With so many Koh Phi Phi Island tours on offer, and so many tourists vying to book a spot, which one do you choose? If seeing the uninhabited island of Phi Phi Leh is one of your goals, the “Early Bird” tour is highly recommended. This Koh Phi Phi Island tour incorporates the beautiful Maya Bay as your first stop. It is a little expensive, around the 1000 Baht ($31.50 USD) mark – but well worth! The trip, along with diving Phi Phi Leh made this beautiful island a top Thailand sight for myself.
Note: Maya Bay is currently closed to tourism. In March 2018, it was announced Maya Bay would close from June 1st to September 30th, which would hopefully see the natural ecosystem bounce back after being heavily damaged due to over-tourism. As of October 1st, it was announced Maya Bay would be closed to tourism indefinitely as the few months prior was not enough time for the damage to fix itself. Click here for much more detail into why Maya Bay was closed – an important lesson we can all learn from Maya Bay being closed to tourists.
Please note: Some links below are affiliate links. I earn a small amount through certain purchases you make, this does not increase the cost for you and helps support this site.
Maya Bay, Koh Phi Phi Leh Island – First Stop for a Reason!
The speedboat leaves from Phi Phi Don’s main pier, Ao Tonsai, at 6:30 am, after free coffee and Thai donuts! You really don’t want to leave later because Maya Bay is waiting, and it gets busy VERY quickly. There are still a few companies, from the advertisements I read, that offer similar tours.
The aim of these early bird tours is to get tourists to Maya Bay before the rest of the tours start. The 15-minute speedboat ride is not slow, that’s for sure. It’s as if there’s a race between the multiple companies that provide similar tours. The speedboat ride from Phi Phi Island can be quite bumpy!
While you most likely won’t have Maya Bay to yourself, the true value of this tour is clear after your 1.5 hour stop. Hundreds of people swarm for a shot of the clear waters or limestone karsts. The best ones are obviously without others in them!
Watching the sunrise at Maya Bay is one of the most beautiful – and peaceful experiences in Thailand. As boat after boat pulls up to Maya Bay the beach becomes packed with other tourists.
At Maya Bay, there is also a small walk to another little viewpoint overlooking the turquoise water. It is quite beautiful. This lookout is affectionately labeled “Leonardo Di Caprio” on Maps.Me, as it was the 2000 movie, The Island, that brought this island fame through. Whatever order you decide to explore the island in, take them pictures early!
Snorkeling with Black Tip Reef Sharks at Lo Sama Bay – Koh Phi Phi Leh’s Early Bird Tour
Time to jump in the water just around the corner from Maya Bay, chuck on a mask and a snorkel and look for some sharks! Only a meter or two long, these Black Tip Reef Sharks are common on the southern side of Koh Phi Phi Leh Island. There were also quite a few other fish in the shallow waters of Phi Phi Leh Island. The waters are calm and clear, allowing you to see so many of these amazing creatures!
I know the term “shark” makes a lot of people nervous, but these sharks are extremely cautious of human interaction and bail out within seconds of coming anywhere near you.
A bit of a tip: a lot of the tour boats that stop here look similar. Take note of the number on the side of your boat. I became known as the “pirate” as I boarded another tour’s boat and then had to swim two hundred meters while everyone waited for me on my actual tour boat. My tour guide sprayed me in the face with a gentle stream from a hose for being late. Oopsies!!!
Swimming in Pileh Bay – Koh Phi Phi Leh’s Early Bird Tour
At the 3rd stop, it was time for another swim, no sharks or any marine life to be seen here though. The drawcard of this stop was the bay itself. Incredible limestone cliffs surrounded us in an enormous ‘U’ shape. It was a beautiful place to reflect and enjoy the scenery. Unfortunately, as is tradition with the party culture of Thailand island tourism, the boats pumped out loud beats.
The same few songs were heard multiple times during my three day stay on Phi Phi Leh. Whether on Koh Phi Phi Island itself or immersed in the crystal emerald waters of Pileh Bay. It’s as if they had speakers everywhere!
Photo Stop at ‘Viking Cave’
This is just a short photo stop, but it was interesting to learn about why it is on the map. Sketchy bamboo scaffolding is erected up the limestone cliffside for an extremely profitable industry. Hunting and harvesting of Swiftlet birds’ nests. These edible nests are believed by Chinese culture to be good for the skin. On average, these nests can fetch up to $2,500 USD, per kilo!
After our guide told us that no ropes are used while these men scale these cliffs, he made a blunt point: “They fall, they die!” He also went on to proclaim “cave have wifi and air-conditioning” before pausing for a few seconds to let that sink in, he continued “…not really!” It became a staple joke in the rest of my Thailand trip.
Koh Phi Phi’s Monkey Beach – The Final Stop on the Early Bird Tour
This was the final stop of Phi Phi Early Bird Tour, and it was the only stop on the inhabited island of Phi Phi Don. It was a tourist hotspot and was full of tourists by the time we got there.
Before we got off our speedboat, our charismatic tour guide got serious! These monkeys knew where to get fed, and relied on these tours as a source of food. So they have become extremely comfortable and cunning with humans. Our guide began subtly… “Monkey fucking crazy! He bite you!” and that was it – we docked onto the beach and disembarked!
The tour guide brought off several large chunks of pineapple with him. One monkey recognized these bright yellow beacons and rushed over to relieve this man of them! By rushed over, I mean he hopped over the tourist’s shoulders to the sounds of shrieking. While they don’t have claws, they do have teeth and a bite would be a sure trip to the hospital (unless you wanna risk rabies).
So, while this was a fun end to the tour, there are two points I would like to address:
One – The beach was littered with…well, litter. It was slightly disheartening to see one monkey ripping open a packet of chips for crumbs, while another drank from a water bottle.
These animals are still technically wild, and while it may be enjoyable to watch them act like a human, let’s try and not turn their home into a rubbish tip/dump.
Two – Let me start off by saying I do not know if this story is completely true, but on the off chance it is, I feel like I need to bring it up. I heard of a story – from a backpacker who heard it from another backpacker – that a man (a tourist) tried to take a baby monkey with him back onto a tour boat.
Yeah, that’s right, he stole a baby monkey, from its mother. Now, as the story goes, the mother didn’t take kindly to this, and caused quite a lot of injury to this would be thief (monkeys are surprisingly strong!). I just can’t fathom why, for any reason, that would seem like a good idea to begin with. Please don’t be that person, or allow that to happen. It’s awful and wrong – on so many levels!
All up, an early start and a slightly higher price tag are completely worth seeing the sights with a lesser amount of people at them! It was extremely enjoyable, and my guide for the day made it even more worthwhile. Even though he sprayed me in the face with a hose!
Koh Phi Phi Early Bird Tour Information
Phi Phi Early Bird Tour prices varied from 900-1000 Baht ($30-33 USD) from what I saw posted. They all seemed to have similar itineraries.
There was free coffee and Thai “donuts” at the pier in the morning, but no lunch was provided as the tour ended around midday. The boat leaves the main pier ‘Ton Sai Bay’ at 6:30 am, pretty spot on, so don’t be late.
The fee to enter the Phi Phi National Park is covered by the tour (400 Baht – $13 USD). Make sure you keep a record of paying – whether that be a receipt either on paper or by email. You will be asked to show before boarding.
Koh Phi Phi Island Tour Tips
Good shoes aren’t really needed on the Koh Phi Phi Early Bird Tour. Flip-flops/thongs are fine, as most of the sites are sandy beaches or swimming spots. The one short walk to the second viewpoint at Maya Bay is completely flat, with a few wooden stairs to climb.
Even though the half day trip starts early morning, sunscreen is recommended for those who burn easily (like myself!). Water is provided on the boat, but food is not.
You can book a wide range of Phi Phi Island tours online, and check out the best accommodation on Phi Phi Island – hostels and hotels.
Koh Phi Phi Island Tour highlights
- Getting to Maya Bay before the majority of tourists as the soft morning light hit the bay and the limestone cliffs – it was really special.
- Swimming with Black Tip Reef Sharks was super fun! An easy, enjoyable swim!
- Monkey Beach, even though overpopulated with tourists, definitely surprised me as enjoyable!
Further reading for traveling Phi Phi Island and Thailand
- Looking for other things to do on Phi Phi Island?
- Don’t miss Bangkok’s Plane Graveyard
- Tab Kak Hang Nak Nature Trail is a great day hike from Ao Nang, Krabi or Phuket
Have you been on the Koh Phi Phi “early bird” tour? Or something similar? Did you enjoy it as much as I did? Leave a comment below! Any suggestions or questions are most welcome, as usual!
Thanks for reading!
Happy and safe travels,
Ben – Horizon Unknown
