The sights
Maya Bay, Phi Phi Leh
A horseshoe of white sand enclosed by 100-metre cliffs, made famous by the film “The Beach”. After years of closure, coral has been replanted and blacktip reef sharks again cruise the shallows in numbers.
ℹ️ National park fee. No swimming; stay behind the rope line. Visits are limited to about an hour. Normally closed for part of the monsoon season.
Pileh Lagoon
A long inlet of turquoise water walled by vertical rock on Phi Phi Leh’s east side. Boats idle in while passengers swim; at low tide the water is waist-deep in places.
ℹ️ Reached only by boat. Best before 9 am or late afternoon. Watch for propellers and jellyfish.
Bamboo Island (Koh Mai Phai)
A flat, sandy island ringed by reef north of Phi Phi Don, with a wide beach and shallow snorkelling. It is a standard stop on tours from Phuket and Krabi.
ℹ️ Inside the national park; fee applies. Little shade — bring sun protection. Coral is best on the western side.
Ton Sai Bay & the Phi Phi viewpoints
From the village, steps and a jungle path climb to three viewpoints. The highest looks straight down on the sandbar between Ton Sai and Loh Dalum bays, with Phi Phi Leh behind.
ℹ️ Small entry fee. About 20–30 minutes of steep climbing to Viewpoint 2. Go at sunrise for cool air and few people.
Koh Lanta’s west-coast beaches
A succession of sandy bays facing the sunset: lively Long Beach and Klong Khong in the north, relaxed Klong Nin, and the forest-backed coves of Kantiang and Bamboo Bay in the south.
ℹ️ Free. Good swimming November–April; rough with strong currents in the monsoon. Sunset is the daily event.
Lanta Old Town
Once the island’s port, a single street of century-old teak shophouses built out over the water on stilts by Chinese traders, now quiet cafés, hammock shops and seafood restaurants with views to the mainland islands.
ℹ️ On the east coast, about 30 minutes’ drive from Long Beach. Free. Best in the morning or for lunch.
Koh Rok
Two small islands about 30 km south of Lanta in Mu Ko Lanta National Park, separated by a channel of exceptionally clear water over coral gardens. Powder beaches and resident monitor lizards complete the picture.
ℹ️ Day trips by speedboat take around an hour each way, roughly November–April only. National park fee. Take all rubbish back.
