Thailand phuket,Phi Phi islands

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^^ttp://lookcolor.comi 228lookcolor.com228 sg.lookcolor.com228Copy right228228228228 The Phi Phi Islands are located in Thailand, between the large island of Phuket and the western Andaman Sea coast of the mainland. Phi Phi Don, the larger and principal of the two Phi Phi islands, is located at 7�44'00?N 98�46'00?E? / ?7.733333, 98.766667. Both Phi Phi Don, and Phi Phi Leh, the smaller, are administratively part of Krabi province, most of which is on the mainland, and is located at 8�02'30?N 98�48'39?E? / ?8.04167, 98.81083. Ko Phi Phi Don ("ko" meaning "island" in the Thai language) is the largest island of the group, and is the only island with permanent inhabitants, although the beaches of the second largest island, Ko Phi Phi Lee (or "Ko Phi Phi Leh"), are visited by many people as well. There are no accommodation facilities on this island, but it is just a short boat ride from Ko Phi Phi Don. The rest of the islands in the group, including Bida Nok, Bida Noi, and Bamboo Island, are not much more than large limestone rocks jutting out of the sea. Phi Phi Don was initially populated by Muslim fishermen during the late 1940s, and later became a coconut plantation. The Thai population of Phi Phi Don remains more than 80% Muslim.But the actual population if counting laborers, especially from the north-east, from the mainland is much more Buddhist these days. Ko Phi Phi Leh was the backdrop for the 2000 movie The Beach. Phi Phi Leh also houses the 'Viking Cave', from which there is a thriving bird's nest soup industry. There was criticism during filming of 'The Beach' that the permission granted to the film company to physically alter the environment inside Phi Phi Islands National Park was illegal. [1] The controversy cooled down however, when it was discovered that the producers had done such a decent job of restoring the place that it finally looked better than it had done before. Following the release of The Beach, tourism on Phi Phi Don increased dramatically, and with it the population of the island. Many buildings were constructed without planning permission.[citation needed] Ko Phi Phi was devastated by the Indian Ocean tsunami of December 2004, when nearly all of the island's infrastructure was wiped out. Redevelopment has, however, been swift, and services like electricity, water, Internet access and ATMs are up and running again, but waste handling has been slower to come back online. Phi Phi Ley has several beautiful bays : Pileh, Maya and Loh Samah ; Ao Pileh is very nearly enclosed by the limestone walls of the island's cliffs, so that the water appears almost to be an island sea. On Phi Phi Ley's northeast is the famous Viking Cave; this was renamed by H.M.Rama IX when he visited it in 1972, Tam Pya Nak, from the shape of a particular boulder, which resembles in shape the head of the great serpent of Buddhist legend, the Naga. It is a place much revered by the local people who come there to collect the swift's nests used to make Bird's Nest Soup, a Chinese delicacy. On the eastern and southern walls of the cave are colored drawings dating from historic times. There are pictures of elephants and also of various boats : European, Arab and Chinese sailing ships ; baroques, motorboats, and steamships. It is theorized that these pirates who paused in their travels from west to east, sheltering in the cave to escape the monsoon winds, transfer cargo, or make repairs. Travel to the Phi Phi Islands Tour operators in both Phuket and Krabi provide transport and tour packages to this popular destination. Regular boat service is available form Jao Fah pier in Krabi. 普吉岛最著名的就是岛西边一系列的沙滩，绝大部分游客都选择在不同的海滩边落脚。海滩中名气最大的是Batong海滩，Batong周边高低档宾馆，按摩店，红灯区，酒吧，商场一应俱全，结果海滩反而成了附属品，夜生活才是Batong海滩唯一的主旋律。普吉岛的行政中心在岛东部的普吉镇，那才是岛上老百姓真正居住的地方，这里和Batong有巨大的落差，就像一个破落的小城镇，镇上的居民过着普通简朴的生活，最繁华的地区依然是唐人街。如果想真正领略泰国海岛的风情，那就一定要去Phi Phi岛，Phi Phi岛离普吉岛40多公里，坐船要花2，3个小时，每天都有快艇往返，船票大概500-700 Baht。Phi Phi岛分大Phiphi和小Phiphi，宾馆都建在大Phiphi，可以包当地人的小船去不远的小Phiphi，那里有著名的Maya海滩，是莱昂纳多当年拍《海滩》的地方。由于前几年海啸基本上席卷了泰国南部的小岛，所以现在很多宾馆和设施都在重建之中，岛上甚至连干净的水都成问题，洗澡要通过空调的主机把水管加热后才能勉强用上温水，尽管这样依然挡不住Phiphi岛的风情。如果想远离Batong海滩的喧嚣和世俗，最好的办法就是上Phiphi岛呆上几天，那里有安静的海滩，美丽的海景，是一片真正属于自己的世界。 ^^http://lookcolor.comi 228lookcolor.com228 sg.lookcolor.com228Copy right228228228228