Phi Phi islands and Maya Bay
Limestone cliffs, turquoise lagoons and the bay made famous by a film.
- Area
- Island trips
- Start from
- Rassada pier
- Distance
- about 1–2 hours by boat
- Time needed
- 1–2 days
- Best season
- November – April
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Transport
- Ferry or speedboat tour
- Tickets & rules
- National park fee
Why go
The Phi Phi islands are among the most beautiful in Thailand: Phi Phi Don with its village and twin bays, and uninhabited Phi Phi Leh with its towering cliffs.
Maya Bay, made famous by the film The Beach, was closed for several years to let its reef recover, and now reopened with strict rules: limited visitor numbers, no swimming in the bay, and access via a boardwalk on the back side.
Pileh Lagoon and Viking Cave are equally striking.
The snorkelling around Phi Phi is excellent, with colourful reef fish, and sometimes blacktip reef sharks at Shark Point.
On Phi Phi Don, the village between the two bays has bars, restaurants and dive shops; at night it's lively.
What most day-trippers miss is Phi Phi in the evening and early morning. Once the last speedboats leave, the beaches empty, the light turns golden on the cliffs, and the village becomes a relaxed island community again. Climbing to the viewpoint above Tonsai and Loh Dalum bays for sunset or sunrise, you see the narrow isthmus with water on both sides, one of the most famous views in Thailand.
Phi Phi Leh, the smaller island, has no permanent settlement at all. Its cliffs drop straight into the sea, and the boats slip into Pileh Lagoon, a natural pool of emerald water enclosed by rock walls, where you can swim from the boat when allowed.
The story
The 2004 tsunami hit Phi Phi Don hard; the village was rebuilt and memorials remember the victims.
Maya Bay's closure from 2018 became an example of how tourism can recover reefs.
Phi Phi Leh's caves are used by swiftlet nest collectors; the edible nests are valuable.
Maya Bay's restoration involved replanting coral.
Over the last decades Phi Phi has become a symbol of both the beauty and the pressure of mass tourism. The closure of Maya Bay and the replanting of coral there showed that recovery is possible when visitor numbers are limited, and the island's community has been involved in discussions about how many people the islands can handle.
Getting there
Ferries from Rassada pier to Phi Phi Don; speedboat tours include Maya Bay.
Large ferries are slower but more stable; speedboats are faster but bumpier.
A suggested plan
- MorningSpeedboat to Phi Phi Leh: Pileh Lagoon, Maya Bay.
- MiddayLunch on Phi Phi Don.
- AfternoonSnorkelling at Bamboo Island or Shark Point, return.
- OptionalOvernight on Phi Phi Don and hike to the viewpoint for sunrise.
- Optional eveningFire shows and bars on Loh Dalum beach are the island's party scene; walk along the quieter eastern beaches if you prefer peace.
Where to stay
Overnight on Phi Phi Don to enjoy the islands after day-trippers leave.
Good to know
- Early tours are calmer.
- Climb the Phi Phi viewpoint at sunset if staying overnight.
- Bring cash for park fees and the island's small fees.
- Book a reputable tour operator.
- Bring motion-sickness tablets for speedboats if you're prone to it.
- Booking the earliest departure gives you Maya Bay with far fewer people.
- Maya Bay closes for a period each year; check dates.
- Sea conditions can be rough.