Ko Phi Phi Le's Crown Jewel Maya Bay - Fifty Shades Of Blue

After being closed for more than three years to restore its marine ecosystem, Ko Phi Phi Le’s crown jewel Maya Bay has reopened with new sustainability goals. Natasha Patidar dives heart first into its calm waters.

- Natasha Patidar

WHEN A FRIEND CALLED asking to go for a diving trip to Phi Phi islands in Thailand, I didn’t give it much thought. For a non-swimmer, jumping off a boat into the ocean isn’t exactly tempting. But it did occupy my mind enough to make me do a quick Google search: ‘Is diving dangerous for non-swimmers?’. The results were reassuring enough to make me say ‘yes’. I also had never seen that shade of blue.

So after four flights, a ferry, tuk tuk, long-tail boat, and finally a tractor ride, we arrived in Krabi. Located in southern Thailand, the province is between Phang Nga and Trang, and features stunning scenery both inland and at sea. With over 150 islands off its coastline, a jungle-covered interior, limestone cliffs, caves, waterfalls, and wildlife, Krabi has plenty to offer, and all of it without tourists thronging the sites.

Part of the Krabi province are the Phi Phi Islands, a group of six islands. Phi Phi Don is the largest and has no roads of its own, while Ko Phi Phi Le, the smaller one has no habitat. The islands gained attention and worldwide popularity after Ko Phi Phi Le’s crown jewel Maya Bay was used as a location for the British-American film The Beach (2000) starring Leonardo DiCaprio. It portrayed a fictional beach hidden from the rest of the world.

Now, I’d not heard of Maya Bay until I reached Thailand. But another spree of googling told me that because of the movie, the island shot to fame enough to have over 5,000 daily tourists, which damaged the marine life and coral reef to an extent that they had to shut it down for over three years.