Ma ya Beach was made famous by the DeCaprio movie, The Beach. The beach was modified by the production company to make it more "paradise-like". Though a large amount of money was set aside to restore the beach, there is still some controversy about weather the final result was beneficial or detrimental. Apparently the 2004 tsunami actually helped the island's appearance by removing much of the "landscaping" left by the production company. Since the movie, tourism in the area skyrocketed and Ma Ya beach can receive 1000-2000 visitors per day in high season. We visited at the end of the day and the crowds were not bad at all. Time your visit right and it is definitely a must see.

	The ubiquitous long tail boats fascinate me. You can go almost anywhere in the islands on one for about 40 Baht, just over a buck.

All photos on this page are originals by & copyrighted by Daren Willden, unless otherwise stated. All rights reserved.