This article originally appeared on VICE Denmark
Ever since I saw and fell in love with Danny Boyle’s classic film The Beach as a young girl, I’ve wanted to visit the idyllic sands Leonardo Di Caprio adventured on. So you can imagine my excitement when I finally found my 30-year-old self just a few minutes away from arriving on the island. Before my visit, I hadn’t done any research, because I didn’t think I had to. I loved the film. I loved beaches. What else could there possibly be to know?
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The film was shot in Maya Bay on the island of Ko Phi Phi, Thailand, over 5,000 miles from my native Denmark. The journey was long, but I was convinced it would be worth it. When I arrived at the quay that would take us to the spot, I was told I’d be enjoying this tranquil, solo excursion as part of a group of 23. We were all issued a red wristband and instructed to wear it throughout the trip.
Soon, were were introduced to our guide, Somporn – a short, strict man who walked fast and yelled if any of us failed to keep-up. Strapped into bright orange lifejackets, we clamoured into a speedboat that took us from the mainland quay to the famous beach. As we approached, I spotted the iconic rocks that framed the bay and felt my heart skip a beat. But I was soon distracted by the approaching sight of what appeared to be a never-ending swarm of people roaming the beach.
When we finally managed to park the speedboat in-between about 10,000 more boats, Somporn yelled out, “40 minutes, you come back to boat.” He then blew a whistle and screamed, “Go!”. We stormed the beach while trying not to get trampled as we each prepared our individual selfie-sticks to capture this special and peaceful moment.
I ended up in the middle of an awkward cluster of people, and had to employ the slickest, most creative poses I could think of in order to get a picture of myself without a hundred other people in it. I was not successful.
40 minutes later, Somporn blew his whistle again. I quickly collected my things and zigzagged through an ocean of sunblock covered bodies all heading in different directions. I managed to lose my flip-flops in the chaos, but couldn’t stop to find them as Somporn had made it clear he wouldn’t hesitate to leave me behind. A few minutes later, I was once again on open water flying towards mainland Thailand – my girlhood dreams a distant memory.
Scroll down for more photos from my trip to the beach from The Beach.
