Out on the open deck, I watch gleaming shorelines and isolated rock formations come into view in contrast with a striking blue seascape. Time, unhurried, seems to match the ferry’s speed as we make a slow, deliberate approach to Koh Phi Phi island. 
Slipping off the ferry, I walk along the shoreline and towards a row of anchored long-tail boats decorated in wreaths of pink and yellow flowers. I find one with a captain at the helm and repeat the name I’ve been holding on to.
“Long Beach?” I ask, phrasing my destination as a question; tentative. He nods in response, stating the distance by boat [10 minutes] and a price that sounds fair. I place brightly colored Baht notes into his outstretched palm. 
Foregoing the built-in shade, I sit near the stern, close enough to hear four women talking in rapid Castellano. I’m certain the Spanish spoken is Argentine but I ask anyway, curious, and eager to speak over two words to someone other than myself. We talk for as long as the brief boat ride lasts, agreeing on the charm of Southern Thailand, and that my time there is decidedly too short. 
Alone again, at Long Beach, I spend the rest of my afternoon shuffling barefoot, back and forth, between sand and sea.
——
Good to Know
Getting to Koh Phi Phi
– Ferries take about 2hrs to get from Phuket to Koh Phi Phi (sit tight)
– I paid for a tour company (at the airport likely a bad idea, but I was short on time) to handle my ferry ticket to and from Phuket and transport to and from the Pier
– Ferries leave from Phuket around 9am and leave Phi Phi around 4pm. Many people spend the night(s) on the island.
– On arrival at Koh Phi Phi, once you disembark, they request a 20 Baht fee. I believe this is a conservation fee.
Getting to Long Beach
– Long-tail boats (water taxis) are native to SouthEast Asia and scattered all over the islands.
– A European couple I met at a cooking class in Bangkok recommended this beach to me.
Getting to Phuket
– I flew Thai Airways (recommend) from Bangkok.
Money
– Change as much as you think you’ll need + more. The ATM charges were high. Upwards of $5 if I remember correctly.
———
As always,
thank you for reading.
All photos shot by myself and very helpful strangers on iPhone XR
Same footprints, Different Sands
Same Footprints 