Another Beautiful Island

Our last stop in our island hopping tour was the tiny island of Khai. This island was quite a distance from the Ko Phi Phi Don so it took us around 45 minutes to get there. The island, as mentioned, was indeed tiny you could probably walk around the entire island in less than thirty minutes. Despite its small size. This seems to be one of the major stops in the island hopping tour here.

Row of Chairs Neatly Arranged in Khai Island

As expected Khai Island also has that powder white sand, it also has the beautiful iridescent sea. We were dropped off at one side of the island to and we had to walk past a row of chairs and umbrellas to get tho the beach. Because of these chairs it didn’t seemed very attractive anymore. Anyway, at least the chairs were all arrange at some distance from the beach itself. Our tour guide gave away drinking water for everybody too.

Fish Gathering Near the Surface

We spent and hour and a half swimming in the crystal clear waters of the sea. It was shallow enough that kids can just be let be swimming in the beach. Since this was a popular stop for the tour groups, there were also a number tour groups winding up their tours here. So it was a bit crowded but not as bad as Maya Beach. After all the swimming, it was finally time to head back to Phuket island, which was only twenty minutes away from Khai Island.

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Boats Parked at Tonsai Bay's Beach

Finally, it was time of lunch. We didn’t have lunch at Ko Phi Phi Leh since it was a protected area, but were brought to the much bigger nearby island named Ko Phi Phi Don and at Tonsai Bay, we parked the boat and got off. Tonsai Bay is was not as pretty at the famous Maya Beach but it has a long beach perfect for swimming. There were karst mountains on both ends of the beach, making a very picturesque scene.

White Sand Beach Again, Aren't You Tired of This?

There wasn’t much snorkeling here but more for swimming. I noticed that there were a lot of motorboats also parked along the beach. This limits the amount of space available for swimming. It reminded me of how Boracay in the Philippines is also crowded with motorized outrigger canoes which get in the way of swimming. Anyway, the sand here wasn’t as nice at the sand of Maya Beach, but this will do. The midday sun was too intense so I didn’t feel like swimming anymore. I just want some lunch.

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Towering Karst Cliffs Border Monkey Beach

Okay, I would admit that Viking Cave wasn’t all that it was made out to be. We didn’t even get close to the cave itself, which I would just attribute to safety reasons. Anyway, we proceeded to the next point of interest which our very animated tour guide announced to be Monkey Beach. I could only wonder what is there to see in Monkey Beach. Fortunately for us, there weren’t twenty motorboats by the Monkey Beach, I guess they have all since went different directions depending on the the tour they offer.

Surprise! Monkey Beach Has Monkeys!

Monkey Beach was a thin strip of beach on one side of Ko Phi Phi Leh. The beach itself was the usual soft, powdery white sand I have grown accustomed to. The beach itself isn’t that long either but the beach itself isn’t the attraction here. Monkeys abound on the beach and they are shown to the tourists who haven’t seen wild monkeys before. We were warned beforehand not to get too close to the monkeys since they might become agressive. Not surprising since boatloads of tourists come and take turns feeding them bananas.

Impressive Beach

I reminded me of the monkeys found in Emei Shan in Sichuan, China where the monkeys actively steal from humans. The monkeys don’t seem to have gotten to that point yet. I only took a few photos of the monkeys when I started wandering off to the end of the beach to take photos. The water really looks great and it has been a while since I saw such wonderful water. Being out in the middle of the sea has it advantages.

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Taking a Break at Tonsai Bay

Shek O Beach

Sunset at Alona Beach

Tourists Swimming in the Sea

So far most of the time were have only been sight seeing. Since we were on an island, I think it is imperative that we get some time for some swimming. And that is exactly what we got. The swimming in Maya Beach wasn’t that fun at all since there were so many people. But here where the waters a little shallow, fit for snorkeling, it much better since there was only one other motorboat with us.

Crystal Clear Water

The water was crystal clear and you get see right to the bottom. The boat provided life jackets for the unexperienced ones – like me. You can throw bread at the fish to make them gather near you. I didn’t think there was anything special about the snorkeling probably because I have seem equal or better quality than this. Nevertheless, the colors of the sea really do take your breath away.

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Viking Cave

Just around the corner outside the lagoon of Ko Phi Phi Leh, is a cave they call the Viking Cave. The cave itself is almost at sea level but it still looks much like a cave, albeit a very shallow one. The cave itself has paintings made hundreds of years ago of boats which looked like viking ships, so thus it was named Viking Cave. Our motorboat didn’t get close enough for us to see the paintings themselves though, such a shame.

Can You See the Fish?

The cave itself is also home to swallows which nest here. It seems like swallows like to nest in structures like these since Palawan also has caves which have swallows nesting in them. As usual, the swallows nest are harvested to be sold as bird’s nest soup. I wonder how the swallow would feel to find out that someone has been taking the nest which they have painstakingly built.

This Was as Close as We Could Get

While we were at the Viking Cave, I happened to look over the water and saw how clear the water was. On top of that, I could clearly see a school of fish just hanging out near out boat. It was probably my first time to see one from a boat. And these were no mere tiny fish but fish several inches long since I can clearly see them from the boat. It was just another one of the amazing things to see at Ko Phi Phi Leh.

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Entrance to the Phi Phi Islands

When in Phuket, you will no doubt be offered an island hopping tour of the surrounding islands. The area around Phuket is known for the beauty of its islands and there are quite a number to choose from. I was likewise offered a trip around these islands but due to budget constraints, I can only choose one. I chose the Phi Phi Islands. I have always wanted to go to the Phi Phi Islands since seven years ago but didn’t have time to do this. Now I can finally get a chance to see it.

Honeymoon Island Anyone?

As our motorboat sped to the Phi Phi Islands, it dawned to me how far these islands actually were from Phuket itself. In fact, Phi Phi is already in the Thai province of Krabi, fortunately, it is accessible enough from Phuket that a motorboat can get there in an hour. As our motorboat started getting closer to some oddly shaped islands, I knew the were have finally arrived. After all, the Phi Phi Islands are also limestone outcrops from the sea, similar to the Bacuit Archipelago in Palawan, Philippines.

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Limestone Formations in Sagada

When I was doing my research on Sagada, I already knew what sort of stuff to expect here. However, one of the things I didn’t expect to see here was karst or limestone formations. The entire Sagada itself probably sits on top of a huge limestone deposit. I have been to numerous karst places in the Philippines and outside the country, and I must say that I am totally fascinated with them, but seeing it here in Sagada was totally unexpected.

Karst On a Mountainside

The village itself is built around the karst formations some of them have sadly been cut through to make way for a road or a house. I even saw a house built on top of a solid piece of limestone. I guess I should have put two and two together since Sagada has caves, it is only natural for them to have karst. Along the way to the cave, there were several more impressive limestone formations, although they weren’t as impressive as the karst of El Nido in Palawan or Yangshuo in China, it is always a wonder for me to see them.

On Closer Inspection There was a Hanging Coffin Beneath It

One of the more bizarre sights I saw along the way to the cave was some hanging coffins right below some limestone formations. Ian or Enzo, my guide had to point it out to me because it wasn’t obvious. The wooden coffins were supported by wooden stakes hammered into the limestone wall. For one of the coffins, the skull of the deceased was even up for display on top of the coffin. Bizarre as this tradition may be, but this is the real tradition in Sagada and is still being practiced to this day.

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Moon Hill 月亮山

One of the more bizarre sights in Yangshuo is Moon Hill 月亮山. This hill is just a bus ride away from the the main town. It was still early in the afternoon when I got back to Yangshuo town from Xingping and I decided to visit the other sights of Yangshuo. I thought of visiting the Big Banyan Tree 大榕树. So I took a bus to the park where the tree was but found out that there was an entrance fee. I didn’t feel like paying to see some old tree so I forgot about that.

Closer Look at the Hole

Fortunately, just a short distance away was Moon Hill. From the Big Banyan Tree, I just followed the road until I reached a small village full of inns and restaurants. This village solely exists because of the Moon Hill which is nearby. In case you were wondering, Moon Hill is so named because of the prominent hole it has on the top. The hole is said to resemble the moon and it was thus named the Moon Hill.

Locals Tilling the Field

To see the hole one will have to walk through the village where there also a viewing deck of sorts. From different angles, the hole takes different shapes much like the phases of the moon. The hole was formed through millions of years of erosion. Since practically the entire area of Yangshuo is made of limestone this is just another product of natures creativity.

Moon Hill From the Street

Past the village is lovely field which serves as a great foreground for taking photos of the Moon Hill. More adventurous folk can climb the stairs all the way to the top of the hill to get a spectacular view of the surrounding area. For lack of time, I had to forget the idea of climbing the hill besides, I was already tired from the hike from the Big Banyan Tree. The Moon Hill is yet another stop in this wonderful place called Yangshuo.

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RMB20 View of the Li River

My boatman decided to wait with me until his friend comes and picks me up. Very good idea, since I do not even know what his friend looks like. We only waited a short while before his friend really came. He was on a motorcycle and this will be my official transport going back to the town of Xingping.

Xingping Countryside By Motorcycle

I really appreciate them taking the effort of sending someone to fetch me. I was expecting them to just leave me here to figure out how to get back to town. I guess this type of thing happens quite often to them that they already know what to do if the river police stubbornly refuses to leave.

I paid my boatman and we were off in the motorcycle. It was a very exhilarating ride since we pass by the Xingping countryside with the karst mountains lining the dirt path. Yes, it was a dirt path though it wasn’t that rough, only some parts were. Fortunately for us the road dry so it was quite easy to navigate.

Wonderful Karst Scenery Along the Dirt Road

One of the places I absolutely needed to see was what I call the RMB20 View. I didn’t know if there was a special name for this but my driver knew what I was referring to and brought me there. This spot was along the Li River and is known because this is exactly where the back of the RMB20 note was taken.

There is a reason why they chose that spot, it was absolutely magnificent. And I was there in a very gloomy day. I’m sure it would have been better on a bright sunny day. The spot itself is on an elevated portion of the bank of the river so you get to see an elevated view of the Li River together with its magnificent limestone mountains. Although the illustration on the RMB note is not 100% accurate, you can immediately see the resemblance to the actual thing.

Fabulous View Along the Li River

As I went through my wallet looking for a RMB20 note, I was shocked to find I didn’t have one with me! I frantically went through the wallet again but none. As my luck woud have it, my driver has a brand new crisp RMB20 note and promptly lent me one to take a photo with. It was as if he knew what I was looking for. I guess a lot of tourists have been doing this all this time.

There were two other people also taking photos and they also seemed to be hobbyists as they came complete with tripods. I didn’t bother brining one as it would be too troublesome to lug around such equipment.

Obligatory RMB20 Note Shot

After a bunch of shots, we headed back to the town itself and he left me where I needed to take the bus. I’m thanked him and off we went. I’m glad how this river cruise turned out. I managed to take the cruise, hike and ride on motorbike through the countryside all for the price of one cruise. I guess that not so legal option I chose was a good one.

Will I come back here? I would definitely love to come back, but I need to make sure that the weather is nice since I have too many gloomy overcast shots of this place. It doesn’t do the place justice. Forutnately, Yangshuo is easy enough to get to from the main international airports so coming back here would not be that big a problem.

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Karst Mountains of Xingping 兴平

The following day, I was on my own again. My Chinese friends have left for Guangzhou and I left by myself again. A highly recommended activity here is the river cruise from the town of Xingping 兴平. Xingping town itself is an hour away from Yangshuo itself. I took a bus from the Yangshuo bus station and took the lazy bus ride to Xingping.

Limestone Mountains as Far as the Eye Can See

Xingping itself is blissfully undertouristed. You do not see the hordes of tourists here in Xingping. Actually where the bus lets you off, it is still a distance to the river cruise. So I took a motorcycle ride to bring me to the dock. It was a rough ride which I wasn’t expecting since I thought this was a very touristed area. The rafts here were almost of the same type as the ones I had the previous day.

View from my Raft

As for the rates, there is the official rate and then there is the discounted rate. With the discounted rate they removed the tax. This also means that the ride does not go through the tourism authorities, which means they are illegal, however, this also means that more money would go to the boatman. The danger with this is that there are regular river police which patrol the river for any unauthorized cruises. I decided to take the chance with the discounted trip being the tightwad that I am.

Just Cruising Along the Li River 漓江

The cruise is on the Li River 漓江 and immediately spectacular. The limestone mountains are much closer to the shore here and look very imposing. What I liked about this it that there weren’t as much people here in Xingping than the one in Yangshuo. This probably the idyllic Yangshuo that I have been dreaming of. Unfortunately for me, the sky is still as gloomy as it was the previous day. The gray skies leave the mountains and river with little color.

Stopping the Cruise Because of the River Police

Just then, my driver told me that he was warned of the coming of the river police. So we have to pull ashore or else he will get caught. Apparently, this is a common practice among the boatmen here and they already have a watchdog in place. All of the other unauthorized boat trips also stopped and pulled over waiting for the river police to pass.

Sure enough, the river police passed by, and some of the other boat riders started to brave the river again. My boat man was too nervous that he decided to wait it out. Apparently, they will not catch you if you do not have passengers on board. Oh well, it is not that I don’t want this to happen either. The place is too beautiful to let something like this ruin the moment.

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