4.1 kMaya Bay Beach is one of the most famous and photogenic places in Thailand, and has been mainly responsible for bringing tourism to the country Phi Phi Island. In fact, it is now one of the most famous white sand beaches in the world.
Maya Bay is open again! It has just reopened to tourists in 2022 after being closed by the Thai government for almost four years, so now is a great time to visit Koh Phi Phi Islands!
The entire beach is surrounded by high limestone cliffs. The water is clear turquoise, small sharks swim around, and the sand is snow white. Everything about him seems perfect. Yes, this is paradise!
Of course, the beauty of Maya Bay has attracted hordes of tourists, just like any of the great places in the world, but if you plan your visit right, the beach can be enjoyed without too much people.
This travel guide will explain how to visit Maya Bay Thailand, current entrance fees to Koh Phi Phi Leh, open/closed status, and everything else you need to know before you go!
Maya Bay Day Tour Offers
First, if you’re on a tight schedule or want to skip the extra steps involved in arranging your own trip to Phi Phi Island and Maya Bay, GetYourGuide has pre-arranged day trips to Phi Phi from Phuket or Similar day trips from KrabiComplete with hotel transportation, boat tickets, island tour, lunch, and same-day return.
These day tours visit the best sights on Koh Phi Phi Islands, including Maya Bay, Pileh Lagoon and Monkey Bay. They have it too Private tours or Semi-private tours If you prefer this rather than a combined tour, though, prices are a little higher unless you’re bringing friends.
We’ve used GetYourGuide on a lot of tours and day activities around the world, and it’s great! Highly recommended.
Where is Maya Bay located?
Maya Bay is part of Phi Phi Leh Island, located in the Andaman Sea in Thailand, about 40 kilometers (25 mi) southeast of Phuket and about the same distance from Krabi.
There are six Phi Phi Islands In general, the two main islands are Phi Phi Leh and Phi Phi Don, all of which are considered part of the Krabi Province of Thailand.
The only inhabited island is Phi Phi Don, which has hotels, restaurants and everything else you could want for a short stay.
How to get to Maya Bay
The only way to reach Phi Phi Islands You can get there by boat from Phuket or Krabi, and you can use a ferry or speedboat to get there.
There is no airport on Koh Phi Phi, so the closest place to fly is the international airport in Phuket (HKT) or the one in Krabi (KBV). Both have cheap flights from Bangkok. You can Shop for trips to Thailand On Skyscanner.
There are a range of boat companies that operate a daily Phi Phi cruise from either Phuket or Krabi, usually offering free pick-up and drop-off at the hotel. You can also take a day trip from Koh Lanta, or further afield from Khao Lak Thailand.
the Slow ferry from Phuket to Phi Phi Don It takes about two hours, instead Fast ferry (speed boat) It takes half the time. If you are starting from Krabi instead of Phuket, boat travel times to Phi Phi will be approximately 30 minutes shorter.
Keep in mind that these are just transfers to the main island of Phi Phi Don. Once you arrive, you’ll need to arrange a long-tail boat ride if you want to tour Maya Bay and other sights on the Phi Phi Islands. You can arrange this on the spot at Ton Sai Beach in Phi Phi Don, and it’s usually very easy.
The other option is Book a day tour to Phi Phi by speedboat With a tour company based in Phuket or Krabi. There are shared or private tours, and most of the major sights, including Maya Bay, are visited in a full day. This can be a great option if you have a tight schedule or want to skip the hassle.
Maya Bay Thailand: What to expect
Maya Bay can be reached by landing a boat at Loh Samai Bay (on the back side of Phi Phi Leh Island), then taking a short, easy, shaded walk through the jungle to get to the beach. A flat ride also takes about 15 minutes.
In the past, boats could enter Maya Bay and land directly on the beach, but they don’t do that anymore. The Thai government has spent the last few years working to conserve the environment, so the only way to get to the beach now is to walk to it from the back side of the island.
I think this change was a good idea as it keeps the bay clear of boats, although I do miss those picture-perfect postcards of the Thai long-tail boats beached in Maya Bay.
The main beach is incredibly attractive. It is about 250 meters long, and at the end of the beach there is a shallow cave suitable for taking photos. If you want to escape the crowds, there are usually fewer people at the far end of the beach.
Most Phi Phi Island Tour packages give you 1 hour in Maya Bay, which is plenty of time to explore the beach, take photos from every angle, and dip your feet in the water (swimming is not allowed in Maya Bay anymore).
I must say that the beach remained very clean, we noticed almost no garbage, although sometimes up to 5,000 tourists come to this beach in one day! The park rangers did a good job of cleaning up.
Maya Bay was made famous by a 2000 Hollywood movie called “the beach”, starring Leonardo DiCaprio. The film itself was a bit of a flop, but it opened people’s eyes to the natural beauty of the Thai islands.
Overall, Maya Bay is an amazing experience, and one of our favorite beaches in the world!
National park fees
There is a national park fee of 200 baht per person (about US$6), which is collected in cash when landing at Maya Bay. The ticket also includes entry to Bamboo Island and other attractions in the area Phi Phi Islands.
This fee is charged each day you visit either of these sites, so if you visit Maya Bay two days in a row, you will have to pay the national park fee twice.
Some Phi Phi tours may already include this fee in the price, but you usually pay it separately in cash when you get off the boat.
Is Maya Bay open/closed?
Good news: Maya Bay will be open again to tourists from October 1, 2023!
The Thai government first closed the beach for conservation in June 2018, hoping to give coral and wildlife some time to recover. Rest Phi Phi Island Remaining open during this time, only Maya Beach was closed.
Maya Bay remained closed for 4 years, but was finally reopened to tourists in January 2022. In the low season of 2022 and 2023, Maya Bay was closed again for 2 months (August and September), but will reopen for business on October 1, 2023.
It seems likely that Maya Bay will be closed for at least two months each year in order to preserve it, so this is something to keep an eye on, especially if you are thinking of visiting in the rainy season, when closures are more likely to occur.
Where to stay
Maya Bay is empty except for Thai forest workers. It has a small shop offering snacks and drinks, and there are restrooms next to the trail when you first descend into Loh Sama Bay.
There are no hotels on Maya Bay or Phi Phi Leh Island, although you can stay on nearby Phi Phi Don Island. This can be a great idea if you want to spend some extra time exploring all the sights in the area Phi Phi Islands.
Phi Phi Island hotels
Is Maya Bay worth it?
Despite the crowds, Maya Bay is definitely worth your time! This is it Goals that a person desires or hopes to achieve in his life Landscaping, prices are very reasonable.
I would say that Phi Phi is the best place to visit in Thailand, and also one of the best places in Southeast Asia. These are incredibly beautiful islands.
Best time to visit
The best time to visit Maya Bay depends on what you’re looking for.
Weather in the Andaman Sea in Thailand (incl Phi Phi) is best from November to April, when it is drier and sunnier, and sea conditions are better for boat tours. However, this is also the peak tourist season, so it is busier.
The weather is not good from May to October. There are more rainy days, and there are frequent storms in the evening. However, there are fewer tourists in these months and it is still possible to have a great trip if your time is a little more flexible.
If you visit Phi Phi in the rainy season, it’s a good idea to have a few extra days to spare in case some bad weather causes boats to be canceled for a day or two.
You will also need to make sure that Maya Bay is open, because as I mentioned earlier, it is sometimes closed for part of the rainy season.
We visited Phi Phi in the dry season and also in the rainy season, on separate trips. Either way, we had a great time and the weather was great for weeks!
More to do on Phi Phi Island!
Maya Bay is certainly one of the top sights in the Phi Phi Islands, but there are plenty of other great things to see and do, including blue lagoons, limestone caves, hiking, hidden coves for kayaking, and much more.
Most Maya Bay tours also include stops at Viking Cave, Pileh Lagoon, Bamboo Island, and Monkey Bay. These are all amazing places and worth seeing. Pileh Lagoon is famous for its bright turquoise waters.
Don’t forget to check out my full review Travel guide to Phi Phi Island For more information before visiting Maya Bay Thailand!
What should I bring?
Here are some packing suggestions for your trip to Maya Bay Thailand.
- Snacks and drinks: You will need to bring some snacks and drinks on the boat, as it is difficult to buy them from Maya Bay. You can bring it from Phuket or Krabi, or there are plenty of cheap snack and drink stalls at Phi Phi Don near the port.
- sunblock cream: There is usually some shade on speedboats and longtail boats, but you can still get roasted while swimming or walking on the beach, so you’ll need to bring a hat and sunscreen for boat tours.
- Water bag: Essential for keeping your electronic devices safe on boats. I brought a 30 liter bag and was able to fit my drone, tablet, camera, phone and a bunch of other stuff inside. Everything stayed dry, even when I took the bag swimming a few times!
- Waterproof phone case: Same as above, but these are for your phone only. Great if you don’t have other electronic devices and just need a little something to protect your phone in Maya Bay Thailand.
- Diving equipment: Good for exploring the clear waters around Koh Phi Phi Island. Snorkels and masks can also be borrowed or rented from boat companies, but if you plan to stay on the island or do multiple tours, it’s best to bring your own equipment.
- Water shoes: These can sometimes come in handy while snorkeling in case you need to walk on rocks to get out of the water.
Can you fly a drone in Maya Bay?
Thailand is very relaxed about drones, and you can fly them on most islands, but they don’t allow you to fly them in national parks.
That includes Why? Why? and Maya Bay, which is patrolled by park rangers who will fine you if you are caught flying a drone. They are especially strict at Maya Bay, and the guards there constantly monitor all areas of the beach.
However, if you are conservative, you can still fly in from other locations. For example, you can park your boat in Pileh Lagoon or Viking Cave and launch the drone from there, and usually no one is likely to notice or care unless a park ranger’s boat passes by and sees you doing it.
Drone restrictions do not apply to Phi Phi Don Island at all. You can fly drones anywhere on Phi Phi Don Island without a problem, although you’ll still want to be considerate and only fly where people won’t bother you, of course.