Maya Bay in Thailand – photo, description, how to get there, map
Even those who consider Thailand not the best place on earth will change their minds after visiting the unique, amazing beauty of Maya Bay, which is not so much like on our planet. It is located on Phi Phi Ley Island. Everyone who comes here for the first time is forever fascinated by the turquoise water surface, the mighty giant rocks, as if guarding a narrow strait into the bay, snow-white coral sand, tropical vegetation and other natural mysteries of the island. This amazing place gained immense popularity after the release of the movie “The Beach”.
Geographical characteristics of the bay
In fact, this is a bay (300×400 m), which is surrounded on three sides by 100-meter stone walls of sheer cliffs that protect the bay from the winds. Covered on top and along the slopes of bizarre stalactites, overgrown with a carpet of tropical vegetation, the rocks look very impressive. No winds are afraid of the bay, it is always calm, a truly heavenly place for swimming. Many passenger boats and other ships from Phuket pass through the bay during the day. Looking at the views of the bay, one cannot believe that such beauty exists on Earth, and not on some other planet.
What attracts tourists to Maya Bay
In the transparent depths of Maya Bay, coral reefs are visible, attracting the attention of diving enthusiasts. Fans of snorkeling also really like the bay with crystal clear water: here you can meet tourists from all countries. Everyone likes the magnificent 200-meter long beach with fine velvety sand, as if crushed in a giant coffee grinder. The beach is lined with sprawling palm trees, tropical shrubs and lianas. Rest on such a beach promises sheer pleasure. But the most important attracting factor for everyone is the unearthly beauty of this unique place.
At the height of the day, it is as crowded as it is during rush hour on the streets of famous metropolitan areas. But if you wish, you can still find a secluded corner on the blessed shore. Maya Bay is not just a vacation spot, but part of a large-scale national park, and those who come here on their own will need to pay 200 baht (environmental fee) to visit it. Tourists who come as part of an excursion are exempted from it. Thais are kind to their natural treasures, so it is not allowed to light fires, cook food, and arrange overnight stays in tents. At 23.00 all tourists are asked to leave the island.
How to get to Maya Bay
Considering the huge interest in the island bay, the authorities optimally solved the problem of delivering tourists to Maya Bay.
-The easiest way is to book an excursion at a travel agency (1500 baht for 2 people) if you are staying on the islands of Phuket, Lanta or in the province of Krabi. In this case, you will be brought in an organized manner on a speedboat, you do not need to pay an environmental fee, and you will enjoy an unforgettable visit to the island of mysterious, enchanting beauty without any problems, see all the interesting places.
– From the island of Phi Phi Don, you can rent a motor boat with a Thai helmsman and make a 3-kilometer exotic trip on the waves of the Indian Ocean on it (from 1000 to 2000 baht for 2 people). The cost depends on the time, on the number of attractions visited on Phi Phi Ley, on the degree of the tourist season (high or low). The tour includes a visit to the island of monkeys and the cave of the Vikings.
– In Tonsai (Phi Phi Don Island) you can buy an excursion tour to the beaches and bays of Pi Leh, Lo Sama and Maya Bay.
– The administration of the national park and travel agencies of the island of Phi Phi Don offer trips to the bay with an overnight stay in 2 options: in the cabins of a moored ship or in a tent.
To feel like a member of an ocean cruise, to fall asleep under the gentle whisper of the waves – why not romance?! Still, there is even more romance in spending the night in a tent, although you will have to pay much more for this opportunity (from 2500 to 5000 baht for one). But to see an unforgettable picture of the sunset or dawn sun setting between the huge rocks, as well as to take photographs of the evening or morning landscapes of the bay, when there is no crowd of people, it is worth it. It is no coincidence that the bay has become a popular backdrop for filming feature films.
These stunning places have acquired a magnetic force after the release of the film “The Beach” with DiCaprio in the title role, filmed here.
Natural scenery of Maya Bay for the movie “The Beach”
Looking for nature for the future film, the director's assistants, once in the bay, immediately realized that they could not find a better place for the film adaptation of A. Garland's novel – this is the only way Paradise on earth can look. Although the events of the fantastic literary work according to the plot take place on the island of Koh Tao, Phi Phi Ley and Maya Bay were chosen for the filming of the film. The romantic appearance of the young Leonardo, a golden-haired handsome man, perfectly matches the environment and the image of the hero, who finds himself among happy people living in primitive huts on the beach. They do not have any material wealth, they do not seek to make a career, but simply enjoy life in a paradise.
Of course, the filmmakers added their entourage to the natural scenery: there is no sparkling waterfall in the bay, it was “inserted”; several sand dunes were dug up, a significant number of palm trees were cut down. For intervention in the ecosystem and its subsequent restoration, the creators of The Beach paid millions of dollars, but they did not help restore the original appearance of the surrounding nature.
Viking Cave
In the neighborhood of the bay there is a special object of active visiting by tourists – the Viking Cave, no matter how strange this Scandinavian name sounds here. But there is no hint in it that the Vikings could once be here – just the outer contours of the cave look like the silhouettes of the legendary sailors of antiquity. Surprisingly, this is a small dungeon, washed by the azure waters of the bays, a huge number of swallows that live inside and, accordingly, their nests. And the latter is one of the most expensive delicacies among Thai dishes, so there is a continuous “extraction” of nests by nimble Thais. They deftly climb to the ceiling with the help of bamboo shields and “harvest” swallow nests, receiving good pay for this.
Monkey Beach
To replenish your impressions of Thai exoticism, you should definitely visit Monkey Beach, unusual for Europeans, on the island of Phi Phi Don. A sand strip 200 m long, surrounded by high picturesque cliffs, generously decorated with lush vegetation, is located in the western part of the island.
These impassable cliffs are a natural fence of the beach from the land side, and you can get to it only by water. Despite this, the modest area of the beach is not able to accommodate the huge number of curious tourists who are eager to visit the beach of wild monkeys (the name is in translation), chat and watch exotic long-tailed macaques.
Swimming here is also a great pleasure: clean sand, clear water, a smooth comfortable descent, a pleasant bottom. But it is not always possible to do this calmly, because boats and boats carrying tourists scurry around the bay. But swimming is not the main thing here, so do not be upset, there are so many quiet places for this around. Near Monkey Beach, coral reefs can be seen in the transparent depths – a good incentive for snorkelers who also want to visit here. Fans of natural beauty will find bewitching landscapes in these places: enchanting views of the opposite part of the Lo Dalam Bay, turquoise sea waters, white velvet sand, emerald greenery around are pleasing to the eye.
Monkeys at Monkey Beach
Hanging swings flash among the trees, riding on which is fraught with the invasion of a flock of monkeys, so the bravest of tourists risk taking pictures on the swing. Feeding monkeys is an extreme hobby for visitors, requiring a certain dexterity and caution, because these impudent persons swoop on bananas and other fruits so quickly that they can bite and scratch, which is not safe. Some seek to take a selfie with a macaque at their own peril and risk. It is especially not worth allowing feeding to children, although many parents even photograph the scenes of feeding macaques with their offspring. Officially, feeding is prohibited, as evidenced by the inscription on the poster asking not to feed macaques, but many ignore the ban, and there are cases of bites that require vaccinations and money. Having health insurance will be helpful.
Of course, there are some advantages of such feeding – well-fed macaques lose their aggressiveness and become more friendly. Many of them suffer from gluttony, acquiring spherical body shapes – a funny sight! As tourists have noticed, macaques do not refuse Coca-Cola and beer. Drinking a liter bottle of beer is not a problem for them, and after that they behave almost the same as their upright counterparts after drinking. It also happens that tourist things are lost: if you leave a backpack or bag unattended, then a clever thief will put his paw in there and something (camera, camera, glasses) will be dragged away forever or scattered along the beach. It is better to carry things with you or leave them on the ship. In general, watching these mischievous representatives of “our smaller brothers” is very funny and interesting, it gives great pleasure. Mostly for the sake of this, tourists come here.
How to get to Monkey Beach
Despite the fact that the beach is looked after, garbage is removed, there is no tourist infrastructure on it: you need to take water and food with you. There are 3 ways to fulfill the intention to visit the monkey beach.
– On the beach of Lo Dalam, you can rent a kayak (small boat) and sail 1 km on it along the calm water surface of the bay in 25-30 minutes. 3 hours is enough to experience all the feelings and sensations, communicate with monkeys, take pictures. Take a reliable supply of drinking water, breakfast, sun protection equipment with you and leave early, at 7 am. Until noon, you can safely swim here, see everything, while there is no crowd and sail back.
– There is an option to find a boatman who will agree to take you to the monkey beach for an agreed fee and bring you back at a pre-agreed time. This is also a convenient option, you can choose any time of the day, you do not need to worry while swimming: an experienced native will take you there and back, tell you how to behave on Monkey (if he understands the language).
– You can also visit Monkey Beach as part of an excursion group from Phuket and Ao Nang (cost 500 baht per person). For example, from Phuket – departure at 09.00, visit to Maya Bay – 10.00, lunch on about. Phi Phi Don – 12.00, visiting Manki – from 14.00. Accordingly, you will leave Phi Phi Don in the afternoon (if you are leaving from this island). From Ao Nang, you can also kayak on your own or take a boat with a boatman.
Pile Lagoon
Thailand is a country of picturesque lagoons, bordering almost all the coasts of the island state. Big and small, deep and shallow – they are an integral part of the Thai landscape, wonderfully decorating it and creating charming, truly paradise corners, so loved by tourists. How can one not admire the turquoise mirrors of water surfaces, in the transparent depth of which the outlines of rocks, the lush greenery of exotic palms and the sapphire sky are reflected!? It is on the shores of the lagoons that the best Thai beaches are located, attracting hordes of tourists from all over the world with white, like sugar, sand, warm waters, the opportunity to enjoy diving, snorkeling, swimming and other marine entertainment. The southern part of Thailand is especially generous with beautiful cozy backwaters, where literally all the islands of the Andaman Sea are indented by them.
Among them are open, connected to the ocean; there are closed, surrounded on all sides by rocky walls, like mini-lakes. A more colorful landscape picture in blue-blue and green tones than a picture of the Thai lagoon is hard to find anywhere else. The deepest Thai lagoon is Pile Bay, located off the island of Phuket.
Geographical characteristics of the Pile lagoon
Millions of years (40 million) ago, according to geologists, a deep-water bay was formed as a result of a strong fracture of the earth's crust. Water, richly saturated with trace elements of the earth's interior and salts, came to the surface among 100-meter rocks. This is how the unique Pile lagoon arose here, the waters of which are more salty than sea waters, according to the Thais, have healing power. Centuries-old sheer cliffs over the millennia have been covered with a lace of climbing vines, a cap of undergrowth and shrubs, chosen by tropical “paradise” birds. Time and waves have knocked out narrow grottoes at the base of the rocks, mysteriously blackening with a mysterious emptiness.
What attracts tourists to the Pile lagoon
Being here for the first time, it is impossible not to exclaim in admiration: “What a beauty!” And this, indeed, is genuine natural beauty, created by a magical power that defies comprehension. Here, supernatural landscapes that captivate the imagination change their colors depending on the time of day. In the morning pre-dawn hours, when a transparent veil of haze is above the dark rocks, the water in the lagoon seems purple, and in those places where the rocks are reflected, almost black. When the rising sun paints everything around in pink, everything becomes bright, light and warm, all living things resurrect. The gentle turquoise of the light ripples of the waves, sandy-yellow rocky deposits, the flooding voices of birds among the wet greenery sparkling with dew create a delightful view.
At noon, numerous ships and boats with tourists glide along the mirror of the bay. Given the great depth of the bay, it is better not to take small children with you, even those who can swim. Some extreme men climb rocks and from there (of course, not from the very top) jump down. You probably shouldn't follow their lead. But the main reason why people swim here is swimming in salty waters, which allegedly gives rejuvenation due to their special properties. The explorers of the underwater world, who love depth, also come to the lagoon. There are many good hotels in the vicinity of Pile.
Hotels near Pile Lagoon
In recent years, the Phuket hotel chain has expanded significantly with new, comfortable, modern hotels of various categories, from luxury to budget. Everyone can find here a number “affordable” in one of them.
The 5-star Dusit Tani Hotel is perfect for a relaxing family vacation: clean comfortable rooms with high-quality air conditioning, excellent breakfasts, a wonderful children's play area, magnificent halls and halls. The territory is buried in palm umbrellas, a wonderful outdoor pool with a terrace – guests like everything.
Saturdays Residence is a 4-star weekend hotel that welcomes guests on Saturdays, creating an unforgettably beautiful atmosphere of comfort and tranquility for them. Helpful staff tirelessly makes sure that the stay of tourists here is not overshadowed by anything. They offer comfortable rooms, a sauna, a gym, an excellent swimming pool, used bicycles. Most of the guests are delighted with their stay at this hotel.
Aparthotel Chaofa West attracts tourists with its convenient location, novelty, cleanliness, spacious rooms (living room, kitchen), free parking, peace and quiet, despite the proximity of the road. A wonderfully landscaped area with a huge number of bushes in the form of hedges, bright flowers, various types of palm trees, with a swimming pool allows you to comfortably stay here throughout the day. There are many interesting sights of Phuket nearby.
The hotels described above serve as a reliable illustration of the many other hotels located near the Pile lagoon. There is enough space in them for everyone who wants to see this miracle of nature.