“The Beach”
Fantastic Maya Bay on Phi Phi Island opens again
The world-famous Maya Bay in the early morning before the hordes of tourists arrive. photo
© Carola Frentzen/dpa
For years, masses of tourists made pilgrimages to the otherwise uninhabited island of Phi Phi Leh – causing great damage to nature. Now the authorities are taking a closer look.
After a two-month break from tourism, the world-famous Maya Bay in the Thai dream archipelago Phi Phi Island is reopening to visitors this weekend. Since last year, the beautiful bay has been closed to guests during the rainy season in August and September to allow the fragile ecosystem to regenerate. Guests are allowed again from Sunday.
Maya Bay, with its powder-white beach and striking rocks, was featured in the Hollywood film more than 20 years ago.The Beach” with Leonardo DiCaprio became famous.
For years, crowds of tourists made pilgrimages to the otherwise uninhabited island of Phi Phi Leh to marvel at the bay. The result: dozens of boats dropped their anchors into the once intact reef every day, corals sank, blacktip sharks left, and garbage piled up.
In June 2018, at the urging of marine biologists, the ripcord was finally pulled: the local national park surprisingly closed the beach at the time. Because of the corona pandemic, it only reopened at the beginning of 2022 – after three and a half years. Since then, strict rules have applied. Probably the most important ones: boats are no longer allowed into the bay, nor are swimmers and snorkelers. The number of visitors was also limited.