tour guide. Our tour guide was telling us all facts and history about the places we were visiting, all while controlling the flow of the tour. I was interested in hearing the facts and understood that maybe not everyone did. But once they started being rude to her for "talking to much", I was pissed.

I didn't mean to start this blog post in a sour way, but it is what it is. I've had better island hopping experiences in Boracay, Koh Samui, etc., and although Phi Phi Islands didn't reach my top 3, the tour was still worth it.  So don't let my negativity sway you from this trip, because it really is a must when you visit Phuket.

Other fun activities during the island tours were snorkeling and jumping off the speedboat. The 1st time I've made contact with the sea was when I jumped into it and remembering how it stinged when the salt water entered my nose. It's a sting I've missed though, so no regrets there!

Towards the end of the trip, I got to sunbathe on the last island. It was after lunch so you can imagine my relaxation with a full belly and the warm afternoon breeze. A few advices I'd like to give to my fellow bloggers/vloggers: don't bring your most expensive cameras. Truthfully, as much as Adrian and I wished we brought our DSLRs for certain moments, at the end of the day I'm kind of glad we didn't. Phones nowadays do really fine, and are so much easier to use with the help of waterproof cases.

The only camera I brought was my underwater cam (that kept dying because the battery is old) which only managed to take 2 minutes of footage. We brought our own snorkeling goggles and waterproof bags. Honestly, try traveling light in these situations. I've learned through experience that it's the best way to look at it if you prioritize still having fun while creating content.