Maya Bay beach in Phi Phi Lay island photo

There are a lot of beautiful beaches in the world that takes first positions in various ratings, however, the film was staged only at one of them, and that wasn’t a simple documentary but the famous «Beach», starring Leonardo di Caprio. The film was about the commune that inhabited that beach, which became an embodiment of Eden on the earth.

Film ‘The Beach’ was staged at one of the most romantic places in the world, Phi Phi Lay on the coast of Indian ocean in Thailand. This region of Thailand is very picturesque. Due to abundance of coral reefs island and coastal beaches in the region of Krabi and Phang-Nga are covered with perfectly clean white sand, water is turquoise, and low mountains with steep slopes are covered with as scenic jungles that they could also be used in ‘Jurassic Park’.

In order to get to this beach, you should go, or rather sail, to the islands of Phi Phi. And you can only do it from Phuket or Krabi where there are international airports. You can stay only at the larger island Phi Phi Don where there are many hotels, a great number of young people and active night life.

Maya Bay Beach is on the nearby islet Phi Phi Lay. The islet was declared a national re-serve, so you can not live there (even in a tent). Actually, it is a group of high rocks piled up around this same beach. Only imagine the most beautiful beach of white sand enclosed with rocks in the open sea. And that’s all. Indeed, it is the most suitable scenery for a film about solitary paradise on the earth, distant from any civilization.

Maya Bay has very narrow mouth. So, the bay is screened off the sea by a range of picturesque rocks. There is only a small wooden construction where they sell cool drinks and chips on the island. There is also a lavatory deep in the island. As this is a guarded territory (on arrival you are charged for the visit), you can not live and cook there. If you would like to have a meal at the beach, you should bring the food with you, and you will have to leave the island when it gets dark.

You may visit Maya Bay Beach only from November through April. As a rule, the sea is very rough during the raining season, making it quite risky for boat and cutters to enter the narrow bay. Besides, the beach itself isn’t that beautiful in the period of storms.

Very often you can be offered a one-day boat tour of Phi Phi (travel time from Phuket or Krabi is about 2.5 hours). Of course, it will give you an opportunity to see the magic island and just «tick it off». However, if you would like to feel in full the atmosphere of the tropical paradise, you`d better stay at Phi Phi for several days. Then you may go to Maya Bay Beach for a day having hired a native with a boat.

During this tour you will be taken to all beautiful places of the island. The first stop will be at the Viking Cave featuring a colony of swallows. The Thai use bamboo poles to get to the ceiling of the cave and put down swallow`s nests, which is a dainty of local cuisine. The water is of bright blue colour in this place.

Phi Le will be the second stop. The bay is surrounded by as beautiful rocks as those of Maya Bay, but there is no beach there. You may only bath in warm bright turquoise waters diving from the boat.

Doubling the cape you will stop at Loh Sama. The bottom of this bay is completely covered with beautiful corals, so you don’t forget to take the equipment for snorkeling with you. You can also bath only from the boat there. In the end the Thai will take you back to Maya Bay Beach, and you may stay there until sunset enjoying the paradise on the earth.