This is what I was looking forward to THE MOST: Maya Bay Sleep On Board. My friend Gary and his sister said this is an absolute must do and boy were they right.  I recommend to ANYONE going to Koh Phi Phi or hopping around the islands to visit Maya Bay in this fashion. Maya Bay is the infamous beach in the movie The Beach (which, will be on my movie list pre-return to work) and is usually jam packed with tourists trying to get the perfect shot. There are no hotels, no wifi, or any way to stay on the island unless, you sleep on a boat in the bay, which is what we did. At the beginning of the day, I was a little nervous because I had a horror of a hangover but then just before we got on the boat, I started feeling like a human again. Success!!

We set out to Maya Bay around 3pm with about 15-20 other people. First up was some snorkeling, kayaking, swimming and my first jump off the boat. After that, we headed to the beach where we watched all the tourists slowly get their taxi boats back to wherever they came from and then it was just us. Our hosts set up a campsite with music where we enjoyed our buffet, card games, and a full bar where you could purchase buckets. After that, we had a little barbecue during which the power went out. It was confusing at first because it wasnt pitch black, we could still see each other. The reason for this was the moon. The moon was so incredibly bright (it was a full moon) it lit up the entire beach. It was unbelievable.

After the barbecue snack, it was time for a night swim to see the plankton. Reference scene in The Beach when Leonardo DiCaprio has a moment with Virginie Ledoyen. Once you start splashing around in the water, you’re suddenly surrounded by hundreds of blinking lights. I’m cursing myself for not having a go pro. After the swim, it was more drinks, acoustic guitar sing alongs (think Oasis, Bob Marley and the like) and then bed underneath the stars and full moon.  Tip: after the BBQ – make sure you get the first boat back to the boat and stake your claim on the roof of the boat.  It’s THE BEST SPOT.  See the next post “Woke Up In Maya Bay” to see precisely what I mean.