Monkey Beach, Koh Phi Phi Don
Monkey Beach is a strip of sand below the cliffs on the south-western side of Phi Phi Don, a few minutes by longtail from Tonsai and a standard stop on the island tour. Its resident troop of long-tailed macaques comes down to the water when boats arrive.
The snorkelling off the rocks at either end is good, and the beach is small enough that it feels crowded quickly when two or three boats are in.
The macaques are wild animals habituated to being fed, and they bite and scratch - a real risk given rabies is present in Thailand. Do not feed them, do not hold food, keep bags closed, and do not get between an adult and an infant. Feeding is what made them aggressive in the first place.
Related Routes
This trip is not available during the selected dates
- Phi Phi Viewpoint, Koh Phi Phi Don — The hill above Tonsai, looking down on the twin bays and the sandbar that joins the two halves of the island.
- Bamboo Island (Koh Phai) — A small flat island north-east of Phi Phi ringed by white sand and shallow reef.
- Laem Tong Beach, Koh Phi Phi Don — The quiet beach at the island's northern tip, reached only by boat, with a sea gypsy village at one end.
- Loh Dalum Bay, Koh Phi Phi Don — The crescent bay on the northern side of the isthmus, shallow, sheltered and the island's party beach at night.
- Long Beach (Hat Yao), Koh Phi Phi Don — The best swimming beach on Phi Phi Don, south-east of Tonsai, with reef straight off the sand.
- Maya Bay, Koh Phi Phi Leh — The cliff-ringed bay made famous by The Beach, closed for four years to let its reef recover.
