Maya Bay is easily the most gorgeous beach in Koh Phi Phi Islands and the whole of Thailand. After the hit movie, The Beach was filmed at Maya Bay and brought to life, a large number of travelers flocked towards the bay look around the location. After being closed down for 3 years because of over-tourism, Thailand’s most iconic attraction got reopened for travelers to understand more about. Whatever reasons someone has for exploring this breathtaking beach, understanding what to anticipate is vital. Here is what to know when visiting Thailand's most beautiful beach.Related: 10 Most breathtaking Beaches On Earth, According To TripAdvisor
What went down To Thailand’s Most Beautiful Beach?
After the filming of “the Beach” movie, travelers flocked to Maya Bay daily. Imagine over 5000 tourists accompanied by a lot more than 200 boats visiting on the day? The famous beach faced severe consequences of over-increased curiosity about exploring it. A lot of boat rides and shoreline swimming for the tourism spot led to the destruction of the beach's coral reefs and erosion from the Coastline. Visiting Maya Bay was an incredible and spectacular tour experience, yet destroyed and overcrowded. Travelers couldn't see the original state from the beach after it went through the effects of overcrowding and bad tourism practices. It was disappointing how the tourism staff in charge could not control the number of people visiting Maya Bay.
Tourists dropped off by the boats continued to multiply as time went by. The excited crowds would proceed in curiosity like they expected to meet Leonardo DiCaprio, “The Beach” movie star. The gorgeous view of nowhere ocean was no longer visible because the longboats floated over the water. The used to be “mind-blowing” atmosphere was a place where one could only hear the boat captains scream looking for individuals to transfer to Koh Phi Phi. It was their “festive season” – all because of a lot of visitors which makes them a lot money daily.
A large portion of the bay's ecosystem which makes it look like the most gorgeous beach it is was ruined because the water got polluted by waste. Sometimes, boats had to scramble, or visitors swam a few meters to land at Maya Bay hideout due to overcrowding. Despite all these, the beach’s popularity can't ever dwindle. Now that the beach was reopened for another beautiful moment of tourism, the sight is certainly back on track.
Reopening Of Maya Bay In fashion – With New Rules
Officially reopened on January 1, experts had more than three years of closure to make the beach beautiful again – restore the ecosystem alive by replanting trees and coral. The authorities in control came up with new rules to keep the beach by ensuring good environmental practices are adopted.
Boats are no longer arriving at the Beach with the main cove. There's a jetty located on the other area from the island for docking. This will help keep your beach clear for easy exploration. Also, the amount of tourists visiting has become limited – only 8 boats can now dock at a time in the docking point. No more than 300 readers are allowed in every round and exploration hours have hanged from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Swimming is prohibited at the moment. From 5000 visitors a day, this is actually the kind of reduction that will Maya Bay’s ecosystem safe from another possible destruction. Swimming is prohibited right now.
Ways to get There
There are many organizations offering boat ride services to Maya Beach and Koh Phi Phi Leh. From Koh Phi Phi, Maya Bay is about 30 minutes over a boat ride. It is located on Phi Phi Leh Island, and travelers will go along with other tourists with an organized boat tour. The journey to Maya Bay allows tourists to savor the gorgeous views from the surrounding islands and beaches. The boat trips are arranged from 8:00 am, or 9:00 am. It is advisable to reach there early because, by noon, travelers may meet crowds of other visitors who flocked in the spot, making them wait.
Travelers can avoid crowds by opting for a personal boat ride from the many traditional longtail boats offered at the harbor. Visitors are even allowed to negotiate prices when they get there early. For this, one must travel around 7:00 am or 7:30 am, however the hustle is worth it. Another alternative would be to go on a Maya Bay tour from Koh Phi Phi and spend an evening there. Tours usually take between 3 and 4 hours or travelers can last Twenty four hours by combining the tours into a full-day tour.
When hiring a private boat, visitors can set their very own timeframe and also the route they would like to follow to get to Maya Bay. Obviously, you will find the usual points set to obtain through, but travelers have the to consume a different direction to get to the main destination.
- Cost of Boat Ride: £20
How you can Get ready for Maya Bay Beach Tour
Travelers should have water and enough snacks packed to take them with the tour. There are fruits and other snack options sold at the many stands near the bay. Although the majority of the long-tail boats going to Maya Bay possess a shed, a hat, sunscreen, plus some extra body covers are recommended for defense from the sun. Avoid touring at high tides as they modify the views the hawaiian islands and also the surrounding attractions – the optimum time to obtain around Maya Bay is 8:00 am.
Is it worth it? Absolutely! Travelers will love every moment of their tour experience at Maya Bay. The money, energy, and the find it difficult to pull oneself up through the boats’ small ladders – it’s all worth it.
