Quick answer: Maya Bay is visited on a day trip from Phuket (about 1 hour by speedboat), with a national park entrance fee of 400 baht per foreign adult, often included in the trip price. You cannot swim there. The bay is closed from 1 August to 30 September and is due to reopen on 1 October 2026. Maya Bay, on the island of Phi Phi Leh, is the bay from the film "The Beach". After its closure from 2018 to 2022 to let the coral recover, it now receives a limited number of visitors: boats no longer land on the beach but at a jetty at the back of the island (Loh Samah Bay), and you reach the beach by a walkway. Expect a short visit, with swimming banned.
Highlights
The bay between the cliffs
A white-sand beach enclosed by high limestone cliffs, prettier early in the morning, before the groups.
The waters of Phi Phi Leh
Around the island, the snorkelling stops (Pileh lagoon, Viking Bay) are often nicer than Maya itself.
The jetty and the walkway
To avoid disappointment: you walk on the beach but do not swim, and the time on site is limited.
Practical info
Tips
- Choose your trip by arrival time: a very early speedboat departure (around 7 or 8 am) lets you arrive before the big groups. A large boat is cheaper but arrives later and more slowly. Check whether the park entrance fee (400 baht) is included: some offers sell it as an extra, hence the price differences. Sources disagree on access hours (about 7 am to 6 pm according to one) and on the length of the visit: confirm with the organiser. Sunscreens containing certain chemical filters (oxybenzone, octinoxate, 4-MBC, butylparaben) are banned in the park: bring a cream without them. During the closure (August and September) the trips to Phi Phi continue but do not enter the bay; they often go to the Pileh lagoon instead. For prices and a comparison of trips, read Phi Phi trip from Phuket; for the islands as a whole, the Phi Phi islands; for the ferry, Phuket to Phi Phi ferry.
How to get there
Speedboat trip from Phuket (about 1 hour's crossing depending on the departure port), with hotel transfer in most offers Large boat (about 2 hours' crossing), cheaper but longer From Krabi (Ao Nang, Railay) or Phi Phi Don: longtail boat or day trip
Opening hours
Our guides that feature it
Nearby
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