We woke up just before our alarm began to beep at 7:15am, or what we initially thought was 7:15am. Andrew had a shower first and then as I was washing my hair I suddenly had a thought that it was only 6:15am as I reckoned that Andrew had forgotten to change the time on the phone. I turned out to be right, but we were already awake and ready so we just went to sit in the communal area. The friendly member of staff turned up to find us sat in the exact same seat as when she had left last night. She immediately asked us whether we wanted tea or coffee, so we both opted for fresh coffee as we took a seat at a table. The complimentary breakfast consisted of two slices of toast with butter and marmalade and a banana, which was enough to keep us going through the morning. We bought some water for our journey as the member of staff asked whether the empty bottles of Chang we had placed on the counter the previous night belonged to us. We had to explain that we hadn't just taken them from the fridge in the kitchen but we had bought them from a shop! We packed up the rest of our backpack and then went to wait for our transfer to the harbour. It wasn't long before somebody turned up and we were seated in the front of a minivan. It was only a short drive to 'Rassada Harbour' which was rather busy. We took our ticket to the counter and we were given a sticker to place on our chest. The cost to Ko Phi Phi Don was advertised as B600 so we thought we had done quite well to only have paid B350 through 'Old Town Hostel'. We boarded the boat where we firstly had to place our luggage in the far front corner before we made our way up to the top deck. We managed to find an uncomfortable plastic seat but the journey was only one hour and twenty minutes and it was a bright sunny day so we couldn't really complain about the seating. The boat was packed full of day trippers from Phuket and so we were the only people targeted by a person offering accommodation on Ko Phi Phi Don. We had a quick look as we hadn't booked anywhere in advance. The cheapest place was B500, which was what we were expecting. It looked fine and the place had a pool and WiFi so we decided to book it so that we would be met at the pier. We paid a B200 deposit and we were told we would be met by somebody who would cart our backpack to our room. We then sat back and read for most of the rather rough sea journey. One lady in front of us went rather pale and when she stood up she literally swayed from side to side until she landed on her bottom and was then sick! We were pleasantly surprised by the weather as there wasn't a rain cloud in sight, so we were glad that we had taken the risk to travel to Ko Phi Phi Don. The only thing was that we weren't entirely sure if the good weather would last more than a day! The journey took a little longer than expected as the sea was quite rough but we eventually saw the outline of Ko Phi Phi Don and Ko Phi Phi Le in the distance. As the sea was so rough the boat was unable to enter Maya Bay on Ko Phi Phi Le, so we simply sailed round one side of the island so that the many day trippers could get a snapshot of some sort. We then continued on to Ko Phi Phi Don. We decided to make our way to collect our backpack before the boat reached the pier but it was a little chaotic. Andrew managed to squeeze to the front of the queue, just as everybody else was doing and got our backpack. We got off board and paid the B20 fee to step foot on the island before searching for the person who booked us a room. He saw us before we saw him and so we were then told to follow a different person. We were led down a street and then asked to place our backpack in a trolley. The poor man then had to pull the trolley while we just followed him to 'Tropical Garden'.
 
It was a fair walk, especially in the heat and humidity of the day . The heat seemed to affect us quite a bit as Bali was so cool in comparison to Thailand. We reached 'Tropical Garden' and paid the rest of the money for one night. The owner said it was very quiet as it was rainy season and it had in fact rained for days on end so we were lucky to see the sun. We were shown to our room which was a little dull and smelly, especially for the price, but it was only for one night. We thought we should make the most of the sun so we set off for the viewpoint. It was a rather sweaty climb up a steep concrete stairway and when we reached 'Viewpoint 1' I must say I was a little disappointed as you could just make out the double bay. However, we saw a sign for 'Viewpoint 2' so we continued up the path until we reached a much higher level that afforded a much better view. The double bay was much more impressive, as on Ao Ton Sai there were many boats floating in the bay whereas on Ao Loh Dalum there was nothing but clear turquoise water glistening in the sun. There was a little shop perched on top of the hill in a prime spot so we got a cool drink and sat on a rock to catch our breath and take in the vista . We made sure we took a good photograph before we ventured down the hill. We were starving by this point so we found a cheap place to eat called 'Garlic 2' restaurant where the staff were extremely friendly. We were both in the mood for a good Thai curry so Andrew ordered a Green one whilst I opted for a Penang. We were even given a photocopy of the recipe and a Thai phrase leaflet. The service was excellent and the food was good value for money. We noticed on the wall a number of photographs depicting the rebuilding of 'Garlic 2' after the 2004 tsunami and it really brought to light the devastating impact it had on Ko Phi Phi Don. We left the restaurant and noticed a sign for the overnight camping trip to Maya Bay so we enquired about the price, which was B1900 each. The weather was so decent that we were tempted to go the same day. However, we asked whether the weather was expected to get better or worse and the answer was better so we eventually made the decision to leave it until the following day. We booked the trip and then returned to 'Tropical Garden' to chill out by the pool . We eventually found the pool tucked away behind a string of accommodation which we hadn't realised was part of 'Tropical Garden' and there was also a poolside bar. The pool water looked a little murky so I just draped my legs over the edge. We tried to chill out on a sun lounger but the noise of a drill in the background was more than distracting! Andrew also failed to tell me until later that a Thai man was sat on a stool that was partly immersed in the pool with a circular hand drill shaping a piece of wood. This was just another example of a lack of concern over electrical safety in Thailand and reminded me somewhat of Leo attempting to stop the cleaner mopping the wall against a live wire! The sun disappeared and after a while we returned to our room so that I could Skype Jill and Sarah. 
 
We then got a cool shower which was most refreshing as the humidity was really starting to take a toll on us and I had a rather sun burnt face as a result of being overly sensitive to the sun from taking doxycycline. Andrew was stood at the door while I finished off getting ready but he almost got smacked in the face by a bat . There were quite a few bats flying backwards and forwards across our veranda. We walked into Ton Sai village on the look out for a place to eat. The village contained many small shops selling clothes, jewellery and souvenirs but it had a quirky feel to the place. I even managed to find some insect repellent that contained 95% deet! We walked to the beach front but we should have known that the restaurants that lined the shore were a little too upmarket for our budget. We started walking back towards the village and came across a small restaurant called 'Pum' that was fairly busy. The staff were yet again so friendly and smiley as they showed us to a free table. It was my turn to sample a 'Green Curry' which was nice but not the best I have sampled whilst being in Thailand. We were given a short questionnaire to fill in after our meal and we really couldn't fault the service or design of the place, but the food was just alright rather than great. We were then ready for a beverage of the alcoholic kind so we took a seat in 'Breakers' and ordered one and a half litres of Chang as it was the best available offer. We got the best seat in the place as we could people watch whilst drinking. A Thai lady walked past holding the hand of a gibbon much to our surprise and slight confusion as it was even wearing a dress! We drank up and then walked to another place called 'Sharky's Bar' where I had a mojito cocktail whilst Andrew stuck to the Chang. We again managed to get the perfect spot at a bar stool looking out over the main street. We had another drink as we watched an American lady put her foot through a floor board, much to our amusement! We called next door to Family Mart for a bottle of water and I ended up succumbing to the chocolate aisle. We had a final wander around the village before walking back to our room.