Maya Bay Beach Thailand; Sleep aboard and sharks Tour, Will It Open in 2024?
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Do you want to visit the mesmerising Maya Bay Beach Thailand? Or, will you have to miss out till it opens in 2024!
This is one of the most stunning destinations to visit in Southeast Asia. A location of breath-taking emerald water, stunning Thailand beach and in the awesome location next to the popular Ko Phi Phi island. This epic destination has been made popular by The Beach film which stars Leanardo Dicaprio, to be fair it is a sweet film. Also, this amazing place is famous for the black-tip sharks, the Viking cave, Pileh Lagoon and some of the best dive locations in Phi Phi. However, the big question is will Maya Bay beach reopen? This will be discussed in this post.
The Maya Bay is a stunning place to visit however, one question always popping up now – is Maya Bay beach closed? I will share all the information you need for visiting here and anything you need to do to be able to see this awesome bay in the Phi Phi islands. After you have seen the bay, there is plenty of hotels in Phi Phi to stay at. So, you should definitely spend a night or 2 on Phi Phi island. Like Railay beach in Krabi, this is one of the best locations in Thailand!
Facilities in Maya Bay
Yes, there are facilities when open. There’s a small shack on the beach. The shack sells quench drinks and snacks.
Another thing, there are toilet facilities available on the beach
There is no food available here; those who camp must bring their own.
The activities in Maya Bay
This is one of the best things I did. Snorkelling and diving is very popular throughout the bay. Plenty of tours offer the Maya Bay activities. Visibility is almost 100% which makes it great for snorkelling. Many tour companies bring visitors here to snorkel from Phuket, Krabi and Phi Phi Don.
Also, you can go to sea kayaking. Kayaking tour boats come into the bay and moor while letting clients explore.
When did Maya Bay close?
Since June 2018, the bay has been closed as part of a revitalization effort aimed at reviving the area’s decimated corals. Since last year, about 10,000 corals have been replanted in the Maya Bay region.
In what month and year did Thailand close Maya Bay?
Maya Bay on Phi Phi Leh island, made popular by Leonardo DiCaprio’s 2000 thriller The Beach, was closed indefinitely last year due to serious damage caused by a surge in visitors. It was closed for four months on June 1st, but experts later concluded it wasn’t long enough.
Is The Maya Bay Beach Closed?
Why is Maya Bay closed? When The beach film got released, the bay became one of the most visited beaches in the world and backpackers flocked from all over the world to see its amazing beach. However, the quality of the beach soon spiralled out of control and it quickly became ruined with rubbish. It really is a shame when tourists ruin these stunning destinations of the world.
So, is Maya Bay Beach still closed? Yes, Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) decided that this top Thailand beach will actually stay closed indefinitely. Which is a good thing in my eyes, this would quickly become ruined again by tourists. The same thing happened to Boracay beach in the Philippines, however that beach is back open now.
Will Maya Bay reopen in 2024?
It was closed in all of 2020 and there is not set date for the beach to reopen anytime soon, it won’t be open in 2020. You will not be able to enter the beach. However, you can do the boat tours around Maya Bay! This is an awesome way to take in the spectacular views.
Remember, this iconic beach in Thailand was nearly ruined, so it’s a good thing it’s still closed. Until the Thai government can come up with a system to manage the tourists visiting the Maya Bay beach, then it will and should indefinitely stay closed.
Maya bay before and after
If you’re wondering about Maya bay before and after, then you will be pretty amazed. Before the beach was a mess and run down because of the boozy parties etc. However, now it’s a thriving tropical paradise. The plantation is growing back, marine life is thriving, and the air is fresh. David Attenborough would be proud.
How to get from Phuket to Maya Bay?
Do you want to do a tour from Phuket to Maya bay? Then you’re in look as this is a possible option, I would recommend staying on Phi Phi overnight, but if you don’t have time, here is how to do a day trip to Maya beach.
You can pay for a tour in Phuket, then the tour will take you on a 90-minute boar tide from Phuket to the bay in Phi Phi Ley. Which is the smaller island of the 2 Phi Phi islands and this is a great option if you’re short on time. You could also get a tour to the stunning Phang Nga Bay in Thailand.
Okay, so how much is a tour from Phuket to Phi Phi Ley? The cost of a tour from Phuket to Phi Phi is around ($40) for adults and children. But it’s worth the price, it’s amazing
Let’s have a look what this includes;
- Pickup from your hotel in Phuket.
- Tour to Maya beach, Viking cave, Monkey beach and other tourist points around the Phi Phi islands.
- Lunch and drinks.
- Drop off back at your hotel.
If you wanted, you can just get the ferry from Phuket to Phi Phi and then get a long-tail boat around Maya Bay.
You can also travel from Ao Nang to Phi Phi island if you’re staying over that way.
Staying in Phuket? Check out the Phuket travel tips post.
How does Maya Bay Access visitors?
Tourist Attractions in Maya Bay in the Past
One of the most common modes of transportation was speedboats. Usually, this was accompanied by a long cruise on a tail ferry. There were several tours departing from the Koh Phi Islands. Krabi and Phuket are both good options for getting to Maya Bay.
Maya Bay Beach Thailand sharks
Wow, the sharks are back! Yes, that’s right, Maya bay sharks are back exploring the crystal-clear waters. The sharks were disappeared and it’s no wonder with the millions of tourists that headed to Phi Phi Ley to visit Maya Beach and the stunning bay.
It was not an unusual sight to see 100’s of boats flocking into the bays with tourists. However, all this is has vanished with the new ban that has been set in places. Fast-forward to nowadays, no long-tail boat or any other boat is allowed to cross a certain point in the bay.
So, with fewer boats visiting the bay, the black-tipped sharks in Maya Bay are now starting to make an appearance again. This is good to see for nature to take its natural course and get back to how it used to be.
If you take a tour around Maya Bay beach, you may have a good chance of spotting one of the black-tipped sharks that circle in the waters around Phi Phi Ley.
Interested in travel photography? You should check out the Panasonic Lumix FZ82 review post. Which is my awesome travel camera!
The Maya Bay Sleep aboard
If you want an awesome experience, you can do the Maya Bay sleep aboard, which is exactly what it says. A boat that you sleep on the visit the beach. However, due to it being closed, you will only have the opportunity to get within 90-metres of the beach, but this is all you need to appreciate it.
Let’s look at an example itinerary of some of the best island around Phi Phi;
- Check into the harbour office on Phi Phi Don at around 2:30pm
- Visit the Viking cave first (awesome place to see)
- Possibly visit Pileh Bay, Loh Sama bay, Monkey beach and Loh Moo Dee beach. You will get to do some sweet snorkelling in Phi Phi dive locations
- Eat some real-tasty Thai food at around 6pm and then have a few beers and what the glorious Phi Phi sunset
- You will see the Maya Bay on the sleep aboard
- Wake up and have breakfast, coffee and tea on board. And, then get taken back to Phi Phi
Make sure to take with you the usual; A towel, change of clothes, mosquito spray and any other bits like a camera etc.
You can book the Maya Bay sleep about here.
Maya Bay Tours
If you want to do a tour, you can take a public or private boat tour from Phi Phi island. This is a great way to visit the amazing bays and beaches around Phi Phi.
Also, you can do a speedboat tour to some of the best islands around Phi Phi.
You can pay to have a driver take a group of your around the bays and visit the popular stop off points like;
#Maya Bay
#Monkey beach
This is where you will get to leave the boat and meet some monkeys on monkey beach 🙂 Just be careful with your camera. I have heard stories of the monkeys taking cameras etc. But, it’s an awesome experience.
#Viking cave
This is another real cool place to visit on the Phi Phi boat tour! You can’t actually go into the cave, but it’s cool to see. Also, you have the chance to do some snorkelling at the viking cave.
#Pileh Lagoon
This is by-far one of my favourite destinations in Thailand, it is unbelievable how stunning it is! The emerald crystal waters and the amazing limestone will blow your mind! Maya Bay is amazing but Pileh Lagoon is up there with it.
You will have the chance to swim in here if you take a boat tour around Phi Phi.
If I was you I would try and take the private boat tour, as the public boat in Phi Phi is not as good, still fun though!
So, how much is the boat tours? A private boat tour can cost you ($20) between four people and a public boat can cost ($10 upwards).
If you choose the private boat, you will be taken around the islands in a classic Thailand long-tailed boat, it’s a cool experience. Also, the boat tour will last for about 3-4 hours and this includes snacks and drinks.
If you’re on a budget you may want to do the public boat tour around the Phi Phi island and Maya Bay. We did private tour as there was 4 of us, so if you can find a few people to all put the money together, then go for the private option.
Where to stay on Phi Phi
If you’re looking for Maya Bay hotels, you will have to stay on Phi Phi island. There is plenty of amazing hotels and beach bungalows on Phi Phi. This is why this top Thailand island is one of the best backpacking and honeymoon destinations in the world! A backpacker can stay in a hostel on Phi Phi for less than ($10) a night. Also, you can get beach rooms on Phi Phi with some of the best views of the sunsets in Thailand. So, let’s look at some of the best places to stay on Phi Phi;
Final thoughts
Maya Bay is one of the most beautiful destinations in the world and one of the best islands around Phi Phi. Just because the Maya Bay beach is closed doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the area around it! Whether it’s a long-tail boat or a speedboat tour around Phi Phi, you will love it.
After your speedboat tour around Phi Phi island, I highly recommend staying at one of the Phi Phi hotels for a night. This island is paradise.
Where to next?