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Maya Bay is the perfect illustration of The Beach

Maya Bay is a stunning bay situated on the Ko Phi Phi Le island, a part of Hat Noppharat Thara – Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park in Thailand. The tropical paradise has about 17,000 villagers living on it, with most of their income coming from tourism.

According to figures by Thailand’s Department of National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP), 2.5 million tourists visited the bay in 2018, with over 5,000 estimated visitors every day. Considering this small sliver of land is only 250 metres long and 15 metres wide, that’s a pretty staggering figure …

Maya Bay was the victim of overtourism

In 2018, Thailand closed Maya Bay for four months for ecological recovery and because of extreme weather. Later, officials announced that the island would be closing indefinitely because of irreparable environmental damages.

Pre-closure, countless speedboats would dash back and forth from Maya Bay every day, dropping off thousands of snorkellers and day trippers. This resulted in 80 per cent of its coral reefs being polluted. The DNP therefore prohibited tourists from visiting the area and spent several years rehabilitating it by replanting over 10,000 coral reefs and building public facilities such as electronic ticketing systems and digital trackers on speedboat operators.

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Boats are the only way to reach the bay

Most of the visitors to Maya Bay are day trippers from Krabi, Phuket and Phi Phi Don. Speedboats and long-tail boats are the only way to reach the bay. You can book a boat to the Bay at Krabi, Phuket Airport, or other nearby locations and resorts. Newcomers can consider booking a tour to experience the best of what the place has to offer.

Treasures at the bay

Snorkelling is one of the best things to do at Maya Bay. From November to April, the sea is mainly calm, the water crystal clear – perfect for snorkelling! Tourists can also visit the nearby Viking Cave, located on the northeastern side of the island, which hides ancient drawings from thousand of years ago.

While the beach is obviously the main attraction, at the southern point of Ao Lo Dalam region of Koh Phi Phi Lee, you can also do a 30-minute hike before resting at the peak and enjoying the gorgeous sea views. Adventurers be warned though – cliff diving is no longer allowed because of the new rules.

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“New normal” rules

Officials have imposed new rules to protect the island. Boats are no longer allowed to directly enter the bay whenever they want. Only eight boats are allowed to enter the area at the same time, dropping passengers off a pier at the back of the island.

Tourists can only stay on the island for one hour from 10am to 4pm, with a maximum limitation of 300 visitors per round. Snorkellers are no longer allowed to go onshore, and have to stay in the permitted zone.

Hopefully the area, one of Earth’s natural treasures, can soon be restored to a lush, thriving destination.