More Than the Tantalising Maya Bay – Phi Phi Islands Tour from Phuket or Khao Lak - Siam Adventure World | Quality Speedboat Tour in Phuket & Khao Lak

More Than the Tantalising Maya Bay – Phi Phi Islands Tour from Phuket or Khao Lak

By Staff Writer

The strains of Moby’s “Porcelain” chirping in the background, views of an aquamarine sea and a remote island hideaway only for the brave – welcome to the dream of Phi Phi Island. Made famous by Leonardo DiCaprio starring in “The Beach,” the intriguingly sinister movie launched thousands of imaginary ideas of Thailand.

While the 2000 Danny Boyle adventure film lingers in our minds, it’s not just Maya Bay that has visitors flock to the island. There’s the green-tinted water of Pileh Lagoon, the nearby Bamboo Island with its pine-fringed beaches, and the viewpoint looking out over jungle-clad limestone rocks that frame the twin beaches of Koh Phi Phi Don.

Here are the best things to do in the Phi Phi Islands and beyond.

What to Do in the Phi Phi Islands – The Highlights

Brave the steep stairs to the main viewpoint, and you’ll be rewarded with bird’s eye views of Koh Phi Phi Don. It’s not for nothing that Malay sea gypsies who inhabited the island in the 20^th century added “Don” to its name, which translates as mountain.

After a sweaty 20-minute climb to the first of three viewpoints, you’ll reach a vantage point with a large Phi Phi viewpoint sign. It offers panoramic views of karst peaks that tower above the two crescent beaches like the giant Hulk.

Movie fantasies aside, the elevated terrain becomes a casual walk once you’ve conquered the first lookout. A few turns later, you’ll be snapping pictures at viewpoint 2, considered the best for many. It has a wooden viewing platform. Visited by few people, viewpoint 3 requires a hike through the hills toward the other side of Koh Phi Phi.

A cooling respite after the trek to the viewpoints offers a swim in the emerald water of Pileh Lagoon, situated in Koh Phi Phi Leh. While “Leh” translates to “far” in Malay, it’s just a short boat ride south of Koh Phi Phi Don, where the hotels and restaurants are. Pileh Lagoon alone is worth a day trip from Phuket or Khao Lak. Think craggy cliffs that plunge dramatically into deep, amazonite water. You can jump off the boat and, much like DiCaprio did in “The Beach,” watch the bubbles rise before surfacing.

Nearby Bamboo Island boasts one of the prettiest beaches in Thailand, a curve of white sand lined by casuarinas. There’s also the clear blue sea, which almost begs you to go for a swim, and the off-shore coral reefs are a highlight for snorkellers. While there’s no accommodation to stay on the island overnight, visiting this picture-perfect piece of paradise is well worth a day trip from Phuket or Khao Lak.

Then there’s Maya Bay, which means Moon Bay in Malay. The sea gypsies that used to live in the area named it that way because of the moon-shaped coastline. It features gigantic limestone rocks that hug the bay like a bear.

Aside from taking pictures, exploring out-of-the-way islands in search of secluded beaches, or partying the night away at Phi Phi’s Tonsai Bay, one of the best things to do in the Phi Phi Islands is a quality speedboat tour with Siam Adventure World.

Phi Phi Island tour from Phuket or Khao Lak

Siam Adventure World will collect you from any hotel in Phuket and Khao Lak and drop you off once your fun-filled adventure in the Andaman Sea ends.

A six-island archipelago, the Phi Phi Islands, Thailand, lie some 40 kilometres southeast of Royal Phuket Marina. After a one-hour speedboat ride, you’ll be kicking off at Maya Beach in the cradle of limestone monoliths.

Most people come here to shoot photographs, but you can just as well sit on the beach and gather your thoughts. Picture that feeling of powder-puff sand crunching between your toes, the warm breeze caressing your skin, and the towering karst peaks embracing you in a bear hug. It’s an almost surreal atmosphere, so much so, you could easily miss hearing the gentle, emerald waves lap over white sand.

Returning to earth at Monkey Beach, you’ll be oohing and aahing in admiration as you see brazen macaques jump from one branch to another. You’ll be watching the spectacle from the boat.

Fast forward to Koh Phi Phi Don, and you’ll be wondering whether you should hike to the viewpoint, lounge on the beach, or stroll through the narrow alleyways of Phi Phi’s village.

Needless to say, you’ll have the chance to discover the underwater world of this paradise island, too. A Phi Phi Island tour from Phuket or Khao Lak with Siam Adventure World includes snorkelling gear. Position the snorkel mouthpiece comfortably, slide into the fins, and jump into the green-tinted water.

Before heading back to Phuket, you’ll wrap up the tour with lunch on Bamboo Island – undoubtedly one of those “pure shores” from The Beach’s film soundtrack.