The movie The Beach with Leo DiCaprio, certainly sparked a wanderlust for many of that idyllic remote beach setting. After being closed in the past months for recovery, The Beach now has restricted access into Maya Bay for tourists again, you just can’t step foot on the Beach any more.
So perhaps I should have visited long ago ? or would that have been one of those expectations
G’Day from Maya Bay THE Beach
vs reality experiences, discovering The Beach crowded with tourists, litter, and murky waters from hundreds of tourists and boats ?
Well even the photo op view from a roped-off buoy line was more spectacular than I had expected, especially for Monsoon season.Â
Loh Samah Bay snorkeling with reef sharks, looking at the rope ladder that leads across to The Beach on Maya Bay
The great news is that just around the corner from Maya Bay is Loh Samah Bay which is open for swimming & snorkeling, with the experience of getting up close & personal with some small reef sharks.
After a scout of dozens of tour resellers in Patong Phuket, I reverted to my trusted Tripadvisor for fellow travellers reviews to ensure the best experience. I choose a small operator, only a dozen passengers on a Sunrise tour to beat the crowds. (I have a photo below in Pileh Lagoon that easily shows why that proved to be a great idea)
Simba Sea Trips were brilliant. Professional, punctual, courteous and provided an excellent personal experience (no, I am not being paid for this glowing endorsement 🙂 They even had free wifi on the speedboat !
Tides in Phang Nga Bay can rise & fall 4 metres over 6 hours, so every day will be different depending on which bays and beaches are accessible at the time, and the sea conditions for the one hour speedboat ride out to the Ko Phi Phi island group.
Simba’s Sunrise Tour left at 6am, and included breakfast at Bamboo Island with snorkeling there, the photo op to Maya Bay’s The Beach, snorkeling at Loh Samah Bay, swimming at Pileh Lagoon, visits to Monkey Beach & Viking Cave (photos below) then off for a lunch closer to the mainland at Rang Yai Island.
The only crowd encountered was Pileh Lagoon around midday, and in off season, over 50 boats with more than 1000 people were all crowded into these beautiful waters, bobbing around in life vests and floaties. If that was a sample of doing the normal tours with others, I had clearly made the right decision to go at Sunrise with Simba.
The other highlight of this spontaneous getaway, was a Hong by Starlight tour with John Gray’s
John Grays Floating Kratong
Sea Canoe. On similar theory, this tour departed at 1pm to avoid the crowds and be out for sunset and to witness phosphorescent plankton in a sea cave whilst floating a hand made Kratong.
Again, subject to access due to the tides, and with John Gray himself on board guiding his large crew, I thoroughly enjoyed a day canoeing in and out of caves (some with very low or narrow access, exploring into lagoons & other worlds behind. A remarkable experience finding Monkeys, Hornbills and tree snakes.
Equally remarkable, and greatly respected, John came out on each canoe expedition, pointing things out for participants, but also, making the time to retrieve floating litter to remove and keep this unique environment as natural as possible. A truly inspirational and passionate person.
With little pre-planning, I based myself at the fabulous Burasari Resort in Patong to explore around Phuket and access Phang Nga Bay & the Phi Phi Islands, but with so much beauty to explore, I would likely return & stay on Ko Phi Phi next time to have easier access to bays, beaches and beautiful waters that the hype of The Beach did not underplay.
