Maya Bay

Where it is & how to get there

• By tour: Included in most Phi Phi tours from Phuket and Krabi.
• Landing: Boats drop visitors at a jetty on the back side of the island; a boardwalk leads to the beach.
• Rules: Swimming is not allowed; visitors may only paddle at the shore.

The story of Maya Bay

Maya Bay, on Koh Phi Phi Leh, became world-famous after the 2000 film The Beach. Thousands of visitors a day damaged its coral, and in 2018 Thai authorities closed the bay so the reef could recover.

It reopened in 2022 with strict limits: boats no longer enter the bay, visitor numbers are controlled, and swimming is banned to protect the reef and the blacktip reef sharks that have returned to its shallow water.

Best time to visit

Tips before you go

• The bay closes each year around August–September.
• Look for baby blacktip reef sharks in the shallows from the viewing platform.
• Follow the rangers' rules; the time on the beach is limited.

What's around Maya Bay

• Pileh LagoonEmerald lagoon on the same island.
• Viking CaveCave where swiftlets nest.
• Loh Samah BayBay where boats dock.
• Phi Phi DonMain island with hotels.

Questions travellers ask