Monkey Bay: Koh Phi Phi Travel Guide (4.2★)

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Why go

You come to Monkey Bay for one reason: the monkeys, not the swimming.

A troop of long-tailed macaques owns this sliver of sand, and they know exactly why the boats keep arriving. They scavenge, they climb the limestone walls that box in the cove, and they will get close. This is Phi Phi’s most reliable close-up wildlife encounter, wedged between towering karst cliffs that turn the whole bay into a natural amphitheater.

Getting there

Monkey Bay sits on the northeastern tip of Koh Phi Phi Don, a short hop from Phi Phi’s main pier towns of Tonsai and Laem Tong.

Most visitors arrive by longtail boat or speedboat as part of a wider island-hopping itinerary that often bundles in Maya Bay, Pileh Lagoon, and Bamboo Island. You can also charter a longtail directly from Tonsai for a more targeted, shorter trip.

There’s technically a walking trail from the Laem Tong side, but it’s steep, unmarked in places, and better left to confident hikers with proper shoes.

What to see and do

The beach itself is tiny — you won’t need more than 20-30 minutes here.

What to do:

• Watch the macaques from a respectful distance; don’t corner them
• Snorkel the fringing reef just off the sand for parrotfish and small reef life
• Photograph the cliffs — the karst walls here are some of the most dramatic on the island
• Skip the food — there are no proper restaurants or shaded sit-down areas here

Boats typically idle just offshore rather than beaching fully, so be ready to wade the last few meters.

When to go

Morning departures, generally before 10am, tend to reach Monkey Bay before the bulk of the day-tour fleet piles in.

By midday, multiple boats can be anchored at once, which spooks the monkeys less than it crowds the sand. Afternoon light is also harsher and flatter for photos of the cliffs, while early sun rakes across the limestone at a better angle.

Dry season, roughly November through April, gives you calmer seas for the boat transfer and better visibility for snorkeling. Monsoon swells between June and October can make the crossing choppier and occasionally cancel smaller longtail trips.

How to visit like a local

Monkey Bay is well-known and firmly on the tour circuit, so don’t expect solitude — the smarter move is timing, not secrecy.

• Book a private longtail charter from Tonsai instead of a big group speedboat tour if you want fewer people and more flexibility on timing
• Pay boat operators and guides in cash, in Thai baht; small tips for longtail drivers are customary but not obligatory
• Never carry food, plastic bags, or dangling jewelry near the macaques — they associate bags with snacks and will grab
• Keep phones and cameras on a wrist strap; monkeys have snatched loose devices from tourists’ hands
• Don’t make direct prolonged eye contact with the macaques or corner them against the rocks — both read as threats

The single biggest mistake tourists make here is treating the monkeys like tame photo props. They’re wild animals in a small, boat-heavy space, and bites do happen when people crowd them for selfies. Watch, photograph from a few meters back, and let them come to you rather than the other way around.

Combine Monkey Bay with a longer half-day loop — Pileh Lagoon’s turquoise water and Maya Bay’s dramatic backdrop are both close by and make for a fuller day than Monkey Bay alone would justify.