Koh Phi Phi Leh

Phi Phi Leh is the smaller, uninhabited island just south of Phi Phi Don, a ring of sheer limestone cliffs around shallow bays, and it holds most of the sights people picture when they think of Phi Phi. Maya Bay, the cove from The Beach, is on its west side, Pileh Lagoon, a green inlet walled in by cliffs, cuts into it from the east, and Viking Cave is on the way round. Nobody lives here and there's nowhere to stay, so every visit is a boat trip from Phi Phi Don, Phuket or Krabi.

The standard circuit covers it in half a day. Boats can't enter Maya Bay anymore, so they dock at a pontoon at Loh Samah on the east side and you walk through to the beach on a boardwalk, with no swimming in the bay and limited time on the sand. Pileh Lagoon is the swim stop, 20 to 30 minutes in calm, warm water under the cliffs. Viking Cave is closed to visitors because swiftlet nests are harvested inside, so boats slow down outside for a look at the cave, named for the boat paintings on its walls. Loh Samah is usually the snorkel stop.

From Phi Phi Don a group longtail tour costs about ฿1,200–1,500 and a private one ฿2,500–3,500, and the national park fee of ฿400 for adults and ฿200 for children is paid in cash on top. Maya Bay closes every year from 1 August to 30 September. Take the earliest boat you can, before the day trips from Phuket and Krabi arrive.