---
node: spot_phi_phi_bamboo_island
type: spot
slug: bamboo_island
destination: dest_phi_phi
title: "Bamboo Island"
lead: "Bamboo Island is a small flat island north of Phi Phi Don with a white sand rim and shallow reef, and no permanent settlement. It closes for part of the monsoon, usually from mid-May to mid-October."
published: 2026-08-12
updated: 2026-08-12
image_file: spot_phi_phi_bamboo_island.jpg
image_source: "https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ko_Mai_Phai_(Bamboo_Island).jpg"
image_author: "Christophe95"
image_license: "CC BY-SA 4.0"
---

## Overview

The island is part of the same national park as Maya Bay and its interior is scrub and casuarina rather than bamboo, which the name does not warn you about. The reef starts a few metres from the sand on the northern side, which makes it the best snorkelling stop on a Phi Phi day trip and the reason most boats include it. Facilities are a ranger station and toilets; there is no shop.

## Highlights

Bring water and shade — there is nothing to buy and the beach has almost no natural cover. The north beach has the coral and the east has the sand, so walk between the two. Check whether the island is open before booking a trip that lists it, since the closure is seasonal and operators do not always update their itineraries.