Koh Phi Phi Island & Maya Beach Private Boat Tour. Phi Phi Island Krabi Thailand
Today we took a private long boat tour of the Phi Phi Island and Maya Bay. We started at our pickup location on Koh Phi Phi and our Captain took us to our first stop, Monkey Bay. At this bay multiple beaches can be found where you will see crab-eating macaque monkeys in its natural habitat. They may look nice but they are agressive. Please stay at a safe distance and don't touch them as they may bite and multiple rabies shots are needed at the hospital! (Even though monkeys are there 90% of them time, it is not guaranteed as they cannot predict wildlife)
Our second stop was Viking Cave It is one of the main attractions at Phi Phi Leh. Although it is not allowed to go inside the cave, all the boat tours stop here close enough to take pictures. There are many stories to be found about it, however nobody really knows what the exact history is.
After Viking Cave our Captain took us to snorkle at Shark Point. Blacktip reef sharks are harmless, but it was still a thrill to swim with them. We only saw one during our snorkle session here, but we has a blast. They are not easy to spot and is of course not guaranteed on every tour.
The next spot on the tour was Pileh Lagoon. We jokingly called it "Instagram Cove" because every boat had someone posing on the front for a socail media picture. I won't lie, I did too and it's my new profile picture. This lagoon is the perfect spot to cool down and take a swim in the turquoise waters whilst admiring the cove-like canyon which literally cuts into the Phi Phi Leh island.
At this point it was time for what we had come all this was to experience! Maya Bay! Closed
Several movies have been filmed at this gorgeous location, with "The Beach" movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio as the most famous one. Maya Bay was closed for 4 years for the restoration of corals and wildlife, and since the reopening you are not allowed to swim at the beach anymore. You can walk out and wade in about calf length depth and take pictures or video then you must return to the sand. Because of this, sometimes you will see baby sharks swimming in the sea while walking on this paradise beach! It is closed every year in August and September due to nature preservation. During this time of the year, the tour will spend longer at other spots. For us, it was very much worth the 400 baht per person to go down to the beach. If you are not a fafn of the movie then you may ask your captain if they can arrange for extra time in other areas instead of going to Maya Beach.
Once we left Maya Bay we went around the outside of the island so we could see another view of the beach and watch the sunset. This was one of the most beautiful sunsets I've ever seen.
The last stop of the tour was the bioluminescent plankton swim. The captain took us back towards Koh Phi Phi where we watched the rest of the light fade from the day. After it was dark we got into the water for a night swim. We didn't see any bioluminescent plankton, but the swim in the warm ocean at night was well worth it.
If you are interested in booking this same tour here is the direct link to schedule with Discover Thailand / Discover Phi Phi.
discoverphiphi.com/4hours-classic-private-longtail-tour
These tours offer the same route that we took and you can always ask to customize your tour by speaking with your individual captain.
You can also book through GetYourGuide and it is the same company.
www.getyourguide.com/phi-phi-islands-l9477/phi-phi-private-longtail-boat-tour-to-maya-bay-t442354?ranking_uuid=27e1e8e2-20a6-46fe-85f1-eb9d4cf8f6a6&_pc=1,2&date_from=2024-03-30
We were not sponsored or paid by this company and we did pay the full rate for the experience. We highly recommend them for your Phi Phi Islands tour.
From the GetYourGuide / Discover Phi Phi description:
See the highlights of Koh Phi Phi as you discover Bamboo Island, Maya Bay, and more on a private longtail boat tour. Swim with Bioluminescent plankton and have an unforgettable experience snorkeling around the island with the 4, 6, and 7-hour afternoon tour options.
Set out to explore the best of Koh Phi Phi on your longtail boat tour. Spend 1 hour in Maya Bay, where "The Beach" was filmed. Discover this preserved area, where it is not possible to swim, but because of this, you can sometimes see baby sharks.
Swim in the turquoise waters of Pileh Lagoon. Choose the 7-hour option to discover Bamboo Island, a white sand beach with bright blue water.
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