Maya Bay Phi Phi Island – The Most Famous Beach in Thailand
Maya Bay, Phi Phi is one of the best beaches in Thailand IF not the world, and was featured in the movie The Beach with Leonardo DiCaprio which was filmed over 20 years ago.
Maya Bay Beach was closed for over 2 years by the Thai Government to help the environment as it had become ruined by over-tourism, and it reopened in January 2022 with new rules and regulations that help to manage the tourists and how they access the bay.
Host of 5 Star Marine YouTube Channel Jay Leshark with 5 Star Marine Guide Alex head to Maya Bay before it closes again in August for another few months, and see what it is like and how the new management of Maya Bay works and look for Black Tip Reef Sharks that since the closure has returned to the bay.
Maya Bay, Thailand with its towering limestone cliffs, clear waters, coral reefs, and white sandy beach, is one of the most beautiful locations in Thailand. The main beach on Maya Bay is about 200 meters long, with soft white sand and exquisitely wonderful Corals, in fact, the whole bay is one big beautiful Coral Reef.
Although small in size just 200 meters long and 15 meters wide — the bay has drawn global attention since it featured in the Hollywood movie The Beach, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, filmed there in 1999 and released in 2000.
The Beach movie was directed by Danny Boyle and was based on the 1996 novel of the same name by Alex Garland. It was not a huge hit at the box office and Leonardo DiCaprio who played Richard, a young American seeking adventure, was actually nominated for a Raspberry award for the worst actor the year the movie was released. He lost to John Travolta as Terl from Battlefield Earth and as Russ Richards in Lucky Numbers.
Here’s a fact: Ewan McGregor was cast as the main character of The Beach, before leaving due to disputes with the director.
Maya Bay will be closing again on the 1st August 2022 for 2 months for the local authorities to do some research on how the opening has affected the bay and if the restrictors that they have put into place are working to help the environment.
Thailand Pass Update – May 2022
Breaking News:
The Thailand Pass (for international travelers wishing to enter Thailand) has moved from an approval process to a simple registration process. On May 20th the CCSA (Centre of Covid-19 Situation Administration) held a meeting to discuss the latest entry rules. You can watch the latest update here, plus we have outlined the changes below for ease.
The New Registration Process:
For international arrivals from June 1st 2022, the Thailand Pass has been eased significantly. So, when you submit your information, you will automatically get your QR code and approval to enter Thailand. Essentially it has moved from an approval system to a simple registration process only. For more information on this, you can visit the Tourism Authority of Thailand dedicated page.
What Is Different?
With the old version of the Thailand Pass, you had to go into the Thailand Pass system and submit more types of documentation. Then you would have to wait to be approved, or otherwise to enter Thailand. It was an approval system vs the new Thailand Pass registration process.
What Information To Submit:
The Thailand Pass has been updated and streamlined in the process. The rules are simple, you only need to show your vaccination status and proof of travel insurance. Please note, that for the Thailand Pass you are not required to be vaccinated, but you do need to declare your vaccination status. You can apply here for the new Thailand Pass.
Streamlined Entry Into Thailand:
So that’s basically it; just enter your vaccination status and proof of travel insurance and your Thailand Pass will be registered, a QR code is given automatically and you can enter Thailand. It really did just get that simple. We are happy to say that this is the end of the more complicated Thailand Pass, although we foresee you will need to pre-register your information to be able to travel into Thailand for the next couple of months; then it could possibly be scrapped altogether.
Why Come To Thailand Now?
It is now easier than ever to enter Thailand, so you get the chance to come on holiday here easily for the first post Pandemic (or even Endemic) low season. Phuket has so much to offer, a tropical paradise just waiting to be explored. There is also lots to see and do, with a good percentage of the island opened up; and with more tourists we expect even more restaurants, bars and tourist attractions to reopen their doors.
Keeping Up To Date:
5 Star Marine has been providing informative and up-to-date information on all aspects of entry rules, from the Thailand Pass updates right back to when they were giving information on the Sandbox schemes and entry measures, since around July 2021.
Holiday Inspiration:
5 Star Marine runs fully customized private tours on their luxury fleet of speedboats. Here’s some inspiration you can plan with them for your upcoming Thailand adventure:
- Phang Nga Bay to visit the infamous James Bond Island
- Phi Phi, including Maya Bay from the boat – the location of The Beach film
- Racha Islands soft white sandy beaches and abundant marine life
- Dolphin spotting at Koh Mai Ton
- Coral Island with full beach club, massage and restaurant amenities at Banana Beach Club
- Krabi, Hong Krabi lagoon and the 360-degree viewpoint
- Koh Ha and Ko Rok for something a little more exotic and lesser known
- Easy to access and shallow snorkelling at the Khai Islands
- Tropical paradise in Koh Lipe
So, what are you waiting for? With the simple Thailand Pass now in place, we look forward to welcoming you to Phuket.
For bookings or Information:
+66-93-720-6221
Rustic And Blue By The Sea
Rustic and Blue by the Sea is one of Phuket’s top restaurants and Jay Leshark heads down to Rawai to check out the food and chat with the awesome owner K.Meen and gets to try the Pumpkin gnocchi.
Rustic and Blue by the Sea is set on a hillside in Rawai Phuket, and has stunning sea views overlooking the very South of Phuket. Rawai Beach can be seen from the restaurant as can all the Long Tail Fishing boats that come in daily with their fresh catch.
Rawai and in fact the whole of the South of Phuket is quickly becoming the food capital of Phuket, with a host of new and exciting artisan restaurants opening up. It started a few years ago when RAW and Vegan food started to gain popularity and since then vegan cafes and restaurants have popped up all over Phuket, but the South is where the main focus is.
But it’s not just vegan food that is a big hit in Rawai, artisan coffee shops and cafes are everywhere, and with the easing of the laws on cannabis products, this is now becoming the next growing food and drink trend in Phuket.
Rustic and Blue by the Sea
Opened in 2014 Rustic and Blue by the Sea works closely with local Phuket farmers and producers and brings nourishment to the body and soul, and brings friends, family, and people together.
Whether it’s a brunch or dinner party, or casual catch-up with mates, the Rustic and Blue by the Sea menu has food for everyone and every occasion.
Reservations are encouraged but are not required.
Phone number 0612108548
Line ID: 0612108548
Whatsapp: 0612108548
Website – www.rusticandblue.com/by-the-sea
There are many other interesting things to do in Rawai, besides relaxing at Rustic and Blue by the Sea.
- Phromthep Cape offers excellent views of Phuket and the Andaman Sea
- Rawai Park offers a small waterpark, a semi-indoor playground, and an air-conditioned kids’ club. A great place for young families.
- The Phuket Orchid Farm is one of the largest nurseries on the island and has over 15,000 different species of flowers
Krabi Private Tour
With a Krabi Private Tour onboard one of 5 Star Marine’s luxury private speedboats, you will get to experience the stunning beauty of Ko Hong Krabi and the smaller Krabi province archipelagos. Plus, you get to enjoy all of this at your own pace when you book a Krabi Private Tour.
The sheer natural beauty you encounter on a Krabi Private Tour is breathtaking. This area provides you with everything you could want from a day out. Indulge in a swim to cool off in an emerald green lagoon, try a spot of snorkeling, discover the white sandy, private beaches, take a hike or enjoy a 360o viewpoint and sightseeing – there is something to keep everyone happy.
Visit Ko Hong on your Krabi Private Tour; it sits in-between the Koh Yao Islands and Krabi mainland and boasts a remarkable lagoon which you enter through a narrow passageway after which you are greeted by the scenic and mesmerizing Ko Hong Lagoon. This striking turquoise body of shallow water is surrounded by high rock walls lined with lush mangroves giving a forgotten world feeling to it. Only accessible by small boat or longtail, some areas are so clear and shallow you can easily see your feet on the underwater sand.
If you wish to pick up the pace a little, why not make your way around to a more recent addition to the island whilst on your own Krabi Private Tour. The breathtaking 360o Viewpoint has an impressive metal staircase structure that was just built-in in 2020. It gives panoramic 360o views of Krabi and the surrounding islands and is arguably one of the best seascape views of the Krabi island sets, Phang Nga Bay, and surrounding islands in the national park that you can get.
After enjoying these stunning panoramic seascapes, make your way to Railay Beach for a walk around, discover some caves or stop for a spot of lunch. Alternatively, we can arrange a private western or Thai menu lunch on the beach during your Krabi Private Tour; simply let us know and we can organize this. In the afternoon, you might want to enjoy some snorkeling at Chicken Island or explore the nearby Ko Poda beach.
The choice really is yours, because when you book a Krabi Private Tour with us you get to carve out your bespoke and unique itinerary with the help of our professional and knowledgeable guides. Enjoy your collaborated itinerary planning on the day, for a perfectly balanced experience.
Why Pick Our Krabi Private Tour?
With so much to see and do, the Krabi Private Tour is a perfect mix of sightseeing, adventure, snorkeling, and some of the best beaches in the area. 5 Star Marine are experts when it comes to the wide selection of islands and sightseeing spots around Krabi, and can sometimes get you to stunning locations with nobody else around.
Krabi Private Tour Inclusions
We like to look after all our guests, so you can sit back and relax knowing that your Krabi Private Tour will include the following:
Explore the best destinations around Krabi in ultimate luxury, with your very own, bespoke Krabi Private Tour.
Contact us to book your Krabi Private Tour:
+66937206221
How To Avoid the Crowds – Early Bird Phi Phi Tour or Sunset Tour?
So, as we start to see trickles of tourism return to the island, we have been answering lots of questions from many of our 1st time bookers as well as our return guests. Let’s explore some of the most common questions we’ve been asked:
Q: What is the tour itinerary?
When you hire a private boat with 5 Star Marine, you get sent a proposal with a suggested itinerary. Now, we stress the ‘suggested’ part, and this is why; when you arrive at the pier for your private luxury tour, we will talk through the plan for the day. We make suggestions because there are variables outside of our control such as the sea, wind condition, tide, etc. Our concept is a joint idea between you and your guide on the day, for the best experience.
We take into account your requirements for your day out, and we apply the variables to come up with the best tour itinerary for the day. For example, if the tide is high on your Phi Phi private luxury tour date, we suggest you go to Phi Phi Ley first (explore Maya Bay, Pi Ley Lagoon, go snorkeling near the Viking cave), and then in the afternoon head over to Phi Phi Don.
However, on another day there will be low tide in the morning and high tide in the afternoon; therefore, the itinerary would need to change in order to see Maya Bay at its most beautiful, for example.
This is why the itinerary is suggested, not set in stone. We allow for you to add in more snorkeling stops if you please, and take your time; there are no set schedules of rushing for the next stop like you might experience on group tours.
Q: How long do we get for lunch?
The answer is simple, it is however long you want it to be. As it is a private boat, essentially the boat is yours and your captain and crew on the day are there to give you the ultimate day out so they will take into account your requirements and help guide you.
Q: Should we leave super early to avoid the crowds?
We are starting to see a slight uplift in tourism, and hope that towards December we will see further recovery.
We get asked a lot; how do we avoid the crowds? As a private boat hire you do have the option to go out early, however, this isn’t the only way to avoid the crowds. What we suggest is that we help you retime your tour.
Our experienced guides know that Maya Bay, for example, will be busy between 10 am -11 am but afterward, when the group tour boats leave to go for lunch you can take the opportunity to miss the crowds then. We might suggest you leave the pier at 10 am and get to Maya Bay at 11 am, as other group tours will go to lunch between 12:30-2:30 at Phi Phi Don, so you can find quieter spots by retiming – not necessarily by leaving super early or later.
Out teams know how to create better timings for the destinations, which we refer to as “reverse timing” so we are not following the group tour timings/program. With our private boats, you get the ultimate flexibility and privacy to allow for this.
Although there are now more crowds than during the peak of international shutdowns with Covid-19, there are still plenty of stunning and beautiful places to explore, so now is a great time to get out and see for yourself whilst tourism isn’t back at the same level as before.
Contact us to book your private tour:
+66-93-720-6221
Challenge Jay. BJJ on the beach
This week Jay was with Coach Nando from Gracie Barra Phuket learning Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu on the beach at Surin. As well as learning how to defend himself Jay was challenged to a sparring session with Coach Nando.
See it in full here:
Amazing Greek Food In Phuket – Is It Even Possible?
Join Jay as he tours through the different food options available at Blue Tree. On his tour, he stops off at a Greek Food Truck (yes there is great Greek Food in Phuket).
By amazing co-incidence, Jay was good friends with the current chef of this particular Food Truck.
Watch along below:
JAYS CHALLENGES: A Day Cleaning The 5 Star Marine Boat
We are pleased to introduce a new series of videos to our YouTube channel called Jays Challenges. Jay has been having way too much fun fishing, snorkeling, swimming with sharks and more so it’s time he does some of the hard work around the office.
Shaun asked Jay to complete his first challenge in this video which is to scrub 3 of the 5 Star Marine fleet and prepare them for upcoming tours.
As always with Jay, he took a little nap, stopped for some tea, and had a shower on the pier. All this and more in today’s video:
Phuket Sandbox – What Can You Do? Where Can You Go? Is Island Hopping Even Allowed?
ANNOUNCEMENT – Thailand Pass Rules Update Frequently, The Information In The Below Post Is Now Out Of Date For Latest News Please Visit: https://5starmarinephuket.com/phuket-sandbox-rules-and-updates/
With Phuket and Thailand changing the rules for entry into the Country in January there has been a lot of questions from travelers around what they can and can’t do, where they can visit by boat, and what island hopping tours are allowed.
Shaun took some time to film a video complete with a map of Phuket and its surrounding islands to give you an idea of where you can go. The good news is that islands like James Bond Island, Phi Phi Island, and even Hong Krabi are allowed to visit areas.
Find out more in the video below:
The Ongoing Emergency Food Security Crisis In Phuket
If you are living in Phuket then you would be fully aware of the escalating covid situation here. Cases are going up, workers are being ordered to stay at home, communities are being isolated.
This is not something new, in fact it’s something that countries worldwide have been battling now for almost 3 years. The problem here in Phuket is that we are an island that relies on tourism for most employment and economic opportunities. In fact over 90% of the the islands population are directly employed by tourism or tourism supporting activities.
When cases rise like this tourism confidence is affected, tourism arrivals decrease, tourism employers lay off workers and food security becomes a huge problem. Unfortunately this is also not a new experience here in Phuket. It is something that our team here at 5 Star Marine have been working to support over the last 20+ months.
Over the last few days our phones have not stopped calling with Village Leaders asking for help. As part of our large scale food security operation over the last 20 months we connected with over 130 village leaders and helped them and there community members to fight through and survive with “Life Bags”
We had hoped in 2022 the need for life bags would decline but this is not the case.
5 Star Marine is following its commitment to keeping helping provide Life Bags and is funding 1000’s of life bags a week. This is all being done through the Charitable Foundation that they founded called Living Waters Phuket.
To find out more about Living Waters Phuket and also this latest rise in need for life bags please take a read of this great article by The Thaiger:
