Beach made famous by Leonardo DiCaprio is set to re-open to tourists after three years – but there are strict rules if you want to swim in the crystal clear waters
- Maya Bay in Thailand has been closed to the public for three long years
- It enjoyed immense fame after featuring in The Beach starring Leo DiCaprio
- But two decades later the island was decimated and needed time to be restored
- On January 1, 2022, it will reopen to 1,800 people a day in the region
The famous crystal clear waters of Maya Bay have been off limits to eager tourists for three long years but come January a flurry of activity, including swimming and snorkeling, will return once more.
The idyllic cove in Thailand, made famous after it was featured in The Beach starring Leonardo DiCaprio, was closed in June 2018 after being inundated by 5,000 travellers a day for two decades.
In a bid to give the intricate coral reef system time to heal officials decided to close it off to the public, before the Covid pandemic settled in last year and decimated tourist numbers across the entire region.
The famous crystal clear waters of Maya Bay (pictured) have been off limits to eager tourists for three long years because of environmental damage
The idyllic cove in Thailand, made famous after it was featured in The Beach starring Leonardo Di Caprio, was closed in June 2018
Come January 1 2022 Maya Bay, which is only an hour’s boat ride away from Phuket in Hat Noppharat Thara-Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park, will welcome back travellers with strict instructions, to avoid damaging the region again.
‘Maya Bay has been continuously receiving interest from tourists around the world. But this has also caused (the natural area) to deteriorate, especially the corals,’ said Natural Resources and Environment Minister Varawut Silpa-Archa in a statement.
‘After shutting down Maya Bay to revive and restore it, up until the present, it has returned to a good condition.’
Come January 2022 Maya Bay, which is only an hour’s boat ride away from Phuket in Hat Noppharat Thara-Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park, will welcome back travellers with strict instructions
Visits will be capped at an hour with a maximum of 300 individuals allowed per ’round’ which begins at 10am and finishes at 4pm each day
Boats will no longer be allowed to enter the bay and instead have to drop tourists off at a pier at the back of the island – with only eight speedboats permitted to be in the area at one time.
Visits will be capped at an hour with a maximum of 300 individuals allowed per ’round’ which begins at 10am and finishes at 4pm each day.
The pier is almost completely constructed and will be finished before the January 1 reopening date.
During the time it was closed Maya Bay’s coral reef was replanted and visitor facilities were expanded on the island, which is only 250 metres long and 15 metres wide
During the time it was closed Maya Bay’s coral reef was replanted and visitor facilities were expanded on the island, which is only 250 metres long and 15 metres wide.
At present fully-vaccinated Australians living in NSW are permitted to travel to Thailand and stay one night in a government-approved hotel while they await the results of a Covid test, which will be taken when they arrive.
Then those living in NSW can return to the state without quarantining at home.