The uninhabited island of Bambu or Koh Mai is located in southern Thailand, this is a real gem of Krabi province. The name of the island means Bamboo, but bamboo does not grow here, but there is a luxurious comfortable beach for which thousands of tourists come here.
Tourist information
The island of Bambu is located in Thailand, namely 5 km from the island of Phi Phi Don, as well as 3 km from the island of Koh Yang. Bambu is a tropical paradise, where there is the azure sea, a beach with white, soft sand and beautiful, picturesque landscapes.
The island is small – only 2.4 km. sq, but this does not prevent him from being a popular uninhabited island. Enthusiastic reviews of tourists say that Bambu is one of the best in the province of Krabi.
Bamboo is located in the Andaman Sea; among Russian-speaking tourists, the name has taken root – Bamboo. Most often they come to the island as part of an excursion tour from the nearest Phuket. In terms of beauty and comfort, the beach on Bambu is not inferior to Maldivian beaches.
Good to know! Nearby there is a coral reef – a great place for snorkeling.
Bambu or Ko Mai is part of the Phi Phi archipelago, which is part of the national park Mo Ko Phi Phi, for this reason a visit to the resort is paid for all travelers. Before you buy a tour, be sure to check if the price of the tour includes a ticket that allows you to stay in Bambu all day, visit other islands of the archipelago and Maya Bay.
Practical information:
- ticket price for adults – 400 baht;
- children’s ticket price (for children under 14 years old) – 200 baht;
- for Thais, the ticket price is 40 and 20 baht, respectively.
How to get to Bambu
There are several ways to achieve your goal and find yourself on the wonderful island of Bambu. We offer an overview of possible routes with prices.
The easiest way to visit not only Bambu, but also other islands of the archipelago is to purchase an organized comprehensive tour or excursion.
Water transport leaves:
- from Krabi – the cost of the excursion program from one thousand baht;
- route Phuket – Bambu island – the price of a trip from one and a half thousand baht, departure from Chalong pier.
Good to know! The cheapest way to buy a tour in Ao Nang is the day before the trip. The trip is organized on a speed boat (speed boat), and as part of the trip, tourists visit all the islands of the archipelago and Maya Bay, which is notable for the fact that the film “Beach” was shot here.
In Phi Phi Don, a travel agency can buy a guided tour – the cost is from 500 baht. As part of the trip, a visit and inspection of the entire archipelago is provided. A trip to Bambu takes half an hour.
On Phi Phi Don you can hire a boat with a capacity of 4-6 people. Renting a small boat will cost about 2,500 baht, and boats are twice as expensive. The boatman takes tourists wherever the traveler wishes, some even conduct a tour. For such a trip, you must plan at least four hours.
Excursion water transport regularly departs from Ao Nang Beach. The cost of the trip is from 4 to 6 thousand baht, travelers are taken to Bambu early in the morning and taken in the evening. It is better to leave early in the morning, at a maximum of eight in the morning, to visit the island before the main influx of tourists. Given that the tour is individual, the tourist chooses independently which islands to visit, where to go diving, snorkeling. Be sure to warn the boatman if you plan to dine on Bambu.
By boat you can visit the most picturesque places of the Andaman Sea, the trip lasts all day. Cost – from 20 thousand baht. The capacity of water transport is 10-15 people.
Good to know! If a tourist purchases an excursion tour to the islands of the Phi Phi archipelago, vacation to Bambu is not paid extra.
What does the island look like
Not in vain the island of Bambu in Thailand is compared with the Maldivian beaches. Sailing to the shore, the only desire arises – to plunge into the clear water and lie down on the white sand.
If you swim to Bambu from the side of Phi Phi, the island meets a rocky part, densely overgrown with greenery. The beach is located on the opposite side. Some boats moor directly to the beach. Why there is no single place for mooring is unknown. Perhaps private boaters deliberately approach the opposite side so as not to pay to visit the national park.
It is important! If you are brought to the opposite bank, be prepared to walk a fairly long leg on foot.
From the point of view of infrastructure, the beach is poorly landscaped: there are toilets, cafes, wooden tables but no shower. Also on the island there are no hotels and no other accommodation.
The main nuance that makes a small fly in the ointment is too many tourists, boats, which constantly swim to the shore. However, the size of the beach is large and you can always find a place to lie down.
Good to know! There is one caveat to relaxing on Bambu beach – vacationers hide in the shade of trees that grow mainly at the edge of the beach, so the central part of the coast is often freer.
You can go through the bamboo in just one hour, but decide for yourself whether to wander aimlessly around the island if all the fun is on the beach. On the right are the houses that suffered as a result of the tsunami in 2004.
The coastline is quite wide, so even with a large crowd of people there is no crowd sensation. It is freest in the central part of the beach, where there are no trees and shade. On the map, Bambu Island is indicated as uninhabited, but tourists are regularly brought here, so the resort never looks deserted. Here you can enjoy the picturesque nature, the clear sea, relax on a snow-white beach and take many photos.
Interesting fact! The island is tropical, but palm trees do not grow here, coniferous and deciduous trees are abundant.
What else to consider – the island is uninhabited, so on the shore you will not find sun loungers and umbrellas, but for a moderate fee you can rent straw bedding, as well as a life jacket.
Prices in the cafe are quite affordable, so you can not bring a lot of food with you, but just have a bite to eat in one of the establishments. An administrative house was built in the shade of the trees, benches and tables were installed.
Nearby there is a coral reef where there are excellent conditions for diving with a mask. A lot of marine inhabitants live off the coast, more prepared swimmers are offered scuba diving.
Good to know! On the island you will not find a hotel, since people come here mainly for a day with a guided tour. The nearest settlement where there is housing is Phi Phi Don.
Advantages of Bamboo:
- clear sea, white, soft sand;
- picturesque, exotic landscapes – here you can make magnificent photographs;
- a cafe where you can eat;
- there are trees where you can hide from the heat.
Unfortunately, there were some shortcomings – there are not so many of them:
- there is no place to stay on the island – there are no hotels and bungalows;
- there are always a lot of tourists to Bambu.
Useful Tips
The vast majority of reviews about the island of Bambu are positive and even enthusiastic. Many tourists note that, despite the huge number of tourists, they definitely want to return here again.
To make the rest as comfortable as possible, follow these recommendations:
- if you go along the beach to the left, you can find a calm, deserted place and relax in silence;
- the most comfortable form of relaxation is to rent an individual boat and come to the island for the whole day;
- if you want to take a better place on the beach, try to arrive no later than 8 o’clock in the morning, later tourists flock here and the beach becomes crowded;
- if you travel with an excursion group, having arrived on Bamba without wasting time, go left, where it is calmer;
- if you want to spend your whole vacation in Bambu, book your accommodation in Phi Phi Don.
Bambu Island will win your heart forever, give an unforgettable experience, which is impossible to describe, you only need to experience them personally.
See how this excursion to the islands of Pi-Pi and Bambu takes place in this video.
