Once upon a time, in a small village, there lived a little girl named Lily. Lily was known for her vivid imagination and love for adventure. Her favorite time of day was when she could put on her magical nightclothes and let her imagination run wild. One evening, Lily's grandmother gifted her with a special pair of pajamas. These pajamas were unlike any other ordinary ones she had ever seen. They were made from a shimmering fabric that seemed to change colors under different lights.
Did you know?
After being closed for refurbishment, the happiest cruise that ever sailed will finally reopen in the Spring of 2023 to enchant Disneyland Paris guests. After our night swim, we all hung out on the boat for a bit, then most of us went to sleep while a small group partied into the night on the other side of the deck.
They were made from a shimmering fabric that seemed to change colors under different lights. Grandma had whispered to Lily that these pajamas had magical powers, but they could only be activated when they were immersed in water. Intrigued by her grandmother's words, Lily decided to put on her new nightclothes and see if they truly possessed any magical abilities.
Love and Loss on the Maya Bay Sleep Aboard
That’s right – clad with wristbands and bonine pills, I risked having a potentially embarrassing and extremely uncomfortable experience on an overnight boat trip. The payoff was way too alluring to resist: getting to experience Maya Bay (aka where the movie The Beach took place) without hoards of tourists. I desperately wanted to see Maya Bay, but the thought of having such a magical place tainted by a tourist circus was almost enough to deter me from going there.
Enter the Maya Bay Sleep Aboard. Formerly an overnight camping trip on the beach (til permits were revoked at the end of 2012), you can now snorkel and swim with bioluminescent plankton in the bay, hang out on the beach after all the tourists have gone for the day, then sleep under the stars on the boat. Um… can I get a “yes, please”?
Photo Credit: mayabaytours.com (obviously photoshopped, but you get the idea!)
Unfortunately, the trip did not start off so well.
Just after departing at 3pm, we passed by some Viking caves. I start taking pictures and my camera suddenly comes up with an “Err 30” on the screen. Ah no worries, I figure it’ll go away if I swap out the battery, lens, or memory card.
Except the error persisted. I can’t take any pictures. NOW I’m worried. I’m about to see one of the most beautiful things I’ll EVER see in my life, and I don’t have a working camera to document it. This might be a slight disappointment for anyone, but for a professional photographer? I felt lost without my camera – as if my child had fallen ill. And there wasn’t a damned thing I could do about it until we were back on the mainland.
Without my camera to tinker with, I sat back on the top deck of the boat and observed my fellow passengers. At least half were only onboard for a few hours to swim with the plankton and have dinner, while the rest of us were staying overnight. I eyed a group of Americans, a couple, a mother-daughter (or aunt-niece?) duo, 2 British girls, and 2 guys (one with pretty eyes, the other with really nice arms) on my side of the deck.
I then realized that I was likely the only solo traveler on this boat. Everyone else seemed to be paired off or immersed in their group of friends. All I had was my broken camera.
By the time we reached Maya Bay, the sky had become completely overcast. I’m normally not one for snorkeling, but I thought what the hell – my camera died, I’m alone, and it’s going to rain in about 30 seconds. I’M GOING SNORKELING. There wasn’t much reef to be seen, but at least it was warmer in the water than on the windy boat.
We then all piled into smaller boats that took us to shore for dinner and chill time. My shirt was still soaked in sweat from earlier, my sarong was soaked from seawater, and the only other clothes I had with me were my pajamas (which I didn’t want to get wet in the rain), so I was the only one rocking a bathing suit and shorts all night. Excellent. No camera, no clothes, I was on a roll. BUT AT LEAST I WASN’T SEASICK!
It was still raining once we were on the island. I started wondering if this trip would get any better – ’cause let’s be real, so far things weren’t going so well for me. Fortunately there was a nice overhang on some of the rock by the beach that kept us shielded from the rain. I snagged a small log under it to sit on and was soon joined by Pretty Eyes and Hot Arms. Turns out they were 2 in a group of 8 South Africans traveling together. Pretty Eyes steered the conversation, but then he randomly got up and walked away – which was when Hot Arms swooped in. We were getting along so well that I hardly noticed when the rain stopped. Then he mentioned that he had accidentally found this amazing viewpoint down the path earlier, and would I like to see it? Whether this was subtle code or solely about the viewpoint, I was down to accompany him on a frolic through the woods.
And, well – let’s just say I read the signals right ;)
The rest of the night we were inseparable. We talked nonstop, shared some infamous Thai buckets (FREE on this boat trip!), and hung out with his crew while our guide played some acoustic guitar for us. And they served us TWO dinners! I was too full from the curry from dinner #1 to have any of the BBQ in dinner #2, but it all looked delicious. Unbelievably, the rain held off for the rest of the night. Hot Arms and I hung out on the empty beach and watched the tide bring in random bits of glowing plankton. It was so incredibly beautiful. Talk about my trip doing a complete 180!
Around 11pm, we all went back to the boat in the middle of the bay and jumped into the water to swim with the bioluminescent plankton (i.e. plankton that glows). Whenever we moved our arms and legs around underwater, we’d see thousands of little glitter-bubbles generated. The experience was pretty incredible on its own, but I think I was even more impressed with the starry sky we were swimming beneath. I hadn’t seen so many stars since the Outback and I just couldn’t get enough. I’m pretty sure I was looking up at the sky more often than down at the water, but everything around me was glowing. Hell, I’m sure *I* was glowing too.
After our night swim, we all hung out on the boat for a bit, then most of us went to sleep while a small group partied into the night on the other side of the deck. I had been slightly concerned that I’d signed up for a party boat trip, but thankfully no one went too crazy! (I hear there are actual party boat trips you can book around Ko Phi Phi, so maybe the more serious partiers went that route instead?). It was obviously NOT a very comfortable sleep, given that you’re on a moving boat on a thin mat – but you know this when you sign up for the trip. I barely slept at all, but I quite liked looking up at the gradually-changing scenery as the boat slowly floated around where it was anchored in the bay. It went from rock silhouettes to stars to clouds to the sun lightening up the sky at sunrise.
The next morning, we went to shore again just as all the tourists began to arrive. We had some chill time there (this time, in the daylight) and I took the obligatory iPhone shots, dying inside a little thinking about what magic I could be making with my REAL camera. All things considered, I think I handled the death of my camera extremely well. It’s all about keeping things in perspective. Not having my camera doesn’t change the fact that I am having amazing experiences and seeing beautiful things, and I’m not going to let it negatively affect my travels.
We rounded out the morning with breakfast on the boat, then arrived back at Ko Phi Phi around 10am.
And as for Hot Arms? Well, he’ll be popping up in some future blog posts because we spent the next 10 days together in Thailand. We went to Phuket, Railay, and then Bangkok where he had to catch his flight home. We’ve kept in contact since, and I’m going to try to stop over in London to visit him on my way home from Asia in July.
Pin it!She filled a bucket with warm water and carefully placed her pajamas inside. To her amazement, as soon as the nightclothes touched the water, they began to sparkle and emit a soft glow. A burst of energy filled the room, and suddenly, Lily found herself in a whole new world. The room had transformed into a magical land full of vibrant colors and talking animals. She was no longer surrounded by the four walls of her bedroom but instead stood in a lush meadow, surrounded by tall, swaying trees and singing birds. Lily embarked on an incredible adventure with her newfound friends. They played hide and seek among the flowers, had tea parties with a wise old owl, and even encountered a mischievous, yet friendly, unicorn. As they roamed through the enchanted forest, Lily felt a sense of joy and wonderment that she had never experienced before. As the night went on, Lily began to notice that the more she explored, the more the pajamas seemed to lose their magical glow. With a heavy heart, she decided it was time to return home. She said her goodbyes to the animals and made her way back through the meadow, back to reality. Lily gently removed the nightclothes from the water and held them in her hands. Although they no longer sparkled or emitted a soft glow, she knew that they still held a sense of magic within them. From that day on, Lily cherished her nightclothes and continued to wear them to bed every night. She knew that even without the sparkles, they were a reminder of the magical adventure she had experienced and the limitless possibilities that awaited her in her dreams..
Reviews for "The Astonishing Power of Nightclothes that React to Water"
1. Sarah - 2 stars - I have to say, I was really disappointed with "The magical nightclothes immersed in water". The story seemed very confusing and disjointed, making it difficult for me to follow along. Additionally, the writing style felt overly pretentious, with unnecessary and purple prose. I just couldn't connect with the characters or the plot, and it left me feeling unsatisfied as a reader.
2. John - 3 stars - While "The magical nightclothes immersed in water" had an interesting concept, I found the execution to be lacking. The pacing was incredibly slow, with long-winded descriptions that didn't add much to the story. It felt like the author was trying too hard to be poetic, sacrificing clarity and coherence in the process. I had high hopes for this book, but unfortunately, it fell short of my expectations.
3. Emily - 2 stars - I struggled to get through "The magical nightclothes immersed in water". The plot felt convoluted and confusing, with too many unnecessary subplots and side characters. It was hard to stay engaged with the story when I didn't feel invested in the characters or their journey. The writing style also didn't resonate with me, as I found it flowery and overdone. Overall, this book wasn't my cup of tea and I wouldn't recommend it to others.
4. Michael - 1 star - "The magical nightclothes immersed in water" was a complete letdown for me. The story lacked direction and purpose, leaving me feeling lost and disinterested. The characters were poorly developed and their actions didn't make much sense. The writing style was also overly verbose, making it a chore to read. I found myself constantly skimming through paragraphs in hopes of finding some semblance of a coherent plot. Unfortunately, it never materialized. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone.