If one single beach can be said to have done more for tourism in Thailand than any other, then Maya Bay would have to be it. Anyone who has seen the Leonardo DiCaprio movie “The Beach”, has already had an introduction to Maya Bay, as almost all of the beach scenes for this movie were filmed in and around the beaches and coastline of the bay.

Maya Bay can be found on the second largest island in the Phi Phi cluster, Koh Phi Phi Ley.

The bay remains relatively natural, due to the fact that it is surrounded by cliffs reaching up to one hundred meters in height. This has made it hard for the property developers to move in and start building boutique resorts. However, the bay is almost always fairly busy, filled with speedboats and long tail boats, ferrying visitors up on to the golden beach.

During monsoon season the Andaman Ocean can get quite choppy, so it is best to visit Maya Bay during the milder winter season, this runs from the end of October until the end of February. Visiting during this time will ensure you get to experience Maya Bay at its best. This is also the only time of year that some of the smaller beaches which make up the bay are accessible, due to slightly lower tides.

Bring snorkeling equipment if you do plan a trip to Maya Bay, as the coral reef is an easy swim across the shallow bay away, the reef is very much alive, one of the healthiest coral reefs in Southern Thailand and definitely something every visitor to the bay should attempt to exploit.

If you are visiting Phuket or Koh Phi Phi Don on vacation, then you really should consider a tour to Maya Bay as part of your itinerary. This stunning area of natural beauty is slowly giving way to tourism, so visit it while it lasts.