Maya Bay
About
The world famous Maya Bay, location of the film “The Beach” starring Leonardo Dicaprio, located in Phi Phi Ley, with white sandy beach, surrounded by gigantic limestone cliffs and coral reefs.
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  • hannah p
    52 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful beach
    The most beautiful beach I have ever seen, you must visit Maya Beach. The sand was white like powder and the water was so clear, we were lucky enough to see fish and baby sharks. You can only go into the water up to your knee to help protect the sea life and coral. We arrived around 09.00 am and it was the perfect time too go, it wasn’t overcrowded. If you go too early there are lots of people and if you arrive from 10am it get very busy and it’s hard to enjoy the beach
    Visited November 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 1 December 2023
  • Joseph K
    2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    One of the most beautiful beaches (if you can overlook the crowds)!
    Maya Beach is hands down the most stunning beach I've ever visited, a must-see for sure. The sand is as fine as powder, and the ocean water is crystal clear. We were even fortunate enough to spot some fish and baby sharks. To preserve the marine life and coral, you're only allowed to wade in water up to your knees. We got there around 09:00 am, which seemed like the ideal time – not too crowded. Arriving earlier means more people, and after 10:00 am, it starts getting really busy, making it less enjoyable to relax on the beach.
    Visited January 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 11 January 2024
  • Ruchira Khandelwal
    New Delhi, India198 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Heaven on Earth!
    The most stunning beach I have ever visited. One should not escape this island when in Phuket. White powdered sand, Crystal clear sea. One can clearly sea baby sharks and corals. Highly recommended!
    Visited November 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 21 January 2024
  • CheekyKB
    Newcastle, United Kingdom289 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful
    Wow, travelled here as part of a trip and was not disappointed by the beach itself. Absolutely stunning. You can't swim here as it's a National Park but you can paddle and have pictures taken. Definitely a tourist location so can only stay a short while. Worth a visit to see it's beauty but an hour or so s long enough.
    Visited January 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 25 January 2024
  • Yann Renaud
    Switzerland859 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    A place to visit... and respect
    The beach in itself is wonderful. There are a huge number of tourists, even though less than I would have expected. The facilities for tourists on the island, especially the toilets, are dramatic. I would be better to close them. The beach is, however, definitively a place to visit, as long as it is respected.
    Visited January 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 30 January 2024
  • Russell3939
    Castle Rock, Colorado1,026 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    One of this places
    We have had the opportunity to travel a bit. I haven’t said it very often but this was one of the places I said to my wife everyone should have the opportunity to see this once in their lives. I thought it was stunning. Yes, there are a lot of people here. If you go into with that understanding, it can be enjoyed. If you are concerned about the people, do a sunrise tour. This is what we did. We used Simba Sea tours(5 stars) and got here around 7:30a. There was probably 100 people on the beach already. I would like to have seen the water with the sun already in it which would be around 930. We left at 830 and it was packed. I just thought be whole bay was stunning. You will get dropped off on the other side of the island. You have a 5 minute walk to the bay with some stairs if that is an issue for you. There is a small viewpoint before you get to the beach which is worth a picture. You are only allowed to get into the water up to your knees. We saw a woman go for a swim and she was fined immediately with 100,000 baht. The lifeguards enforce this fined right there. The sand feels so amazing. What a lifetime experience.
    Visited March 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 20 March 2024
  • Robertos-Journey
    Sandpoint, Idaho89 contributions
    3.0 of 5 bubbles
    The Thai Beach that I Love to Hate
    Maya Bay is another one of those places that you love to hate. I made this a highlight of my round the world trip and wasn’t disappointed. But the crowds – wow. You can no longer approach the beach from the water so be prepared for a wobbly landing and a 200–300-meter hike, including stairs, though what can be a very hot and humid environment. The government says they limit attendance to 1,000 per day, but they also say it is limited to 380 per hour, which of course doesn’t add up. From what I saw, there was FAR more than that. When you reach the beach, there is no doubt it is one of the finest in the world, but you are sharing the experience with swarms of selfie takers. If you’re looking for a respite from the heat, head to one of the kharst overhangs. Plenty of bathrooms, food and souvenirs on site.
    Visited April 2024
    Travelled solo
    Written 23 April 2024
  • vip_foodie
    Bengaluru, India3,410 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Stunning and beautiful beach
    I visited this famous Maya Bay Beach as part of the Phi Phi Island Tour from Phuket. There is a 5-10 min walk along the trail before you reach the beach. The beach is stunningly beautiful and definitely the prettiest beach I have been to. Unfortunately swimming is not allowed here. The famous Leornardo Di Caprio movie has been shot here. There is an entry fee to the National Park which must be bought to visit this beach.
    Visited April 2024
    Travelled solo
    Written 6 July 2024
  • Ole Blue Eyes
    Tustin, California186 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Amazing experience
    We were able to visit Maya Bay as part of our boat tour. It had just reopened after a closure for environmental reasons. So we were some of the first guests back. We went in July of 2022 (I couldn’t choose an earlier visit date from the drop down menu). It was my family of 5 with 3 small kids. We had a beautiful time there, it was exactly as we’d hoped, like a postcard. We were allowed an hour on the beach, and no swimming, before our time was up. It was a day I will never forget.
    Visited December 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 11 July 2024
  • Czar Emmanuel
    Manila, Philippines10,230 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Overcrowded and no swimming allowed
    This is definitely the most visited spot on Phi Phi Island, which is not surprising after it was made famous by the 2000 film "The Beach" starring Leonardo Di Caprio. Boats are not allowed to dock on the beach itself but on its other side side 5-10min walk away. Sometimes the waters can be quite rough, making it impossible for boats to dock. The beach itself looks lovely, but it's currently under rehabilitation -- hence, swimming is also not allowed. The most you can do is wade a bit on its waters not too far from the beach and have some photos taken. Expect a lot of crowd jostling their way for a nice shot.
    Visited July 2024
    Travelled with friends
    Written 26 July 2024
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mavi252
mavi252357 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2023 • Couples
Book an early morning tour to avoid the crowds. We took a long boat from phi phi island at 6.30 am & got to maya bay national park for 7
We stayed for 2 hours , enjoying the beach & taking photographs . During the 2 hours there was no more than 20 people on the beach at one time
It was perfect … no swimming to protect the coral & the sharks that have returned back to the bay
Would definitely recommend a trip
Written 2 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

wheredoesthefox_stay
Prague, Czech Republic123 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2023 • Couples
The beach is beautiful of course, but so crowded it’s just insane. Only good for filming some “expectations vs. reality” videos. The entrance to the national park is 400 baht which is a lot for a 10 minutes visit to an overcrowded beach.
Written 3 February 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Сиамский следопыт
Almaty, Kazakhstan5,147 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2024 • Couples
Lived on P.P. Dong and agreed to a private boat. For 2 hours 1500 baht. Right by the marina. Admission costs another 400 per person. Let's go in the early morning by 7:00 a.m., the crowd was very small, the paint is certainly not like at noon, but at noon you can't take pictures there. - terribly what's going on
Automatically translated
Written 22 July 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Traveljunkie
Kent, UK343 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2023
Came here as part of a Phi Phi Islands tour from Phuket we opted to go on an early bird tour which picked us up at 5am with a view to beating the crowds, they don't allow boats into the bay itself any more which is great and as we arrived at Maya Bay around 7.45am it was quiet, peaceful and it is so beautiful!

Swimming is also not allowed in the Bay and the Ranger is blowing on his whistle all the time to tell the people to get out of the water who cannot understand a simple instruction.

By the time we left there were loads of people arriving so my advice is get there early!!!!!!!!!

I would give it 5 stars however, the Toilets at the islands Visitor Centre are smelly and totally disgusting even at 8am in the morning, they are by far the worst toilets I have ever had the misfortune to use in my life!!!!!!
Written 6 February 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

lstuartmd
Atlanta, GA83 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2023
My ado about nothing. Very crowed beach - the definition of a "tourist trap." It's a pretty beach no doubt but not worth the effort or time to see it. It is mobbed by narcissistic women in thong bikinis taking selfies and hoards of visitors from Phuket. I was just underwhelmed from the whole experience and it's expensive by Thai standards. The admission to the beach is around $12 not to mention the cost to get there. Given the crowds, the beauty of the area is completely lost. Don't bother with this one - trust me. Oh and by the way, you are forbidden to go into the water so you just stand in the sand and watch the crowds and wannabe models adoring themselves.
Written 15 February 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Czar Emmanuel
Manila, Philippines10,230 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
July 2024 • Friends
This is definitely the most visited spot on Phi Phi Island, which is not surprising after it was made famous by the 2000 film "The Beach" starring Leonardo Di Caprio. Boats are not allowed to dock on the beach itself but on its other side side 5-10min walk away. Sometimes the waters can be quite rough, making it impossible for boats to dock. The beach itself looks lovely, but it's currently under rehabilitation -- hence, swimming is also not allowed. The most you can do is wade a bit on its waters not too far from the beach and have some photos taken. Expect a lot of crowd jostling their way for a nice shot.
Written 26 July 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Anders F
Malmö, Sweden121 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2022
We were here as part of a boat tour and our operator. The area is beautiful - but really really (really) overcrowded. At our visit it was impossible to enjoy the island since there were people everywhere. 80% of the time was spent in lines to and from the beach.

Believe that authorities either have to increase visitor tax a lot in high season or limit the number of visitors per day to save the area and make it enjoyable.
Written 28 December 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Odemae
Leeds, UK42 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2023 • Couples
I visited 15 years ago and you had to swim through a cave to visit Maya Bay.
Totally understand that the Thai’s needed to make it more accessible but the crowds and the many boats absolutely ruin what should be a real the experience.
Beautiful bay but you can’t help to think what there thinking is behind what they are doing with it.
My suggestion is a capped limit on numbers and boats and charge the visitors more!
Written 15 February 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

scotts-tour
London, UK184 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2022
This was the highlight to my tour of Thailand.
I think I hit a sweet spot getting here a week before Christmas with the island recently re-opening.
Our trip to the island was part of an early start 5 island tour run bu EZY Trails on large 25 seater speed boats.
The arrival to the island is via a jetty around the back of the island. It's a five minute walk past the newly constructed toilet block and warden's centre.
Since re-opening, in order to protect the coral reef from further damage swimming is no longer allowed and boats are not allowed in the bay. This is kind of good as it keeps the vista as you would imagine, you can walk up and down the beach have a paddle and take pictures. Time on the island is limited to an hour by the Thai Park Authority. We arrived around 8.45 and left an hour later which was enough time to enjoy the visit.
Upon leaving we noticed the numbers coming ashore were increasing.

Top traveller tip Get there early!!
Written 8 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Russell3939
Castle Rock, CO1,026 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2024 • Family
We have had the opportunity to travel a bit. I haven’t said it very often but this was one of the places I said to my wife everyone should have the opportunity to see this once in their lives. I thought it was stunning. Yes, there are a lot of people here. If you go into with that understanding, it can be enjoyed. If you are concerned about the people, do a sunrise tour. This is what we did. We used Simba Sea tours(5 stars) and got here around 7:30a. There was probably 100 people on the beach already. I would like to have seen the water with the sun already in it which would be around 930. We left at 830 and it was packed. I just thought be whole bay was stunning. You will get dropped off on the other side of the island. You have a 5 minute walk to the bay with some stairs if that is an issue for you. There is a small viewpoint before you get to the beach which is worth a picture. You are only allowed to get into the water up to your knees. We saw a woman go for a swim and she was fined immediately with 100,000 baht. The lifeguards enforce this fined right there. The sand feels so amazing. What a lifetime experience.
Written 20 March 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Maya Bay - All You MUST Know Before You Go (2024)

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