Maya Bay is a beautiful natural formation, tucked away on Phi Phi, that is surrounded by 100m tall cliffs and hides several beaches within the land. The bay itself can be considered one giant reef, whose underwater features will dazzle and delight, and whose features were once the site of a famous movie in 1999.
Things to know about Maya Bay
The best time to visit Maya Bay is between November-April, considered the high season with calm waters, providing the easiest access to the bay, all year around. The ease of access leads to some traffic at the bay through the many ferried visitors that the bay has.
What to do at Maya Bay
The bay is perfect for a session of diving and snorkelling, arguably its most popular attraction. The water has excellent visibility, and you take in an underwater adventure amongst the coral reef as you glide with the fish.
Facilities and Getting to the Bay
Getting to the bay can be done with the help of most Ao Nang beach hotels, most of which provide a service that will allow you to take a boat to the island. Examples of this would be the Avani Ao Nang Cliff Krabi, which not provides the service to Maya Bay, but other islands around the coast as well. Meanwhile, Maya Bay has a few things in terms of facilities – small shacks selling refreshments, and toilets further into the island.
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The Beach (1999)
Alex Garland’s The Beach was a movie about travellers who leave society to live on a hidden lagoon in Southern Thailand. Originally a novel, it was purchased by Fox Entertainment, who remodelled Maya Bay’s beach for the movie. The production brought much tourism, as many visitors since that time cited the movie as the sole inspiration for visiting Maya Bay.