Austral

August, 2017

Monkey Beach, Ko Phi Phi, Phi Phi Islands, Thailand

Monkey Beach is located on the southwestern side of Tonsai Bay, about 700m from the jetty. It is a simply stunning 150m-long strip of white powdery sand fringed by emerald water. The backside of the beach is a rather steep limestone cliff, covered with lush vegetation that offers monkeys a comfortable habitat, which is where it gets its name from. Monkey Beach is often confused with Monkey Bay, a similar spot located on the other side of Phi Phi Don Island, at the entrance of Loh Dalum. Different means are available for you to get to Monkey Beach: hiring a long-tail boat near Tonsai jetty is the easiest way but, if you are not afraid to make a little effort, you can rent a sea kayak and make the 40-minute journey by yourself. There’s no infrastructure on Monkey Beach, so do not forget to bring some water and snacks. Monkey Beach is not only famous for its furry inhabitants. Its other point of interest is that it is a top-notch snorkelling spot. The shallow waters next to it host colourful and vivid underwater habitats, which really gives you the feeling of swimming in an aquarium. Most of the people visiting Monkey Beach brought the bad habit of feeding the monkeys, so they now expect to get something to eat when they see visitors coming. Beware of these wild animals’ behaviour and do not go too close to them. Biting and scratching are common and painful issues and you certainly do not want to have to visit Phi Phi Hospital to get a rabies vaccine during your holiday!