The limestone karsts of Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park rise 300 metres from the Andaman Sea, visible from Phuket's southeastern coastline on clear mornings.
Designated a protected marine zone in 1983, the six-island archipelago spans 390 square kilometres and receives 500,000 visitors annually despite boat access remaining the sole entry method. The primary landmass, Phi Phi Don, sits 42 kilometres southeast of Phuket's Chalong Bay, a crossing that takes 45 minutes by speedboat or 90 minutes by traditional longtail.
Private boat tour Phuket to Phi Phi departures leave from four principal piers: Chalong, Rawai, Ao Por, and Bang Rong. Speedboat charters carry six to twelve passengers and navigate open water at 25 knots; longtail vessels seat four to eight and hug coastal routes at lower speeds but offer deck access and swimming platform convenience. Both vessel types require 400-baht national park fees per passenger, collected at park boundaries surrounding Maya Bay, Pileh Lagoon, and Viking Cave. Early morning slots departing between 07:00 and 09:00 secure mooring rights at shallow-water snorkelling sites before midday ferry traffic saturates the bays.
The western coastline's Maya Bay, closed for ecological restoration from June 2018 to January 2022, now enforces 375-visitor hourly quotas and prohibits vessel anchoring within 300 metres of shore. Pileh Lagoon maintains year-round emerald clarity due to tidal exchange through narrow rock channels. Monkey Beach on Phi Phi Don's northern shore hosts long-tailed macaque colonies; feeding prohibitions apply under park regulations. Bamboo Island and Mosquito Island, positioned north of the main landmass, feature shallow coral gardens accessible during April-to-October calm-water months. Viking Cave's century-old edible bird's nest scaffolding remains visible from sea level, though interior access closed in 2019. Private charters navigate between sites based on tide schedules, wind patterns, and skipper licensing for protected zones.
11 hr
