Beautiful Phuket | Part 4 | Phi Phi Islands .. Maya Bay and More...

During our vacation, we spent three days in Phuket. I’m going to split our time in Phuket into multiple parts to better cover the wide range of information about the places we visited, modes of transportation, and prices.

In this fourth chapter, I’ll share about the stops on our Island Hopping Adventure.

Khai Nok Island

Our very first destination on the island-hopping trip was Khai Nok Island. It was about 30 minutes away from the pier where we started. Khai Nok Island is said to be a private island.

I must say it is an incredibly beautiful place, with light blue water and white sands one of the prettiest beaches I have ever seen so far.

There was a big crowd relaxing on the shore, swimming, and snorkeling in the area. A sunbed could be rented for 100 Baht. We only had about 20 minutes to spend on the island, so we walked along the shore and took some pictures.

Phi Phi Don Island

From Khai Nok, it was about a one-hour ride to Phi Phi Don Island, the largest among the Phi Phi Islands. Unlike other islands, it has hotels, accommodations, and shops, and it is a residential area. We didn’t reach the island through its main pier, but hundreds of boats could still be seen along the shore, even though it was the off-season.

A friend had recommended staying a few days at Phi Phi for its amazing nightlife and fun activities, but this time we couldn’t make it.

At Phi Phi Island, we were served lunch—a Thai buffet with both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options. Lunch was very good. While those who didn’t go diving were taken for lunch, the rest went diving.

We spent about two hours at the beach enjoying ice cream and the view.

Monkey Island

Next, we visited Monkey Island, about 10 minutes away from Phi Phi Don. We were only given 5–10 minutes there. The island was full of monkeys, and you could take photos with them.

Viking Cave

Viking Cave is a limestone cave with paintings inside, said to resemble Viking boats. According to our guide, there are also bird nests that people harvest for sale.

We only traveled around the cave by boat and didn’t have the chance to go inside.
Snorkeling was also allowed in this area.

Switching to a Longtail Boat – Pileh Lagoon

Before entering Pileh Lagoon, we had the chance to switch to a longtail boat. Speedboats are not allowed inside the lagoon, so we were asked if we wanted to take a longtail boat instead. A private boat for eight people cost 2,000 Baht, while a shared boat was 400 Baht per person. Luckily, our shared boat had only six people—four Indian boys and the two of us.

The longtail boat took us around Pileh Lagoon for about 20 minutes, and it was the best 20 minutes I have ever spent. The tall mountains stood like giants, and the water was a beautiful greenish-blue a color you could never mix! The lagoon was peaceful, with only a few people around.

Some tours offered kayaking in this area. The water wasn’t deep, so some people and even the boat crew got into the water.

Maya Bay

After our relaxing time at Pileh Lagoon, we switched back to the original speedboat to head to Maya Bay. It was almost closing time, so we had about 45 minutes left.

Maya Bay has an entrance fee of 400 Baht per person, which we paid to our tour guide earlier in the morning. From the Maya Bay pier, it’s about a 5-minute walk to the beach.

Maya Bay was magical! one of the main reasons we visited Thailand. The light blue water, pure white sand, and towering rocky cliffs made it feel like a true paradise.

We made the most of every remaining second, capturing beautiful photos to preserve the memory for a lifetime.

One important thing to remember is that Maya Bay closes every year from August 1st to October 1st to allow its biodiversity to recover.

Returning Back

After the most fabulous sea experience, we headed back—and it was one rough ride! The sea waves became extremely strong, and the boat kept bouncing up and down for hours. After a challenging two-hour journey, we finally returned to the pier where we started.