26 August 2013

A Secret Beach? Yes please.

After reading Travelfish’s blog post called Koh Phi Phi Beach Getaways, we decided to try and find this “Secret Beach” while we were on Koh Phi Phi Don. It sounded simple enough to follow the instructions — walk here, turn there etc. However, in the end, we were glad to have taken along some lunch, water and gear on this “short hike.”

Find Phi Phi’s Secret Beach

We began the journey by leaving from Phi Phi beach. This was from Loh Dalam Bay, the one on the opposite side to the main port of Tonsai Bay. We headed towards Sunflower Bar as directed.

The tide was at its highest, so there was not much beach visible at all in the direction we thought we were going in. The instructions said to walk past Sunflower Bar on the back road. So, we headed over the bridge and kept along the coastline road up quite a steep hill.

The instructions then said to find a small path beyond the thatch buildings, but this seemed somewhat impossible with all the new construction happening. Someone was building a whole new resort here. It’s understandable, as the traveller had written the blog two years before.

Navigating these buildings with care, we reached the top of the hill and found ourselves in the middle of a new resort. We had to turn around. It was only when we got about half way back down the hill that we found our route to the Secret Beach — maybe.

Secret Beach Hunt: Updated Instructions (and Some Tips)

As at August 2013, here’s how we got to Secret Beach on Phi Phi Don in Thailand:

• Head up the steep hill after Sunflower Bar. Be sure to look for a left turn about midway up the hill.  For us, this left turn was sign-posted by a small “Phi Phi Sea Sky” sign, nailed to a tree.
• Head through a well-hidden pathway on the left. At the time, this path went between two building constructions towards the beach. Let it take you parallel to the beach.
• Look for signs to Sunset Bay and Sunwaree Resort. Somewhere along this path to Secret Beach was where Travelfish mentioned that “a road appears out of nowhere.” It did, quite literally.

Note: We never did come across the 10 foot high rocky ridge that Travelfish mentioned. Maybe we missed something.

Once you’ve located this path, keep to it. You’ll be walking alongside the ocean until you reach Sunset Resort.  Here, we headed down towards the beach and turned right to keep going along the coastline.

At this point, we started walking on the rocks and sand. At low tide, it might have been possible to walk the whole way to Secret Beach over rocks. However, at high tide, we had to go back up onto another steep pathway into the grass.

Keep Going: Secret Beach in Sight

Up the hill, we passed a sign that said, “Tonsai bay 20 minutes Phi Phi Outrigger.” When we reached a small Thai shack at the top of the hill, there was a meditating monk. We tried not to disturb him and carried on down another small path to the beach. There was a swing in a tree here!

We clambered over some rocks at the bottom to get onto a coral-covered beach.  We had been walking for about two hours, mostly on the cliffs and pathways.

Just after the coral-covered beach, we breathed a sigh of relief. At last, we found Secret Beach. Of course, it only really opened up once the tide subsided. Then, it was absolutely beautiful! As described by our informative Travelfish guide, this discovery was so worth the tedious hike!

Finally! Time To Cool Down On our Secret Beach and Enjoy Phi Phi Don

We were the only people around and enjoy ourselves snorkelling, picnicking and relaxing in the shade provided by the only small tree on the beach. With so many cowries and other interesting shells to be found, time flew by. Reluctantly, we headed back to the main beach later that afternoon.

On the way back to Loh Dalam Bay, the trip was about a million times easier. We knew our way, so it was much quicker. Plus, it was low tide, so we could walk most of the way on the sand and rocks rather than going on and off of steep pathways or through the bush.

Do you only have a few days in Phi Phi? Make this a day trip for some great photo opportunities and some exercise.

Happy exploring!

Check out the original blog at Travelfish – Best Beaches in Phi Phi.