Koh Phi Phi Leh

Loh Sama (Sama Bay)

Located on the south side of the island the only activity here is snorkeling which is excellent for discovering beautiful coral and tropical fish. Boats anchor in the shallow waters, swimmers feed fish and snorkel.

You can get to Maya Bay from here at low tide via a small hole through a cliff about one metre high and sometimes when the sea is rough from May to October this is the only way to get into Maya Bay.

Pi Leh Bay

Pi Leh Bay is on the west coast, the opposite side of the island to Maya Bay. Similar to Maya Bay, it has 100m vertical cliffs rising from the water. Most of the bay is in shade except at midday.

This long thin bay is pretty shallow and is only accessible to speedboats and longtails, it does not dry out at low tide and there is a very small beach right at the back that you can just glimpse if you're passing.

Very beautiful and excellent for swimming. At the entrance there are excellent snorkeling opportunities. 

Viking Cave

Just to the north of Pi Leh Bay is the Viking Cave where swifts make their nests. There are some paintings on the walls of boats resembling Viking ships that are supposed to be ancient however they're more likely to be just a couple of hundred years old… if that. However, the Viking tag has stuck.

The nests are made by the birds from their saliva and harvested from February to April by locals who use rickety bamboo scaffolding to get up to them once the birds have finished nesting. The nests sell for many thousands of dollars per kilo and are used for the Chinese delicacy bird's nest soup.

Palong Bay

Just outside Maya Bay to the north, this is more of a dive site than a bay. Here there are many black-tip reef sharks and coral formations in up to 12 metres of water.

There can be strong currents here so it is not advisable to snorkel without an organised tour (i.e. someone who knows the currents).