An Island Near Koh Phi Phi
Bamboo Island is a small flat island about 5 kilometres north of Phi Phi Island. Most people visit it as part of a Phi Phi day tour from Phuket or Krabi. The boat pulls up, everyone gets off for 30-45 minutes, and then it’s back on the speedboat to the next stop. That’s the standard experience.
I’ve been here a few times over the years, always on group tours. It’s a nice beach, but you need to know what to expect before you go.
What’s the Island Actually Like?
First thing: the name is misleading. There’s almost no bamboo on Bamboo Island. The trees you see are mostly Casuarinas, those tall wispy pines that grow along beaches throughout Thailand. Maybe there was bamboo here a long time ago, but not anymore. Locals call it Koh Mai Phai, which does mean Bamboo Island in Thai.
The island is tiny and completely flat. You can walk around the whole thing in maybe 20 minutes if you bother, though most people just stay on the main beach. There’s no development, no restaurants, no hotels. Just sand, trees, and a national park ranger station.
The beach itself is decent. White sand, relatively clean, and the water is shallow enough to wade out quite far. It’s not the most spectacular beach in the Phi Phi area, but it’s good for what it is.
The Crowd Problem
Here’s the honest truth about Bamboo Island: your experience depends entirely on timing. If your tour arrives early in the morning, around 9 or 10 am, it can feel peaceful. A few boats, some space on the beach, decent visibility for snorkelling. This is when the island looks like the photos.
By midday, it’s a different story. Speedboats line up along the shore, sometimes 15 or 20 of them at once. Hundreds of day-trippers pile onto the same stretch of sand. The beach gets crowded, the water gets churned up, and that peaceful island feeling disappears fast. Most Phi Phi tours from Phuket hit Bamboo Island in the early afternoon on the way back. That’s peak chaos time. If you have a choice of tours, look for one that visits Bamboo Island first thing in the morning.
Snorkelling at Bamboo Island
The snorkelling is okay, but nothing special. There’s some coral around the edges of the island, and you’ll see fish, but don’t expect anything like the Similan Islands or even the better spots around Phi Phi Leh.
Water visibility varies a lot depending on conditions and how many boats are around. On a calm morning with few visitors, it’s reasonable. On a busy afternoon with boats coming and going, forget it.
If snorkelling is your main goal, the other stops on most Phi Phi tours, like Pileh Lagoon or the areas around Maya Bay, are usually better.
National Park Fees
Bamboo Island is part of Hat Noppharat Thara-Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park. There’s an entrance fee of 400 Baht for foreign adults and 200 Baht for children. Thai nationals pay less.
Most tour operators include this fee in the tour price, but check when you book. Some cheaper tours advertise a low price and then add the national park fee on top.
Is Bamboo Island Worth It?
If you’re doing a Phi Phi day tour anyway, it’s a fine stop. You get off the boat, stretch your legs, swim a bit, and take some photos. The beach is pretty, and the water is warm. As part of a longer tour, it works.
But I wouldn’t go out of my way specifically for Bamboo Island. It’s not a destination on its own. If you’re choosing between tours and one includes Bamboo Island while another doesn’t, I wouldn’t base your decision on that.
The better question is whether the tour visits at a good time. Early morning visits are worth it. Afternoon visits during peak season can feel like standing in a queue at a theme park.
How to Get There?
You can’t get to Bamboo Island on your own unless you charter a private longtail or speedboat from Phi Phi Don. That costs around 1,500-2,500 Baht, depending on your bargaining skills.
The easier option is booking a Phi Phi day tour from Phuket or Krabi. Almost all of them include Bamboo Island as one of the stops. Just check what time the tour visits, morning is better than afternoon.
Popular Ways to Discover Bamboo Island
Distance From Phi Phi Island
Bamboo Island 360 Video
Subscribe to our YouTube for more videos!
Bamboo Island Photos
Map of Bamboo Island
Your Phi Phi Travel Guide
More Tours in Phuket
