Maya bay is one of the most famous tourist spots in Thailand. The bay is known for its beautiful nature, the clear turquoise water with baby sharks swimming around in it. The coral bay with white beaches and old limestone cliffs was made famous after the famous movie “Beach,” starring Leonardo DiCaprio. The Maya Bay beach is one of the world’s most famous white sand beaches and the main tourist attraction on Phi Phi islands. If you plan on traveling to Thailand or are looking for a beautiful beach to spend your vacation on, Maya Bay is the perfect choice for you, so keep reading this article to learn everything you need to know.
Accessibility and Location of Maya Bay
Maya Bay is located on Phi Phi island in the Andaman sea of Thailand, covering an area of about 1600 acres. The bay is part of the Krabi province of Thailand. There are six Phi Phi islands in total, but the only inhabited one is Phi Phi Don, with hotels, restaurants, and other establishments; if you plan on spending the night on Phi Phi islands, you need to stay at Phi Phi Don.
How to get to Maya Bay
The only way you can reach Phi Phi Is through water routes. You can use a ferry, a speedboat, or a private longtail boat from Phuket or Krabi. Some boat companies make a trip to Phi Phi every day, and some even include hotel pickup and drop-off. However, you can not access Maya Bay directly from the sea due to the coral surface and shallow waters, so you have to walk a short distance through rocks and the jungle to reach Maya Bay. Make sure you remind your driver that you want to get off at the national park; otherwise, you might miss your destination as most boat riders don’t stop at the Maya Bay beach.
The dangers Maya Bay is facing and the shutting down of the beach
The Maya Bay has always been a very popular destination for tourists, but since the release of the film “The Beach,” thousands of visitors have visited Maya Bay every year, and the amount of tourists has resulted in the destruction of the ecosystem, pollution, boat traffic, and heavy damage all contributed to the government deciding to permanently shut the beach down for a rehabilitation program in 2018, this program went on until 2022 when Maya Bay was reopened to tourists, sharks, and dolphins.
Things to do in Maya Bay
Other than common activities like sightseeing and swimming in the nice water, Maya Bay is known for a lot of fun activities which we will be introducing below.
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- Snorkeling in the water: the water at Maya Bay is crystal clear and usually at the perfect temperature, which makes it perfect for swimming and snorkeling. Enjoy swimming in the clear salty water with little white sharks and colorful fishes and seeing the beautiful coral surfaces.
- Cliff Diving: cliff diving is one of the most popular and fun activities you have to try while at Maya Bay. You just have to tell your boat driver to stop at one of the cliff diving spots near the beach and climb up the cliff, and dive into the clear salty water.
- Kayaking: kayaks are perfect for exploring hidden areas and discovering caves and hidden beaches. You can hop on a kayak with a friend and enjoy exploring the mysterious Maya Bay.
Other things to do on Phi Phi islands
There are a lot of beautiful spots you can visit within the Andaman sea. If you plan on visiting this area, make sure you don’t miss out on all the beauties; we will be introducing some of them, which are the closest to Maya Bay below.
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- Viking Caves: You can find the ancient Viking Caves northeast of Koh Phi island. The walls of these caves are covered with paintings by ancient men; according to legends, these paintings were drawn by Vikings and pirates thousands of years ago.
- Hiking at Ao Lo Dalam: if you are looking for a quiet, peaceful place on land near Maya Bay, the Ao Lao Dalam is the perfect place for you. You just need to take a short half-hour hike around the trail to get to your destination and enjoy relaxing on the cliff after a long, eventful day at the crowded beach.
- Camping: You can try organized camping with tours on the beach. Camping is only allowed on certain nights and in certain areas; you can enjoy drinking and spending time on the beach with the group of people on tour.
Best time to visit the Maya Bay
Even though Maya Bay is expecting thousands of tourists year-round and is always beautiful and ready to be explored, the best time of the year to visit Maya Bay would be during winter and spring or, more precisely, between November and April when the weather is perfect, and the water is calm; although you have to prepare yourself for a big crowd during this time since most tourists like yourself are visiting the area at this perfect time.
Suppose you want to avoid crowds when visiting Maya Bay. In that case, you can go very early in the morning, or when the water is too low for boats to reach the bay, you would have to jump off the boat and swim to the back of the island, although it might be dangerous to swim in that area due to the rocky surfaces.
Things to look out for a while visiting Maya Bay
One of the important things you have to look out for is the wildlife of Phi Phi islands; you will probably encounter monkeys on your trip but don’t worry since the monkeys are very friendly, and you can even feed them if you want but be prepared to get bitten by mosquitos; you can prepare by taking proper medication and prevention tools if needed.
The other thing you have to look out for is food and drinks; once you reach the island, you can’t find any shops that sell food or drinks, so it’s very important that you pack plenty of drinking water, especially if you plan on swimming and hiking in the hot, humid weather.
Overall, Maya Bay is one of the most popular and easy-to-access areas you have to visit in Thailand and one of the most beautiful spots you can visit on earth. If you ever travel to Thailand, make sure to visit the area and witness the unforgettable beauty for yourself.