Beaches
If there is a heaven on earth, it might be Maya Bay. Embraced by high limestone cliff with the panoramic view of the Andaman sea, 200m long silky soft white sand beach with amazing crystal clear water make it a breath-taking lagoon. Another paradise hiding under the sea level abundant rock and coral formation is the perfect bed of big diversity of sea life, which grabs all the divers and snorkelers's heart.
It is not hard to imagine why number of movies filmed including "The Beach" starring Leonardo DiCaprio. Just as the producer, Andrew Macdonald, said: "It's a secret. It's like a big secret, swimming pool and beach in private and this is the attraction for the characters. That's why we have to use Phi Phi Leh." -, producer of "The Beach"
Actually there was criticism during filming of "The Beach" in 1999 that the permission granted to the film company to physically alter the environment inside Phi Phi Islands National Park. The controversy cooled down however, when it was discovered that the producers had done such a decent job that it finally looked better than before. The island now is totally resurrected from Tsunami. There is a pleasant loop walk from the trail from the beach you can enjoy the surrounding tropical forest.
Entrance fee 200 baht/per person is applied. There are now permanent basic facilities on the island - toilets, a snack bar and camping sites. From Phi Phi don, travel agents can arrange over night camping tour which start 3-4 pm(subject to weather) in the afternoon and return 10am in the next morning. From Maya bay you can walk/crawl to Loh Samah Bay through limestone wall with 15-20 minutes.