I would like to thank you all very much for your help and support during this dreadful time. My friends and I who were on Phi Phi at the time of the Tsunami have all been through a lot this last month and knowing that good people, such as yourselves care so much about us has made the catastrophe and its aftermath so much easier.

Rolf Potts, author of the popular traveler's book Vagabonding, mentions this blog among others in his entry "Travelers and grassroots tsunami aid" http://vagablogging.net/. "I've been encouraged in recent days by the amount of grassroots effort on the part of travelers to help the victims of the south Asian tsunami."

Jim Benning also writes about travelers volunteering in the Boston Globe story(http://www.boston.com/travel/articles/2005/01/09/when_their_holidays_turned_hellish/)
"a striking story is quietly emerging. Western tourists -- those better known for frittering away the day lounging on the beach, sipping tropical drinks, and haggling over the price of $4 hotel rooms in poverty-stricken towns -- are doing some good."

Latest News from Phi Phi Climbers staff and friends:

Suchard and the staff of Phi Phi Climbers - Please use the comments button below to write about your experiences during or after the tsunami. We can only imagine the difficulty experiencing this disaster and communicating (in English!) your feelings to those of us who want to help. Our heartfelt condolences go out to you, your family, and friends who were affected by this tragedy.

Friends of Phi Phi Climbers - If you are currently traveling near Phi Phi Island (Phuket, Krabi province, etc) please also post your comments below - everyone is anxious to hear first hand accounts of the current situation.

On behalf of Phi Phi Climbers, we have established this blog and begun a donations fund to help Suchard and his staff recover from the December 26, 2004 tsunami that devastated Phi Phi Island.

Since the rock climbing school was begun in February 2000, travelers from around the world have been drawn to Phi Phi to enjoy incredible climbing, spectacular scenery, and most importantly Thai hospitality. We were such travelers - in August of 2001 we arrived on Koh Phi Phi Don planning to visit for just three days. Instead we ended up staying for three months assisting him as climbing guides and building the Phi Phi Climbers website.

We know there are countless other travelers like ourselves who formed enduring friendships with the staff at Phi Phi Climbers. Now is our opportunity to give back by donating money, gear, or other resources to help them rebuild their lives and business. This blog will provide the link between the global community of travelers and the staff of Phi Phi Climbers, a forum for everyone to communicate.