Bamboo Bay
Koh Lanta, Krabi, Thailand
Bamboo Bay, also called Ao Mai Phai, is the last beach before Koh Lanta's national park boundary, a two kilometer curve of sand at the island's southern tip in Krabi province, Thailand. Big boulders break up the shoreline in places, the water stays clear enough to see your feet, and by evening the day trippers have mostly cleared out.
Genuinely quiet even by Lanta's standards, since it sits past where most tourists bother driving, but the rocky patches and remoteness are exactly why it stays overlooked.
Bring water shoes. The sand slopes gently and is lovely for wading, but the rocky patches at either end are easy to cut a foot on if you're not paying attention.
Getting here means renting a scooter or arranging a taxi from wherever you're staying on Lanta, since it's a good 40 minutes south of the main strip near Klong Dao. A couple of small resorts along the bay have parking for guests.
The road ends at a handful of bungalow resorts with sandy paths down to the water. There's no boardwalk or paved access, just a short walk over packed dirt and sand.
Dry season runs November through April, and that's also the best window for snorkeling here since the water clears along the bay's edges. May through October brings the southwest monsoon, with rougher water and more overcast days.
More Asia Pacific beaches
Sanom Beach
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Sunset Beach
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