Phi Phi Island Tour

Summer is almost over and I'm thankful that I haven't been left out from enjoying the sea, sun and sand.

I was fortunate to be with friends who chose Phuket for their summer trip. My high school classmate, Eajeer, and his friends decided to come here for their getaway.

meeting him and his friends (who later on became my friends, too) at the airport

Eajeer planned most of their activities and I was more than happy to just tag along. For their first day in Phuket, we had Phi Phi Island Tour. This  tour is a whole day activity which includes a visit to 3 islands namely: Maya Bay, Phi Phi Island and Khai Island.

Planning to experience this tour? Here are my tips to enjoy the getaway:

1. Get a good sleep the night before the tour.

Their flight from Manila was delayed and Phuket International Airport is about an hour away from our hotel. After check in, we immediately settled in our rooms and hurriedly got some snooze. It is important to get some shut eye to prepare for the following day's activity.

At our hotel while checking in

2. Eat a hearty breakfast.

The place where we stayed, Holiday Inn Express, offered a buffet breakfast with our hotel booking. We took advantage of this aside from not wanting to miss the most important meal of the day. They served fruits, cereals, eggs, sausages, bread and different kinds of sandwich fillings. Though we were not that impressed with the variety, we were still happy to eat and stuff ourselves.

3. Print your voucher and present to the driver upon pick up.

The voucher allowed our driver to confirm that we were the passengers he is supposed to pick up on that day. After presenting the voucher, there were no questions asked and we were immediately ushered towards the mini van the company sent to pick us up.

4.Wear comfortable clothes.

The day was quite gloomy but we prayed for the sun not to shy away. This did not stop us from wearing light clothes (of course we're going to the beach!). Some of us opted to wear rash guards and others wore sleeveless shirts. Light clothes help with being comfortable throughout the excursion aside from these drying up easily.

While waiting for the speedboat

5. Keep in mind the beach and getaway necessities.

Being in the sun for most of the trip, sunscreen and shades are must haves. These days, it is also important to bring cameras and selfie sticks to capture the moments. Island tours most of the time give out complimentary bottled water regularly, so no need to stock up on these.

6. This should have been number 1 priority, research well about the tour companies offering the same trip and choose the best one.

Some tour companies does not cost much because they put their guests on big boats. They leave late from the port and some even don't set foot on the famous Maya Bay. I prefer riding on a speed boat with 20-25 people on board. This means waiting only for a few people when the guide calls everybody back for boarding.

7. Take out those killer poses.

Island hopping and being on the beach is a perfect venue for photo shoots. We did not miss taking photos at every opportunity that we can. Me and my friends channeled our inner Tyra Banks along the shores of Maya Bay and Khai Islands.

Every time I see this photo, I always think I have photographed Butuan's next top model :-P

Taken on the shores of Khai Island

taken at Maya Bay

8. Drink in the scenery and enjoy the moment.

It's not everyday or every year that we can visit these islands unless we work with the tour companies. We savored every moment to chill and enjoy.

As the quote I saw on Facebook said, "Tan lines may fade but the memories last forever." It was definitely a fun trip that I had cool new friends and wonderful moments. .